Herbal Medicine Making Kit

Herbal Medicine
Making Kit
John M. Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH
PLEASE READ
Printing Recommended for this book
Printing this book is recommended. You may want to have these instructions with
you when working on the kit.
We advise rst watching the DVD introduction, and then reading the introduction
in this book. With each section of the kit you do, read through this book, then watch
the DVD, and with the printed instructions in hand, do the lesson. There is no lesson in
this book for making the herbal infusion, therefore, just watch the DVD. The conclusion
for the kit is on the DVD.
In these books, clicking on any hyperlink, such as the web site surrounded by a box
below, will bring you directly to that page if you are connected to the internet.
Resource Page: http://www.LearningHerbs.com/ResourcePage
Also, clicking on the
icon on the top of each page will bring you to the Resource
Page as well. You must be on-line to use this feature.
TERMS OF USE: The Herbal Medicine Making Kit and all
information provided on or by LearningHerbs.com is for
educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute
for the advice provided by your physician or other medical
professional.
You should not use the information contained herein or the
products in the Herbal Medicine Making Kit for diagnosing or
treating a health problem, disease or injury, or prescribing
any medication.
If you have or suspect that you have a serious health
problem, promptly contact your health care provider.
Always consult with a health care practitioner before using
any herbal remedy, especially if pregnant, nursing, or have
a medical condition. Always follow the manufacturers
directions when using herbal remedies or giving herbal
remedies to children.
Information and statements regarding dietary supplements

have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration
and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent
any disease.
LearningHerbs.com, its owners or employees, shall not be
liable for injury, damage, or loss allegedly arising from the
information contained in the Herbal Medicine Making Kit.
By purchasing the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, you have
accepted our terms of use. Anyone who does not accept
these terms, being the purchaser may have been unaware
of them at the point of sale, may return the Herbal Medicine
Making Kit at any time for a full refund (we will not refund
shipping costs).
The Herbal Medicine Making Kit

Written by John M. Gallagher
Edited by Kimberly Gallagher, Kat Koch
Production/Layout/Photos/Web Design by John M. Gallagher
2005, 2007 John M. Gallagher. All rights reserved.
First printing/electronic release: January, 2005
No part of this publication or the accompanying DVD may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the
prior written permission of the copyright owner. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other
than your own personal use is a violation of US copyright laws.
This book is part of the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, which is published by LearningHerbs.com. The
LearningHerbs.com, Herbal Medicine Making Kit and logos are registered trademarks. Information about the
The Herbal Medicine Making Kit and may be obtained at www.LearningHerbs.com.
Whats in your kit
Organic Nettle leaf

Urtica Dioica
Salve Herbs
Comfrey*, Calendula,
Plantain*, and
St. Johnswort*
Organic Echinacea
purpurea
*Organic or wildcrafted
Echinacea root for

tincture making
Herbs for salve

making
For use with the

Nourishing Herbal
Infusion section
of the DVD.
Echinacea purpurea
Date:
/
/
Decant: /
/
Dried root in ____% alc.
9 oz. jar for
tincture making
Nettle for use in

Roots and Branches
Cheesecloth
L AV E N D E R
E SSENTIAL O IL
10 ml.
Lavender for salve

making
Beeswax for salve

making
ECHINACEA
LV E
HERB
4 blue dropper
bottles for your
nsihed tinctures
HEALING
SA
Cheesecloth for
straining herbs
Contains: Comfrey, Calendula, Plantain, and

St. Johnswort (in Olive oil);
essential oil of Lavender;
bees wax
Echinacea purpurea
root extract
1 . oz.
10 labels for your nished products!
4 salve tins and 2

2oz. salve jars.
Special Thanks & Acknowledgement to Kimberly, Jon Young, Sally King, EagleSong,
Karen Sherwood, my brother Jim for designing our logo, Sandie Grumman, the Wilderness
Awareness School staff and elders, Ingwe, Erin Groh, Eileen VanBronkhorst, nd the RavenCroft
Community. Extra special thanks goes out to Paula at the P&G Speakeasy Cafe in Duvall,
WA where I wrote most of these books. EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA special thanks to my
parents for their never ending love and support.
For Kimberly, Rowan, and Hailey...
Welcome
Herbal Medicine Belongs to Everyone (Even you)
erhaps you have taken Echinacea for an oncoming cold

and want to learn more. Maybe you heard that you can
make herbal remedies at home, but havent found the
right instruction or havent felt safe doing so. Or perhaps you
are part of the growing number of people who want to care for
themselves naturally but just do not know where to start.
There are so many herbs to learn about, the body is so
complex, and I just do not have the time or energy to
learn about it all. I really want to treat my family naturally,
but where do I start? Who will teach me? What book can
I trust? What alternative method of healing is the right
one for me? I think my doctor is helping me, but it just
isnt enough. Why isnt there a pill to cure my energy loss
or migraines?
Does any of this sound familiar? Yup, I have been there too.
I was actually working for a nature school for years before I
felt comfortable going beyond the Echinacea I took for a cold,
and even THAT was a stretch for me. I knew from experience
Herbal Medicine Making Kit

