Boils, herbal medicine

Herbal medicine that is administered orally should always be taken warm. If the herbal medicine is a decoction, it should be taken when it is warm herbal medicines that expel wind-cold are better taken hot. If the medicine is a powdered herbal extract, it should be dissolved in boiling water and taken once it has cooled down slightly. 

Pulsatilla possesses sedative, analgesic, antispasmodic, and bactericidal properties. Traditionally, it is used for dysmenorrhea, orchitis, ovaralgia, epididymitis, tension headache, hyperactive states, insomnia, boils, skin eruptions associated with bacterial infection, asthma and pulmonary disease, earache, and specifically for painful conditions of the male and female reproductive systems. Pulsatilla is widely used in homoeopathic preparations as well as in herbal medicine. 

Pokeweed is a tall perennial shrub growing up to 12 ft. This shrub can be found in damp fields, along fences, and wooded areas of southeastern Canada, eastern United States, as well as California and Hawaii. The stalks are reddish. There are small, greenish-white flowers and berries in opposite clusters. The berry is dark purple, almost black in color, and matures late summer to autumn. Pokeweed has been used in tea and as a herbal medicine. In folk medicine, pokeweed as a tincture has been used for arthritis and chronic rheumatism. Taken by mouth pokeweed was used as a purgative and as an emetic. The young leaves, if boiled and drained twice, are supposedly edible. 

H. ascyron is used in the treatment of numerous disorders, such as abscesses, boils, headache, nausea, and stomach ache in Chinese herbal medicine [119]. 

Pharmacy preparations from herbal medicines include herbal tea mixtures, from which the user to whom it is dispensed prepares a tea using (boiling) water. According to the Ph. Eur., herbal teas consist exclusively of one or more herbal medicines intended for oral aqueous preparations by means of decoction, infusion or maceration. The patient prepares the herbal tea immediately before use. Instant herbal teas consist of one or more herbal medicine preparations (primarily extracts with or without added essential oils), and are intended for the preparation of an oral solution immediately before use. Example of formulae for oral solid herbal pharmacy preparations can be found in [41] (Table 4.7). 

Herbal medicines are often prepared as a tea, which is properly called an infusion or decoction. A decoction is typically made by placing the stems, roots, or bark of a specific plant in water, and boiling the water until the volume is reduced. Infusions are made by steeping plant parts in hot or cold water. Infusions are usually made from the softer parts of plants such as the flowers or leaves. Decoctions and infusions extract water-soluble phytochemicals. 

Remedies in traditional medicine consist of formulas prepared from various natural substances, animal and vegetable. The vegetable remedies account for about 90%, thus the name herbalists (Mganga). Great importance is attributed to the proper preparation of all herbal drugs, which are considered ineffective unless pretreated in a prescribed manner. These herbal remedies are either swallowed, rubbed into scarifications, poured into wounds, boiled and inhaled as fumes, splashed onto eyes, smoked in pipes or sniffed as snuff. 

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