Wildcrafting, Teaching & Practicing Integrative Healthcare, with 7song | Tea Talks with Jiling

Enjoy this interview with my mentor 7song on the Herbal Radio podcast! 

Herbs for Smokey Lungs

Choking on wildfire smoke? Here's some helpful herbs for smokey lungs, from my mentor 7song. 

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Herbs for Smoke Inhalation part 1 I cannot express how terrible I feel about the devastating western wildfires. I hope everyone is safe in body and property, though I know this is not always the case. The main primary consideration is wearing a mask to avoid breathing in small particulate matter, which is in the smoke. The current masks that most people are wearing due to Covid work well as does wearing a doubly folded bandana over one’s mouth and nose. Since this is not always possible, there are some herbs that can offer some assistance in loosening and bringing up these small smoke particles. Consider plants that are mucilaginous, that is, having a thick consistency. The reason they are helpful is that they can increase mucous production in the respiratory tree. Mucous is the main way that the body expels small particles from the bronchi. By increasing this with good moist mucous (rather than thin and sticky), it can be very helpful in moving the particulate matter up and out. There are 3 common plants for this: Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis and G. glabra), Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) and Slippery elm inner bark (Ulmus rubra). The best way to take these is to mix 1 teaspoon or so of the powdered root or inner bark in a glass of water (or other liquid) and drink it down. This provides a lot more of the mucilage than taking a preparation such as a tincture. The second best way is to make a strong tea of these plants. You can also take 2-3 capsules a few times a day. I suggest doing this with any of these preparations 3-4 times a day if possible depending on how much smoke you are inhaling. Licorice root as it also an antiinflammatory. Respiratory inflammation can be a consequence of breathing in smoke. Do not use this plant if you have high blood pressure (or if you hate the taste of Licorice). If you choose to use Slippery elm, please try to get it from a reliable sustainable source. Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) can also be very mucilaginous, with the inner bark being the most ‘slippery’. And this plant is non-native and commonly planted in cities.

A post shared by 7Song (@7songsevensong) on Sep 14, 2020 at 7:09pm PDT

Apprenticing with 7song

Apprenticing with 7song meant spending six days a week working with him, for almost nine months. This revolutionized my perspective on herbalism, healthcare, and even life. Even more important than the hard skills gleaned, are the tools of empowered critical thinking, humor, kind generosity, and a truly holistic approach to healthcare that I observed clinically, and otherwise. 7song’s nonconventional teaching style is humorous, direct, engaging, and filled with clinical gems, botanical details, and almost thirty years of hands-on experience in the field, clinic, and classroom. 7song is skilled in all aspects of western clinical herbalism: wild-crafting, medicine making, field botany, clinical work, first aid, and an intimate understanding of how humans work, how plants work, and how the two work together. I now not only feel confident with the above skills, but also feel empowered to continue learning on my own, and inspired to provide accessible herbal healthcare services and education, wherever I go. Below, I share a bit more about my apprenticeship with 7song, which was a transformational year of my life. I hope that this story provides considering apprentices some perspective on what that experience is like, inspires working herbalists to offer apprenticeships in turn, and allows others a bit more insight into who we herbalists are, what we do, and the backdrop behind what has come to be a huge part of my life.

~

I found him on Facebook. A friend posted an intriguing photo from 7song. It was a beautiful moth on his “moth wall,” which is just a lamp against a white wall that bugs flock to at night, and he photographs, visiting often to observe different insects. I loved this simple image enough that I visited 7song’s personal page, looked through more of his photos, was further intrigued, checked out his webpage, then was blown away by the depth and abundance of herbal information there. “I want to apprentice with 7song one day,” I whispered to myself as sort of a passing thought, that I never dreamed would one day be a life-changing reality.

Fast forward... after studying traditional healing modalities around southeast Asia for three years, I started exploring options for returning back to the USA. I remembered 7song, and got in touch. Talking on the phone, across the ocean, even with the choppy reception, I could tell that I liked him immediately. I did some more research, then formally accepted what I’d already decided on, three years ago: I’m apprenticing with 7song.

“We are healthcare providers first, herbalists second,” said 7song on the first day of class. He would continue emphasizing this point, throughout the apprenticeship. He spoke about it in class, as a way to cultivate open-mindedness in our approach to integrative healthcare. More importantly, I watched this in action, observing 7song in the clinic. We utilize plant medicines in our healing protocols, but are not dogmatically attached to just this form of healthcare. 7song revolutionized the way that I consider and approach botanical medicine, healing arts, and life itself.

“Do you want to go for a walk?” 7song knocked on my door within a few days of my moving to the Ithaca region. I moved there to apprentice with him, which meant working with him intensively six days a week, for almost nine months. I had just landed back in the USA, and we hadn’t officially started the apprenticeship yet. While walking on that cold spring morning, just getting to know each other, we came across a steep embankment of ice. I started walking around it, to avoid slipping. To my surprise, 7song laid his bag at the bottom of the ice slide, ran to the top, and went sliding down, laughing. Whenever times got tough during the year, I would remember that moment, and smile.

7song is courageously nonconventional, and refreshingly “real.” He curses, speaks his mind, and is sarcastic, skeptical, playful, smart, wise, kind, generous, straightforward, sometimes rude, and certainly not for everyone. I love him. 7song’s almost thirty years of hands-on experience in the field, clinic, and classroom is apparent in his skillful teaching. He’s skilled in all aspects of western clinical herbalism: wild-crafting, medicine making, field botany, clinical work, first aid, and an intimate understanding of how humans work, how plants work, and how the two work together. He is constantly questioning, researching, re-evaluating, modifying, and growing. He’s an open-minded skeptic who takes nothing at face value. Everything is up for questioning, and nothing really “works” until actively proven, and consistently works, with continuous observation and querying all along the way. Nothing is ever “set.” 7song is honest about what he knows and doesn’t know. If he doesn’t know the answer to something, then he provides useful pertinent information and queries to continue exploring that direction on your own.

7song has a huge apothecary. It literally became my home, as I spent more time in 7song’s apothecary, classroom, and home than I did in my own sleeping-quarters cabin (a few miles down the road). His apothecary is a converted basement space, with a maze of metal shelving, lined with glass jars filled with diverse wild-crafted plants and medicinal preparations from all over the USA. Most of the medicines are tinctures, though there are also huge bins filled with dried herbs, and a collection of oils, too. Some of the medicines are ancient, back from when he was my age, studying with Micheal Moore, and even before then. There’s a lot of fresh medicine, too.

