Solar/Lunar Herbal Infusions

March 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

solar infusion medicinal tea

So Ive spoken about Herbal Infusions before when making tea, but here is a easy and natural method for doing this.

 

SOLAR INFUSION

Rose petals, fireweed, spruce tips, chamomile, dandelion, golden rod flowers and many more can be used to make a Solar Infusion.

A solar infusion is pretty simple using the energy and heat of the sun to infuse the beneficial nutrients and medicinal properties of the plant into the liquid for you to drink.

 

Step 1: Place fresh or dried herbs and water in a clear jar (open not closed, if insects are a problem use muslin cloth or similar to put over the top)

Step 2: Place jar in direct sunlight for several hours.  Allow the warm energy of the sun to gently heat the water, which releases fragrance and other attributes.

Step 3: After the few hours, strain our herbs or keep in and drink the Solar Infused Tea! Simple right?

The book spoke of using what you “feel is in tune” for the infusion but also offers a basic guide for those of us more nit picky.

 

1 tbl herbs to 1 up of water

4-6 tbl herbs to per 4 cups (1 liter) of water or 6 cup teapot.

For Fresh herbs, double amount given above

 

Lunar Infusion

This captures the reflective light given off the moon as well as the moons influence on water and ourselves from its gravitational pull to infuse the herbs.

Wild Sage, Chamomile, yarrow flower, labrador and other plants can be used.

 

Step 1: Place fresh or dried herbs (can see above for rough guestimations used for solar infusions) in a clear glass jar.

Step 2: Leave outside overnight (as stated above you can use muslin cloth to keep bugs out of it, if bugs are not an issue, keep open)

Step 3: DRINK!

 

Notes:

For both of these infusions they mention and i repeat some of the names of the different teas to use for each, for the most part ANY TEA can be made with both or either of these, so whatever you have in mind do it! See what works, if you want to add more, add less, add in addition, etc.!

You Can find more on Herbal infusions, decoction’s, etc here on the Site

How to Make a…

Herbal Salve

Herbal Poultice
Ointment

Oil Infusion

Decoction

Tea Infusion

 

 

the boreal herbal

These recipes come from the book THE BOREAL HERBAL by Beverley Gray, You can find it on Amazon or look at your local bookstores! An excellent book for Northern Medicinal Plant use


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Worm Bins

March 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment




My Family has used Red Worm Bins for decades now, and they are an easy year round option for Organic Fertilizer.

You can make your own Worm Bins from Rubbermaid Containers as shown in these plans here.

However I do like the Worm Factory Brand Worm Bins, as they are easily stackable and have that spigot at the bottom, which makes it easier to get the juice out! The three stack option shown is around $80.

Basically all you do is throw in your kitchen waste, veggies, coffee grinds, anything non-meat that is organic for the most part (However onions and Citrus is not their favorite and will only be eaten once everything else is gone).  You can also throw In shredded paper, it all breaks down.

You then drain the juice into jugs (we use milk/orange juice jugs) and you often use it as a folio spray (onto the leaves) in a 20:1 ratio with water.  The “Castings” that is the dark earth left behind is a great compost to use for potting plants or adding to plant beds.  The Castings contain worm eggs and will hatch in your gardens and double in population every 40 days, this is safe and good for your gardens.

The great thing is if you have this in a basement or garage that stays relatively warm all year you can run this system all year, during the winter storing up the castings and juice to use during the planting season!


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Survival Foraging: Fireweed

November 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

FIREWEED

Epilobium Angustifolium

 

Other Names: River Beauty, Wild Asparagus, Blooming Sally

 

Habitat: Varies with specific species, but can be found in burned and logged areas as well as meadows and gravel bars.  Can be found from Northern Alaska to the Yukon, Pacific Northwest and California.

 

Description:(Fireweed) Grows up to 8 feet high, Flowers are 4 petaled, bright and commonly magenta, but sometimes purple or white.  Lower flowers mature earlier and from long pods after blooming.  Leaves are long and narrow with smooth edges, and pale underneath.  When mature the pods split open and release a wooly fluff that carries the seed.

