Herbal Learning, Wound Cases
Look Beyond The Label! The Amazing Actions Of Medicinal Plants
Oct
“Sleep when the baby sleeps”. This is a little nugget of wisdom that all mothers spout, and no mothers ever actually practice. It’s nonsense. Baby naps are golden! When these rare and miraculous moments present themselves, I always attack my dishes with the panicked, frenzied desperation that stems from the realization that my freedom could last anywhere from two minutes to two hours.
Well, last week in my mad rush, the food processor blade somehow ended up in the dishwater and the results were… messy. I’ll spare you the gory details. My hand was bleeding quite enthusiastically, so I called out to my eleven-year-old, Chloe-Belle, to grab something from the herb cabinet. Chloe-Belle is my right-hand woman! I asked her to get me the Poultice tincture, which happens to be my absolute favorite formula for any kind of wound.
Poultice formula contains a blend of comfrey, Calendula, plantain, marshmallow, lobelia, yarrow, and cayenne. This combination covers all the bases. It stops bleeding, reduces inflammation, fights infection, speeds up tissue repair through cell division, and eases pain. It’s a real superstar. However, there’s a problem with this formula, and it’s a BIG one: moms are always fresh out of Poultice. You just can’t keep it stocked on the shelf, especially when you have four active children who use it daily for scrapes, bumps, bruises, sunburns, stings, bites, and the myriad other minor ailments that the Great Outdoors bestows upon them. They practically bathe in the stuff during the summer. All Chloe-Belle found in the herb cabinet was three empty tincture bottles. Disaster.
New plan: I told her to look for the Bleeding tincture. Bleeding is awesome (the formula…not the physical condition). It contains yarrow, bugleweed and shepherd’s purse; herbs that stop bleeding through platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction and astringent action. Well, we were fresh out of Bleeding tincture too. Of course.
Chloe-Belle then rummaged around for Shepherd’s Purse tincture, which stops bleeding…or yarrow… No luck! Meanwhile, my hand was still gushing blood. I was holding a cloth to it and applying pressure, and it wasn’t doing the trick. We were really in a pickle.
Suddenly, Chloe-Belle’s demeanor shifted from frantic frustration to contemplative tranquility. She gazed thoughtfully into the cupboard. I understood not to disturb her. She gets this beautiful, peaceful stillness about her when she’s listening to something inside her. After a few long moments, she took out a bottle of Venom and Sting tincture and quietly read the ingredients. “Mom, this one has echinacea, dandelion, plantain and marshmallow in it. Those are all good for wounds. Let’s just try it and see what happens.”
Look Beyond The Label!
I was skeptical; those herbs are great for bites and stings, but to my knowledge, none of them have traditionally been used to stop bleeding. However, I was willing to let her experiment. I always teach my kids to trust their gut when it comes to herbal medicine. There is a limit to what study and research alone can achieve—true, healing grace manifests when you place your trust in something greater than yourself and move forward. Use the tools that you have available.
Chloe-Belle cleaned the deep cut with soap and water and dabbed on some Venom and Sting tincture. We watched it and waited for a few seconds. I was absolutely floored by what happened next; the bleeding halted abruptly, like someone turned off the tap. While I was still marveling at that development, I noticed something else. The pain was completely gone! No blood. No pain. Within a few hours the wound looked like it was days old. The following day the cut was so faint I could barely see it. My Chloe-Belle was quite pleased.
So! I called my dad (Doc Jones) and told him the Venom and Sting formula stopped the bleeding and eliminated the pain in my cut. The line went dead for a minute…I could almost hear the wheels in his head spinning as he thought about it. Then we started thinking and talking about those amazing plants. There’s nothing more fun than exploring new ideas about the actions and applications of medicinal plants with other herb nuts. If you don’t believe me, you should check out the student forum of the HomeGrown Herbalist School!
So, what was happening? Well plantain and marshmallow both have mucilage in them which can act as a mechanical barrier to slow bleeding…and mucilage is soothing…and plantain also has aucubin and allantoin, both of which are pretty good anti-inflammatories for pain. Plantain and dandelion root both have a little astringency that might slow down the bleeding a little. And, dandelion has some mild anti-inflammatory goodies in it that could help with pain.
