The Apothecary: Cold Remedies
By Adam Kane
Well, the leaves are gone; the snow has begun to fall, and everyone has started getting their winter colds. Many people are emptying their wallets on cold and flu medicines to drug themselves into drowsy states of semi-consciousness just to stop sniffling. There is, however, an alternative to this. Natural remedies have been found in herbs for centuries; many of these are still used in today's medicines.
Most herbal medicines are taken as hot infusions. An infusion is simply the proper term for a tea made from a dried or fresh herb. Some remedies, usually those for coughs, are also taken as a syrup. A syrup can be made by boiling the herb in a small amount of water and then adding sugar or honey to thicken it and make the taste more pleasant.
Since you can not harvest most of the herbs yourself during the winter months you will have to resort to using supplies collected previously in the year or purchasing them from a local shop. Many towns now have herbal shops which are probably your best bet for herbs that are not stale. Many health food stores also carry herbs or at least know where you can find a dealer.
One of the easiest remedies to find is garlic. Yes, the same ingredient in your grandmother's lasagna is used to help fight a cold. Garlic not only helps soothe a cough and clear a stuffy head, it also helps your body prevent itself from getting sick in the first place. For those that do not like the taste of strong garlic you can get empty pill capsules from a drug store or health food store and fill them with garlic to be taken daily. Otherwise you can make an infusion by steeping two chopped cloves of garlic in hot water for 10 minutes. Always make sure that the garlic is lightly cooked in some way, this neutralizes the minor traces of toxins that are often found in garlic.
The elder plant is another commonly used remedy for the flu or a cold. A juice made by crushing and straining its purple berries is taken hot to ease your symptoms. It may also be used by making an infusion of its flowers mixed with peppermint leaves and taken for the flu.
An herb that will always be found in my house is coltsfoot. It helped tremendously in my bought with a cold so I now swear by it. Not only does it ease most cold symptoms but it also helps decongest your lungs to help you heal faster. It is best taken as a hot infusion. Many over-the-counter cough medicines still use coltsfoot as a prime ingredient.
To help with a cold accompanied by a fever I suggest an infusion of either vervain or wood sage. Both will produce sweating to help cool the body and break a fever. Wood sage is also used as a gargle for sore throats.
With any luck you'll get through this winter without a cold, but if you find yourself sneezing and coughing keep in mind that you can fight it the natural way without the drowsiness and cost of many over the counter medicines.