(River Beauty) Grows from 4-16 inches in height.  Flowers are larger and more colorful than Fireweed.  Leaves are long narrow and grayish green in color.  Stems are sometimes commonly branched.


Edible Uses:

 

Early Spring: Shoots

Late Spring: Leaves (best before flowering begins),

Summer: Buds and Flowers

Fall: “Down” from matured pods and the rootstalks

  • The Spring Fireweed young stalks are high in Vitamin C and A.  The stalks are edible raw, but can be steamed or stir fried.  The soil conditions where foraged will affect flavor and often it is found spring shoots can be mild to somewhat bitter depending on area foraged.  Bitter stalks can be pickled or blended with milder greens in pies or casseroles to control the bitterness.
  • Shoots can also be simmered in stews or prepared like asparagus.  One recommendation is to pack shoots in cooking oil and freeze them for winter use.  River Beauty shoots are said to be superior to fireweed for potherb us.
  •  Young Leaves of both species are good mixed with other greens in salads ro vegetable side dishes.  The buds (unopened) can be used in the same way.  Raw Roots are popular food with Northern Eskimo’s.
  • In the Summer stems can be split down the middle into halves and  pulled through teeth to extract the edible parts of the stem.  Fireweed leaf tea can be made into a pleasant drink, and is slightly sweet in flavor.  The laxative nature of the tea dictates that this be used in moderation.  Russian peasant call this tea “Kaporie”.  You can bend the tea with dried berries or mint leaves.

 

OTHER USES:

  • As stated above, the laxative nature of the tea can be used to relieve constipation, Herbal infusions are also recommended for spring tonics and to help settle upset stomachs.
  • A Herbal Decoction can be made by boiling the whole herb and has been used as an Anit-Spasmodic treatment for whooping cough and asthma.  Traditional use involves making the Herbal Decoction and sipping in wineglass amounts until spasms pass.
  • Fireweed leaves and flowers can be steeped in Oils and is said to be a good external treatment for piles.
  • Dry Powdered roots blended with Vaseline or other petroleum Jelly has been used to sooth infected insect bits, and abrasions.  The Fresh Roots are also said to draw out Boils

  • The wooly fluff from mature pods was used by Canadian explorers as a Tinder for starting fires
  • Common in Kamchatka (The large peninsula in Eastern Siberia Russia), Fireweed was made into an ale.   The Pith (The inner juicy ‘meat’) was boiled along with Cow Parsnip Stems, and Hallucinogenic Fly Agaric (Agaracus Muscarius) and this resulted in a “Stupefying Ale”
  • Natives of Puget sound wove fireweed down with wool of mountain goats to make blankets.
  • Fireweed Flowers were rubbed on mittens and rawhide to make them water resistant
  • Inner Pith was dried, powered and rubbed on hands and face in winter to prevent chapping of the skin
  • The String Fibers left in teeth after extracting pith was woven to create fish nets.

 

 


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Survival Foraging: Field Mint

November 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

FIELD MINT

Mentha arvensis

 

OTHER NAMES: Wild mint, pole mint, brook mint, indian mint, Canada mint

 

HABITAT: Can be found in fields, moist areas, banks of streams and lakes.  The Field Mint ranges from Central Alaska and the Yukon to California.

 

DESCRIPTION:  Can grow up to 24 inches, opposite leaves which usually have fine hairs.  Plants smells minty when bruised, square stems which are usually hairy.  Stem may be  simple or branched.  When flowering will have tight clusters of lilac like flowers growing where the leaves and stems intersect.

 

EDIBLE USES:

HARVEST CALENDAR:

Late Spring to Early Summer: The above ground portion.  Clip the mint to a height of 4-6 inches a few times during the season, this provides continuous supply of young, supple, tender growth.


The young mint leaves are a nutritious additive to summer salads and have high content of vitamins A, C and K as well as Iron, calcium and manganese.