and all the media hype that it worked, but I had no idea
what all those other bottles of herbs in the store were for.
Once I ran into someone who actually made their own
Echinacea tincture and could not believe they trusted
their own medicine that they made in their house. How
did they know what plant to use? How much of it? What
if they poisoned themselves? With questions like these
rattling around in our heads, herbal medicine can seem
intimidating or even down right dangerous.
First Id like to encourage you to take a moment to consider the idea that western culture and western medicine
have severed our connection with nature and natural
remedies. It is this severed connection that leads to our
fears. However, I am not out to bash western medicine.
I use western medicine when I need it. Many lives are
saved every day by hospitals and allopathic doctors.
What I am talking about here is our every day healthcare.
Preventative medicine such as exercise, good nutrition
and whatever else helps us reduce stress. A major part
of our everyday healthcare can come from the nourishment and health giving gifts of the plants.
Consider that plants not only clothe us and shelter us, but
they are the root of our sustenance. Everything we eat
comes from plants and trees, including meat (remember
what the animals lower on the food chain eat). The quality of our food can make a huge difference in our vitality
and quality of life. Herbs are plants, and herbal medicine
actually has a lot to do with what we are ingesting for
our everyday health.
We all know that spinach and broccoli are good for us.
They are filled with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants,
and more. We know how to prepare them to eat. Did you
know that there are other health giving plants besides
the fruits and green vegetables you are familiar with? Im

talking about wild plants and herbs. We can eat
them and make teas that are incredibly nourishing for our bodies. The dreaded stinging nettle
is one of the most nutritious and delicious greens
there are, and can easily be incorporated into your
favorite dish. Another example is oatstraw. Its
nourishing for your nervous system, and a pint of
oatstraw infusion has as much calcium as a glass
of milk!
With this kit you are about to open up a whole new
world of health and nutrition. However, I realize
that it takes some time to learn about herbs and
to feel safe using them. I know that it can take
some time before you find the right way to keep
YOU healthy or to heal yourself. I cant tell YOU how to
be healthy, but I can introduce you to herbal medicine,
which can be an important part of your everyday health
care. I can give you a great starting place.
Believe it or not, stinging nettle

is one of the most nutritious
herbs. Youll get to try some in
the Roots and Branches home
study course.
I feel a starting place is important. That may sound painfully obvious, but seriously, youd be surprised how hard
it can be to find a place to start in learning about herbs.
There are so many books and web sites out there that it
is dizzying. In one respect, that is a good thing. Twenty
years ago there were only a few books out there. But
on the other hand, someone can get so overwhelmed
by all this information that they never get started. This
is part of the success of the Kamana Naturalist Training
Program that I helped design for Wilderness Awareness
School. It helps people weed through and utilize the
vast choices of field guides in a simple system that helps
them learn about nature.
Similarly, this herbal kit will help you learn to use the
vast number of herbal resources available today. I want
to support all the great books out there by helping peo-

ple learn how to use them. I want to support all the great
teachers out there by leading people to the right class
for them. When I first learned about herbs I just wanted
someone to teach me the basics. I had all the books,
but I still needed someone to show me. I went all over
the Northwest Herb Faire looking for a kit exactly like
this one, but could not find one. Luckily, I found a good
teacher. Once I learned the basics and learned to trust
myself, the possibilities were endless. I want to help you
learn to trust yourself and want to inspire you to learn
more. There are many ways to learn herbal medicine,
and in time you will find which is right for you.
I talked earlier about the nourishing herbs we can use
every day that can keep us healthy. There are also stronger herbs that can help us in times of sickness. Whether
we have a cold or flu, an upset stomach, or are in a firstaid situation, the plants that grow around us can come
to our aid. More serious conditions warrant experienced
mainstream or alternative practitioners (herbalists, naturopathic doctors, homeopathic practitioners, acupuncturists, therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors,
etc..), but everyday nourishment and relief from the
most common conditions lie in our own hands. For tens
of thousands of years human beings intimately knew the
medicine of the plants around them. The healer of the
tribe or village was called in on more serious conditions,
but people knew how to stay healthy and what to use if
they fell ill with a common ailment. We today can follow
that same model.
I am going to show you that incorporating herbal medicine into your life is simple and inspiring. As a human
being, you are about to re-learn the medicine that
has been growing around you your whole life. The same
medicine that your ancestors used for millennia. Herbal
medicine is truly medicine that belongs to everyone.
Why I chose to teach with a kit

I feel the best way to learn is hands-on. I also know
distance education works. I still direct the best naturalist home study course available (Wilderness Awareness
Schools Kamana Naturalist Training Program). So, I had
this idea that I would combine distance learning with a
hands-on experience.
Besides the herbs I use daily to keep myself nourished,
two herbal products that I often use are my homemade
all purpose healing salve and my Echinacea tincture.
They are the foundation of my personal first aid kit as
well. I thought I would show you how to make two useful products while teaching you how easy it is to make
herbal medicine.
I want this kit to be the foundation of your future herbal
learning endeavors. At any time, you can log on to
HerbMentor.com with your free trial membership (do not
misplace the yellow sheet that came in your kit).

