A few years back I posted an article on mebendazole, a wonder drug of sorts. See, when most people begin filling their medicine chest, they make sure to have a good variety of pain relievers, antibiotics, antifungals, maybe some antivirals. But dewormers hardly make anybody’s list. And yet, pinworms affect at least 10% of the population in this country alone. And that’s with current sanitation and hygiene practices. What happens when those begin to break down? Mebendazole, and its veterinary cousin albendazole, become your new best friends. They kill pinworms, roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms, often in a single dose.
But what if you don’t happen to have a dewormer on hand? Or what if you did, but you’ve run out? Or what if you want to conserve your pharmaceuticals for your family, but feel the need to help neighbors who weren’t able to prepare to the extent that you did, and you sure don’t want their worms spreading any further?
I was somewhat disturbed to find that of all the herbs I’ve researched and written about, only Russian thistle (tumbleweed) was reported to have any efficacy against parasitic worms. And if we were to somehow experience an outbreak now, we would be SOL. There won’t be any tumbleweeds here again until next summer.
So it would be wise to have some other options. Fortunately, one of the treatments for worms is the Sacred Quaking Aspen. To my knowledge, the Native Americans never called it that, and most of society today just calls them aspens or quaking aspens. But my husband nearly worships the ground they walk on. Quaking aspens and sagebrush are all he really needs to be happy. And, I guess, some food and a warm fire.
Anyway, quaking aspen isn’t some medicinal powerhouse like juniper or usnea, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless. It’s easily identified, even from a significant distance. (Well, in the fall, anyway. You can see the leaf colors changing from miles away.) As a member of the willow family, it possesses many of the same medicinal actions as willow, cottonwood, and balsam poplar. The bark uses for all three are exactly the same, so if you don’t have aspen, but you do have cottonwood or willow, keep reading.[1]
HARVEST
The best unfissured bark is gathered in the spring before the trees leaf out, or after the leaves have fallen in the fall. [2] Saw or prune secondary branches from larger trees or cut saplings and cut them into manageable lengths. Remove the young (unfissured) bark with a knife. Discard the core wood and smaller branches. Dry the bark in a paper bag out of direct sunlight. The fresh leaves can be used to make half-strength preparations. Collect leaf buds in the spring, in freezing temperatures if possible (the buds will be less sticky), before the leaves begin to unfurl. [3]
EFFECTIVE AGAINST
· Bacteria
o Haemophilus influenzae[4]
o Streptococcus pneumoniae[5]
PREPARATIONS
Decoction, bark, 4 ounces, 2-3 times per day internally, as needed externally. [6]
Oil. As the purpose is to extract the resin, begin with fresh buds/twigs that are heavily coated with resin. Weigh this plant matter and record the weight. Place the material in a large pot and cover the buds and twigs with water. Simmer for one hour. Remove from heat and add to the pot olive oil equivalent in volume to the amount of plant matter. Stir well and let the mixture cool. Decant the oil-infused resin from the water. This infused oil can now be used as is or processed into a salve or ointment. Assuming that all of the water was removed from the oil, the oil will not require refrigeration. [7]
Tea. Leaf tea is still effective, but not as strong as tea from the bark. Bark tea will ease joint and muscle pain.
Tinctures.
· Freshly dried bark, 1:5 ratio in 50% alcohol. Dosage is 10-30 drops, 3 times per day.[8]
· Fresh leaf buds, 1:2 ratio in 75% alcohol. Use 30-60 drops, 3-4 times per day. [9] The leaf bud tincture is also used to prepare topical treatments like liniment, salve, ointment, and oil.
MODERN USAGE
· Gastrointestinal
o Gastroparesis[10]
§ A cup of strong tea, 10-15 minutes before meals[11]
o Indigestion[12]
· Musculoskeletal
o Arthritis[13]
o Fibromyalgia[14]
o Sore joints, topical preparation[15]
· Neurological
o Headache, topical preparation[16]
· Respiratory
o Fever, especially high fevers[17]
o Influenza[18]
· Skin, topical preparation[19]
o Bruises
o Burns
o Scrapes
· Urogenital
o Minor irritation and inflammation, aspen leaf bud topical preparations
HISTORICAL USAGE
· Cardiovascular
o Heart trouble, bark tea[20]
· Gastrointestinal
o Diarrhea[21]
o Indigestion, bark tea[22]
o Stomach pain, bark tea[23]
· Hepatic
o Jaundice[26]
· Respiratory
o Colds, bark tea[27]
· Skin
o Bee stings, poultice of crushed leaves[28]
o Lacerations, bark poultice[29]
· Urogenital
o Enlarged prostate, bark tea[30]
o Venereal disease, bark tea[31]
Cautions: Aspen may potentiate anti-coagulant pharmaceuticals. Due to the potential for Reye’s syndrome, avoid use in feverish children. [32]
Links to related posts:
Mebendazole https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2019/09/mebendazole-making-new-best-friend.html
Russian thistle https://prepschooldaily.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-medicinal-uses-of-russian-thistle.html
Worms in Armageddon
[1] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[2] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 70.
[3] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 113.
[4] N.M. Faustova, et al., [Antibacterial activity of aspen bark extracts against some pneumotropic microorganisms], Zhurnal Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, May-June 2006, Vol 3, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16830580/ (accessed 17 November 2021).
[5] N.M. Faustova, et al., [Antibacterial activity of aspen bark extracts against some pneumotropic microorganisms], Zhurnal Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, May-June 2006, Vol 3, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16830580/ (accessed 17 November 2021).
[6] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 64.
[7] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 71.
[8] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 2012, 376.
[9] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 64.
[10] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[11] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[12] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[13] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[14] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[15] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 64.
[16] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 64.
[17] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[18] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 63.
[19] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 64.
[20] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[21] Linda Kershaw, Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 41.
[22] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[23] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[24] Linda Kershaw, Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 41.
[25] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[26] Linda Kershaw, Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 41.
[27] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[28] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[29] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[30] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[31] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 350
[32] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western States, 2017, 65.
22 november 2021
Worms during a shtf event have never crossed my mind. So glad you’ve brought it up! Thanks!
ReplyDelete—Melanie
So many people think they are reasonably well-prepared with medicine, and yet have nothing to deal with worms. I can't imagine finding myself in that situation.
Delete