I loved processing fresh medicines. We went into the field to gather large amounts of plant material, usually making gallons of tinctures at a time, washing the fresh plants in large buckets, chopping them in the sun room, then eventually pressing the tinctures, getting giddy on the scent of alcohol and macerated plant materials, in the cold air of the basement apothecary. We prepared tinctures and other medicines for 7song’s variety of uses: at the Ithaca Free Clinic for clients, selling at the local co-op, and for various sundry uses. At some point, everything was utilized, and we went through large amounts of some medicines. Going through all of the bottles, the succession of years of apprentices becomes apparent, as I start to recognize handwriting, and associate certain handwriting with certain years, and the stories therein. But, before the time of apprentices, there was only 7song’s own handwriting, and sometimes little doodles and notations, that further tracked his history with this medicine, and life way. One could arrange the medicines by year, and get a sense of the abundant amount of traveling that 7song has done in his life, and the diversity of plant knowledge that he’s accumulated through firsthand explorative experience.

The apothecary opens up to the classroom. The classroom is a converted greenhouse, a glass room that we had to cover with ceiling blankets and open all the windows in the summer, to prevent the class from overheating. One of our apprentice projects, before class started, was remodeling the classroom. We ordered a new sofa, made some new pillowcases and curtains, redecorated, and reorganized the space. We continued caretaking this room through the school season, vacuuming before and after class, fluffing pillows, cleaning up after students, preparing demonstrations, and more. The greenhouse was also the perfect place to dry plants quickly, if we weren’t putting them into the dehydrator. The floor was often covered with recently gathered plants laid out to dry, sometimes being bundled together minutes before other students showed up, then spread out again, after the students left in the evening.

7song lives on a beautiful property that has a wildly diverse medicinal garden around the house. 7song has a hands-off approach to his garden. He plants the plants, but they end up mostly taking care of themselves. Apprentices manage a garden a little further from the living space, and plant whatever they like. Before planting season started, 7song fished a big metal can out, from the back of one of his extensive closets. He opened it, revealing one small bag after another of an assortment of seeds: herbs, flowers, foods, and more. “Go for it,” he said. And so, we planted what we wanted, everything grew wild while we were gone for the Rainbow Gathering fieldtrip, and we still had more than enough food and medicine from the wild little garden to feed ourselves while at school, take some foods home, and make medicine, too.

There are always flowers and tea in the classroom. Every morning, regardless of if it was a field day or lecture day, we apprentices brewed three large pots of tea: two different herbal teas that we usually blended on the spot, and a third caffeinated black or green tea. 7song is a skilled artist: he makes music, composes brilliant photographs, and arranges flowers that sing from their vases. 7song’s flower arrangements are like his herbal formulations: he’s done it for long enough that it comes as second nature, and is apparent in the rapidity of arrangement, elegant simplicity, and potency. We had two vases freshly filled with flowers for each week of class, that matched the changing seasons, and oftentimes, botanical information being shared.

The Community Herbal Intensive classes are three days a week, from Monday through Wednesday, May to November. The first part of the program focuses on herbal first aid, to prepare for the Rainbow Gathering at the end of June and into the beginning of July, which is a two week field trip, and the highlight of many students’ experiences. After that, we covered a body system each week: Mondays are anatomy and physiology, Tuesdays are botany field days, and Wednesdays are pathologies and materia medica. We keyed out plants and went on plant walks for field days, visiting different ecosystems, and becoming confident in both field plant identification and medicine making. Mondays and Wednesdays were mostly lecture days, with students piled into the sun room on couches that line the walls, 7song sitting in the center in his rolly chair in the center of the room, with his desk, skeleton, two vases of flowers, and yummy teas.

Apprentices attend all of the Community Herbal Intensive classes, and some of the Weekend Program classes. Weekend classes are three days a month, and are condensed versions of the Intensive program.

Apprentices worked all morning during class days, except for the Tuesday field days, as those were full day ventures. We help prepare lunch and dinner for 7song and each other, make tea for the students, clean up the classroom before and after class, empty the outhouses, process plants for medicine, tend the garden, prepare tinctures to sell at the co-op, and so much more.

Us three apprentices rotated between who accompanied 7song to the Ithaca Free Clinic on Thursdays. During clinic days, two apprentices sat on one side of the small room, while 7song and the client sat on the other side of the room. We took notes, listened, and observed while 7song conducted the client intake and consultation, formulated on the spot, then gave us the formula to fill. Apprentices filled formulas silently and efficiently while 7song continued with the consultation. After the consult, clients went home with their formula, and clear directions for taking it, and when to return. Initial consultations are one hour long, while subsequent consultations are half an hour long. The free clinic is an inspiring model. It’s completely free, with a diversity of healthcare practitioners operating together under the same roof: an herbalist, an MD, two nurses, two massage therapists, an acupuncturist, and a psychologist. One of the directors often brought in delicious food from her restaurant. In between clients and after work, we would crowd around the little table in the back room feasting, and exchanging jokes, stories, and knowledge. If anyone received a client who needed something that someone else could better provide, or if they had questions, then they would refer them to someone else, in the same building. I felt honored to witness, and be part of, an integrative holistic healthcare practice that is effective, accessible, and a generous gift to the community.

Besides the Rainbow Gathering, there are two other field trips during the school year. Apprentices help prepare for these trips, managing some logistics, clean up, student care, and other duties during the trip. Field trips felt like a respite from our usual long hours in the apothecary, and working before and after classes. We visited beautiful areas to learn more about the plants of different ecosystems, meet other herbalists, wildcraft, botanize, and create medicines in the field. Field trips were often luxurious days spent in nature, roaming around with fellow plant aficionados, and late nights around a campfire processing plants, telling stories, laughing, and living with delight. But, there were also long hours of driving around searching for a good area to wildcraft, some days of inclement weather, and the accompanying fatigue. We learned about the realities of wildcrafting, through this process.