As we were finishing up our conversation and exploration of the unsung wonders of the plants in that simple formula, Dad said something really important that we all need to remember; “Herbs often have pretty serious commitment issues. They just have a really hard time only fixing one thing.”
This experience reinforced three valuable lessons for me.
Firstly: Don’t confine medicinal plants or herbal formulas within rigid boundaries or categories. It’s okay to look beyond the label! Fun fact: all the plants in Venom and Sting are powerfully healing for urinary tract infections. We could have named it ‘Power-Piddle Pro’. The blend is also great for the digestive tract! It could have been called ‘GastroGroove’ or ‘GutGlee’ (hmm…these are genius…I wonder why they don’t let me name the formulas?). Herbs possess a rich spectrum of medicinal potentials, many of which remain unexplored despite the amalgamation of ancient traditions and contemporary research. While it’s essential to educate yourself about the known applications, it’s equally important to allow for intuition, inspiration and experimentation. Remember, knowledge can open the door to inspiration.
We are still making amazing discoveries about these incredible plants every day!
Secondly: Everybody should have a Chloe-Belle, because they are the most wonderful, beautiful, talented humans. She most definitely takes after her grandpa, Doc Jones!
Thirdly: Sleep when the baby sleeps!!!
-Jenni-Leigh Rose
thank you for sharing your experience – a great story and great to have family members on board with what you are doing.
Hi Bob! Thank you. My kids do get really excited about the herbs! I’m lucky to have had the parents that I had. They did a really good job of making herbs part of our family culture, and it’s been a blessing to be able to pass that on to my babies.
Jenni-Leigh Rose,
That was a WONDERFUL post. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Hi Sharon! You are so kind. Thanks for reading it!
Thanks for sharing and reminding us to think rather than follow. Your posts are always do informative . Such a great family you have. Good job!
Love this! I am very new to the herbal world and just started the academy. I had purchased a tincture from another company (didn’t know you existed!) that’s listed as anti-inflammatory. It contains: cinnamon, ginger, orange peel, motherwort, echinacea. I have tried almost every natural thing for “regularity” and nothing really helped, until this! As I’m learning all about the properties of herbs, I’m still trying to figure this one out. But man does it work beautifully and gently!
Hi Wanda. Welcome to HomeGrown! Isn’t it amazing how addressing general inflammation aids our digestive system? I love that! Thank you. 🙂
REALLY enjoyed your article; especially the part about how Chloe-Belle trusted her intuition and you did too! Blessings be!
Thanks Kathryn! Chloe-Belle is a great little herbalist. 🙂
Oh my Jenni!! You definitely have your dad’s great sense of humor!! It is so wonderful how herbs work and what they all work on. This week I had a viral infection in my eyes, behind and around them too. I added nettles to my bone broth and did a plantain tea and used it as a compress on my eyes to take down the swelling, itching and pain. I also did the elderberry syrup all day. I am back to work and feeling great!! You and your dad are a great inspiration to many and I enjoy yours and his posts. Thank you for sharing, and I’m glad the processor blade accident wasn’t a lot worse. Your story reminds us that children learn what they live and your daughter has learned a lot. She is ahead of the curve.
Amy! I love your story! Thank you for sharing. I’m a little obsessed with nettle. It’s my favorite. 🙂 I’ve never tried plantain as an eye compress…that’s amazing. I’m glad you are feeling better. <3
I’m new too and I’m finding the information amazing, even a bit overwhelming. There’s just so much to learn!
Don’t worry, that feeling of being amazed and overwhelmed by all the information is universal. 🙂 It’s great! You will never stop feeling that. That’s the BEST part of being an herbalist! 🙂 The more you learn…the more you realize how much more there is to learn! These plants are so complex incredible.
Thank you for sharing your story. Sorry you had to go through it, but what a great outcome!
Thanks Audrey! 🙂
This is hilarious, not the injury the story. I find your dad quite humorous as well. Really enjoyed the medical information also. Thank you!
Thanks for reading Suzette (your name is so pretty).