Whether you choose to be a part of our ongoing learning
community or not, you can read, listen to or watch all the
lessons you want while you are signed up.
You can also download the free Roots and Branches
Herbal Home Study Course on HerbMentor.com. The
Roots part of the course will expand your herbal
medicine making skills a little further past tinctures and
salves. You will learn how to learn about medicinal, edible and poisonous plants, how to wildcraft ethically, how
to make herbal infusions and teas (infusions also covered
in this kit), the benefits of herbal vinegars, how herbs
can nourish us, how to cook a meal with wild herbs, and
a bit about herbal first aid.
Roots & Branches, formerly the

ofcial follow-up course for the
Herbal Medicine Making Kit, is
still available on HerbMentor.
com.
We recommend you explore
HerbMentor.com, and make sure
you are on our free newsletter
list to receive ongoing recipes,
remedies and information.
The Branches part were our free monthly newsletters designed to keep you inspired and learning. Over
40 back issues are available on HerbMentor.com. The
HerbalBranches newsletter was simply renamed the
HerbMentor Newsletter, and we highly recommend you
get on our current mailing list on LearningHerbs.com. In
other words, we continue to publish ongoing lessons.
On HerbMentor.com, there are other options besides
Roots & Branches to continue your learning journey. You
can download a guide that instructs you on how to get
the most out of the site, such as studying the herb of the
month, using HerbMentor Radio, joining the community
forum or calling the monthly teleconference.
What motivates me is knowing that I am helping someone break down the wall that separates them from herbal medicine and/or making their own herbal medicine.
I am committed to you feeling that you can be a home
medicine maker. This kit gives you a starting place and
the information provided helps you discover where to go
next on your journey of taking your every day healthcare
into your own hands.

You dont need a degree or to take a bunch of classes
to call yourself a home medicine maker. You simply have
to embrace and utilize these health-giving gifts called
plants in a way that promotes life.
You might have aspirations of being a Community
Centered Herbalist, a naturopath, an ethno botanist,
an herbal shopkeeper, or more likely, of being someone
who brings natural health to your and your familys life.
Whatever your journey is, your first step begins here
Time to start the Herbal Medicine Making Kit!

Lets talk about the herbs!
Lets take a look at a useful oversimplification of herbal
categories (next page), so we begin to get a sense of the
array of herbs available for our tinctures and teas.
At the base, you have your nourishing herbs. Those are
the plants you are going to either eat or drink in larger
quantities. They are as safe as the organic veggies from
your local farmstand, and in many cases, more nutritious. Some of these herbs include nettles, dandelion,
burdock, chickweed, and red clover.
On the next level you have your gentle medicinal herbs.
Here is where you will find your gentle remedies. A
couple you are already familiar with are peppermint or
chamomile.
Next we have your stronger medicinal herbs. These are
herbs you want to use far less often, usually when you
have an acute condition such as a cold, fever, or perhaps
an ankle sprain. These herbs can include echinacea,
goldenseal, and arnica.
POISONOUS
Dangerous to
mess with
Stronger Medicinal
herbs
Gentle medicinal herbs
Nourishing herbs
Johns oversimpied herbal category chart.
Next up we have potentially poisonous herbs that are

used for medicinal purposes, but are ones you should
really stay away from unless a qualified and experienced
practitioner administers them. These might include foxglove or bittersweet nightshade.
And finally, at the top of the pyramid, you have your poisonous plants no one should ever ingest. These include
belladonna, false hellebore and poison hemlock. (Note
that some poisonous herbs can be taken internally as
homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies contain

no biochemical traces of the plant. More on these remedies in the Root and Branches course.)
An important thing to note is that this is a ROUGH
sketch as to how you will find these herbs in
nature. Meaning, there are a huge amount
of nourishing herbs and gentle mind herbs, a
smaller amount of stronger species, and a much
smaller amount of poisonous plants.
Lets talk tinctures
Herbal tinctures are herbal chemical constituents extracted into a liquid base, usually alcohol. (Note: teas are also extractions of herbal
constituents, except a tea is extracting the plant
into water.) Whats nice about alcohol is that 1)
it is a preservative, and 2) it can extract stronger constituents than water can extract. The
constituents are going to be more concentrated
in a tincture than in a tea. However, alcohol does
not extract the vitamins or minerals, as water will.
So tinctures are used as medicine while tea can be
used for your every day nourishment.
Tinctures are found in bottles like these at

most health food stores and herb shops.
This photo was taken at RavenCroft
Garden in Monroe, WA.
Personally, I make most of my tinctures out of those

gentle herbs such as chamomile and stronger herbs
for acute situations such as Echinacea. Alcohol does a
wonderful job extracting the constituents we need from
these herbs to help us in many acute situations. I never
touch the potentially poisonous herbs.
I really like tinctures when I have an acute situation
because they are effective and easy to transport. Its
hard for me at work to make herbal decoctions (strong
teas that you simmer for a while). With a tincture, all I
have to do, is squirt a dropper full of Echinacea in my
water or juice and I am good to go. Then, when I get

home, I brew up a nourishing soup or herbal brew and
rest. I would love to be able to run home and rest at the
first sign of a cold, but you know as well as I do that
isnt always possible in this day and age. Even while I
am nourishing myself and resting at home, I continue
to take my herbal tinctures. They are a great way to get
those stronger herbs in a concentrated form.
Echinacea
So, Why Echinacea?

