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Page 53
| Syrups are easy to produce at home by using a standard infusion or decoction (depending on the type of herb to be used). After straining the mixture, make a syrup by adding 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of unrefined sugar or honey. Heat the mixture in a cast iron or stainless steel saucepan, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar or honey and make the syrup. Allow the mixture to cool and store in clean glass bottles with a cork, not a screw-top. Using a cork is important as syrups often ferment, and tight screw-tops can easily cause bottles to explode. |
| Steam Inhalants |
| Inhaling aromatic oils is a good way to clear the respiratory system of mucus in catarrhal conditions. Both infusions and well-diluted essential oils can be used, although it is important to stay in a warm room for thirty minutes after treatment to allow the airways time to return to normal. |
| Use around 1 pint of a standard infusion or add up to 10 drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water per treatment. Useful inhalant herbs include chamomile, thyme, eucalyptus, and peppermint. Repeat treatments once or twice a day inhaling the steam for ten minutes each time. |
| Footbaths |
| Soaking your feet in a hot bath can bring much needed relief to aching feet, ease sprains, stimulate the circulation for those prone to chilblains, and also help to combat the common cold. Suitable essential oils or hot infusions can be used or one can opt for a traditional mustard bath (see p. 29). Alternating hot and cold treatments can help reduce bruising and provide emergency relief for badly sprained ankles. Soak the feet or other affected area in a basin of very hot water containing a large amount of rosemary sprigs or 20 drops of rosemary essential oil for three to five minutes and then plunge into a water and ice mixture for two to three minutes. Repeat the process for a long as you can bear. |
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