To try "simples" is to just use one herb. I have done this when I want to pinpoint what a specific herb does so I can use it or not use it when I am making a formula. It's also a good way to deconstruct a complicated formula into something simpler or reverse engineer a mystery formula.
I have always done a simple using the herb in tincture form. As a tincture I can take it for a long enough time to feel and document its effects over a course of three weeks or so.
There's a lot I like about tinctures. One thing is that as you macerate the herb in whatever menstrum you choose, the mixture is in a large jar. I go to shake it every day for the two to four weeks or so that it's macerating and I have an index card with information about the herb on the jar that I can read while I'm shaking it. Doing this helps me to remember the properties and uses of the herb, among other things. I found it useful when I was younger to learn and now it's useful as I'm older to remember.
As to the menstrum, some folks don't like alcohol. I do. It does the job better and I don't like the taste of glycerin. When my daughter was just little I could give tinctures macerated in alcohol to her as well by simply burning off the alcohol in a bit of boiling water.
There is information on tinctures in another entry included in this site. In the meantime, I want to be clear, there are a lot of ways to make simples and the best way to find what is best for you is to just do it, it's a great way to get to know an herb, and then another, and another, and another.....
DISCLAIMER None of the information contained within this site is meant to replace medical treatment. Only use herbs as medicine if you know what you are doing, not if you just THINK you know what you’re doing, if you’re wrong there can be negative side effects. Improper use of herbs, just as improper use of prescription drugs, can harm or kill. Remember, natural doesn't always mean safe. Cross reference at least three reliable sources of information before taking an herb. Be sure about dosage and longevity of treatment. Mostly.....be careful.
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Hanna Maxwell
All knowledge starts with self knowledge. Archives
July 2021
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