This herb has been touted many times amongst bloggers and many still overlook it's inclusion. Our first introduction was in our former house when I found it growing wild in our garden. It was during this time I began discovering many of the wild herbs growing around us. I have an admiration for ferns, so it's small fronds were a delight to incorporate by the old Fairy & toad log.
Yes, Yarrow. Nature's Band aid. Many times a cut has sent my children running for the Yarrow patch. A quick rubbing between the fingers of a frond plucked from the patch, then placed onto a bleeding knee or hand. My experience with growing yarrow has shown it will still have green fronds into the winter. The younger Fall induced growth still vibrant despite freezing temperatures. It goes beyond cuts and scrapes. It is a fever reducer, inducing a sweat with chills. {1 ounce dried herb to 1 pint boiling water}.
Now, before I share with you my latest battle scare from the kitchen, one can not fully appreciate the glory of this herbage without a little history and lore.
This ancient herb has indeed had a long history as a medicinal herb.Many know of it's infamous use centuries ago by Achilles, whom stanched the bleeding wounds of his soldiers. Modern science has identified a mild blood-clotting agent in yarrow, confirming the truth behind such folk lore. It can prevent or stop the growth of microorganisms, which makes it an antiseptic used to fight inflammation and infection. During the civil war, Yarrow was widely used to stuff wounds for this very reason, bringing it's dependable use close to our own time.
This brings us to my meeting of a serrated knife. What better way {and coincidence of timing} to share this medically forgotten friend. Cutting deep into the side of my index finger, almost to the bone, due to my own neglect of proper safety. As I Sliced the dinner bread, for some unknown reason cutting TOWARDS my hand, I howled with surprise as Ming the Peke strutted happily off with the slice of dinner toast I had thrown to the floor in my haste. You can blame The Captain for that behavior. He will drop bits when he is preparing food such as hard boiled eggs, claiming he is sharing with her. In turn, she now thinks anything dropped in that area is a gift for her indulgence. {He can be such a softy}.
The blood was pouring quick and soon puddled in my palm and dropping from my wrist. I rinsed it quickly under cool water as my stomach began to get that tightening dread. I knew before I could see it, this was not going to be good. I grabbed a washcloth to prevent anymore cleanup spots before Little man & I headed out, with oil lamp in hand {flashlight was AWOL again}, straight to the herb garden. He quickly harvested young green Yarrow fronds, knowing from past exposure, the proper method & selection. Once back inside, he rinsed off the small fronds in cool water, blotted with a towel and mashed them up in the Marble Mortar & Pestle. With this we applied the green paste to the still badly bleeding wound. Covered with sterile gauze and masking tape to hold it in place. {I'm skipping the whole "where's the medical tape" rampage. In the end, all it produced was masking tape}. For the most part of the week, it hurt to use that hand. Even something as simple as grabbing a towel would cause sharp pains as though it were ripping the wound back open on the inside. I would wake in the middle of the night with intense stabbing pain from flexing my hand during sleep. I could not even place a cup in my palm without the painful reminder I must not use it.
Although Comfrey deserves it's very own post, I mention it being it was the second herb used with this wound, especially due to the depth I had seen after the first yarrow paste changing. Another herb that should always be in the Home Herb Garden due to the allantoin potency that speeds healing. ONLY use AFTER the wound is clean & free from infection due to the cell regeneration speed. Step 1 is Yarrow. Then once sure no infection is present of any level, proceed to step 2, the Comfrey leaves or root slices.{ Great link for more knowledge on Comfrey use at http://www.appropedia.org/Comfrey }
** Be warned if you can not take the sight of cuts, It's not pretty. Not horror flick bad but it's still yucky. Feel free to skip down to the star line for other Yarrow Herbage uses, as to avoid the photos I decided to snap.**
The pictures do not show the cut depth well, but I knew upon inspection this was one of those that would have produced stitches if I had gone to the Doctor. {I hate needles being used on me & was determined not to go}.
After 36 hours with 2 yarrow paste changes and a hot shower:
The following day after 24 hours of Comfrey Poultice~ notice how it helped "knit" the skin up?
And on the 5th day, it started to look like a nasty, yet healing, paper cut:
See little brother? No holding me down or super glue needed.
