Lesson Two - Beginning Potion
In order to make most herbal products, you'll need much of what you can find in your kitchen nowadays: a pan with cover, a strainer or cheesecloth, measuring utensils, wooden spoons, and a mortar and pestle. It would be best to not use any metal utensils in herbal preparations, as the metal can (and most often will) affect the finished product. Other equipment to have on hand would be a kitchen scale to measure out dried herbs and a coffee mill (or seed grinder) to use to break up tough barks and seeds that a mortar and pestle can't handle.
There are two categories of ingredients used, the herbs and the vehicles:
| Your best bet for herbs to use are fresh from your own garden, from a natural-food store that carries bulk herbs, or a local farmer's market. It may take a while to find someplace locally that has a good source of the herbs you need; in the meantime, mail order is an option to consider. Admittedly, it is difficult to find reliable herbs via the mail since you cannot check their quality or freshness ahead of time; do no be afraid to shop around until you find a supplier that you trust and has a reliable product. | |
| These are products that carry the herbs in the finished product. Many things such as beeswax, glycerin, honey, and Vaseline would be considered vehicles in herbal crafting. Other herbal recipes call for oils; use olive, safflower, peanut, or a vegetable-blend cooking oil. Do not use rancid oil, as this will make your finished product smell just as rancid. Some recipes call for alcohol; make sure to note if this is to be swallowed or applied topically (to the skin): internal uses require white wine or vodka, whereas topical solutions would require the use of rubbing alcohol. |
It is very important to know what you are making and how to make them ahead of time. Simple errors can be very nasty and unpleasant, like the thought of accidentally ingesting rubbing alcohol as noted above. With this in mind, we now move into determining what various herbal "potions" are. Do you know the difference between a elixer and an infusion like Professor Snape?
| Follow directions for ointments. After straining, add 1/2 to 1 ounce melted beeswax to strained oil to solidify. Beat until cold. | |
| Melt 1 1/2 ounces solidifier and/or solid fat together in top of double broiler. Add 3 to 4 ounces skin oil a bit at a time, stirring continuously. Turn off heat; slowly add 1 ounce herb water, stirring until cooled. Add 5 drops essential oil and stir in completely. | |
| Boil 1 ounce herb in 20 ounces water in closed enamel pot for 20+ minutes. Strain and use. Primarily used for seeds, roots, barks, and other such "hard" portions of plants. | |
| Make tincture. Straing. Add 4 more ounces water. | |
| Add 1 part essential oil to 9 parts alcohol. Shake well. | |
| Dip cloth in warm decoction or infusion. Wring out and apply. | |
| Boil 20 ounces water. Pour over 1/2 to 1 ounce herb; steep 10 to 20 minutes. Strain and use. | |
| Melt 1 ounce solidifier and/or solid fat in top of double broiler. Add 3 ounces skin oil and 2 ounces herb water altenately, stirring continuously. Remove from heat. Add 5 drops essential oil. Pour into opaque bottle, shake continuously until cool. | |
| Bruise herb. Wet slightly with boiling water. Place between 2 pieces of cloth and apply to affected area. | |
| Bruise herb. Pour just enough boiling water over herb to set it. Apply herb to affected area. Cover with cloth wrung out in hot water. Replace cloth as it cools. | |
| To 4 parts fat, add 1 part powdered herb and 1 part dry white wine. Stir and heat gently 20 minutes. Cool slightly and strain. | |
| Boil 1 ounce herb in 20 ounces water in closed enamel pot for 20 minutes. Strain. Add 1 ounce glycerin. Bottle, cap tightly. | |
| Boil 10 ounces water. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon herb. Cover pot; let steep 5 to 15 minutes. Strain and use. | |
| Add 1 to 4 ounces powdered herb to 8 ounces 75% alcohol and 4 ounces water. Let steep 2 weeks, shaking daily. Strain. |
Always make teas, infusions, decoctions, plasters, and poultices fresh. Alcoholic based products keep indefinitely if sealed in a glass bottle. Syrups keep indefinitely if sealed in glass bottles and kept cold. Using a small amount of white wine in making an ointment keeps it from smelling burnt. To preserve ointments, add 1 drop tincture of benzion for each ounce of fat used.