Of all herbs, why did I choose Echinacea for this kit?
Honestly, my first reason was because you probably have
heard of it. Even my mom has used it. Secondly, it is an
herb I use myself and really like. Herbalist and author
Stephen Buhner once said in a class that there are 3
basic ways he uses Echinacea. 1) At FIRST sign of a cold
to boost your immune system. 2) For first aid situations.
Echinacea is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. 3)
Directly squirted on the back of his throat for strep or a
sore throat.
I recently heard on NPR that the University of Washington
did a study on Echinacea, and it found that it was ineffective for children with colds. Thats true. You take it AT
THE FIRST SIGN of a cold. I found it sad because many
will interpret that report as Echinacea does not work.
Thats the thing about herbs. You cant look at them in
the same way you look at western drugs. There is no
silver bullet in any medicine for every ailment. No two
people are the same and no two illnesses are the same.
Herbs work to support and nourish our health. In this
case, Echinacea can work to support your immune system to help the cold virus not take hold.
When I first feel signs of a cold, I take Echinacea. I might
take a dropper an hour for the first couple days until its
10

gone. I will then continue the support whether the cold
takes hold or not for a few more days (just 3 droppers
a day). If it takes hold, I will take it a few times a day
for no more than TEN DAYS. But at the same time I
am also supporting my immune system by resting,
eating nourishing soups, ingesting garlic, and drinking my favorite Special-Tea that I make when I have
a cold. This tea is covered in the cold and flus tab on
LearningHerbs.com.
So, what I want to get across is that tinctures are wonderful, useful, and great BUT they are not all that
herbal medicine is. In fact, the way I take herbs is
almost just like that pyramid I made. I take MOSTLY
nourishing herbs, then I take a little less than that in
gentle remedies, and far less frequently these stronger
remedies like Echinacea.
Then, why am I having you make Echinacea tincture
first? Why not start out with the herbal creations you
will make far more often than tinctures? Well, youve
heard of Echinacea, youve heard of tinctures, tinctures
Your nished Echinacea

tincture.
are certainly useful, and well its FUN TO MAKE THEM!

Yes, herbal teas are great, but making your first herbal
tincture will be far more rewarding and inspiring as your
gateway to herbal medicine making. Besides, the method you use to make tinctures is similar to the methods
you use to make other herbal remedies.
Making the Tincture
In the classes I teach people often find it amazing when I
tell them that in the folk method, many herbal remedies
are made by stuffing a jar with plants and pouring a liquid over them. Well, in a nutshell, thats true. Of course,
there is a LITTLE more too it, but basically, that is what
you are doing.
In making our Echinacea tincture, you are going to pour
11

the packet of Echinacea root into the clear 9 oz. jar, and
fill the jar with vodka until it is full. Youll then let it sit for
6 weeks, shaking it once a day. After six weeks, youre
going to strain it out through the cheesecloth. Then
presto, you have your Echinacea tincture. WOW! I just
explained the whole process in a paragraph!
100 proof vodka is

recommended for your
tincture. A smaller ask
will be plenty for this
project.
What do you do for people who dont want to take alcohol, such as children or recovering alcoholics? For my
son, I often put his tincture in juice. The amount is so
small that I really do not feel it is an issue for kids, but
you may feel different. If it is an issue for you or someone you know, you can put the dropper of tincture in hot
tea or water. The heat will evaporate the alcohol leaving
the medicine in your tea or hot water.
I use 100 proof vodka most of the time. You can buy
it in a small, inexpensive flask for this project. You do not
need to purchase an entire big bottle unless you plan on
making more tinctures or having a party.
Before you begin, purchase a small bottle of 100 proof
vodka. If you are under 21, please do this part of the
kit with someone who is 21 or over, so that they can
purchase the vodka and do this project with you. Please
make sure they take with them any vodka that is left over
until you work on your next herbal tincture project.
Want to make more?

