Why learn about medicinal plants? Certainly, backpackers
shouldn't leave the first aid kit home, but it can be useful and
interesting to know a few plant medicines too. Whether you are
someday in a survival situation, or you just lost your first aid
kit and have a terrible headache, wouldn't it be nice to find
relief nearby?
You can. There are many effective medicinal plants. Some are
also dangerous, of course, just like synthetic medicines can be.
I won't discuss those here. This is a quick guide to a few safe
plant medicines.
Plants For Pain Relief
Fill the bottom of a cup with shredded willow bark, and make a
cup of tea with it. Let it steep for a few minutes before you
drink it. The active ingredient is salicin, closely related to
salacylic acid, which is used to make aspirin. You can also try
chewing on a few balsam poplar buds.
Antiseptic Plants
Sap from "blisters" on balsam firs is a strong antiseptic. Pop
the blisters on the trunks of young trees, and the sap will ooze
out. You can spread it over cuts and small wounds to prevent
infection. It is very sticky, however, and it will be difficult
to wash off (at least it smells nice).
The crushed leaves of Saint John's Wort can be used as an
antiseptic dressing as well. I once put a wad of the mashed
leaves on a nasty gash in my foot, replacing it occasionally,
and the cut healed faster than I've ever seen a cut heal. St.
Johnswort has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal
properties.
Medicinal Plants For Diarrhea
You can drink tea made from the roots of blackberries and their
relatives to stop diarrhea. Just fill the bottom of the cup with
the cleaned and shredded roots and pour boiling water over them.
Let the mix steep for five minutes before drinking.
Oak bark and other barks containing tannin are also effective. I
have also used the twigs to stop diarrhea when I was backpacking
in Mexico. Make tea with a spoonful of the bark or chopped-up
twigs. Tannins can be hard on the kidneys, so drink just one cup
of tea, or use oak only if you don't have other options.
Skin Medications
You can relieve the itch from insect bites, sunburn, or plant
poisoning rashes by applying a poultice of jewelweed (Impatiens
biflora). I have seen a poison ivy rash cleared up overnight
using the juice from jewelweed. It is also said to work on
sunburn as well as aloe vera.
Make a tea of witch hazel leaves (Hamamelis virginiana), and you
can use it for relief from insect bites, and sunburn. Witch
Hazel used to be a common astringent that women used as a
"tightening" face wash.
There are hundreds of wild medicinal plants that could be useful
to hikers and backpackers. You don't need to become an expert to
benefit from them. Just learn to identify and use a few of the
most widespread and safest ones.
About the author:
Steve Gillman is a long-time advocate of lightweight
backpacking. For more on medicinal plants, plus tips, photos,
stories and a new Wilderness Survival Guide, visit The Ultralight
Backpacking Site: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com
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