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Ideally, a 1:5 tincture of dried herb delivers the action of 20 Gm of herb for each 100 ml of tincture taken; a 1:10 tincture delivers the action of 10 grams of dried herb; while a 1:2 tincture of fresh plants carries the action of 50 grams of fresh herb with each 100 ml of tincture taken.

• Tinctures of dried non-toxic botanicals represent the activity of 20 Gm of dried herb in each 100 cc of tincture (a 20% or 1:5 w/v tincture).

• Tinctures of dried toxic or intense botanicals represent the activity of 10 Gm of dried herb in each 100 cc of tincture (often called a 10% or 1:10 w/v tincture).

• Tinctures of fresh undried plants are made to represent the activity of 50 Gm of fresh herb in each 100 cc (a 50% or 1:2 w/v tincture). Pure, undiluted (190-proof) ethyl alcohol is used for the fresh plant menstruum.

In other words, if you take 100 cc (which is equivalent to 100 ml) of a 1:5 tincture of dried Stinging Nettle into your body, theoretically, you receive the same activity as if you ate 20 Gm of the dried herb. Or if you take 100 ml of a 1:2 tincture of fresh Nettle, theoretically, you are receiving the same activity as if you ate 50 Gm of fresh Nettle (you might want to steam those fresh Nettles first).

Of course these international standards, though excellent, are not sacrosanct and a lay herbalist can make his or her tinctures in any strength desired. I usually make my dried Nettle extract at 1:4, my fresh St. John’s Wort at 1:1.5, and my fresh Mullein flowers at a 1:1. I often start out using the suggested standards, but frequently alter them as I prepare successive batches. My current preferences have evolved based on my experience with these plant extracts. View all these processes and standards as principles to use as initial guides, but ultimately do adjust them according to your own preferences.

It is important to note that, provided one is using good-quality herb, both methods, the folk and the w/v, make high-quality tinctures. Neither method is superior to the other (that statement will draw some debate); the choice is merely a matter of the medicine-maker’s needs and preferences. Some folks like to measure ingredients when cooking, some don’t. We will discuss both methods for preparing tinctures in this chapter.

Regardless of which method you choose for making tinctures, remember that maceration is floating time, when the alluring qualities of the liquids have their way with the herbal solids; the waters and alcohols of the menstruum gently coax the essence of the plants into solution. This is a time of quiescence as the earth, air, fire, and water elements of the herb surrender themselves to the receptive liquid of the menstruum. Inevitably, however, this relationship will fall into deep slumber as we are all prone to do within the delicious wetness of a tranquil bath. So, it is the task of an attentive medicine-maker to shake his or her tinctures routinely, thereby re-arousing the active part of the extraction process.

PRESERVATION AND STORAGE

Store all tinctures in airtight, light-resistant containers and avoid exposure to direct sunlight and excessive heat.

DOSAGE

Tinctures are normally more concentrated than either infusions or decoctions and therefore stronger. The dosage to be taken can be much smaller. The dosage again depends on the herb at hand. When I use a mild tonic herb such as Nettle, Dandelion, or Hawthorn, I will take up to five droppersful in a glass of water 2 to 3 times a day. When taking a more intense herb, such as Echinacea or Chaparral, I take anywhere from 10 to 25 drops, 3 to 4 times a day. With Cayenne, sometimes 1 drop is plenty.

SUMMARY

Since most medicinal plants are made up of representatives from various types of constituents, categorized as either active or ballast substances, the extraction agents should not be geared solely to any individual substance. When extracting dehydrated plant material, alcohol concentrations of 40 percent (sometimes less) to 60 percent (sometimes more) are customarily utilized, according to the official instructions