Take any jar and repeat the process you are about to do.
Fill half the jar if using dried herbs, or ll with chopped up
fresh herbs. This is a good rule of thumb to follow.
12

Now that you have your alcohol and kit materials
ready, heres what to do:
1. Pour all of the enclosed dried Echinacea
root in the enclosed 9 oz. jar.
2. Fill the jar with vodka to the lip below

the screwband. Make sure the Echinacea
is covered. Put the lid on. Keep the jar
out of direct sun light. Youll want
to keep your finished remedies out of
direct sunlight as well.
13

3. Label the jar with the enclosed tincturebrewing label. Fill it in with the alcohol
percentage and date. For example,
Echinacea purpurea, dried and tinctured in 50% alcohol on 6/3/2004
In this example, Echinacea is part of
the botanical name, so I did not put
the common name. The date will help
you remember when to strain it. Some
adviceALWAYS label your herbal creations. All those brown liquids begin to
look alike as you grow your personal
herbal apothecary.
4. Shake the jar. Do this once a day for

6 weeks. If this is not possible, then
at least do it every day for the first 2
weeks. Its helpful to keep the jar in
a place where you will remember to
shake it regularly, such as on the kitchen counter.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
You do not have to wait until the tincture is
completed to sign up for HerbMentor.com. You
can even begin the Roots & Branches course.
Though youll enjoy any part of HerbMentor
at this point, we do not recommend you do
any courses until you nish the salve.
14
MAKE SURE you check every day for

the first 2 weeks to see if the vodka
is covering the herbs. It is vitally
important that the herbs remain covered at all times. This prevents oxidation. If the herbs are above the vodka
line, add vodka until they are covered
again.
Read through the rest of the tincture
instructions, but return to Step 5 in
six weeks to complete it. Continue
on and begin making your herbal
salve.

5. After 6 weeks, use the enclosed cheesecloth and
strain the tincture into a large bowl.
6. Use a small kitchen funnel to pour your

finished tincture into the enclosed dropper
bottles. If there is any left over, pour into
any old bottles you have in the house. Make
sure you clean out any old jars by submerging them in boiling water for ten minutes.
7. Label your bottles with the enclosed labels.
8. Youre finished! Now have now made your

own Echinacea tincture!
15

Wasnt that easy! Now, imagine the possibilities. You can
make tinctures with so many herbs that can be used for
so many different ailments. The process isnt all that different from what you just experienced. Yes, I know there
is a lot to learnall those plants, all those herbal skills,
all those ailmentsBUT
I want to say something important with regards to how
to learn herbal medicine. I want you to know that it is
possible for you to feel empowered as a home medicine
maker right from the beginning. Lets face it, herbal
medicine and nature are huge subjects. In fact, they are
infinite. Talk to any experienced home medicine maker
or herbalist, they will tell you that the more they learn,
the more questions they have and the less they feel they
know. Get comfortable now with the fact that you will
never know it all. Nobody can.
So, how can you feel empowered now?
Well, the key is to just take it day-to-day, experience-to-experience. Maybe its once a day, or
maybe its once a week or once a month, put aside
a little time to learn about plants or practice a new
herbal skill. With every little thing you learn it takes
you further down the path of herbalism. Today you know
more than you did yesterday. And tomorrow perhaps you
will know more than today.
If you keep learning, growing, picking, drinking, eating, pickling, tincturing, or infusing herbs in your life, in
time you will look back and realize how much you have
learned. You might have this realization when you starting telling others about herbs. Its hard to keep in touch
with how much we are learning on a day-to-day basis,
but on reflection we often discover just how far we have
come.
16

Once again, do not focus on the vastness of the subject
or how much you would like to know. Just stay focused
on the present. What will you do today? Thats enough.
Will you work in the garden? Make nettle soup? Use an
herbal salve for a bruise? If you make it a point to learn
or experience something today, you have succeeded in
making steps towards your dream. Those steps might
lead you towards being an herbal medicine maker, a consultant, a gardener, an herbal business owner, a teacher,
or simply someone who uses herbs to improve their
everyday quality of life. You really have no idea where
your herbal education is leading you right now. However,
in the present moment, you have a tincture and a salve
to make.
When I first picked a guitar up and found myself playing
regularly, I guess I could have called myself a musician. I
always thought that you had to be really good or have an
album out to be called a musician. Then one day, someone called me a musician, and it felt right. Yes, I was a
musician. Its the same with being an herbalist. While
you are using this kit, technically you are an herbalist.
An herbalist is one who uses herbs. However, it might
take some time before you personally feel like you are an
herbalist. Perhaps one day someone will introduce you to
someone else as an herbalist, and you will think, Yes, I
AM an herbalist. It will just feel right. So, whether that
time is now, next month, or next year, it will be up to
you to recognize when calling yourself an herbalist feels
right to you.
The reason why I am even bringing this up now is
because I want to keep driving home the fact that using
herbs is not something reserved for naturopaths or other
people with letters after their names. Herbs are for all of
us. They always have been. And, becoming an experienced herbal medcine maker can only happen
when you have a lot of experiences with herbs. And
17

you have a lot of experiences with herbs by starting with
one experience, and building on it. That one experience
you started with was the Echinacea tincture. An experience to build on that will be the herbal salve. After the
salve, I will give you some more ideas. Project by project, you build your knowledge.
How to Make an Herbal salve