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The day after my knife incident, I spoke with my little brother Army who was aghast that I had not gone to the hospital. He threatened that if he had been up here, he would have sat on me and stitched it up. Knowing I can no longer over power him as when we were growing up, his now twice my size stature would force me to make a compromise. "Let me tap into the Moonshine and then GO FOR IT Doogie Howser MD.." Again...total woos with needles. He was not happy with my plopping "some leaf" onto my open wound and urged me to use super glue to get it to heal right. Really? That would burn like the dickens! ...Men... It's all duct tape and super glue but grab a leaf from the outdoors and they get all proper on ya....
In addition to the proven wound assistance, Yarrow is a cooling herb. It has effects to cool down the body (brings temperature down through sweating). Therefore it is used to treat common colds, flu and headaches with fever. In upper body (chest, head), yarrow cools down the temperature and dries up the fluids mainly through sweating. In lower body, yarrow cools down the temperature and dries up the fluids mainly by increasing urine flow.
A Fever reducing tea recipe to try, shared by TLC families:
Planet Botanic has a vast of information on more Herbal medicine Yarrow use at this link * {http://www.planetbotanic.ca/fact_sheets/yarrow_fs.htm }
As for where to get it, many online herb & garden seed suppliers have this available should you not find it through friends or a simple search of your area. It's not picky on it's soil fertility and gladly grows in partial shade as well as poor soil. I have patches throughout the property from house front to far in the back so we will have it hand when needed. The fern mounds are beautiful and the white cluster flowers which bloom from May to October are a wild delight. It will spread, and again, is one some say grow like weeds. I just split the overgrowth and transplant it to another spot in the yard or offer to others when it spreads more then I desire.
Use it in your first aid salves. Dry the flowers to have on hand in winter months.
Dry and powder the leaves for your very own "blood stop" powder {100% pure yarrow leaves} to keep in your first aid kit.
I searched for the longest time on when & how to go about this, so here is what I finally discovered.
How to make Blood Stop powder:
Gather the young healthy leaves in Spring, before the flowers start. Rinse them in cool water and blot dry. Allow to dry set out on linen towels for 24-36 hours {it may take longer if your home is not as dry as mine}. Test them by simply crumbling one between your fingers, by checking for any moisture. I strip the "leaves" from their main stem. {this step can also be done before drying the whole mini frond leaf}. Using a clean & thoroughly dried mortar & pestle, grind into a powder. Store in a small, dark or covered glass jar {I prefer glass over plastic} and it's done. I replace the powder with fresh every Spring. Placing the previous year's powder into the composter. We use it on humans and animals with never a problem {minus not having any left which meant using pepper on Roo Beer for his leg cut}.
Yeah. it's that simple and for the life of me, I could not find detailed instructions on exactly how to make it.
Just for kicks and giggles, search engine the words "yarrow blood stopper powder" and you will find that all those pricey factory made products are made from yarrow with a few added preservatives. Same stuff. Better & purer home made.
I must share some word of wisdom bestowed upon me from KYDoomer of the Survival podcast forum when I inquired of the potency in yarrow leaves harvested during winter:
"Generally speaking of course-
When it blooms the power is in the flower.
When it grows green the power is in the leaves and stem.
When it goes dormant the power is in the root.
If you can't use the part with the power (due to in edibility or containing of other compounds), use the next best one that won't harm you."
I did successfully use young yarrow leaves found in the winter garden with the wound I have shared with all of you. So as was mentioned, the above is an herbal generalization to keep in mind.
Herbs are so amazing and once you step through the threshold, you will forever be amazed by the abilities and resources waiting outside your back door. Modern medicines have their bonus BUT consider the downfalls it has also created. With antibiotic strains over prescribed and with patient neglect causing resistance and the constant search & experimentation for new strains, we must not turn our back on nature and what is grown on this earth for our use. Almost everything you need is right here. There are far too many medicines floating through the bodies of our population. One to help this problem but another to help the side effects of the first medicine which is suppose to help the initial problem and so on down the line, causing many to be on multiple medicines due to a single issue. It's wrong and the only winner is the Pharmaceutical companies.
Think responsibly. Do your own research. Do not fear experimentation but don't be an idiot. Use common sense and for Goodness sake... if it wont stop bleeding or your feeling light headed... go to the emergency room. I took my matter into my own hands and will not be held responsible for any outcome {unless it's great of course} that should happen from your own actions. [you know I have to include this. There is bound to be some idiot out there who gouges themselves and decides "hey Farm Chick said I could just stuff this gaping wound with yarrow and I'll be fine"... No. No you won't idiot...]
Sweetest Dreams,
~Tammie
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