Herbal 911: be prepared for any emergency with an all-natural medicine chest

UNLESS YOU HAPPENED TO BE A SCOUT IN YOUR YOUTH AND TOOK THE MOTTO "Be Prepared" to heart, chances are you don't give a first-aid kit much thought until you need one. But why not take a proactive approach and start the new year off right? Putting together a natural medicine chest is easy, and many remedies can be used for multiple purposes. With a little forethought, you can be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws your way, whether it's a nasty cold, a minor burn or an annoying stomach ache.

ASSESSING YOUR NEEDS

The first thing to assess when looking at your own natural medicine chest is which conditions benefit from a simple natural treatment and which situations need the attention of an emergency-room physician. Obviously, if you have a broken bone, a laceration that requires stitches, a puncture wound or other symptoms that require professional help--seek it. There isn't a great herbal treatment for serious pain. There isn't a good herbal antibiotic--for the times when you really need an antibiotic. Herbal first aid has its place, but certainly emergency room medicine is something we all like to know is there when we need it.

There are, however, many excellent herbal and other natural preparations that should be in your medicine chest. My medicine chest includes a good Echinacea angustifolia tincture, a tincture of yarrow, calendula cream or ointment, a topical horse chestnut extract product (in a gel or cream formula), arnica tincture or ointment for bruises, a few simple herbal teas, such as peppermint and chamomile, and a combination herbal salve for minor bites and scrapes. I also keep Bach Rescue Remedy in my first-aid kit, along with a good muscle balm and a chest rub.

FIVE FIRST-AID MUSTS

1. Echinacea

I use an echinacea tincture, cream or ointment as a first line of defense against infection for any kind of cuts or minor wounds. Echinacea speeds healing by preventing infection and by developing new tissue at the site of a wound. In Germany, topical echinacea preparations are approved for use on hard-to-heal wounds and sores, as well as for herpes simplex, or cold sores. You can find echinacea as a topical product, such as a cream or ointment, at your favorite health food store.

2. Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) may not be at the top of the list when it comes to best-selling herbs, but when it comes to stopping bleeding, yarrow works wonders. The herb's name "Achillea" points to this very use of the herb. Legend has it that Achilles used yarrow poultices to stop the bleeding of his soldiers wounded in battle, and modern research has confirmed yarrow's potential. A compound, achilleine, in the leaves and flowers of the herb stops bleeding rapidly, even dramatically. It, too, acts a local antiseptic. The azulene in yarrow's volatile oil is anti-inflammatory and stimulates formation of healing tissue in a wound, much in the same way chamomile cream behaves. Because yarrow closes wounds quickly, you must make sure you clean the wound first, before applying the herb.

3. Calendula

A 92-year-old friend of mine once gave me some homemade calendula salve, a standard homeopathic treatment, to soothe my sunburn. His salve took the heat out of the burn and accelerated healing. In our home, we also use calendula ointment as a lip balm, and we also squeeze it beneath a Band-Aid to treat minor burns and scrapes. Studies have shown that calendula ointments can accelerate the healing of wounds and have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, astringent and immune-stimulating properties. Calendula ointments containing about five percent of the crude herb are popular and widely available in Europe, where they're used to reduce inflammation and aid healing of minor skin irritations. In Eastern Europe, topical calendula preparations are a standard item in every medicine chest.

4. Horse chestnut

Although horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) extracts are not well known in the American market, they're the third best-selling phytomedicine products in Germany. If you happened to be on the sidelines of the German national soccer team and looked in the team's first aid kit, you would find a tube of horse chestnut gel or ointment. Whenever my kids get a bruise or sprain, or close a finger in a door, they immediately go to the medicine chest and pull out a tube of a topical horse chestnut extract. Such products are remarkable for reducing pain, braising, and swelling of sprains and sports injuries. The extracts contain aescin, a compound that acts on bruises or sprains by diminishing the number or diameter of tiny openings in capillary walls, which helps to "seal" the outflow of fluid surrounding tissue. This action helps thwart swelling and bruising, making it very useful for the topical treatment of bruises, sprains and contusions. Topical arnica products, which are also useful for treating bruises, may be used as an alternative to horse chestnut extracts and are also widely available. Arnica, however, is not as useful for sprains.

5. A good general herbal salve

Throughout the United States there are many small regional herbal businesses that make good herbal salves useful for all kinds of bites, stings, scrapes, cuts and contusions. These products often include comfrey, chickweed, echinacea, calendula, goldenseal, plantain, essential oils, and a host of other herbs in a base of olive oil and beeswax. I've found many of these products to be excellent, and I always keep one in my medicine chest and travel bag. Find one that you like, and keep it handy.

