BBC2 : Grow Your Own Drugs

[Lancashire Lad]

A somewhat overstated title - no doubt purposely intended to grab the attention.

However, this 6 episode series starts on BBC2 at 8:30pm, on 2nd March, and is about the herbal/medicinal uses as natural remedies, of various plants, & fruit etc.

Sounds like it might be interesting.

Regards
Mike.

[gillwrig]

haha I saw that as well and thought the BBC had been hijacked.

It sounds good - I've been interested in this type of thing ever since I cured my ezcema by natural means after many many fruitless trips to the doctors.

My hubby thinks I'm a fruitcake though.

Gill

[solus]

The presenter of this (can't remember his name) was on the Alan Titchmarsh Show (ITV1) yesterday afternoon demonstrating how to make various things from herbs and seeds and other things either easily grown in the garden or bought from the supermarket. He did a rub for cold feet, a spray for bad breath, something to get rid of bloating and something for arthritis. I shall certainly be watching the series as it looks like it will be very interesting.

[gillwrig]

A rub for cold feet is exactly what I need - my feet are like blocks of ice most of the time.

Should be a interesting programme. We shoudl try some of the things out and see whether they work - like a WAB medical trial!

[carina-m]

A simple recipe to start you all off on your search for herbal treatment if you're brave!!!

anti viral/antibacterial cough syrup;

small red onion chopped very small
5-6 fat garlic cloves- chopped up (not crushed)

put both into a clean jam jar and add standard table sugar to the same level (ie 1 inch of onion/garlic to 1 inch of sugar). Stir thoroughly and put on the lid. Leave overnight and squeeze out all the syrup. I find a good heavy spoon and a plastic sieve seem to be the best. You'll get a bizarrely large amount of syrup which tastes spicy, but not unpleasant.

Take a teaspoon of syrup as many times as you want during the day )
It can shift a cold in just over 24 hours, but you'll need to continue to take the syrup for the following day too

Good luck!

[gillwrig]

Sounds erm lovely ... I usaly gargle with cayenne pepper when I get a sore throat and that seems to shift it.

Will try your recipe next time I get a cold though .. those cough medicines never seem to work and I always feel like my teeth are disolving!

[carina-m]

LOL!

Exactly what I thought when I was told to make it by my Herbal lecturer (in 3rd year of a herbal med degree just now)-he also advocates making an onion and garlic soup! But... I tried it and it really does work in roughly 24 hours.

Of course, you could go the more socially acceptable route of drinking an awful lot of marigold tea (Calendula officinalis) or gargle with marigold tincture ?? It's highly anti-viral and anti bacterial too I just use salty water for a sore throat to be honest!

If you want to make some things for yourself, a fabulous book is The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook by James Green- really nicely written and doesn't make even the greenest person feel stupid

[Hedge Witch]

Originally Posted by carina-m

A simple recipe to start you all off on your search for herbal treatment if you're brave!!!

anti viral/antibacterial cough syrup;

small red onion chopped very small
5-6 fat garlic cloves- chopped up (not crushed)

put both into a clean jam jar and add standard table sugar to the same level (ie 1 inch of onion/garlic to 1 inch of sugar). Stir thoroughly and put on the lid. Leave overnight and squeeze out all the syrup. I find a good heavy spoon and a plastic sieve seem to be the best. You'll get a bizarrely large amount of syrup which tastes spicy, but not unpleasant.

Take a teaspoon of syrup as many times as you want during the day )
It can shift a cold in just over 24 hours, but you'll need to continue to take the syrup for the following day too

Good luck!

This is an interesting recipe, and I'm absolutely certain that it works. Having taken those garlic sweets that you see in the gift shops at stately homes in the past, I know of the effectiveness of this kind of remedy. People used to think I was a little odd though so it's nice to know that a professional advocates something similar.

Mike - thanks for the info., sounds like a really interesting series