Apprentices manage their own room and board, but attend all Community Herbal Intensive classes without an additional fee. Some people wonder if this is just a worktrade arrangement. It’s not. There’s no time to work another job, so apprentices need to have enough financial savings to provide for themselves, for the year. And, apprentices work a lot. Apprentices are an integral working part of 7song’s life. I had some monetary savings that I used, lived frugally, and still created space in my life for personal and social needs, though I didn’t get to know my fellow students as much as I would have liked. After working full mornings, I just felt like taking space during class breaks, instead of socializing. Regardless of how busy we were, almost every week, 7song took us apprentices on a little trip. Sometimes, it was partnered with a gathering expedition. But usually, it was just a walk in the woods where we’d talk, look at plants, and just relax, and enjoy each other’s company, in a non-work atmosphere.

The hands-on aspect of being an apprentice is invaluable experience. I witnessed the ups and downs of being a full-time herbal teacher, clinician, school director, wildcrafter, medicine maker, writer, and more. I observed a skilled clinician in practice with about 500 cases, learned a bit about selling products, filling orders, preparing for classes and events, and more. I learned a lot about myself, healthcare, herbalism, and the natural world.

There’s a certain degree of personal agency that is surrendered during the apprenticeship. After studying for three years in Asia, I was used to the respect that students afford their teachers. Sometimes, teachers have their students do years of mundane labor, before sharing any “real information.” There’s certainly a fair share of mundane labor, as well as more formal training, in this apprenticeship. 7song’s a strong character, and can be difficult to get along with, with clear personal preferences, rules, and needs. But, he’s a clear communicator, and cares. One of his first questions that he asked me, during our initial interview, was, “What do you think you will hate most about me?” Some teachers can be overly idealistic, glazing over the darker, yet real, parts of life. 7song is honest about all of these things, and about himself as well. That can be uncomfortable for some. He directly warned hat he can be difficult to get along with during our interview, and asked some potentially uncomfortable questions about race, gender, and other touchy subjects. So, I entered the apprenticeship prepared to work hard and learn a lot with a tough guy. His classes tend to attract punks and other “fringe” folks, as he is open to the counter culture, and carries a bit of a bad-ass reputation, himself. All three of us apprentices agreed that 7song’s hardcore, but not as tough or difficult to get along with as he made himself sound, in the interview. But, for a person who doesn’t fit 7song’s somewhat specific temperament, I can see how it would be really difficult for both parties concerned.

I lived close to 7song and didn’t have a car (a big no no, for future considering apprentices), so we often carpooled, especially during clinic days. We live slightly out of town, whereas the clinic is in the town of Ithaca. I treasured driving home after a full clinic work day with 7song. “I’ve been talking with people about their health all day,” 7song would say, “let’s talk about something else.” So we got to joke around, and discuss everything from pointless trivia to childhood stories, and more. 7song has the eyes of a skilled wildcrafter and naturalist, one who knows the land, notices small details, and is always looking, and seeing. Even while driving quickly, he noticed animals and plants that I didn’t notice. We would sometimes take detours to his favorite spots to search for peregrines here, scout for certain plants there, etc. He found a fox den down the road from his home. In the spring, he drove there everyday to watch the fox kits grow up, and play. “Grab what you need; let’s go,” he would sometimes announce out of the blue. The first time we visited the foxes was one of those days, where we had just finished our morning meeting, was preparing to kick our day into gear, then got called out for a surprise trip. We sat in the car on the side of the road, ogling the fox kits, while 7song made photo after photo, with his camera that’s always around his neck.

I really appreciate getting to know 7song beyond a teacher, more fully as a person, and dear friend. In some ways, I feel like the apprenticeship isn’t over. With all of the seeds planted during the apprenticeship, I feel both a responsibility and deep desire to continue nourishing those seeds within myself, while sharing that information and inspiration with my community, and further. We still keep in touch. I write down lists of questions, and we go through them, every few weeks. I consider 7song one of the rocks in my life, someone that I could actually go to for anything from personal to professional support. I sometimes feel like he sees something in me that I can’t see clearly yet, and is a cheerleader who dresses all in black and will never actually cheer, but will always be there, answer questions with more questions, and make sarcastic jokes that make me laugh and laugh, and think for myself.

On the last day of class, 7song said to us, “Yesterday, you were my students. Today, you are now my peers. One day, I hope you will be my teachers.”

Rainbow Medicine 2014

Rainbow Medicine 2014

First aid tincture list, herbal categories, and protocols for commonly seen conditions at the Rainbow Gathering. (From 7song’s medicine kit/ class notes, compiled by Jiling Lin- LinJiling(at)gmail.com)

A Brief Key

gtt= drops. 1 tsp= 5 mL= 3.3 dropperfuls

1 dropperful (dp)= ~30 gtt= 1.5 mL= 1/2 tsp.

LD= loading dose. NP= not for pregnancy.

X= low dose herb/ use caution

Tinctures

Acute respiratory tincture

(Yerba Santa, Grindelia, Mullein lf, Osha rt)

antiviral, anti-infective. 30 gtt every 2 hrs

Anemone (Anemone spp.)

X. For acute panic attacks, trauma. 5 gtt at onset, then more as needed. Max= 15 gtt

Antimicrobial throat spray

(Calendula, Echinacea, Osha, Wild Indigo, Goldenseal, Propolis, Thyme EO, veg. glycerin)

antiviral, antibacterial, relieves strep throat- spray as needed. For strep, take 30-60 gtt 4 times a day.

Antiseptic wash

(Propolis, Goldenseal rt, Myrrh, Witch Hazel bark)

antimicrobial for ext. use, esp. cleaning staph wounds, and as antiseptic wound covering.

Antispasmodic compound

(Black Haw, Crampbark, Trillium, Wild Yam, Skullcap, Clove, Cinnamon, Orange peel)

smooth muscle relaxant, usu. for menstrual cramps. 15 gtt as needed. NP

Arnica (Arnica spp.)

X. Acute anti-inflammatory. 1-3 gtt every 2 hrs

Beggar ticks (Bidens spp.)

Decongestant. 30-60 gtt as needed.

Black cohosh (Actea racemosa)

skeletal muscle relaxant, affects female reproductive system, stops hot flashes, may affect moods. NP. LD 15 gtt, then 30-60 gtt every 2 hrs

Black haw (Viburnum prunifolium)

antispasmodic, relieves menstrual cramps. 15 gtt

Blackberry root (Rubus spp.)

astringent, stops diarrhea. Use as tea/ decoction.