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by Maria! 🙂
Great story ! So inspiring. Thank you
I thought you were going to say you put ground cayenne pepper on it. Back in June, I almost sliced the end of my index finger off. I rinsed with the wound tea (frozen in an ice cube rapidly defrosted for 5 seconds in the microwave so not hot) and then dumped the cayenne on. It formed a scab that held for 3 weeks and slowly just fell off. No pain (unless I accidently hit the nail) and no scar ! Herbs are fabulous. Bravo for you daughter !!
Oh my goodness! That’s an amazing story. Cayenne is such a superstar. It really does everything!
You forgot another important lesson: Don’t run out of your herbal remedies!
Hi Naomi! Don’t worry, I restocked all my first aid herbs. 🙂
Jenni-Leigh, this is awesome on so many levels. Entertaining, informative, but best of all is hearing your dad’s voice in your writing. And the glimpse of another generation on the way who will be every bit as enthusiastic. God is so good to make herbs so broad, so unspeakably useful, but so much more to make wisdom pass-downable! God bless!
Beautifully said!
I so agree with you!
Thank you Rebekah! He is so good, I agree wholeheartedly! I feel like all these amazing herbs are love notes from Him.
Great story and very informative.
Just getting into herbs and the school.
Started buying some of the kits just to have them on hand.
Keep it going.
Hi Dan! Welcome! Hope you enjoy the school and kits!
Thank you for sharing this story. As a newbie to the herbal world it is wonderful to hear all about what these herbs can do. This helps me so much when learning about different herbs.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for taking the time to read it. 🙂 I also love hearing other people’s success stories with herbs. This is such a fun community! Gotta love fellow herb nerds!
Thanks for a great story Jenni-Leigh..I think your little herbalist will make a great deal of difference in the world. I love your Dads stories ..as well as yours you are a very inspiring family and I am waiting not very patiently for my books to arrive..I am in Queensland in Australia..so I have to wait for a little while for them to arrive. I really love the spiritual aspect of the way you approach herbalism and its wonderful that you daughter is listened to and allowed to develop her own intuition. What a wonderful story. Bright Blessings to you all.
Thank you! You are so kind. Wow, Queensland!!! What kinds of herbs you have growing in your yard? You have a different pharmacy than I do! I’d love to hear about it!
Hi Jenni-Leigh..I dont have a garden yet..i retired early at the end of last year. I am living in the middle og a cow paddock..and..my fence isnt fimished yet..but it will be soon. I am so looking forward to planting some herbs..i cant at the moment though because the cows would eat them!! to make matters worse we ate in severe drought at the moment. I would love to join and do the course. Its been an expensive year though..i will very soon because i realise how much knowledge your family has to share..everything i need to know to be a brilliant herbalist and help folks in the small country
town we live near.
Yes, they should put you in charge of naming the formulas, because we all need a chuckle to inspire us, and promote deep breathing.
Thanks for encouraging us to look beyond the labels. Much appreciated.
Yes Helen! Thank you!!! Everybody please email Luci and tell her that I am now in charge of naming formulas! 😁 She will be THRILLED! :)🤣🤣
I am writing only to say that this writer’s sense of humor and care about his trade only come through as “true bloom”–and I just love reading.
Thank you Charlene! ❤️
Poultice tincture would have been grand but I too was caught without it when my hubby tipped the lawn tractor over a hill and ended up with his head split open on some rocks at the bottom. Head injuries bleed a lot and we’re about 3 hours away from medical attention. After searching natural remedies, I used a paste of water and organic turmeric powder. It worked and it has anti-microbial properties. Took a while for his yellow hair to turn grey again but the lacerations healed without any infection.
