What's all the buzz about herbal medicine?

[seedcorn]

Cobweb applied over a cut will stop the bleeding.

With or without the spider? J

 

[baymule]

Cobweb applied over a cut will stop the bleeding.

With or without the spider? J

 

[bobm]

Cobweb applied over a cut will stop the bleeding.

With or without the spider? J

Yes it works !!! The only use of a spider is to make the web. I learned about it from an old Scottish sheepman. I use it when I dock tails, castrate or treat cuts on lambs, calves, horses, etc., and whenever there may be some extra bleeding for several decades now.

 

[897tgigvib]

I sure get some spider webs around here in the forest. I can tell Black Widow webs by their strength. Those don't break apart very easily. When working under an old cabin there are some places where Black Widow webs are still very much intact after who knows how many decades. They clump up too when you push them out of the way. I've always thought there'd be some use for them. Stuff it onto a fresh sore to stop bleeding? Didn't think of that. I caught my hand on part of a heavy pump yesterday. That would have been a good test for it.

 

[bobm]

Yup, when I am out in the barn area and get a larger cut that is a bleeder anywhere on me , I look for the nearest spider web and apply it to the wound. Bleeding stops as blood infuses the web, forming a nice scab in short order. Use the web on my boys on the more serious cuts too when finger pressure alone is not enough to stop the bleeding.

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

I picked up a copy of the Reader's Digest Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs at my local library book sale. Whew, there's a LOT of information in there! I know little about herbal medicine beyond the fact that turmeric has been a blessing to my inflamed muscles. Well, this book does not assume a bunch of prior knowledge. For example, I've come across statements in other books that say something like, "For a bad cases of cooties, take an infusion of bla-de-bla-bla." In The Book of Herbs, it starts out by defining what an infusion is, then tells how to make the infusion and what herbs to use. It gives suggested dosages and number of times to use the infusion.

I'm rather surprised to find such an informative and off-the-mainstream book with the Reader's Digest name on it, but I heartily recommend it for someone starting to learn about herbal healing, just like me. There's lots of info about growing herbs and their uses other than medicinal, too.

Amazon.com has it for around $24, but most libraries carry it, too.

 

[Mackay]

Jethro Klauss's book "Back To Eden" is an interesting starting place. Thats where I started many years ago. Its easy to find used on Amazon.
From there the sky is the limit. There are so many good herbal books these days from simple primers to very advanced treatments for serious diseases.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Thanks Makay and NGDD. I'll check at the library first. They sound like good books to read when I can't sleep at night - which is every night nowadays.

 

[hoodat]

I sure get some spider webs around here in the forest. I can tell Black Widow webs by their strength. Those don't break apart very easily. When working under an old cabin there are some places where Black Widow webs are still very much intact after who knows how many decades. They clump up too when you push them out of the way. I've always thought there'd be some use for them. Stuff it onto a fresh sore to stop bleeding? Didn't think of that. I caught my hand on part of a heavy pump yesterday. That would have been a good test for it.

There once was a use for black widow filament. In WW2 when the Norden bombsight was invented one of the problems was that they needed a filament that was very fine and yet strong enough to take abuse. They tried many man made items but nothing known at that time could be drawn thin enough without being too fragile for combat use. Finally someone thought of the black widow who spins filaments that are very even in size and stronger than steel of the same diameter.

 

[OldGuy43]

This topic reminded me of a friend of mine by the name of Dennis who was into 'natural' remedies. When it came to overdosing he would always point out that "a little bit of arsenic is good for the complexion."