I suppose the first question should be WHY make an
herbal salve? Well, herbs work incredibly well in first aid
situations. Cuts, bruises, bites, stings, scrapes, burnsI
have had personal success with the healing power of
herbs with all of these. Whereas knowing what exact
herbal remedy (salve, poultice, compress, etc.) to use in
a first aid situation will come in time with experience, an
important part of your herbal repertoire will be the salve.
I always carry an all purpose herbal healing salve in my
travel first aid kit, and use it often for many situations.
Rowan uses his salve on an

ouchie. I use this all purpose
salve you are about to make
for cuts, scrapes, itching,
minor burns, dry or chapped
skin or lips, sun burn and so
much more. I always make
sure the wounds are cleaned
out thoroughly rst. Water
rst, then Echinacea tincture
usually does the trick.
Remember how the Echinacea plant constituents were

being extracted by the alcohol when making your tincture? Basically, the same thing is happening in salve
making. With a salve, the herbal chemical constituents
are extracted into olive oil. After the oil is completed and
strained, it is combined with melted beeswax. When the
combined substance hardens, presto, you have a salve.
Sound easy? Well, it is. So, lets get to making it.
Before you begin, you will need a few things you
have in your kitchen. Get out your olive oil (youll
need 1 1/2 cups, available in all supermarkets), a
wooden spoon or something to stir with, a kitchen
strainer, a bowl, a smaller pouring device (such as
a measuring cup), and a saucepan (I like using glass
Corning pans, but any pan will work. I have a double
boiler insert that insures that I wont accidentally burn
18
About the herbs in your salve...

Calendula
Calendula ofcinalis
Calendula is an easy ower to grow in your garden and
is one of the premiere rst aid herbs. Youll nd it in
most rst aid lotion, salve or cream formulas. It acts
against inammation, and is excellent for cleaning and
healing wounds. It soothes and quiets irritation. It
also increases peripheral circulation. It is a very safe
herb to use externally, as all these herbs are.
Comfrey
Symphytum ofcinalis
Comfrey is known as one of THE most healing herbs. It
is nourishing and a very powerful herb to use externally.
It is excellent for sprains, broken bones, and bruises. It
is also very regenerative, which is why it is excellent for
wound healing. Always make sure wounds are cleaned
out with an anti-septic such as Echinacea tincture before
applying remedies with comfrey, such as the salve you
are making. You do not want to trap infectious material
under the skin.
19
Plantain
Plantago major
If youre out and ever get an insect sting, nd some of
this very common plant quickly, chew up a few leaves,
and apply it directly to the sting. It is one of the best
known rst-aid kits of the wild. It has incredible
drawing qualities. It also helps to stop bleeding, helps
stop infection from spreading, and takes away pain as
well as itching. It is also well known for snakebites. Look
for this incredible gift from nature in a sidewalk crack
near you. Who knew Orthos most wanted could be so
healing? Makes ya wonder...
St. Johns Wort

Hypericum perforatum
You may know this as the famous antidepressant, but
few know of its powerful rst aid properties. It can heal
damaged nerves, is great for sun burns, is anti-viral, and
is awesome for strained muscles. I use the oil as sun
screen in the summers. It didnt do much for me in the
intense sun of Wyoming last summer, but in Washington
state, this amazing herb never fails to protect me from the
summer sun. The trick is to use it regularly on commonly
exposed parts of your body.
20

anything on the bottom of the pan. You can often find
these at second hand stores. BUT, do not let a piece of
optional kitchen equipment stop you from starting.
Just get going. It only takes an hour and a half.)
PLEASE read these instructions at least once before
making the salve. Make sure you have all your
supplies nearby before starting. I also recommend
you have an extra small jar or two handy in case
there is extra salve.
1. Pour 12 fluid ounces (1 cup and a half) of olive
oil into the saucepan or double boiler. Put the
pan on low-medium heat on the stove. Olive
oil is used because it is more stable than most
vegetable oils and will not go rancid nearly
as fast. Do not heat the oil higher to make
this process go faster. Doing this will further
destabilize the oil and cause earlier rancidity.
If using a double boiler insert, boil the water
in the saucepan, turn to low-medium heat so
the water does not spill out, and then pour
your oil into the double boiler insert. If you
use a regular saucepan, be CAREFUL and
keep the heat LOW.
Saucepan with double boiler

insert.
2. Add the salve herbs into the oil (do this right
after you pour the oil in). Stir herbs into the
oil with stirrer. Stir every so often for one hour.
If you are using just a pan and not a double
boiler, youll need to make sure you stir your
herbs more often. Youll also need to make
sure you have the heat on low if using just a
saucepan. With a double boiler, the heat can
be a little below medium.
21
3. After one hour, turn off the heat. Put your

kitchen strainer over a bowl. Line the strainer
with some of the enclosed cheesecloth. If you
do not have a strainer, you can use just the
cheesecloth, but youll need to wait for the
oil to cool first. The point is, separate the
oil from the plant material, but KEEP the oil.
Once you have done this, compost the plant
material.
4. YOU NEED TO HAVE exactly ONE CUP (8

oz.) of herbal oil. If you have more than
this, pour off the extra (you can use it as
an herbal oil for the same healing purposes as the salve). If you have a little
less, make up the difference by pouring
in a little extra olive oil. It is REALLY
important to have exactly one cup of
oil.
22