Add to soups, omelettes or whatever you want to have a ‘minty’ fresh flavor.  Steam the mint with new potatoes, baby carrots or peas for a fresh flavor.  Mint Jelly is wonderful on poultry, lamb or pork as well as wild game that may have a “gamey taste”.

You can steep the leaves for a refreshing hot or iced tea, or you can place a fresh sprig of mint in beverages or meat dishes as a garnish.

You can also line cake tines with the mint leaves instead of grease, due to the oils in the plant, this works well with light cakes and adds a mint flavor to the final product.

 

MEDICINAL USES:

Mint is recommended as an appetite stimulant and digestive aid.  You can try sipping a small glass of mint flavored wine or tea after a big dinner to spur digestive juices to get to work.

Mint is also used for upset stomachs, nausea and morning sickness and mint-elder flower tea is recommended for crampy or delayed menstruation.

You can apply the mint as a herbal compress, and is said to relieve headaches and other pains.

Inhaling mint is a folk remedy substitute for smelling salts.

Simmer mint in a pan of water and inhale for blocked sinuses

Add leaves to herbal salves for itchy skin conditions.

Mint Essential oils can be diluted in a cup of water to relieve gas and mint juice can be used to sooth earaches.

 

OTHER USES:

Mint can be used for cosmetic uses as well.  Add to herbal baths to soothe and soften skin and to foot baths to sooth aching feet or calluses.

Mint is useful in facial steams and masks for dry skins.

Mint Vinegar, diluted with water is a good hair rinse for dandruff.

PURE mint oil can be added to shampoos, massage oils, herbal asalves, soaps as well as foods and liquors.  The oil can be made through distillation, but is very intensive as it takes 300 pounds of mint to yield on pound of oil.

 

RECIPE FOR MINT MASK FOR DRY SKIN:

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/2 avocado

2 tb wheat germ oil

2 tb liquid lecithin

1 dropper vitamin E

1 cup mint tea

 

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Smooth on clean face and throat area, leave on for 15 minutes and wash with mint tea.

 

 

CAUTION: Large amounts of mint should be avoided by pregnant women as it has been known to cause miscarriages

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Survival Foraging: Puffballs

November 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

PUFFBALLS

Lycoperdon Species

Calvatia Species

 

OTHER NAMES: Devils Snuffbox, Chicken of the Woods

 

HABITAT: Puffballs flourish in areas such as lawns, meadows, tundra and roadsides.  Puffballs can be found from Alaska to California, and many North American Hard and Softwood Forest’s. There was even a Calvatia species discovered in Brazil in 2008

 

DESCRIPTION: Puffballs vary in size from the size of marbles to basketballs.  THe Lycoperdon sp. are smaller, but more abundant.  Lycoperdon is round and white before the spores develop and turn brown as they begin to ‘fruit’ and are ready to release the spores.  Calvatia sp. can be larger such as the C. Gigantea specieas and can grow to 10 inches in diameter.  They have numerous ‘cracks’ that release the spores.  Calvatia sp. are round to pear shaped and lack a true stem, but some have a “stalk-like” base that varies from the minute to substantial.  The fruiting bodies of the Calvatia may be smooth or with wartlike growths.  When both species ‘fruit’, they release a cloud of spores when stepped on.

 

EDIBLE USES:

 

HARVESTING:

LATE SUMMER – EARLY FALL

Slice open EACH puffball in half before eating to make certain it is solid white throughout the mushroom

SLICED LYCOPERDON PERLATUM

 

SLICED CALVATIA CYATHIFORMIS


Large puffballs can be a very delicious if you slice them and cook them like eggplant Parmesan.  You can also try them filled with stuffing, wrapped in bacon and cooked in a covered pot.  The smaller puffballs can be sauteed in butter, garlic and soy sauce and served on toast points.

You can basically use these just like you would any mushrooms you buy in the store.   They can be added to sparser meals to help fill the belly and give the meal more variety.