Calamus (Acorus calamus)

digestive, increase focus

California poppy (Eshscholtzia spp.)

anxiolytic, helps ground after trauma, relaxant, sedative in large doses. Dose dependent. 15- 30 gtt

Cardamom (Elattaria cardamomum)

corrigent, warming, digestive

Cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana)

X. Laxative, relieves constipation. 5-10 gtt

Chaparral (Larrea spp.)

Strong ext wash/ int disinfectant, anti-biotic, anti-parasitic, antioxidant. 30 gtt Limit to 2 wks int usage.

Chaparro amargosa (Castela emoryi)

anti-parasitic, laxative. Take 30 gtt at 1rst sign of loose stools. Wait ½ hr, then take 1 tsp activated charcoal powder. Repeat in 4 hrs.

Cinnamon (Cinamomum spp.)

corrigent, warming, digestive, demulcent

Clematis (Clematis spp.)

X. For cerebro-constricted/ nothing-works headaches. Use 5-10 gtt as needed.

Cotton root (Gossypium spp.)

emmenagogue, traditional abortifacient (do not use as such). 15- 60 gtt every few hrs. Rarely used. NP.

Decongestant aid

(Yerba Santa, Wolfberry)

dries up congestion, stops cold/ flus, anti-phlegm

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

immune-booster, anti-microbial. LD 60- 90 gtt, then 30 gtt every 2-4 hrs at 1rst sign of infection

Eyebright (Euphrasia spp.)

antihistamine, relieves itchy eyes, cough, runny nose. 15 gtt as needed

Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium)

headache relief. Top pre-migraine herb. 10-30 gtt at onset. Take 15 gtt until symptoms plateau.

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

GI anti-inflammatory, digestive relaxant. 15-30 gtt

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)

broad-based antimicrobial. For toothache powder, eye infection, int/ ext wound care. 30-60 gtt LD for infections. 30 gtt every 2 hrs

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

sedative, anti-pitta herb, relaxing digestive.10-20 gtt

Jamaican dogwood (Piscidia piscipula)

emotional/ physical pain relief, nervine, sleep-aid, not sedative, augmenting herb. 15 gtt

Kava kava (Piper methysticum)

Sedative relaxant, inhibitor that shuts off overthinking mind. 15-60 gtt as needed. Overdose may cause mental dullness/ impaired faculties.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

X. digestive nervine, relaxant, antioxidant. EO topically soothes acute burns, and aromatically restores calm during seizures. 3-5 gtt

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

put EO directly on herpes sores. Digestive relaxant, non-sedating. 15 gtt

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.)

anti-infl, corrigent, adaptogen, “great harmonizer,” demulcent. Can raise blood pressure via water retention

Lobelia (Lobelia inflata)

X. Augmenting herb, deobstruent, breaks stagnation (ie. digestive, headache, mental). Best broncho-dilator (ie.For asthma). 1-5 gtt Overdose can cause nausea

Ma huang (Ephedra sinica)

X. decongestant for clear runny mucus. Stimulant, broncho-dilator, raises blood pressure, increases sympathetic tone. 5-10 gtt as needed/ 3x a day

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

Digestive relaxant, anti-inflammatory, good with Chamomile, gentle tea. 30-60 gtt as needed

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

nervine, emmenagogue, eases menstrual cramps and emotional lability, anziolitic. NP. 15-60 gtt as needed

Oregon grape (Berberis spp.)

int/ ext use. Antimicrobial, anti-protozoal. LD 30 gtt, then 60 gtt every 4 hrs for infection

Osha (Ligusticum porteri)

Antibacterial, anti-venomous, broad-based anti-microbial. Inhibits respiratory viruses, relieves altitude sickness (chew on rt) . 60 gtt LD, 30 gtt every 2-4 hrs

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

Relaxes over-thinking mind. Relaxes people on “bad trips.” Anxiolytic. May stimulate some, sedate others. 15-30 gtt, or 30 gtt every 2 hrs

Pedicularis (Pedicularis spp.)

skeletal muscle relaxant, augmenting herb. 30-60 gtt

Peppermint spirits

(4 Peppermint tea: 1 tincture; 1 EO: 20 tea/ tinc)

X.Digestive relaxant, eases nausea/ vomiting. 1-3 gtt

Propolis

antiseptic wound covering, usu. ext use. Int: helps throat infections

Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

anti-histamine for type 1 hypersensitive reaction allergies. 15-30 gtt LD, 30 gtt as needed

Silk tassel root bark (Garrya spp.)

X. best anti-spasmodic for smooth muscle cramping. Is strong; use black haw 1rst for cramps, general pain relief- 5 gtt each time. Don’t exceed 60 gtt

Skullcap (Scutellaria spp.)

nervine for phys/emo pain, smooth/ skeletal muscle relaxant, anxiolytic, sedative tea for insomnia, augmenting, trauma herb. Idiosyncratic.

Skeletal muscle relaxant

(Black Cohosh, Pedicularis, Skullcap) NP. 15-60 gtt

St Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum)

Ext: vulnerary and nerve repair. Int: anti-depressant, trauma aid. Over-usage may cause photo-sensitivity

Staph dismissed tincture

(Chaparral, Licorice, Witch Hazel, Propolis)

Ext: for staph infections. Alternate with activated charcoal twice a wk

Sundew (Drosera spp.)

cough suppressant for uncontrollable coughing

Tooth and gum rinse

(Yerba Manza, Myrrh, Goldenseal, Self-Heal, White Oak, Propolis, Glycerin)

astringent, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, demulcent. Use as needed.

Turkey rhubarb (Rheum spp.)

X. relaxant- use a few drops before sleep. As laxative, use 5 gtt every 15 minutes.

Turmeric (Curcuma spp.)

anti-inflammatory, warming, safe high dose herb

Un-headache tincture

(Feverfew, Skullcap, Chamomile, Blue Vervain, Valerian rt) 15-60 gtt as needed.

Urinary tract tincture

(Dandelion lf, Chickweed, Cleavers, Parsley, Marshmallow, Corn Silk, Uva Ursi) For UTI: LD 90 gtt, then 60 gtt 3x/ day.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Sedative, hypnotic, anodyne, nervine. Sleeping aid. Sedates most, stimulates 1/10 of people. (try 1 gtt test, 1rst) 15-30 gtt as needed. High doses may cause grogginess.

