National Institute of Medical Herbalists

EXTRACTS From Herbal First Aid Natural Medicine By Andrew Chevallier

With acknowledgement to Amberwood Publishing Limited (www.amberwoodpublishing.com)

The Herbal First Aid Box

The 10 herbs listed below are those most helpful in first aid problems and minor infections. These 10 – when used together with the bandages, sticking plasters, thermometer etc. of a normal first aid kit – make a very effective herbal first aid box.

Aloe vera gel
Arnica ointment
Comfrey ointment
Echinacea tablets (or tincture)
Garlic capsules (or fresh)
Lavender oil
Marigold ointment and tincture
Slippery Elm tablets (or powder)
Thyme oil (and herb)
Tea-tree oil

If you buy all these in small quantities you will have a compact and portable herbal first aid kit – quite small enough to take away on holiday and able to help with everything from sunburn to insect bites and stomach upsets.

Aloe vera gel

Acne, bites and stings, burns, chilblains, cuts, itchiness, sunburn, wounds

Known as the ‘First Aid Plant’ in the USA Aloe vera is drying and protective for the skin, powerfully increasing the rate of healing of burns, wounds and skin problems. It is even used for radiation burns! Buy the gel, soak in cotton wool and dab directly on to the sore, spot or wound. Better to keep a plant and break off a leaf to release the gel when needed! (Use only the juice, not the yellow sap). Bandages soaked in the gel come off more easily when removed. A very useful remedy for many first aid situations.

Arnica ointment or cream
Back pain, bruises, joint pain, muscle aches, sprains

Caution: not to be used on open wounds or broken skin
Arnica ointment, if applied straight after a blow or sprain, quickly reduces both pain and swelling, making it particularly useful for bruises. It is helpful in general muscle aches, drawing the circulation to the area and warming it. Some skins may be sensitive to it, so apply carefully the first time you use it.

Comfrey ointment, cream, poultice
Acne & boils, back pain, bruises, cuts grazes & wounds, fractures & sprains, itchiness, joint pain, scars

The herbal remedy for broken bones, sprains and fractures – it is essential in the herbal first aid box. Rub the ointment in to the damaged area (where the skin is broken use Marigold) as quickly as you can, the sooner applied the more swelling and pain will be avoided. Comfrey also helps to heal scars – old and new. For acne and boils add 5 drops of Ti-tree oil to each 10 g of ointment – mix it well in and put on the affected skin.

Echinacea tincture, tablets, decoction
Acne & boils, asthma, bites & stings, bronchitis, catarrh & sinuses, children’s infections, colds & flu’s, cold sores, cuts and grazes, cystitis, digestive infections, earache, mouth ulcers, shingles, sore throats, thrush, warts

Good for all infections Echinacea is a highly useful plant, essential in any herbal first aid box. Take it to raise the body’s resistance to infection or to speed recovery. Use with other herbs according to the nature of the problem e.g. Sage and Thyme for sore throat, Elderflower for colds and flu. For cold sores, shingles and skin infections take Echinacea internally and try applying the tincture neat externally as a strong natural antiseptic. Echinacea can sagely be taken with antibiotics and helps to reduce their side- effects, especially thrush. Maximum dosage of the tincture is 5ml 2 times a day. Do not overuse Echinacea – take it only when you really need it.

Garlic fresh, capsules, tablets
Acne, athlete’s foot, asthma, bites & stings, bronchitis, catarrh & sinus problems, colds & flu’s, cold sores, coughs, digestive infections, earache, gum problems, mouth ulcers, shingles, sore throat, thrush, warts, wind

Garlic is one of nature’s wonders. A natural antibiotic it can be taken in all types of infection, particularly those affecting the nose, throat and chest. Best to take a raw clove of Garlic chopped or crushed in with food 2-3 times a day for infections (or follow the recipe below). Tablets and capsules are fine too. Mouth ulcers, infected gums and sore throats will all respond to a clove of Garlic sucked and held in the cheek – for the brave or the Garlic lover only!
Garlic is strongly anti-fungal and can help with thrush and athlete’s foot. Like Echinacea it can be taken with antibiotics to reduce their side-effects. For ear infections put 2-4 drops of Garlic oil - from a garlic capsule - on a cotton wool plug and put it carefully in to the ear oily end first.
An excellent mixture for colds and flu’s:-
Add 1 chopped clove of Garlic, half a tsp fresh or dried Ginger, fresh Lemon juice, and 1 tsp of Honey – mix together, cover with hot water and drink it all down. Take up to 3 times a day.
For long term use as a food supplement take 1 clove a day.

Lavender essential oil, tea
Allergies, anxiety & tension, burns, bites & stings, cold sores, cuts and grazes, earache, headaches, hiccup, itchiness, joint pains, muscle aches, period pains, poor sleep, shingles, sunburn, teething

Lavender is a gentle pain reliever and should be part of every first aid kit. Lavender oil (unlike most essential oils) can be applied neat – rub a few drops into the temples for headache and migraine, or put it directly onto insect bites and stings. It will also act as a mild insect repellent. For larger areas dilute the oil – 5 drops to 1 teaspoon of Almond or Sunflower oil – and rub firmly into painful areas, e.g. over the womb for period pains. Lavender oil helps to heal burns – gently spread neat oil onto sunburnt and sunburnt skin. 5 drops in a bath will help relieve tension and encourage a good night’s sleep.
Lavender tea has much the same properties as the oil but is much less concentrated and so can be taken internally – for anxiety, tension and low spirits, and for difficulty in sleeping. Take 1 cup up to 2 times a day.