This is an unverified source, but the nutritional content according to a study done in Turkey found that Lycoperdon perlatum contained

  • 42 g carbohydrates
  • 10.6 g Fat
  • 44.9 g Protein
  • 5.5 mg Iron
  • .6 mg Manganese
  • .5 g Zinc

 

MEDICINAL USES:

Puffballs have been traditionaly bound to wounds to stop bleeding, spores have been inhaled for a folk remedy for nosebleeds.

 

CAUTION

The spores have been known to cause allergic reactions in some people and severely irritate the bronchial passages, so caution must be used when considering traditional uses.

As with any foraging for new species be very careful in the collection.  For you first time always collect the “unknowns” and keep them in separate containers from the “known” edibles, so if they turn out to be inedible they don’t spoil the rest.  This is because Spores form one mushroom that may be toxic may spoil the rest if they come in contact.  a rule of thumb is to cut mushroom stems one inch form the ground to make sure they are free of dirt.

For positive identification make mushroom spore prints for future reference.  Discard the step and place the mushroom cap stem side down on paper, cover this with a glass bowl or large container and let it sit overnight.  The paper, if possible, should be half dark half-light so that the spores show up regardless of color.  Spores will form an identifying print, like a finger, with their color and shape, which will be the key identifiers.

Dont eat a large portion when consuming new wild mushrooms for the first time.  Eat no more than a tablespoon of the cooked fungus, wait 36 hours, and if you don’t get sick its ok.  if you do get sick or have an allergic reaction it will, or should be less, than if you ate a heaping portion, and this way you can get the learning curve without the death or severe illness! (this is why you should forage in your area now! not when things get bad and medical attention is less or non-existent).

As with all Foraging, consult your local knowledge base and BE CAREFUL!

 

 

 

 


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Survival Foraging: Cattails: The Walmart of the Wild

July 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Cattails

Typha latifolia

Habitat:

Found in every state of the U.S. including Alaska, as well as in most of Canada. Prefers saturated/flooded areas such as wet meadows, marshes, fens, ponds, lake margins, floating bog mats, seacoast, roadside ditches, irrigation canal, backwater areas of rivers and streams.  Tolerant of seasonal drawdowns in water as well as flooding but generally needs a water depth that doesnt exceed 2 1/2 inches and grows mostly in freshwater but sometimes found in brackish marshes.  Often grows upslope of open water but downslope of common reed canarygrass and willow.  Established stands of cattail generally grow in soils with high amounts of organic matter, may also grow in fine texture mineral soils but usually when there is organic matter making up the surface soils.  Even if a fire comes through the area, the rhizomes are protected under the water and will rapidly grow back after damage is done.

Uses:  Cattail has many uses such as thatch for roofing, woven into mats, chairs and hats.  Used for torches and tinder, stuffing for pillows, insulation for homes, crude flotation devices, wound dressing and many more.

Stalks/Stems: Best from early spring through summer.  Stems have a cucumber like flavor and said to be great in soups, salads and peeled and eaten raw.  Eat the stem starting at the white end and as you go up peel away the leaves to get to the tender center.

Flower Spikes (fruit): Best collected late in the spring, gather when green.  Boil them for a few minutes and they are like corn on the cob (See Recipe Below)

Recipe: Cattail Corn on the Cob

(from wildblessings.com)

Butter
Sea Salt
Pepper

Put the cattail in a large pot of boiling water and boil for 7-19 minutes.  Remove and serve with butter, salt or seeds and thyme.

Leave 3-5 inches of stem for holding the cob

Cattail Green Cobs
This is the female head of the plant and they are delicious!  
They taste like artichoke hearts (some say corn on the cob)

Eat them like corn on the cob to avoid eating the hard inner stick.  They are densely nutritious!

Pollen: The pollen can be used as a flour and should be gathered in late spring or early summer before the spikes turn brown.  The green pollen can be gathered by carefully bedning the flower head into a bag and shaking it gently.  The flour will fall and collect in the bag and saved for later use.  Once home sift out the flower with a metal sieve to remove bugs or debris and let sit out to dry and save for later use.  It is high in protein and can be combined with Rhizome flower or wheat flour to make high protein pancakes, muffins, etc, or just sprinkled on foods to up their protein content.