White oak (Quercus alba)

Astringent. 15-30 gtt as needed

Wild cherry (Prunus serotina)

respiratory sedative, for nonproductive coughs. 15 gtt

Wild lettuce (Lactuca spp.)

X. pain relief, by reducing awareness of pain. Sedative, relaxant, anodyne, anxiolytic, trauma herb. 1-15 gtt until symptoms relieved. 30 gtt every 3-4 hrs

Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa/ D. quadranata)

GI anti-spasmodic, NP. 15 gtt as needed

Willow (Salix spp.)

general anti-inflammatory. 30 gtt LD for acute inflammation, then 30 gtt every 2 hrs

Yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica)

Antimicrobial, astringent

Categories

Anti-infective (inc. Antiseptic, Anti-microbial)

 Antiseptic wash (Propolis, Goldenseal, Myrrh, Witch Hazel)

 Chapparal

 Chapparo amargosa

 Echinacea

 Garlic (Anti-viral)

 Goldenseal (Anti-viral)

 Oak

 Oregon graperoot (Anti-viral)

 Osha

 Propolis

 Staph dismissed tincture (Chaparral, Licorice, Witch Hazel, Propolis)

 St. Johnswort

 Yarrow

Anti-Allergenic

(See Decongestants and Anxiolytics)

Ephedra

Eyebright (anti-histamine)

Lobelia

Nettles

Osha

Ragweed (anti-histamine)

Anti-inflammatory

Arnica

Birch (contains salicylates)

Chamomile

Ginger

Licorice

Meadowsweet (contains salicylates)

Poplar (contains salicylates)

St. Johnswort

Turmeric

Willow (contains salicylates)

Yarrow

Anti-nauseant

Catnip, Fennel, Ginger, Peppermint spirits

Antispasmodic (smooth muscle relaxant, NP)

· Antispasmodic compound (Black Haw, Crampbark, Trillium, Wild Yam, Skullcap, Clove, Cinnamon, Orange Peel)

· Black haw

· Crampbark

· Silk tassel root bark

· Skullcap

· Valerian

· Wild yam

Astringent

Blackberry root

Geranium

Rose family plants

White oak

Witch hazel

Yellow dock

Yerba manza

Augmenting herbs (improves other herbs’ actions)

Cayenne, Cinnamon, Jamaican dogwood, Lobelia, Skullcap, Licorice

Corrigent (improves flavor)

Cardamom, Cinnamon, Licorice

Decongestant

Beggar ticks

Decongestant aid (Yerba Santa, Wolfberry)

Ephedra

Ragweed

Demulcents

Aloe, Licorice, Mallows, Oatmeal, Prickly Pear

Digestive

(See Antispasmodics, Astringents, Constipation, Diarrhea)

· Bitter herbs (Dandelion, Burdock, Yarrow, Gentian)

· Calamus

· Cardamom

· Fennel (carminative)

· Ginger (carminative)

· Mint family plants

· Digestive relaxants:

· Chamomile

· Catnip

· Hops

· Lavender

· Meadowsweet

Eye cups

· Irritation: wash with saline solution/ water / Slippery elm

· Conjunctivitis: wash with saline solution/ water/ 2 gtt Goldenseal tinc. Take Goldenseal int, too.

· Allergies: wash with saline solution/ water/ 2 gtt Eyebright.

Hemostats (stops blood flow, from ext wounds)

Cayenne, Cinnamon, Shepherd’s purse, Yarrow, Yunnan Paiyao

Immune Support

Echinacea, Osha, Ginger, Elder

Relaxants (inc. Nervines, Sedatives)

Anemone (trauma aid)

Blue vervain (trauma aid)

California poppy (trauma aid)

Chamomile

Hops

Jamaican dogwood

Kava kava

Lavender (EO: trauma aid)

Lemon balm

Lobelia (trauma aid)

Motherwort

Oats

Passionflower

Rose

Skullcap

St Johnswort (trauma aid)

Valerian

Wild cherry

Wild lettuce (trauma aid)

Respiratory

(See Demulcents and Anti-infectives)

· Acute respiratory tincture (Yerba Santa, Grindelia, Mullein, Osha)

· Antimicrobial throat spray (Calendula, Echinacea, Osha, Wild indigo, Goldenseal, Propolis, Thyme, glycerin)

· Licorice

· Lobelia (broncho-dilator, for asthma)

· Ephedra (broncho-dilator, for asthma)

· Osha

· Sundew

· Wild cherry

· Etc: Baptisia, Boneset, Coltsfoot, Elecampagne, Grindelia, Horehound,

Skeletal muscle relaxant

Black cohosh

Kava kava

Pedicularis

Skeletal muscle relaxant compound (Black cohosh, Skullcap, Pedicularis)

Skullcap

Wild lettuce

Vulneraries (wound healing)

Aloe

Arnica

Calendula

Comfrey

Mallows

Plantain

Slippery elm

St Johnswort

Washes (external use)

Antiseptic wash (Propolis, Goldenseal, Myrrh, Witch Hazel)

Chaparral

Goldenseal

St Johnswort

Staph dismissed tincture (Chaparral, Licorice, Witch Hazel, Propolis)

Willow

Yarrow

Conditions

Burns

1. Cool it down

2. Give internal medicine to decrease pain and increase immunity: Echinacea (30-60 gtt), pain-relief (Hops, Wild Lettuce), trauma aid (Piscidia, St Johnswort, Lemon Balm)

3. Clean: Remove external material in wound

4. Rehydrate patient

5. Wash burn with disinfectant (Oregon graperoot, Goldenseal) and astringent herbs (tea of Willow, Oak, Potentilla, black tea soak)

6. Cover: Apply poultice/ compress of demulcent/ drawing agents (Opuntia, Aloe, Lavender EO, clay, honey)

Constipation

The Laxative Continuum:

(Try each thing 1rst, before moving down the line. These herbs/ techniques increase in strength.)

