Old Time Folk Remedies

Antibiotic Slammers (useful for flu, colds, or other resistent problems: Olive Leaf extract, Black Elderberry, Echinacea, Golden Seal. These are readily available in stores like Wal-Mart, K-mart, etc. in capsule form.

Bladder Infections Prepare bearberry leaves by soaking them in whole grain alcohol for six weeks. Fill a jar with the leaves, cover them with the alcohol. After six weeks, drain off the leaves and keep the tincture. Use the tincture about ten drops at a time in juice. Raspberry juice is an added help with bladder infections. Cranberry juice is also helpful, but is harsher on the bladder.

Bites and Stings Crush plantain leaves and apply them directly to the bite or sting. This will draw out the stinger and nullify the poison of the bite

Boils fatback applied directly to the boil and covered with a bandaid. This will draw out the infection.

Burns Including sun burn. Apply aloe vera juice directly to the burn.

Ear Aches Prepare an ointment by soaking mullien flowers in olive oil for six weeks. Gently heat the mixture, remove the flowers, store in a dark place. Warm the oil when needed and pour directly into the ear.

Itches This works particularly well for poison ivy: the inside of a banana peel applied directly to the itch. This will ease the discomfort and dry up the outbreak. The juice of an aloe vera plant will ease the itching.

Lung Problems Dried mullien leaves. These can be smoked like cigarettes, or burn the leaves and otherwise inhale the smoke.

Wounds Shallow wounds: prepare the flowers of St. John's wort by 1) fill a jar with the flowers. Cover the flowers with olive oil. Let sit for six weeks, 2) drain off the flowers. Set the jar of oil into a pan of water. Add a square of bee's wax. When the bee's wax is melted, pour the oil into smaller containers. Let sit until the mixture solidifies. This should now be a lovely color of pink and/or purple.

Tip: Pinch the flower between your fingers. If there is a purple residue, the flower is ready to be picked.

Caution: St. John's wort makes the skin extremely sun sensitive.
Caution 2: This mixture will cause the wound to heal right over a deep infection and should not be used for this purpose.

Wounds{/.b} Deep wounds. Prepare calendula flowers the same way as the St. John's wort flowers. Apply directly to scrapes and light scratches.