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OF HERBAL MATERIALS |
|
OF HERBAL MATERIALS |
Decoctions
Decoctions are aqueous preparations
of plant parts boiled in water for 15- 20 minutes until the water
volume is halved. To prepare, break the plant parts into small
pieces before soaking in a given amount of water in an earthenware
container (palayok). Metal pans should be enameled; avoid plastic
or aluminum containers. Use 500 cc (1 pt) of water for every 30
gm (1 oz) of dried herb. Cover the container and boil for 10-20
minutes, until water volume is halved; strain, cool and refrigerate.
Decoctions usually keep for 2-3 days.
Infusions
As in preparing tea, infusions use dried or fresh herbs. Pour
hot water into plant material and allow to stand while tightly
covered, stand for 10 min; strain; drink hot or iced and cold.
Infusions usually prepared fresh for the day's use.
Pills
(Honey Pills)
Pills can be made by mixing thoroughly the dry and powdered drug
with equal quantity of honey cooked to bright red syrup. The moment
the mixture starts to cool off, it can be rolled to desired tubular
strands and cut into small pieces. Air dry the pieces of pills
in a clean place and bottle them neatly. If honey is not available,
a concentrated syrup of cane sugar can be substituted.
Powder
The commonest and easiest way of
preparing the drug materials. With a mortar and pestle, the well-dried
plant materials are crushed and ground well-dried plant materials
into a fine uniform powder; store in clean bottles. Powdered drugs
should be as fine as possible so as to ensure faster solubility.
Alcoholic
Decoction (Tinctures)
Place the botanical
extracts or plant materials (powdered, fresh or dried) in 40%
to 60% proof alcohol (some use 70-80% proof lambanog), one part
herb to 5 parts distilled spirits and keep in an airtight container
(25 gms of material in 600 cc of spirits). Stir or shake the mixture
at least once a day, infusing for a period of 4 to weeks. Alcohol
extracts and preserves the essential ingredients for the longest
possible time. Strain and store in an airtight dark glass jar.
Dosages are usually 5-20 drops, added to water or taken directly.
To facilitate the process, boil the alcohol solution in a water bath until it boilsboils; pour the boiling solution into the container together with the plant extracts or materials; tightly seal. Use the decoction two weeks after the storage. The residue can be used to prepare ointments.
Tablets
Powder the drug material thoroughly.
If tablets of small size with high drug concentration is desired,
a portion of the dried drug material may be decocted into a thick
concentrated solution and them mixed with the other powdered material.
In making the tablet, a sufficient amount of starch or rice paste
is added to the mixture and is forcefully mixed and kneaded by
hands. Make small globular tablets out of the kneaded paste-like
material. If excessive eater has been placed in the mixture, allow
the mixture to stand first in a cool, well-ventilated place, until
the right paste-like consistency is attained. Improvised tablet-making
devises (i.e., molds) may be constructed from wood or metal.
Syrup
Applicable for children and infants,
prrepare a simple syrup by dissolving 850 gms of cane sugar in
450 mL of boiling water. Wait for all the sugar to dissolve, then
apply more heat, filter with degreasing cotton, then add more
water up to 1000 mL. Place the drug material in water and boil,
remove the residual solids afterwards (generally, every mL of
the decoction fluid contains 1 gm of the concentrated drug). Add
the decoction fluid to the syrup in a 1:1 proportion. If the syrup
is not to be added, the decoction should be treated with sufficient
amount of fungicide, like benzoic acid, for long storage.
Ointment:
Prepare the necessary drug materials,
place inside a glass jar or other suitable container, add oil
(peanut oil, bean oil, tea oil, coconut oil, etc.) up to 2 to
3 fingerwidth higher than the level of the powdered drug in the
glass jar. Suspend for 5 to 7 days. Then, cook in an iron casserole
until drug material chars. Remove the drug residue or dross and
extract the oil. This time, the fire should be increased mixing
thoroughly while increasing the heat, until smoke forms on the
oil surface, and until globules of oil, which is place in water,
does not form separated globules anymore. Reduce the heat and
add litharge, mixing thoroughly while continuously adding until
all of it dissolves. Remove the casserole from fire and let stand
to cool, then add camphor or other aromatic substances. Lastly,
pour the prepared drug material in cold water, suspend for overnight
or longer. Place the mass separated from the liquid on a piece
of parchment or cloth. An ointment plaster is thus produced. Observe
care in cooking procedure and guard against burning or fire. A
close-type of oven (or hooded) is preferable.
An alternative way: Make 1 pt of infusion or decoction, strain and set liquid aside. Pour 3 oz of oil into a pan, add 3 oz of lard fat, a drop of tincture of benzoin for every oz of base, and add the liquid. Simmer until the water has evaporated. To stiffen the mixture, slowly add beeswax or cocoa butter.
Poultice
or Paste
Grind, crush or pound the plant
material (dried or preferably fresh) with a little oil, water,
molasses or honey. Spread on a square of warm cloth or banana
trunk, and applied to the skin. The crushed plant can also be
boiled for a few minutes to achieve a pulp. The material is applied
directly to the affected areas. They are usually more potent than
compresses.
Compresses
An infusion or decoction is used
to soak a warm cloth (linen or muslin) or banana trunk and placed
on the affected area. They are usually milder than poultices.
Juice
Pound fresh plant materials and
filter through a fine piece of cloth or just squeeze the plant
parts to extract the juice.
|
A Manual on Some Philippine Medicinal Plants (Preparation of Drug Materials), U.P. Botanical Society, 1977 M. Leila Santiago-Flores, DVM |