1. Tonification laxative (ie. Rumex spp.) 1rst, use mechanical laxatives, ie. Demulcent foods/ herbs, increasing water/ fiber uptake, digestive relaxants

2. Turkey rhubarb (chemical laxatives are #2-4. Use before sleep. Don’t become dependent. 5 gtt)

3. Cascara sagrada (Use 5-10 gtt)

4. Senna (Cassia spp.) (purgative laxative)

Dehydration

Rehydration Fluid: 1 qt water, 4 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt

Eat well-cooked, easily digestible foods.

Diarrhea

1. Let diarrhea run its course, then rehydrate patient.

2. Give Chapparo amargosa, Oregon graperoot or other anti-parasitics to kill GI bugs.

3. Wait 30 minutes, then give 1 tsp activated charcoal to adsorb/ expel causes.

4. If diarrhea stops, then start eating easily digestible foods again, slowly. Nourish the system.

5. If the diarrhea’s continued for a few days, then consider astringents to stop it. But, this only abates symptoms. Find and treat the cause.

Diarrhea and vomiting

Ease vomiting with anti-nauseants, then rehydrate person. Treat diarrhea after vomiting is resolved.

Dog bites

1. Soak in Yarrow/ Chaparral disinfectant tea

2. Give Echinacea internally, maybe trauma aid

3. Activated charcoal poultice on wound

4. Have patient return the next day. If wound’s inflamed, then re-soak. If no inflammation, then apply Propolis and cover.

Gut parasites

· Giardia- protozoal. 5-7 day incubation. Symptoms: Frothy diarrhea, bad gas. No vomiting. Never blood in stool. Treatment: Chapparo amargosa, activated charcoal.

· Shigella- bacterial. 2 day incubation. Symptoms: Usu. blood in stool, vomiting and diarrhea. Self-limiting, so will stop itself. Treatment: Peppermint spirits, Oregon graperoot, Chaparral.

· E. coli- bacterial. Symptoms: vomiting and diarrhea, sometimes w/ red blood in stool. Treatment: Peppermint spirits, Chaparral, Chapparo amargosa, Oregon graperoot, activated charcoal.

Headaches

(See Anti-inflammatory, Relaxants, Skeletal Muscle Relaxants)

· Black cohosh (tension/ frontal lobe headaches. 5-15 gtt)

· Chamomile (GI/ stress h-aches. Tea/ 15-90 gtt)

· Clematis (cerebro-constricted/ nothing-works headaches. 5-10 gtt)

· Eyebright (allergy-headaches. 15-60 gtt)

· Feverfew (1rst choice pre-migraine. 15-30 gtt)

· Lobelia (dull aching headaches. 5 gtt at a time)

· Meadowsweet (infection/ digestive headaches. 15-60 gtts/ tea for GI headache)

· Skullcap (stress headaches)

· Un-headache tincture (Feverfew, Skullcap, Chamomile, Blue vervain, Valerian rt)

· Willow (unknown origin dull h-aches. 15-90 gtt)

Staph infections

Antibiotics will treat it faster, but herbs offer an alternate solution.

1. Clean with soap and water, or soak in disinfectant wash to remove pus and dead skin.

2. Internal: immune stimul and antibiotics (Echinacea and Goldenseal/ Oregon graperoot/ Chaparral). LD 90 gtt Take 60 gtt every 4 hrs.

3. External: alternate between activated charcoal and “Staph dismissed” tincture (Chaparral, Witch hazel, Oregon graperoot, Goldenseal)

4. Wrap with vet wrap or other non-sticking material, to prevent further opening the wound. Instruct patient in caution with physical interactions, to prevent spreading infection.

Viruses

Takes 24-48 hrs to manifest symptoms: achy body, fever. Treatment: Oregon graperoot, Garlic, Goldenseal.

Other Medicines

· Arnica liniment (for acute inflammation)

· Lobelia vinegar

· Yunnan paiyao

· Ginger chews

Syrups

· Osha honey

· Wild cherry honey

Oils

· Castor oil

· Ear oil (Mullein fl, Garlic, vita E oil, EV olive oil)

· Poplar bud oil

· Trauma oil (St johnswort, Arnica, Valerian, Wintergreen EO, Tea tree EO, vita E oil, EV olive oil)

Essential oils

· Clove (numbs tooth pain; antiseptic)

· Lavender (for acute burns, and relaxation)

· Tea tree (antiseptic, astringent)

Powders and capsules

· Activated charcoal powder (adsorbent)

· Clay (adsorbent/ drawing agent)

· Goldenseal root (disinfectant)

· Licorice (demulcent, etc)

· Slippery elm (demulcent, nutritive)

Single herbs

· Osha root

· Tobacco

· Licorice root

· Chapparal

Go here to view and download this, as a PDF document: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7LKnt2hzJ4ZSl91N0VPLXRuRzg/view?usp=sharing

(Pictured is the first aid tent at the 2014 Rainbow Gathering in the Wasatch-Cache NF of northern UT. Photo credit: 7song) 

Rainbow Reflections

Welcome home. We love you!

 

Participating in the Rainbow Gathering felt like living in another country for a week. I have never camped with so many people (around 5000 people? I am unsure). I camped on the hill above the First Aid station. From my hill, I can see people walking around on the landscape below. On the day of the "beginning" of the Gathering (which just means more people start arriving), I enjoyed watching the flow of human traffic: thousands of people with big backpacks and camping gear streaming into these forests. At night, the forest is all dark, with bright stars above, and the light of thousands of flashlights with people attached, walking to and fro across the meadow and through the forest. Imagine seeing this at night, with so many little and large campfires scattered across the landscape, with different songs, foods, stories, and small celebrations (and some fights) throughout different camps. And, drumming. Drumming all night, drumming all day, endless drumming.

 

7song had prepped us with a bunch of horror stories, and I was prepared for the worst. It wasn't nearly as horrible as I thought it would be, based on his stories. In fact, I enjoyed it. I plan to return next year, if I am still in the USA, and am available.

 

I like the teamwork and grassroots aspects of Rainbow. Some people work really hard to make Rainbow happen, such as all the dedicated cooks at the camps that feed people, the people I worked with at the First Aid tent, the info tent, etc. Whenever there was a problem, people would shout, "Shanti-sena!" This is equivalent to calling the police, or dialing 911. As one person shouted, the next people who heard would shout and pass it on, and soon enough, the whole camp would know that something was amiss, and the Shanti-sena folks (basically Rainbow police/ peace-makers) would be dispatched to the area (sometimes us First Aid folk would get dispatched as well, depending on if anyone was physically injured, or not.)

