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Revelations: A new way of thinking
Plants and
their medicinal purposes
By Aaron Olson
Genesis 9:3 – Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and
as I gave you the green vegetables and plants, I give you everything.
Well my entire family has been sick at some point in time over the last
month or so. Bronchitis, head cold or a combination thereof. So I
figured it would be a good time to write an article on medical
preparedness. I'll try to keep my biases to myself, because there are a
lot of things about our medical system I don't like.
So, imagine if you will, a time in the future when doctors are
unavailable for whatever reason. Hyperinflation causes their services
to become unaffordable, EMP strike… take your pick of any number of
scenarios. So the question I have is, how do you plan on taking care of
yourself and your friends, family, or whatever group of people that you
are responsible for.
Well, buying OTC meds now is a good start. But OTC meds only last so
long, meaning learning to grow your own medicine will be important.
Echinacea, or coneflower, is a good flower to know since it acts as an
immune booster. It works as an anti-viral as well as an anti-bacterial
remedy. Yarrow for example, acts as a coagulant. Let it dry,
grind it up and apply it to a cut. Or you can also macerate the plant
and apply it as a poultice.
Plantain, which can be found in pretty much any yard, is a good plant
for cuts and scrapes as well, using the same method make a poultice and
apply to a cut or scrape. Plantain and dandelion are also edible. You
can use the greens of dandelions, plantain and coneflowers to make a
pretty decent salad. (Dandelion roots can also be roasted, ground up
and used as a coffee substitute.)
Knowing plants and being able to identify them is an important skill
set. There are several good books out there that your can read and many
self reliance instructors on YouTube that teach on plants, but use
caution and double-check the info before relying on it. Plants are good
to know, but are very limited. Most plants only last a season, so 3-4
months and then they're dying off until next season. So you can try and
forage enough medicinal plants to last you, but that won't leave time
for other important tasks.
The other option, and in my opinion, the better option is trees. Trees
are four-season and are multi-functional. For the rest of this article
I'm going to focus on pine because this one tree will do the same thing
as most of the plants I have already mentioned with the exception of
yarrow.
Pine, I feel, is one of the most valuable trees in our area. It is very
easy to recognize. It can be used for fire making, but don't cook or
smoke meat over a pine-based fire because the resin gives the meat a
bad taste. Boiling is okay because the smoke isn't touching the food
directly.
As a side note, fatwood comes primarily from pine trees and is great
for starting fires for camp cooking. You'll find fatwood at the crook
of a branch or in the root system. Break or cut off a branch where it
meets the trunk. If it's reddish in color and smells like turpentine,
you’re good to go. It'll have lots of resins in it, so process it down
to pencil size or smaller. Make a feather stick (look this up on
YouTube for more information) then light the feather stick with a
lighter, if you have one. Use the feather stick to light the rest of
your kindling. Add wood until you can get reasonable sized sticks
burning. Use your thumb as a reference point. If thumb-size sticks are
burning, you have a decent fire going and you can add logs to it for
longevity. Just remember to let the fire breath. Green cones are a good
source for the resin, but it takes time. Boil them down a few times;
the remaining liquid will be sticky once it has cooled. It can be used
as a fire starter or glue, if needed.
Pine, like I mentioned earlier, has medicinal value as well. Pine
needle tea is high in vitamin C and it also acts as a stimulant. For
the tea, don't boil the water because it will cause the vitamin C to
break down. If it's too hot to put your finger in, it’s too hot to make
the tea with. Chop the needles up into small pieces, add to the water
and let it steep.
Pinecones, depending on the season, can also be a source of food. If
they haven't opened yet, heat them until they pop and eat the seeds.
The sap/resins are anti-bacterial along with having drawing properties
(removing stingers from your skin). The bark on the limbs can be used
as wound coverings by cutting off a portion of both inner and outer
bark. That by itself should be sticky enough to adhere; if not add some
resin. This is good for smaller cuts and scrapes to help prevent
infection.
The resin can also be used when making soaps in the bush. (Render
tallow and make lye from the wood ash.) Adding the resin gives the soap
anti-bacterial properties.
You can also make pitch, which you can use to glue stuff together. It
requires charcoal and a binding agent; cattail fluff works well. It may
be worth the time if your shoes start falling apart from walking.
Some of this information is more relevant to the long-term rather than
short-term survival.
God bless and stay vigilant.
Note: This
information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a
substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific
medical conditions. Never disregard or delay in seeking medical advice
when available.
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