Recipe: Cattail Pollen Griddle Cakes

(the3foragers.com)

2 large eggs
1 T milk
2 T flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c. cattail flower spike pulp
1 T minced sweet red pepper
1 T minced glasswort
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper

garnish with sour cream and glasswort

1. Mix the milk, egg, flour and baking powder together with a whisk until no lumps remain.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Cook the batter by tablespoonfuls on a medium griddle, until browned on both sides.
4. Allow the cakes to cool, and serve with a dollop of sour cream and more glasswort.

Corms: The Corms are the little shoots that are at the base of the stalk and can be fried or eaten raw and said to taste great. best taken in the fall

Rhizome/Root:  Best harvested in Late Fall/Winter.  This can be dried into flour and even made into jelly.

according to a report by Harrington in 1972 one acre of cattails yields approximately 6,475 pounds of starch.  Native Americans used the flour to make bread and other baked goods, which contained 80% carbohydrates, 6-8% protein and is abundant in minerals and vitamins.

 

Recipe: Making Cattail Flower

(From tacticalintelligence.net)

Collect and Clean the Rhizomes: They look funny, but clean them well

Now peel the Rhizomes with a potato peel or knife the same way you would peel a potato and reveal the white/starchy interior

The Next step is to extract the starch from the rhizomes

There are two ways to do this.

1) Rhizome Breaking method

You can just put the rhizomes in a big bowl of water and break apart the rhizomes and work them around with your hands until the starch is removed.

The water will turn murky (see left) and then in a few hours it will settle and look like the right hand picture with the settled “flour” at the bottom and debris floating.

Pour off the water and get the debris out of the bowl and then lay the sediment out on a flat surface or in the oven (lowest temp) or in a dehydrator.

 

2) Knife/Rock Scraping Method

The other way to release the starch is to take a rock or knife and scrape along the rhizome like you are trying to get that last bit of toothpaste out of a tube

(Not in a bowl of water just on the counter)

This will then cause the starch to collect on the knife or rock, and you can wipe it off on flat surface to dry or now put it in a bowl of water (This is best so the flower can separate from the fiber threads, just use the same method as shown above to separate the water and debris from the flower).

Once the starch has been dried sufficiently you can grind it with a mortar and pestle or put it through a wheat grinder to get the fine flour like consistency.

 

This cattail starch can now be used as a substitute or in conjunction with any normal wheat flower in any recipe

 

Medicinal Uses:

Poultices can be made from split or bruised roots and applied to cuts, wounds, burns, stings and bruises.

Ash of burned cattail leaves can be used as an antiseptic or styptic for wounds.

A small drop of a honey-like excretion, often found near the base of the plant can be used as an antiseptic for small wounds or tooth aches.

 

 

 


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Episode 3: A Introduction to Permaculture

June 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Episode 3: An Introduction to Permactulture [ 51:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1500)

Permaculture is a way of Gardening that connects you and your garden back into Nature.

You take Natures natural way of interactions with plants, soil, wind, water and sun and instead of fighting it, accepting it and using it to your advantage.

The thing i love most about permaculture is the use of natural remedies and inputs, without using chemicals to kill plants and pests.  We cannot understand how detrimental the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides has been to nature and ourselves.  Permaculture not only will help naturally increase the production of your gardens and food cultivation, but also heal the land that has for so long been neglected or poisoned by our modern day world.

It sounds very “hippy” but in truth its not, anyone from any background, especially in the prepping world can understand and acknowledge the need for safe, natural and productive food systems.  We get back what we put in, this adage is ancient and true today, and when we put in chemicals and toxins into the ground and our bodies, what do you think we are going to get back out?  Here I will introduce you to the concepts of Permaculture and what it means, how it works and just a basic overview.

