The Phoenix Sunrise

I finally got in my Comfrey Root and Calendula.  Got them into their respective crock pots…  And I got back to reading.  Several things I read said they only needed to sit in the hot oil like that for a few hours.  So instead of two weeks, I opted for overnight.  The next day, I strained the oil out, put them in their little 4oz amber jars with eye droppers, and I set to work  actually making the salve.

Now, I had a 1lb brick of bees wax which I started with… grated some, let it melt, double boiling…  Added some oil (not paying any attention to how much, because I know I have enough of everything to make it right)…  And the mixture hardened to something wholly unusable.  Kept adding oodles and oodles of oil until it became somewhat spreadable (more like lip gloss than an actual salve, but it’ll work for my purposes). 

So I ended up with two jars of salve made with bees wax, myrrh, calendula, comfrey, tea tree, sweet almond, and coconut.  We’ll see how this pans out.  All are good for healing, cleaning, that kind of thing…  But my advice?  Start with the oil, then add the wax, and only add a little at a time! 

So I don’t have the supplies just yet to try my first salve…  Here’s what I’m looking for…

Comfrey Root Infused Oil
Calendula (Marigold) Infused Oil
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Coconut Oil (Carrier)
Beeswax

Comfrey is rich in all kinds of minerals and vitamins.  Calendula is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.  Tea Tree is very similar to Calendula, but add some anti-viral and analgesic properties.  Cocoanut is anti-fungal, antiseptic, and an immunostimulant.  Beeswax is for texture, but is also absolutely fabulous for all skin applications.

The purpose?  Natural neosporin.  I know, I’m a nerd.

Anyhow, I have the last three ingredients already, jars to put this stuff in and everything…  But I don’t have the comfrey or the calendula.  I’ve ordered both…  But the big hold up?  I have to infuse the oil for each of them for two weeks……..  blech.  Time consuming project…  But!!  Once I get it done, I shouldn’t need to infuse the oils again for some time.  I will be making enough of each infused oil to last me for quite a while.  Hopefully.

Can’t wait to see how this works out.  :)  Should know in a month, or sooner if I can acquire a second mini-crockpot.  We shall see.

Lately, I’ve been very curious about what we would do for “medicine” in a PAW.  I would assome that if we’re talking about surviving a full-on cataclysm, then drug stores and modern medicine as we think of them today would be a thing of the past.  It would be very difficult for people to survive anything serious (gunshot wounds, deep stab wounds, etc.) without modern medicine.  Hell, even the mortality rate for child-bearing would increase a great deal, for both mothers and children, I would think.  Plus there would be an end to innoculations/vaccinations (though I question their necessity/efficacy already).  What would we do?

Along this line, I’ve been learning about the things that grow in my neck of the woods.  If we can’t refine synthetic drugs, we’d have to survive with what we had, which would be largely herbal. 

My next question was something along the lines of what are the three most common and probably the three most easily treatable things we would encounter?  Infections.  Bacterial, fungal, and septic infections.  Next would probably be skin irritation from the surroundings, which if untreated could develop into infections.  Thirdly would probably be digestive complications due to extreme changes in diet.   But are there plants out there that naturally fight those kinds of things?  You’d better believe it.  Many of them are very common weeds.

Nettles…  Live anywhere near water in the midwest?  They’re everywhere.  And as a kid, you found out, “Hey, don’t touch those.  They’re hell.” 

Anyhow, this is going to be something I comment on as I become more familiar…  I’m getting ready to try my first salve.  Wish me luck!!