Marigold (Calendula) tea, tincture, ointment, cream, compress
Acne, allergies, athlete’s foot, bites & stings, burns, chilblains, children’s ailments – cradle cap, nappy rash; cold sores, cuts grazes & wounds, digestive infections, eye problems, infected gums, itchiness, nosebleeds, rashes, sore nipples, splinters, styes, sunburn, thrush, warts, wind, wounds

Marigold is the antiseptic and healing herb for red, sore and angry skin problems. Apply the ointment or cream and Marigold’s healing and anti-inflammatory effect will quickly start to work. To cleanse an infected cut or graze rinse well with water (use a shower head at moderate pressure) then dab on neat or diluted tincture soaked in cotton wool or lint this will sting but is powerfully antiseptic. For young children dilute 1 part tincture to 4 parts water. Washing a cut in carefully strained Marigold tea is also effective.
Dab neat tincture or ointment on acne spots. For infected or deep splinters, boils, whitlows and similar problems mix Marigold tincture with Slippery Elm. Marigold is a very useful remedy for fungal problems – put ointment or powder on athlete’s foot, ringworm etc. Use Marigold tea (strained) as a douche or sitz bath in thrush and vaginal soreness.
Taken internally Marigold tea eases heartburn, acidity and upset digestion. Marigold is very safe for children – use the ointment for nappy rash and inflamed and itchy skin, and the tea as rinse for cradle cap.
The flowers are very bulky so use 1 heaped dessertspoonful per cup, and take up to 4 cups a day. For a lotion or compress use enough boiling water to just cover the flowers. The tincture, which is normally 90% alcohol, is an excellent antiseptic but is not really suitable to take internally. Ointment and cream can be applied as often as wanted.

Slippery Elm powder, tablets
Boils, bronchitis, children’s ailments – colic, constipation, teething; constipation, coughs, diarrhoea, indigestion & acidity, rashes, splinters, toothache

A wonderful soothing herb, Slippery Elm can produce dramatic results in acid indigestion, gastritis, gastro-enteritis, diarrhoea, constipation, bronchitis, and coughs. For all of these conditions use Slippery Elm ‘food’ – see below. A lost filling can be temporarily plugged with Slippery Elm. To make a very effective drawing poultice for boils, splinters and whitlows, mix 1 tsp of Slippery Elm with sufficient Marigold tincture to make a thick paste. Put the past carefully on to the infected area and bandage into place (put olive oil on first if the area is hairy!). In most cases the splinter or pus will have been drawn within a few hours. Repeat if necessary.
Slippery Elm ‘food’ – mix 1 heaped tsp of powder to a paste with cold water, then pour on half litre (1 pint) of boiling water and stir. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon rind or honey to flavour and drink whilst warm. Take 1-4 times a day. It will help in all the internal ailments listed above. Tablets are not as effective but are still useful.

Thyme tea, tincture, essential oil
Asthma, athlete’s foot, back pain, bronchitis, catarrh & sinuses, children’s, infections, colds & flu’s, coughs, hay fever, joint pain, muscle aches, sore throats, warts

Use Thyme tea for all kinds of infections of the air passages – from the ear to the lungs. It has a strong antiseptic and calming effect making it valuable in earache, sinusitis, chest infections and the like. In these ailments Thyme combines well with Garlic and Echinacea. Use this combination also for thrush, and other fungal problems.
Thyme syrup is a pleasant remedy for children’s coughs or simply sweeten Thyme tea with honey. Burn Thyme oil over an essential oil burner to cleanse a room and speed the recovery of the patient – especially in chesty conditions. Inhale Thyme tea (or a few drops of Thyme oil in a basin of hot water) for relief of catarrh and sinusitis. You can also dilute Thyme oil 5 drops to 1 tsp of warm Almond oil and rub firmly into the chest and back in all chesty conditions.

Tea-tree essential oil
Acne & boils, athlete’s foot, colds and flu’s, cold sores, infected – bites & stings, rashes, cuts and wounds; shingles, thrush, warts

Caution – do not apply tea-tree oil neat on young children
Tea-tree oil is a potent yet gentle antiseptic. Apply it neat to small areas such as an acne spot, or around a nail, but if the area is larger than the size of a 50p piece it is advisable to try it diluted first – use about 10 drops to 1 tsp of Almond oil or Marigold ointment. Even diluted Tea-tree oil can sting so be careful putting it on sensitive areas – and keep it well away from the eyes. You can also apply the oil diluted in a lotion such as Aloe vera gel – 2-3 drops per tsp of gel, and shake well – to prevent infection taking place on grazes, wounds, and so on. Tea-tree is one of the most useful herbal first aid remedies and should be in every first aid kit.