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Page 73
| if the roots were simmered the therapeutically important volatile oil would boil off. |
| To Make an Infusion |
| Take a china or glass teapot which has been warmed and put about one teaspoonful of the dried herb or herb mixture into it for each cup of tea. |
| Pour a cup of boiling water in the pot for each teaspoonful of herb and then put the lid on. Steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Infusions may be taken hot which is normally best for a medicinal herb tea, cold or even iced. They may be sweetened with licorice root, honey or brown sugar. Any aromatic herb should be infused in a pot that has a tightly fitting lid to ensure that only a minimum of volatile oil is lost through evaporation. |
| Herbal tea bags can be made by filling little muslin bags with herbal mixtures, taking care to remember how many teaspoonsful have been put into each bag. They can be used in the same way as ordinary tea bags. |
| To Make a Decoction |
| Put one teaspoonful of dried herb or three teaspoons of fresh material into a pot or saucepan for each cup of water. Dried herbs should be powdered or broken into small pieces, while fresh material should be cut into small pieces. If large quantities are made, use one ounce of dried herb for each pint of water. The container should be glass, ceramic or earthenware. If using metal, it should be enameled. |
| Add the appropriate amount of water to the herbs. |
| Bring to a boil and simmer for the time given for the mixture or specific herb, usually 10 to 15 minutes. If |
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