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| hot, dry herb it was traditionally used to warm the stomach and dispel chills. |
| Parts used: Root. |
| Actions: Anti-emetic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, expectorant, peripheral vasodilator; topically: rubefacient. |
| Uses: Ginger is ideal in warming decoctions for colds and chills. Simply use the fresh ginger from the grocery store and simmer one to two slices in 1 1/2 cups of water as a decoction or add a pinch of powdered ginger to other herb teas. As a remedy for nausea, ginger is ideal for travel sickness and has been very successfully tested in clinical trials for severe morning sickness in pregnancy (typical dose is up to 1 g of powdered herb, roughly equal to a level teaspoon, three times a day) (Fulder and Tenne 1996). Ginger in capsules is ideal, but ginger snaps or ginger ale can also prove effective, especially with children. |
| Ginger oil is used in external remedies to encourage blood flow to ease muscular stiffness, aches, and pains; a suitable homemade substitute is to add 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger to 2 cups of sunflower oil and heat in a double saucepan over water for three hours. Strain and store the oil, when cool, in a dark place; use as a massage rub. In Chinese medicine fresh and dried root are regarded rather differently, with the dried root believed to be more helpful for abdominal pain and diarrhea and the fresh root more suitable for feverish chills, coughs, and vomiting. |
| Honey |
| Although not an herb, honey is such a useful and readily available first aid remedy that it certainly deserves its place in this list. Honey is rich in sugars, vitamins B and C, calcium, iron, magnesium, silica, and other mineral salts and is a nutritious and soothing food for debility and convalescence. |
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