 

The day that we left Ithaca for the Rainbow gathering, a light rain fell onto our field and forest landscape. My landmate and I watched as a double rainbow stretched itself across the hills. "This is going to be a great trip," she says, as she hands me a four leaf clover, under the rainbow, as we head towards Rainbow.

 

So my Rainbow Gathering adventure starts and ends with rainbows. Our final day at the Gathering, the rain finally falls. Large droplets fall thick and fast on the dry dirt, as lightning clangs and people howl, turning their faces toward the sky with open mouths and wide smiles. Wherever I am in the Gathering, I smile when I hear the sound of booming lightning, with the celebratory and animalistic howls that come after it, from the Rainbow folk throughout the Gathering. Our final day, after the large droplets of rain quenched the thirsty landscape, the sun pierced itself through the clouds to illuminate the tops of trees, then some of the golden dewy sagebrushes that covered the landscape. The shout goes up, "Rainbow!" and people run out into the meadow, hugging each other. A triple rainbow gracefully arches itself over the hill above the Gathering, right above the First Aid area, and facing the Main Circle (where we share huge meals for dinner). This is my first time seeing a triple rainbow; majestic and magical. A few hours later, as the sun prepares to set, a double rainbow appears. A few hours after that, a single rainbow appears.

 

And then, the silence. Of drums, of voices, and of heartbeats.

 

The yearly ritual of the Rainbow Gathering is for everyone to have silence on the Fourth of July, until a large OM circle at noon. I woke up that morning surprised and delighted to birdsong and silence, instead of incessant drumming. I got to the Main Circle in time to join thousands of people streaming into the meadow to join the thousands already linked together with hands held just tightly enough, and voices OM-ing as one. We stretched ourselves in a massive circle that looped up and down small hills and through small forests, surrounding and surrounded by Sky, Earth, and sagebrush. With silence and OM-ing, we stand together. And then, the children walk together into the center of the circle, singing peace songs, the drums start beating again, and a raucous celebration ensues, with many people dancing naked with primal found pounding Earth, to the primal pounding of drums.

 

I spent 1-2 hours each night wandering around the Gathering. A particularly memorable night, I walked to "Lovin' Ovens," a camp where they make delicious baked goods in Earth ovens. That night, they were having pizza night. I walked down our First Aid camp hill, and then up another hill to get to the Lovin' Ovens camp. Going through the darkness of the forest, I could see lights and hear music ahead of me. Suddenly, the forest opens up into a small clearing, where a few hundred people are sitting, chatting, eating pizza, and laughing. The atmosphere is peaceful and joyful. There are three fires that are linked together, with people sitting around them, and two accordion players dueling and dueting in the middle. I sit and enjoy the music for a while, watching people's faces in the firelight. Walking a little further back into the forest, I see Earth ovens and a Earth table with people surrounding it, and flour and laughter flying, as people kneaded dough and created pizza. Walking back to the First Aid area and walking past campfire after campfire, I hear different songs and conversations, smell different foods, and see people of differing types clustered together, brought together by Rainbow magic (or something), and all saying, "Welcome home," and "Lovin' you, sister." That night, I walked Jesus camp, a circle of marijuana indulgers, a Hari Krishna camp, a camp serving late night coconut oatmeal, a quiet camp playing gong-like fairy instruments, another Krishna camp serving chai and Hindu stories, and the raucous fire circle of drummers and dancers that hold their circle until the sun rises.

 

It's especially strange, and somewhat lovely, to bump into random strangers, and most of them look me in the eye, try to give me a big hug, and say, "Lovin' you, sister." Where else, but at a Rainbow Gathering?

 

And now, for the reason of coming: First Aid.

 

The First Aid tent was set up across from the information station, a little to the edge of the Gathering (not as central of a location as 7song would prefer.)

 

We hung up a bright yellow tarp. Patients would walk into the First Aid area. A bunch of us herb students would hang around the entrance or watch the entrance, and go up to patients as they arrive. "Hi, I'm Jiling. Who are you? How can I help you today?" is how I would introduce myself to new patients. They would proceed to explain why they came to our First Aid tent, and I would take them to a quiet spot to sit down, chat (figure out their constitution and condition), and then serve them alcohol (our medicines, usually in tincture/alcohol/water form.)

 

Around the First Aid station, we had a wash station, medical waste water pit, small kitchen to the side, fire pit outside, and two supply tents for stashing our extra medicines and gear. Under the immediate First Aid tent, we created a table on the right that stored herbal tinctures and first aid supplies. On the left, we created a long log seat where patients could be treated.

 

Some commonly encountered conditions, and their treatments:

- Foot cuts, often from going barefoot. If the feet were really dirty or infected, then we would clean them out with a foot wash of yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Epsom salts, goldenseal, and/or chapparal (Larrea spp.). Then, we would continue cleaning the feet with a cotton-tip applicator. I liked to use goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) tincture. If there are cuts or blisters in between the toes from dirt and chafing, then we would thickly layer baby cream mixed with goldenseal into the cracked feet, and then thickly wrap them with gauze to prevent further damage and aid speedy recovery, as well as providing detailed directions for personal footcare.

- Sunburns. We had everything from mild sunburns to inch-high blisters on the skin from severe over-exposure to sun. We rubbed mild sunburns with aloe vera gel. In fact, we placed aloe vera on the self-help medicine table right outside of our First Aid tent. For severe burns, we made a prickly pear pad (Opuntia spp.) poultice, or used a clay poultice as a drawing and cooling agent. Then, lavender essential oil or aloe vera to top it off.

- Sore throat. There's two basic types of sore throats: a phlegmy wet sore throat needs expectorants and warming/ drying herbs, such as osha (Lingusticum porter) and wild cherry (Prunus serotina). An inflamed and dry sore throat needs demulcents and cooling herbs, such as licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) and marshmallow root. I ended up using a lot of Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) to boost the immune system and encourage the body to heal itself. I am curious about what other herbs are immune boosting. Some ideas: elderberry, astragalus. I also used a lot of goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) for its antibiotic properties, to help destroy whatever destructive agents that were hurting the patients' body. For sore throats, I would partner Echinacea with whatever throat tonic appropriate to the person's condition, and also add goldenseal if it were an infection.