5. Clean out your pan or double boiler with soap
and water, or just get another pan for the next
step.
6. Once again, put your pan on a low-medium

heat. If you are using a double-boiler, do the
same as before to get it ready.
7. Empty beeswax packet into the pan at any

point.
8. Allow the wax to melt all the way. Be careful if

you are only using a pan not to burn the wax.
It should gently melt. Stir as melting.
23

9. When melted, pour in your herbal oil (EXACTLY
1 cup!). It will solidify a little. This is normal. It
will melt again. Just stir it in with your wooden
spoon.
10. Eventually, it will all be melted together. At this

time, have all your enclosed salve jars and tins
open by the stove. It is a good idea to have an
extra jar ready in case you have extra salve.
11. After everything is melted together, pour the

melted salve into the pouring device with a
spout. I use a Pyrex measuring cup available
in most regular grocery stores. Any kind of
measuring cup is nice because they usually
have a spout.
24
12. QUICKLY (and calmly) pour the salve into

your jars and tins. Have some left over?
Pour into your extra container.
13. Add 4 drops of lavender essential oil

(enclosed) to each tin and 8 drops into each
2 oz. salve jar.
*You could also add about a teaspoon of
the essential oil to the melted salve before
pouring into the tins and jars. This would
eliminate this step.
14. Let the jars and tins sit out until they have
hardened. When they have, put the lids
on them. Label the jars with the enclosed
labels.
Youre all finished!!!
25

Other things you REALLY NEED to know about herbal oil
and salve making. (You can read this now or later, for it
is information used outside of salve making in the kit.)
The method I taught you for making an herbal salve is a
valid method, BUT it is not the method you will normally
want to use. I designed this method to work for you
quickly so you would have an great salve completed in
no time. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Your nished salve.
Normally, you make your herbal oils separately.

You would have started with separate comfrey,
calendula, St. Johns Wort and plantain oils rather
than make the oil with all of these herbs together.
I combined the dried herbs in this kit to make it
easier for you to start with.
Cottonwood buds cold infusing

in olive oil. Though this is a fresh
plant infusion, you only half ll
the jar when using cottonwood
buds. Note the paper towel in the
screw band lid. This allows water
vapor to evaporate and prevents
molding. After the oil is nished
in 6 weeks and it is decanted, a
regular lid is used.
REPLICATING THE KIT SALVE

Though we recommend using
the methods listed the right to
make more oils, if you want to
REPLICATE the kit experience,
the mixture used is one ounce of
herbs by weight. We simply mixed
the four herbs equally. The wax is
one ounce by weight.
26
Making the oils separately allows you to learn

about the qualities of each herb one oil at a time.
It also gives you the flexibility of making your salve
mixtures in different ratios. In addition, you might
want to use a single herbal oil remedy for a variety
of health giving purposes.
You can use dried herbs as in this kit, but you can
also use fresh plants. In many cases, using fresh
plants will make more effective remedies. Well
talk about gathering fresh plants in the Roots and
Branches course.
Although cooking your oils to infuse herbs works,
the best way is to infuse them is using the cold
method. Essentially, you make an oil like a tincture. Chop up your fresh herbs finely and fill a jar
with a loose pack. I prefer fresh herbs with oils, but
if you use dried herbs, fill the jar half way. Then,
fill the jar with olive oil. Cover with a cloth or paper
towel and hold it in place with a rubber band. If

you are using standard mason jars, put the paper
towel or cloth on and hold it down by using the
screw band part of the lid (this will help prevent
molding). Stir your oil every day for the first few
weeks. After six weeks, decant the oil just like you
decanted the tincture. Store your oil in the same
jar if you like, but with a closed lid. Store out of
direct sunlight. You usually want to use oils within
a year. Every fresh or dried herb has its own personality, but this is the basic formula.
Lavender was also part of

your salve, and its virtues
are discussed on video on
HerbMentor.com.
The cold method of oil making is preferred because

the oil stays more stable when it is not heated. In
other words, heated oils have a greater chance of
going rancid sooner. This is not an issue in this kit
because you made such a small amount of salve.
But if you were making a larger volume of oil or
you knew your oils or salves would be sitting longer, use the cold method. You can increase the
life of your salves and oils by adding vitamin E to
the oils. This is wise to do if you use the cooking
method in the future for larger amounts of oil.
In this kit, I pre-measured the wax for you. The
ratio is ONE CUP (volume) of oil to ONE OUNCE
(weight) of bees wax. SO, thats 1:1easy! In
this kit, you made 1 cup of oil, so I enclosed one
ounce of wax. This is why the oil volume was so
important in step 4 of the salve making. If you
make three cups of herbal oil into salve in the
future, then simply use 3 ounces of beeswax.
YOU DID IT!
So far, you completed the Herbal Medicine Making Kit.
Congratulations! Now, you have the choice of either
stopping here and moving on to your next project in life,
continuing on to HerbMentor.com.
My owers are a well known

ear ache remedy and my
leaves are helpful to the lungs.
Who am I? Find out in Roots
and Branches...AND... there is
even a video on HerbMentor.
com.
NOTE: The Nourishing