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Many herbs have very specific uses and are used to treat many medical conditions. With this, the need to understand some medical terminology is required in order to understand what the herbs are meant to treat.
| An agent that allays pain without causing loss of consciousness. | |
| An agent that produces loss of sensation without loss of vital function. | |
| An agent that relieves nausea and vomiting. | |
| An agent that reduces or prevents fever. | |
| An agent used to prevent or ease muscle spasms. | |
| 1) A skin cleansing cosmetic. 2) A substance that causes contraction of tissues, checking the discharge of mucous and fluid from the body. |
|
| An agent that destroys bacteria. | |
| An agent used to relieve colic, griping, or flatulence, or to expel gas from the intestine. | |
| An invigorating and stimulating medicine, drink, or food. | |
| An agent used to produce superficial inflammation of the skin to relieve deeper inflammation. | |
| A medicinal liquid of a bland nature taken internally to soothe inflamed mucous surfaces and to protect them from irritation. | |
| An agent that reduces exaggerated functional activity of the tissues. | |
| A substance that increases perspiration. | |
| An agent that increases the volume and flow of urine. | |
| A substance of a bland nature used externally to soothe or protect. | |
| An agent that stimulates menstrual flow. | |
| A substance used to expel mucous from the respiratory tract. | |
| A substance that reduces fever; antipyretic. | |
| A drug or other agent that produces or tends to produce sleep without disrupting alertness and receptiveness to others. | |
| A substance which soothes nervous excitement. | |
| An agent used to treat diseases of the respiratory tract. | |
| A substance that causes a vigourous evacuation of the bowels. | |
| A substance used externally that causes redness of the skin. | |
| An agent that tends to calm, tranquilize, allay nervousness or irritation. | |
| An agent that produces sleep. | |
| An agent that temporarily quickens the functional activity of the tissues. | |
| 1) A drug or medicine that improves body tone by simulating tissue nutrition 2) A substance that invigorates, restores, or stimulates the system. |
|
| An agent used to promote the healing of wounds; curative. |
So far in this lesson, we've covered herbals in the Middle Ages, the types of "potions" they can be made into, and defined some of the more common health related uses. At this point, we will compare use of herbs in the Middle Ages to modern times.
 Anise |
breath freshner analgesic |
pectoral |
 Balm |
glueth green wounds treat disordered nerves |
diaphoretic febrifuge toothache sore throats |
 Basil |
||
 Betony |
anti-witchcraft |
nervine headache |
 Boneset * |
febrifuge laxative |
|
 Borage * |
to give courage |
fever of cold |
 Burnet, Lesser |
styptic anti-infective |
cordial |
 Caraway |
stimulant toothache antisthetic |
|
 Chamomile, Common * |
dropsy analgesic |
tranquilizer tonic diaphoretic externally for joint pain |
 Chervil |
||
 Coltsfoot |
headache giddiness poultice |
|
 Comfrey |
joint pains |
astringent cell proliferant |
 Coriander |
stimulant |
|
 Dill |
soporific for infants |
|
 Elder * |
anti-witchcraft |
cosmetic headaches |
 Elecampane |
dropsy skin problems |
astringent diuretic tonic expectorant |
 Fennel |
for dieting to give courage/strength |
diuretic carminative |
 Fumitory |
purgative |
weak tonic eruptive diseases visceral obstruction |
 Horehound |
coughs and colds anti-poison anti-witchcraft |
|
 Hyssop |
hysteria flatulence |
purgative caminative bruises/burns |
 Lavender |
headache preventative |
|
 Lovage |
urinary problems |
to remove freckles |
 Marjoram |
toothache |
|
 Marshmallow |
anti-inflammatory |
emollient |
 Mugwort ** |
to protect against fatigue and evil spirits moth repellant |
nervine to ease sore muscles |
 Nettle * |
anti-venom anti-rebies astringent for uterine hemorrhaging |
astringent anti-asthma hair tonic |
 Parsley |
epilepsy swollen eyes |
GI troubles poisonous bug bites |
 Pennyroyal * |
headache giddiness antispasmodic complaints in joints |
colds gout carminative emmenagogue itching skin insect repellent Warning: The internal uses are the risky ones. |
 Peppermint |
nausea vomiting diarrhea antibacterial |
|
 Plantain * |
rabies kidney problems |
gout arthritis mild skin conditions diuretic |
 Rosemary * |
headaches nerves bad dreams purify the air sprains and bruises gout cough moth repellent brain weakness complexion stimulate appetite |
tonic cordial stimulant moth repellent |
 Sage |
to strengthen the sinews |
colds weak stomach nerves headache itchy skin sore throat |
 Spearmint |
whiten teeth |
|
 Summer Savory |
flatulence improve eyesight expectorant |
carminative |
 Tansy * |
bitter tonic gout hysteric uterine complaint |
tonic toothache cosmetic wash hysteria eruptive skin problems |
 Tarragon |
breath sweetner |
|
 Thyme |
melancholy epilepsy stomach problems |
counterirritant carminative tonic colic |
 Vervain * |
eye problems sorcery headache |
antispasmodic tranquilizer headache rheumatism |
 Wormwood ** |
tonic antidote for hemlock and toadstool |
moth repellent antiseptic febrifuge nervine joint swellings |
 Yarrow * |
nosebleed vulnerary ague |
headache flatulence women's problems tonic astringent toothache stimulant rheumatism |
NOTES: Any herb marked with * is potentially dangerous; those marked with ** are poisonous and/or hallucinogenic. Herbs listed in red are referenced to in the Harry Potter series.