The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [11]
The art of herbal therapeutics is brought into play as one blends single nutritional and medicinal plants together into a compound formula, creating a uniquely synergistic quality that can support health, and when necessary stimulate or modify the body’s self-healing vital energy.
Therefore, it is exceedingly useful to understand the terms and concepts that describe these herbal actions. There are hundreds of different actions that have been defined through the ages. However, for our purposes, only about 40 of these need be considered. It’s important to recognize these terms and learn their definitions; I assure you it is time well spent. Reading through the upcoming list of herbs will prove the practicality of this suggestion and afford you ample practice.
Using this “herbal actions” measure is a reliable technique to help you select your own group of core plants with which to work. When one applies it to the group of herbs selected for our CSHS list of thirty herbs, it can be seen that the actions we felt were essential are well represented. I will review this for you in the following section. Along with this, I will include a brief discussion of the actions of each of the thirty (+5) herbs and the fungus; I will also suggest the most effective vehicles for administering them by using infusion, decoction, tincture (and glycerite), oil infusion, salve, syrup, lotion, poultice, fomentation, and bolus/suppository.
As we progress through this handbook, exploring diverse techniques of medicine-making, I will use this list of thirty-five medicinal plants and a medicinal fungus as a reference and focus on specific information for extracting them in the various menstra we discuss.
I offer these lists and accompanying notations to you as a practical foundation for your personal home pharmacy, but I encourage you to modify the group of herbs to align with your intuitive preferences and, depending on where you live, to better fit the native medicinal plant population of your particular bio-region. Observe the actions and specific indications of the plants in this group and match them as best you can.
40 HERBAL ACTIONS TO KNOW
Adaptogen—An action concept unique to herbal therapeutics. Adaptogenic or hormonal modulating action increases the body’s resistance and endurance to a wide variety of adverse influences from physical, chemical, and biological stressors, assisting the body’s ability to cope and adapt.
Alterative—Gradually restores health and vitality to the body by helping the body assimilate nutrients, eliminate waste, and restore proper function.
Anodyne, analgesic—Relieves pain when administered orally or externally.
Antacid—Neutralizes excess acid in the stomach and intestinal tract.
Anticatarrhal—Counteracts the build-up of excess mucus and inflammation in sinus or other upper respiratory parts.
Antidepressant—Helps relieve or prevent depressed states of mind.
Anti-emetic—Relieves nausea and vomiting.
Anti-inflammatory—Combats extensive or too-painful occurrence of inflammation. A degree of inflammation is a necessary process in healing.
Anti-microbial (anti-bacterial, anti-viral)—Helps the body’s immune system destroy or resist the proliferation of pathogenic micro-organisms.
Anti-oxidant—Protects the body against free radical damage (free radicals are highly reactive compounds that bind to and destroy other molecules).
Antiseptic—Prevents or eliminates sepsis (infectious destructive condition of tissue).
Antispasmodic—Prevents or eases spasms or cramping in the body.
Aperient—A gentle stimulant to digestion, having a very mild laxative action.
Aphrodisiac—Increases sexual excitement and desire (libido).
Astringent—Contracts, firms, and strengthens body tissues by precipitating proteins, and can reduce excess secretions and discharge.
Bitter—Stimulates the normal secretion of digestive juices, benefiting digestion. This stimulating action helps counteract physical and, to a certain extent, emotional