 

For more information check out the PERMACULTURE page on the site and visit these links

 

PERMIES.COM is the BLOG OF BLOGS ON EVERYTHING PERMACULTURE

 

And watch these videos from a Forum Member, and goes by EARTHWAY EXPERIENCE on Youtube

 


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Survival Foraging Post 2

April 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Another Part in my series on edible plants in Alaska and the North, eventually i hope to cover about 95% of everything, but to keep it more interesting and easier to read, it will be in small parts!

GREAT NORTHERN PREPPER OUT!

Image

 Arrowhead
Maranta and Sagittaria species

Description: The arrowhead is an aquatic plant with arrow-shaped leaves and potatolike tubers in the mud.

Habitat and Distribution: Arrowhead is found worldwide in temperate zones and the tropics. It is found in moist to wet habitats.

Edible Parts: The rootstock is a rich source of high quality starch. Boil the rootstock and eat it as a vegetable.

Image

Arctic willow
Salix arctica

Description: The arctic willow is a shrub that never exceeds more than 60 centimeters in height and grows in clumps that form dense mats on the tundra.

Habitat and Distribution: The arctic willow is common on tundras in North America. Europe, and Asia. You can also find it in some mountainous areas in temperate regions.

Edible Parts: You can collect the succulent, tender young shoots of the arctic willow in early spring. Strip off the outer bark of the new shoots and eat the inner portion raw. You can also peel and eat raw the young underground shoots of any of the various kinds of arctic willow. Young willow leaves are one of the richest sources of vitamin C, containing 7 to 10 times more than an orange.

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Burdock

Arctium minus & spp.

Description: These large biennial herbs stand 1 – 2.5 m tall and have broad alternate leaves with several flower heads. The leaves are ovate to oblong, even cordate and up to 50 cm long. The flowers are tubular, pink or purplish. The seeds are borne in prickly burrs.

Habitat & Distribution: The plant was introduced from Europe and now grows in waste lands throughout North America.

Edible parts & Uses: The young shoots and leaves are cooked as a green. The inner pith of the stems can be eaten raw. The roots are eaten both boiled and roasted and are often used as a coffee substitute.

An infusion of the roots is used to stimulating bile flow and has a mild laxative effect. The tea or a tincture of the roots has been used for stomach complaints and for a prolapsed uterus. A decoction of the roots is used for gout and rheumatism, to wash sores and traditionally as an antidote after eating poisonous food, especially mushrooms. The powdered seeds have been used as a diuretic. The leaves can be used as a poultice for poison ivy, poison oak, to soothe skin irritations, for impetigo, syphilis, gonorrhea and sunburn.

The seeds are an excellent diuretic. A tincture of the seed has been used as a folk remedy for joint inflammation.

Image

Arnica

Arnica spp.

Description: Arnicas are perennial herbs growing from a rootstock 2 – 5 cm long. They have erect stems and stand 15 – 60 cm tall. The leaves are opposite, simple, entire or toothed. The composite flower head is yellow and flowering is from July – August.

Distribution & Habitat: It can be found in mountainous regions throughout the Rocky Mountains. There are many species with similar properties.

Preparation & Uses: Arnica is well known as a stimulant. This herb is almost always used in the form of a tincture.  It is one of the best painkillers to use for sprains, fractures, and bruising. It is effective as an external liniment and is extremely fast acting.. It should not be used if the skin is broken and the area is bleeding as it is toxic if it enters the bloodstream.

This herb should not be use internally, except under special conditions, because it can cause, among other effects, blistering of the intestinal tract.


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Thoughts on Medicinal herbs

April 2, 2012 by 1 Comment

Medicinal herbs are a wonderful thing for you to grow in your gardens. Look at what grows naturally and see what local native tribes have used them for in the past. Decoctions from birch bark was known to have aspirin and other positive attributes and made into teas for pain. Valerian root is excellent for sleep and anxiety issues. Garlic is a WONDERFUL anti oxidant.

BUT we have to remember that most medicinal herbs are not a cure-all. Something may be great for heart disease or lung issues but they are most beneficial if used as a maintenance regiment and not a “I’m felling bad now so ill drink this tea” sort of thing.