Herbal Infusion lesson,
which uses the nettles,
is located on the DVD
that came with your
kit.
27

When you first log on, it will show you a simple video on
how to use the site and where to find stuff, like the Roots
and Branches course or the HerbMentor Study Guide.
Do as little or as much as you want. I chose to go on and
design HerbMentor and write the Roots and Branches
course because teaching this stuff is my passion. I am
excited for you to learn. If I can keep your attention
enough to try a few of the coming projects, then there
is one more person in the world who wants to take their
everyday healthcare into their own hands and possibly
help people in their communities.
If youre choosing to go on to HerbMentor.com, please
see the yellow sheet that came with your kit. The yellow
sheet has instructions on how to do that as well as the
code for a free trial membership.
Need herbs or supplies?

Click on the Herbs & Supplies
link on LearningHerbs.com.
By doing this rst before you
place every order, our handcraft family business gets a
small commission. It helps
us offer so much great free
information. Thanks!
Slow, ongoing learning is the way to learn about herbs

and bring them into your life, and we are proud to offer
you HerbMentor.com. The original kit only had Roots and
Branches, which was great, but it was not enough. So
many people wanted to learn more, but I did not have
the time because I was in acupuncture school.
Now that I have graduated and opened a practice, I have
more time to devote to LearningHerbs.com. I get to do
what I wanted to do from the beginning, which is provide
high quality, ongoing herbal learning experiences.
Even if you only join us for the trial period, we will be
honored to have you. Thank you so much for making
your own medicine. May the seeds planted blossom into
health for you and your family.
Pssst...there are 2 more pages.
28
About John Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH
erbal
medicine
began
studying John Gallagher
when it covered him
with poison ivy for many of his
childhood summers in New Jersey.
Upon reaching adulthood, he began
working with Wilderness Awareness
School, where he learned the
virtues of the wild plants that grow
around us, including the amazing
dandelion (which he formerly
poisoned in landscape jobs) as
well as a preventative cure for poison ivy (nally). After
moving to a poison ivy-free bioregion, he began seriously
studying herbal medicine. He learned from some of the
most talented herbalists the Northwest has to offer
including Sally King and EagleSong of RavenCroft Garden,
Karen Sherwood of Earthwalk Northwest, Erin Groh, and
most of all, from the plants themselves.
Kimberlly, Hailey, John and

Rowan Gallagher
John is father to his son Rowan and daughter Hailey, and

husband to Kimberly.
John is a licensed ve-element acupuncturist with a
clinic in Redmond, WA. John also runs LearningHerbs.
com with Kimberly and the kids. He continues to work for
Wilderness Awareness School as an instructor of herbal
studies for its Residential Program.
He is a Community Centered Herbalist, which is how all
this kit and web site began. John is dedicated to helping
people rediscover their place in nature. He and his family
live in the Snoqualmie Valley, at the foothills of the
Cascade Mountains.
29
AN HERBAL ADVENTURE GAME

A cooperative board game that teaches
edible and medicinal plants.
Wildcraft! is great family fun. Gather up the kids, bring out the
board game, and learn about medicinal and edible plants in
the most fun way imaginable. This is wonderfully cooperative
game where everyone is a winner and everyone learns something about plants!
Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist, author
Wildcraft! has many of the things I look for in
a game... Its educational, easy to use, beautiful to look at, you learn a lot about herbs...and
you laugh a lot.
Bobbe Branch, Montessori Teacher
For 1-4 players

Ages 4 to adult, Easy to play
No reading required for younger players
No prior knowledge of plants needed
Read all about Wildcraft! at
LearningHerbs.com
30
Wildcraft! is a unique and educational game

that my children and I have truly enjoyed playing. My son is fascinated by the idea that plants
can alleviate a variety of troubles. I especially
appreciate the aspect of cooperation and teamwork incorporated into the game. It warms my
heart to see my two children delight in helping one another accomplish the goals of the
game. Thank you for producing a game that
offers such a positive experience for all players
over a wide age range.
Anne Agostin, mother

Herbal Medicine Making Kit

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Herbal Medicine Making Kit

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Herbal Medicine

John M. Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH

Printing Recommended for this book

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements

The Herbal Medicine Making Kit

Whats in your kit

Organic Nettle leaf

Echinacea root for

Herbs for salve

For use with the

Nettle for use in

Lavender for salve

Beeswax for salve

Contains: Comfrey, Calendula, Plantain, and

10 labels for your nished products!

4 salve tins and 2

Herbal Medicine Belongs to Everyone (Even you)

erhaps you have taken Echinacea for an oncoming cold