Desert medicinals

[grrlscout]

Last night I went to the library to return some books and get some more. But out in the parking lot, I found a few nice things too:

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Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata)
Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis)
Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis Coville)

The creosote bush is like the medicine cabinet of the desert, as it has antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Since some research has shown that it can have damaging effects on the liver, I'll just use it for topical applications - like treating bites, stings, and scrapes.

Jojoba nuts are mostly a food. Though, I used some as a soap ingredient, as both an exfoliant and moisturizer.

This time, I might try it as a dietary aid. Supposedly ingesting 1 or 2 before a meal gives one a feeling of satiety. You have to go easy though, because they are also a laxative!

Traditional uses for Mormon Tea include treatment for colds, stomach ailments, arthritis, and syphilis. It was used externally to treat sores.

I keep some around to use as a mildly-stimulating tea, and to help my asthma. In an emergency, I'd reach for my albuterol inhaler. But if my chest is feeling mildly tight, due to poor air quality or exertion, I might gnaw on a twig, and it seems to reduce my symptoms.

Good thing one of the books I got at the library was:

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A couple weeks ago, I was at the in-laws, and noticed their chaste trees had lots of dried seeds on the. So I grabbed a few, out of curiosity, but not knowing if they were useful or not.

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Turns out, it's good for lots of things:

http://www.drugs.com/npp/chaste-tree.html

I think I'm going to try it out for uh... "lady problems".

[rwc1969]

I don't know anything about the lady problems, , but, the plants you post are very interesting, stuff I've never heard of.

Your food looks mighty good too.

[grrlscout]

Thanks rwc! Here's another:

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Purple sage, Texas ranger, Texas barometer bush, Texas silverleaf, Texas sage. It is not a true sage (salvia), but a member of the figwort (scrophularia) family. Nonetheless, it has a lovely sage-like scent.

Native to southern NM and southern TX, and Northeastern Mexico. But used as a landscaping plant everywhere in the southwest. In Phoenix, you'll find hedges of them in front of every other strip mall and gas station.

In traditional medicine, it was used as a cold and flu tea, to stimulate sweating, break a fever, and as a mild sedative.

It is also used as just a plain old sipping tea, for its pleasant flavor.

[grrlscout]

My mom bought me that Medicinal Plants book for my birthday, so I started making some creosote salve and tincture:

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[your_comforting_company]

Will be interesting to know the results. Keep us posted on the process!

[grrlscout]

Finally got around to finishing the creosote salve this morning.

I had some of the creosote blended, and soaking in oil, and some soaking in Everclear, since September (way longer than necessary).

After straining, I had 1 cup of the oil. I added a bit of the tincture to it (maybe a Tbsp).

I melted 2 oz of beeswax in a double boiler, and added the mixture.

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When everything was all melted and blended, I poured into several containers.

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Here they are, cooling:

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I won't know for sure, until I get home and check on them, but the mix might be too hard. 1.5 oz of wax might have been better. But I'll let you know. If it is, I have to melt it back down and add more oil and tincture.

Anyhow, this salve is good for lots of things. I'm primarily recommending it as an antibacterial treatment for scrapes and cuts.

But supposedly its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties also make it good for treating things like athletes foot, skin lesions (like from skin cancer), muscle aches, ringworm, insect bites, aching joints, athlete's foot, etc.

Traditional uses includes everything from VD to the common cold -- mostly administered in tea form. However, modern research says that taken internally, creosote can cause liver and kidney damage.

As for the remainder of the tincture, diluted, it can make a very effective mouth wash for preventing gum disease, and a nice bath soak for inflamed muscles and joints.

[charibelle18]

That is really cool. Your new book looks great, & works well for your neighborhood. I also highly recommend The Herb Book, by John Lust. It covers about 2,000 herbs & their medicinal uses. I'll be interested in how your salve comes out.

[your_comforting_company]

I wonder if I could use some of this in my lye soap. I've gotta make a new batch soon! Do you have any idea of the saponification value of the "tinctures"? or would you say just add it after the soap has saponified (mixed)?

[rwc1969]

I didn't see any of this until just now, but how did you go from sage to creosote? Did I miss something?

[BENESSE]

Fascinating gs!!! Fun stuff to play with for sure, and just plain good to know.

[grrlscout]

ycc - that I do not know. I've only made soap once, and that was under very close guidance.

rwc - if you look back to posts #1 and #4, that's where I mention the creosote bush.

Thanks benesse!

[rwc1969]

OK, thanks! Uh, I thought I read that somewhere before, LOL.

[charibelle18]

So how did the salves turn out? Were the proportions right, or did you have to remelt, & add? I am really interested.

[grrlscout]

I actually got lucky. It turned out pretty firm. But if you apply some extra pressure, it gives. I'd say it's about Chapstick consistency.

[Beans]

grriscout

Finally got around to finishing the creosote salve this morning.

I had some of the creosote blended, and soaking in oil, and some soaking in Everclear, since September (way longer than necessary).

I have had a limited experience with Everclear. I am not sure it can be used as a medicine, but I can tell you it will make you forget what evers ails you.

[grrlscout]

Ha! True, but you have a new medical issue the next morning!

[Rick]

I've come to believe that Everclear is mislabeled. We need a Congressional investigation and a couple of studies on the subject. For my part, nothing was clear after using it. It should be called Everfuzzy, Everwobbly or better still Eversick.