Hi Kathy! Wow, that is an amazing story! I’m a big fan of turmeric in wound cases, but I have never thought to use it to control bleeding. I’m going to try that next time I have an accident! I always have a running list in my head of exciting things I am going to try next time I get wounded. I know that’s weird…😂 Luckily, I am very clumsy, so I get lots of opportunities to practice. I bet your husband loved the bright yellow all-natural hair dye. 🤣
Jenni-Leigh, that was a great story! I love that your daughter is a budding herbalist and was able to witness how the herbs worked. I cut my thumb while slicing apples on my mandolin slicer a couple of days ago, so I really appreciated your story. I don’t have an herbal first aid kit yet as I am just getting started. I knew that cayenne would stop the bleeding, but was afraid to try – thought it would sting. I do have a little jar of antibiotic oil that I recently made which contains comfrey, yarrow, and bee balm. I put some of that on and it is already healing very nicely! God bless you all!
Hi Carrie! Mandolins are so scary! I’m not responsible enough to own one. I’d have no fingers left! 😂 That oil blend sounds neat. What did you use as the carrier oil?
Hi Jenni-Leigh! I love this story. I have a little “Chloe-Belle” of my own (Paisley Joy) and she is a budding herbalist. I was vacuuming her room one evening when I “found” a thumb tack she’d lost from a poster on her wall. I found it with my heel and it was driven to the hilt. I sank to the floor, pulled out the tack, milked some blood out, then called for my herbalist-in-training. I instructed her to make a poultice of bentonite clay, wrapped in a cloth, and bring it to me. She helped me apply it to my heel and we secured it and covered with a sock. When I removed the poultice a while later, I knew it had drawn out any debris, etc. and there was no swelling pain, or bleeding. The wound was barely visible. I covered it with a clean sock and went on my way.
I’m so glad that my daughter is interested in learning about natural healing, and she is especially valuable to me personally because when the in-house herbalist (me) is ill….she takes over and cares for me.
Great share, thank you Jenni-Leigh! I thought it was your dad writing it- you guys have the same SOH, but the “sleep when the baby sleeps” comment threw me, and when I got to the end I understood why (not Doc Jones at all!)
I’m new to the herbal world, but I’m doing the STS herbal challenge with your dad’s awesome teachings, I’ve bought some dried elderberries, marshmallow, mullein, burdock root and horsetail (for some gum issues). And I bought some tube stock organic herbs to go with my mint, lemon balm and wild growing parsley… plus I’m trying to work out if I pull up a big plaintain from the paddock and repot it, will my husband let the “weed” stay in my collection?!! I’m trying to find some local plant-herb walks here in Australia to do so I get better at ID’ing the herbs too, often I feel like weeds in the garden are medicinal herbs but I’m not sure what they are.
Thank you for the inspiration to continue trying things out! I hope your hand is all better x
I have a number of students in Australia…and I used to own a cockatoo so they’d probably let me through customs. A plant walk in Australia would be a fun tax write off. :0)
I am sure you would find lots of students that would love to have you visit Doc..
Jenni-Leigh,
Great story and such great info! You also have a great sense of humor like your dad! I enjoyed your writing very much 🙂
This story inspired me. I noticed a sore tooth while flossing and hoped to ignore it until morning which didn’t work as it hurt and I worried. While I have a full stocked herbal remedy cabinet I just couldn’t deal with the alphabet…so, inspired by your story, I chose from what was already on the counter. In this case, poultice tincture, which I swished in my mouth and brushed around the tooth and went to bed. Next morning it was so much better I didn’t dig for periodontal or tooth abzezz….I just swished with poultice tincture again.
Love the story! Sounds so familiar! I personally have 8 children ranging in age from 34-13 and have 5 beautiful grand daughters ages 3-13 and all of them are into herbal medicine and learning about plants. The oldest sent me pics of his newest tincture (4 quarts of walnut tincture) and I was so excited ! His wife actually asked for a minute no apothecary last year for Christmas so of course I picked out 30 dried herbs from mine and found 1/4 pint jars and made it for her, along with a book about each, ways to use them and a half gallon of 100prf vodka. Lol! Best gift ever! But the best part was my DIL wanting it….
Hey Jenni-Leigh.
I loved your blog! It is so entertaining and informative at the same time.:)
Your blog seemed to indicate that your Poultice formula was in tincture form and your children used it for multiple issues. Doesn’t it sting, or maybe they’re used to it, or are they using it as a powder?? I’ve bought the poultice but now not sure whether to make a tincture or use as powder for my little grandson.