Herbal Poultices

In the interest of keeping all of my online herbal information in a single place, I'm re-publishing, along with some revisions and edits, the article I wrote several months back on herbal poultices.

A very neatly wrapped example of a  poultice.

Herbal poultices are an old-fashioned remedy employed by wise-folk for centuries with good reason; they are fantastic at  helping to draw out infections and speeding up healing.  A poultice can help by increasing the flow of blood around a wound or injury, relaxing tense muscles, soothing inflamed tissues, or drawing toxins out of an infected area and have been used successfully through-out the ages.

Our skin is an amazing organ that protects us from a variety of invaders, but it also has the ability to allow healing to occur when something is applied topically. Applying an herbal poultice to the site of an injury or wound  means that the skin will absorb the healing benefits of the contents almost immediately. Just stop and think for a moment about all of the commercial products that are being sold because they capitalize on this fact.

Saying Hello to Comfrey

This is an article I originally posted last July.  I am sharing it again here, with a few edits, as I believe this is a great place to have it for new followers, if there are any.

The Comfrey in my garden last spring.

For centuries Comfrey has been known to be invaluable in the treatment of wounds, sprains, skin irritations, bug bites, rashes, bruises, even broken bones in both humans and animals (the origins of several of its common aliases, "Bruisewort", "Knitback", "Knitbone", "Boneset", and "Bruisewort"). There was a time when farmers regularly fed Comfrey to their livestock for various ailments or as a spring tonic after a long winter of being sun-deprived and relatively stagnant. Wise-women have also fed Comfrey to their families for its high content of protein, potassium, calcium, and vitamins A, B12, and C. Taken in herbal folk remedies, Comfrey has been shown to heal gastric ulcers, treat colitis, heal bronchial conditions, pulmonary distress, lung congestion and cirrhosis of the liver. To that end, it can be eaten and is delicious in salads, sauteed along with other vegetables, or enjoyed in an herbal remedy as a comforting tea.