Disclaimer: there are attributes in some plants that may be dangerous to certain individuals with certain conditions. There are some plants that have toxic attributes that if taken too much of, too often or harvested incorrectly that may inflict harm. ALWAYS confer with local plant guides and those with experience before you start going out and harvesting things. Also some toxic plants look very similar to the good ones. So as always. From everything from plants to guns to food ALWAYS get the proper knowledge first THEN continue with practical application!!

GREAT NORTHERN PREPPER OUT!


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Devils Club an herbal remedy

March 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

DEVILS CLUB IS MUCH MALIGNED BY ANYONE THAT SPENDS TIME IN THE BACKCOUNTRY BUT LIKE MOST PLANTS HAS MANY MEDICINAL AND HERBAL USES AS WELL!

Scientific Name: Echinopanax horridum

Common Name(s): Devil’s club, Alaska ginseng

Ash was applied to cuts to prevent infection; historical uses also included a tea made from scraped bark used to provide symptomatic relief from tuberculosis, colds and pain. Historically considered to be a powerful medicine, however, berries contain a toxin. Interestingly, devil’s club reportly causes low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

The berries are poisonous but have been used to kill lice by mashing them up and applying the paste to the hair.  This also treats dandruff and makes the hair shiny.

The stems and roots are the primary medicinal part and both can be used but the roots are more concentrated and easier to use, since the roots don’t have the spines and are easier to peel.  The dried bark can be brewed into a tea or made into a tincture. It is analgesic, antirheumatic, cathartic, emmenagogue, galactogogue, hypoglycaemic, alterative, adaptogen, ophthalmic, and tonic.  The active constituents may be saponins and substances with insulin like activity but research is still ongoing to identify these medicinal components.  It has been called the most valuable medicinal plant native to the Pacific Northwest .

Native Americans have used it to treat acute & chronic disorders, as well as a protective “charm”.  Weston Price in “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” writes that an Indian admitted into Prince Rupert , BC hospital for an operation showed signs of diabetes but had kept himself healthy for several years just by drinking devil’s club tea.  Laboratory tests of the extract on rabbits showed the blood sugar levels were reduced without any toxic side effects.  Chinese medicine energetics calls it acrid, bitter, and cool, affecting the spleen and lung meridians as a yin tonic or alterative for cooling the blood.  Laboratory research has found the extract to be effective at inhibiting a respiratory syncytial virus, and significant anti-Candida (yeast) activity, as well as antibacterial and antimycobacterial activity, with ability to kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium.

This explains the common use of the tea to treat coughs, colds, and respiratory ailments as well as stomach and intestinal problems.  For rheumatism the tea was drunk and also applied to the painful joints.  A poultice of the root bark was applied to a nursing mother’s breasts to stop excessive flow (at weaning?).  An eyewash of the tea was used to treat cataracts.  Treatment of diabetes, especially adult onset insulin resistant diabetes is just incredible, reportedly reducing the craving for sugar as well as the elevated blood glucose levels.

Some call it a blood and liver tonic.  In large doses it is emetic (causes vomiting) and purgative.  It has also been used in herbal steam baths for treating general body pain. The burnt stems mixed with oil make a salve for swellings. The root bark boiled in oil and used to treat psoriaisis worked better than hydrocortisone in one study. Like all the ginsengs it is an adaptogen, balancing the stress response and stabilizing the body.

Tlingit Shamans undergo solitary initiations in the wilderness fasting and drinking Devil’s club tea. Haida hunters also use the tea to bathe and induce vomiting for a traditional cleansing.  The Lummi burn sticks of Devil’s club and mix the ashes with grease (today they use Vaseline) to make a reddish brown face paint.  The Klallam peel a stick and cut it into small pieces which are fastened to bass lines, underwater it releases itself and spins to the surface working like a lure the fish follows.  The Cowliz dry the bark, powder it for use as perfume or baby talc.  The Skagit drink the tea after childbirth to restore normal reproductive functions.

THE GREAT NORTHERN PREPPER


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