The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [67]
The amount of liquid used to prepare a medicinal tea is not so important, the weight of herb used is.
DECOCTION
If the strength of the decoction is not otherwise directed:
1. Place 25 Gm of herb (approximately 1 ounce) into a suitable vessel with a cover. (Use half to three quarters this amount of herb if you want a weaker decoction.)
2. Pour upon it 500 ml (approximately 1 pint) of cold water. It is important to begin the process with cold water in order to ensure the complete extraction of all soluble principles from the herb by the gradually heated water. The albuminous matter is subsequently extracted out of the cells and slowly coagulated outside the herb as the heat is increased to near the boiling point. If the herb is immersed in boiling water, the albumen contained in cells will possibly coagulate at once and can interfere significantly with the extraction of the other constituents.
3. If time allows, let the herb macerate—soak—a few hours prior to heating.
4. Cover the container well and bring the ingredients slowly to a boil.
5. Decrease the heat and simmer it for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. The harder the material, the longer the simmering time of extraction needed. If not specified, this extraction time must be determined by observation, common sense, and experience.
6. After decoction, press the herb hard to make sure all the solution is removed from the marc (the remaining undissolved pulp).
7. Allow the pressed decoction to cool to a temperature below 104° E (40° C.), and strain the liquid. If you wish, after it cools, this decoction can be further strained using a filter paper. By then, principles which are soluble only in hot water are mostly precipitated and, if desired, generally can be removed without weakening the medicinal value of the preparation. However, even with this precaution, the strained liquid may become unsightly due to further deposition of matter that is soluble only in hot water or by the development of apotheme (the dark deposit which sometimes appears in vegetable infusions and decoctions once exposed to air). None of this matter is harmful to drink (some would even contend that it is highly beneficial—see previous chapter). It just looks disagreeable to some folks, however, and it is kind to cater to the consumer’s aesthetic preference.
8. Pour enough water through the marc to return the volume of water to 500 ml.
A HISTORIC METHOD OF DECOCTION, ADAPTED FROM KING’S AMERICAN DISPENSATORY, 1898.
Decoctum Taraxaci—DECOCTION OF DANDELION
Slice and bruise 1 oz. of dried dandelion root, and boil it in 1 pint of distilled water for 10 minutes. Strain, and pour upon the residue in the strainer enough distilled water to make the finished product measure 1 pint. A little orange peel added at the end of the boiling period is said to increase its usefulness. This preparation does not keep well and must be freshly prepared.
HERBS ON THE 35 “HERBS AND A FUNGUS” LIST
THAT ARE WELL PREPARED BY DECOCTION
Including a recommended dosage—ex. 3–5 Gm (grams) dry herb. This amount would be decocted in approximately 1 cup (250 ml) water.
As recommended in Chapter Four, “Kitchen Pharmacy Equipment,” it’s best to obtain a scale that measures gram weight. Using this scale, you can easily prepare the following recommended dosages.
Blackberry root bark 2–5 Gm: 2–4x a day
Black Cohosh root 1–3 Gm: 3x a day
Burdock seeds 2–5 Gm: 3x a day
Comfrey root 2–3 Gm: 3x a day
(See discussion of Comfrey in Chapter Two.)
Crampbark 2–5 Gm: up to 4x a day
Dandelion root