| Why learn about medicinal plants? Certainly, | | | | anti-fungal properties. |
| backpackers shouldn't leave the first aid kit home, | | | | Medicinal Plants For Diarrhea |
| but it can be useful and interesting to know a few | | | | You can drink tea made from the roots of |
| plant medicines too. Whether you are someday in | | | | blackberries and their relatives to stop diarrhea. |
| a survival situation, or you just lost your first aid | | | | Just fill the bottom of the cup with the cleaned |
| kit and have a terrible headache, wouldn't it be | | | | and shredded roots and pour boiling water over |
| nice to find relief nearby? | | | | them. Let the mix steep for five minutes before |
| You can. There are many effective medicinal | | | | drinking. |
| plants. Some are also dangerous, of course, just | | | | Oak bark and other barks containing tannin are |
| like synthetic medicines can be. I won't discuss | | | | also effective. I have also used the twigs to stop |
| those here. This is a quick guide to a few safe | | | | diarrhea when I was backpacking in Mexico. Make |
| plant medicines. | | | | tea with a spoonful of the bark or chopped-up |
| Plants For Pain Relief | | | | twigs. Tannins can be hard on the kidneys, so |
| Fill the bottom of a cup with shredded willow | | | | drink just one cup of tea, or use oak only if you |
| bark, and make a cup of tea with it. Let it steep | | | | don't have other options. |
| for a few minutes before you drink it. The active | | | | Skin Medications |
| ingredient is salicin, closely related to salacylic acid, | | | | You can relieve the itch from insect bites, |
| which is used to make aspirin. You can also try | | | | sunburn, or plant poisoning rashes by applying a |
| chewing on a few balsam poplar buds. | | | | poultice of jewelweed (Impatiens biflora). I have |
| Antiseptic Plants | | | | seen a poison ivy rash cleared up overnight using |
| Sap from "blisters" on balsam firs is a strong | | | | the juice from jewelweed. It is also said to work |
| antiseptic. Pop the blisters on the trunks of young | | | | on sunburn as well as aloe vera. |
| trees, and the sap will ooze out. You can spread it | | | | Make a tea of witch hazel leaves (Hamamelis |
| over cuts and small wounds to prevent infection. | | | | virginiana), and you can use it for relief from |
| It is very sticky, however, and it will be difficult to | | | | insect bites, and sunburn. Witch Hazel used to be |
| wash off (at least it smells nice). | | | | a common astringent that women used as a |
| The crushed leaves of Saint John's Wort can be | | | | "tightening" face wash. |
| used as an antiseptic dressing as well. I once put a | | | | There are hundreds of wild medicinal plants that |
| wad of the mashed leaves on a nasty gash in my | | | | could be useful to hikers and backpackers. You |
| foot, replacing it occasionally, and the cut healed | | | | don't need to become an expert to benefit from |
| faster than I've ever seen a cut heal. St. | | | | them. Just learn to identify and use a few of the |
| Johnswort has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and | | | | most widespread and safest ones. |