OTHER MUST-HAVES

Bach Rescue Remedy

Bach Rescue Remedy combines star of Bethlehem, rock rose, impatiens, cherry plum and clematis flower essences. It comes from the flower essence tradition developed by Dr. Edward Bach, a British physician and bacteriologist who lived from 1886 to 1936. The flower remedies work on a mind-body level, centering around life force energy (known as chi or prana in Eastern medicines). My scientific mind tells me to question this. However, I've seen Rescue Remedy help too many people in traumatic situations to discount it. I keep it in my first-aid kit and medicine chest; it is harmless and could help in many stressful situations.

Valerian

A good valerian tincture or standardized extract for use as a simple sleep aid is a great item for the medicine chest. Follow the product label instructions for those nights when you or your children can't get a good night's rest.

Peppermint tea

For those who follow an herbal lifestyle, it's sometimes difficult to discern where the kitchen ends and the medicine chest begins. Peppermint tea is great for any mild upset stomach or nausea. My stepdaughter will take a cup of peppermint tea for any ailment. It's like chicken soup--warm and soothing.

Chamomile tea

Like peppermint, chamomile will calm an upset stomach--and will help children fall asleep. Its pleasant, apple-like flavor is a favorite with children. If there is irritation in the gastrointestinal tract, chamomile tea will help to soothe it. It's an excellent anti-inflammatory.

Slippery elm

It's hard to make slippery elm tea as such, because when you add the powdered inner bark to hot water, the high mucilagin content of the bark makes a gooey mass. But a teaspoonful in a cup of hot water, stirred vigorously, is an excellent beverage when recovering from the flu or when the stomach is unable to hold down any other food. It's also used in lozenges to soothe a sore throat.

Muscle balms and chest rubs

Ask your health or natural food store clerks for advice on their favorite muscle balm product. Many include ingredients such as camphor, menthol, peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil or other essential oils that will penetrate and help relax muscles. Some are designed specifically for relaxing muscles, while others are intended to help relieve chest congestion. Check the labels carefully.

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW

Many of the above items were once common in any well-stocked medicine chest. Thirty years ago you could find these and other natural products at a pharmacy. Now the best place to find them is your local health or natural food store. Ask a knowledgeable clerk or store employee for recommendations on their favorite products for the medicine chest. You will undoubtedly discover some items that you wish you had always known about--and now always will.

FIRST AID AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

BACKACHE--red pepper (capsaicin) cream. Rub it in directly or use cold cream as a base. Just make sure to wash your hands vigorously after use, since you don't want to get any in your eyes.

BLADDER INFECTIONS--blueberry & cranberry juices. Drink 17 ounces a day for urinary tract infections (UTIs).

BRUISES--arnica ointment. Apply as directed.

BURNS--aloe gel. Apply as directed.

CANKER SORES--myrrh. According to Dr. James Duke, "just open a capsule, and dab a little directly on the sore."

CONSTIPATION--flax. Try one-to-three tablespoons of whole or crushed flaxseed three times a day along with plenty of water.

CUTS--teatree oil. Use as directed.

DIARRHEA--agrimony. According to Dr. Duke, try using "two to three tablespoons of leaves to make a tea."

DIZZINESS/MOTION SICKNESS--ginger. According to the late Dr. Varro Tyler, "to prevent motion sickness, swallow two capsules 30 minutes before departure and then one to two more as symptoms begin to occur, probably about every four hours."

FEVER--willow. Dr. Duke suggests making a tea with one or two teaspoons of powdered dried bark, which can be emptied from capsules, steeped in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. Mask its bitter taste with cinnamon or ginger.

HEADACHES--feverfew. Take as directed.

HEARTBURN--licorice. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) helps both heartburn and ulcers of the esophagus and stomach. Use strictly as directed for no more than six weeks at a time.

INSOMNIA--lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). Take as directed or make a tea with two to four teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water.

PAIN--lavender oil. While there are many excellent herbals used for pain, including red pepper/capsaicin and willow, lavender oil is aromatherapy's top pain reliever for mild pain. Mix a few drops, says Dr. Duke, in a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and massage it into the painful area. [Source: "The Green Pharmacy" by James A. Duke, Ph.D./Rodale-St. Martin's Press, 1997]

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