- Every day, at least one person would come in from getting hurt from a drunken fight. We would clean out their wounds, locate the perpetrators of the fighting, decide if it was a community risk, and provide some counseling support for the patient. For immediate post-fight care, we would give Echinacea for immune boosting, and Arnica (Arnica spp.) tincture as an anti-inflammatory. I would also add some nervine medicine to help soothe frayed nerves. Some of my favorite post-fight or post-trauma nervines at Rainbow: passionflower (Passiflora incarnate), chamomile (Matricaria recutita), St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum), and California poppy (Eschscholtzia spp .) After cleaning the wounds, Goldenseal or Chapparal can be applied into the wound as a disinfectant. St. Johnswort and Arnica can be applied around the wound to help reduce swelling and aid tissue repair.

- Continuous vomiting and/or diarrhea. For vomiting, I would initially give a few drops of peppermint spirits, neutralizing cordial, and/or ginger to help ease nausea. Then, I would treat it like diarrhea: give activated charcoal to help draw unwanted agents out of the body, wait 20-30 minutes, then give a strong dose of Oregon graperoot (Berberis spp.), Chapparal (Larrea spp.), and/or Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) to help kill infectious agents, and Echinacea to help boost immunity. If someone was having bad bellyaches that accompanied the vomiting/ diarrhea, then I would also give them some digestive nervines to help them feel better, such as Chamomile (Matricaria recutita).

- Drums played all day and all night, with screaming and people everywhere. Not as crazy as I thought, but definitely affected my own sleeping habits (I didn't sleep well), and I saw many patients with difficulty sleeping, as well. I like nervines. I like that herbs seem to help ease nerves so well. Some sleep-aid tinctures that I thought were effective at Rainbow: Hops (Humulus lupulus), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), and Chamomile (Matricaria recutita).

- Staph infection. I didn't see or treat as many staph infections as I expected. Wash out the infection with yarrow, goldenseal, or chaparral. If a scab has developed over the wound and it is infected below, then soak the scab with a hot compress of the above herbs, to loosen and remove the scab, and clean the wound. Apply activated charcoal paste. Then in the evening, apply a tincture mix of chaparral/ berberis/ goldenseal. Internally, take Echinacea and goldenseal/ chaparral. Alternate tincture and activated charcoal external treatment twice daily. Give the patient strict directions to not touch/ infect other people.

 

Some other herbs that I found useful at Rainbow:

- Willow (Salix spp.) as an anti-inflammatory

- Propolis; applied onto minor wounds to help disinfect, bind, and seal the wound.

- Rose (Rosa spp.) and Monarda, for more nervine bliss.

 

Some ineffective herbs/ treatments, and questions:

- We had some difficulty with politics within the First Aid tent. Two of the main people of the First Aid tent, M and J, have really strong personalities and are very difficult to work with. Actually, they create disruption. They would not listen to positive criticism. M would regularly freak out, shout, and disturb both patients and healthcare workers. I wonder how best to remediate the situation of difficulty within the healthcare practitioners, so that we can work well together as a team. I wonder if herbal medicine would be appropriate to use in such a situation, for the healthcare practitioners in question. And, as a community, how can we address problematic leaders?

- I have a chronic condition with my throat, that I contracted while teaching English to rowdy young students In Taiwan. During my last day at Rainbow, I started getting sick: upper respiratory inflammation, nasal congestion, general fatigue, sore limbs, mild headaches. So, I treated myself like I treated other patients with inflamed respiratory conditions: up my Echinacea intake, and take demulcent and antimicrobial throat remedies. After a week, I am feeling better. But, I still wonder how to treat my chronic condition. And, I wonder about the best way for healthcare workers to take care of themselves. I watched many of my fellow students struggling with their personal health problems during the Rainbow Gathering. It feels challenging to maintain personal health while taking care of others' health, and seeing so many sick people each day. But, I also noticed that most of the more seasoned First Aid staff did not get sick.

- What herbs are useful for reducing a fever?

- Toothcare. I feel like we could help dull or suppress tooth pain, but did not treat the core problem. We only alleviated the symptoms. I look forward to learning more about tooth care and treatment. I experienced some toothache on the journey towards Rainbow. It probably arose from a change in diet and increase in stress during travel. We applied goldenseal topically, directly to the point of pain. It didn't really help. I haven't tried clove oil yet, but it seemed to help somewhat with some tooth pains. We cleaned out toothaches with goldenseal and astringent tinctures, then used clove essential oil to numb out most toothaches.  

- For preventative medicine, as per 7song's suggestion, every day I took a dropperful of Echinacea tincture, and half a dropperful for chapparo amargosa morning and night. I also added a dropperful of Berberis tincture into my water bottle. Besides the tinctures, I wonder what good preventative medicine foods would be helpful for people to eat, and how we could easily integrate these into a Rainbow diet. It is difficult to keep fresh veggies as part of the diet, while in the woods. Some other Rainbow botanists suggested eating some local wild edibles everyday to help increase the body's adaptive immunity.

- I wonder how to help relieve someone of an unwanted "high," such as if they accidentally ingest a drug, or if they ingested too much. I helped a patient feel better during their unwanted high, with nervine and sedative herbal medicines. But, it didn't get rid of the high. It just made it more manageable. I wonder if anything can get rid of the high, or expedite the process? There was another patient who was going through a drug experience, and came to First Aid because he was not feeling well. I gave him an assortment of nervines, but they did not help. This is one of the difficulties/ specialties of herbal medicine: how one plant works for one person, might not affect someone else the same way. Over time, patterns arise, and certain herbal medicine is repeatedly helpful. But sometimes, nothing works. I guess then, it's time to try something else.

- How effective is Echinacea as an immune stimulant? How do "immune stimulants" work? Should we use different immune boosters for people with different constitutions?

- Finally, I wonder about all the different herbs that I mixed together, and how they interact with each other, and with my patients. I don't understand herb interactions yet. Chinese medicine works carefully with herb interactions. Here, we work with a western model of treatment: the patient is going thru x and y symptoms. So, I give them herb "a" to treat condition "x," and herb "b" to treat condition "y," and they just happen to be in the same bottle together. Well, I look forward to refining this process so that the herbs can support each other and more specifically treat the root of the issue, and the entire unique human individual.