by Kolbjørn Borseth of Aromantic

Your back garden is a treasure trove of healing herbs and flowers which can be used at little expense to make a range of healing products and health remedies. Using your own plants also provides you with the assurance of using fresh, organic and uncontaminated materials. You can never know the history behind herbs and vegetable oils. They could for example have been grown next to a motorway, absorbing potentially harmful toxins. They could also have been stored indefinitely, reducing the potency of the ingredients. In this article we show you how to use your own garden products to make compresses, tinctures and healing oils.
These remedies are tried and tested over history, so why not have a go? It's amazingly simple and safe to make many of these remedies and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are using your garden not only for food and pleasure but for healing your family. It's like having your own family health centre in your back garden and you don't need to rely on drug companies to deal with all of your health problems.

Compresses are an excellent way to apply a treatment externally to a specific part of the body. This reduces the necessity for internal medication. There are two types of compress, those without heat and those with heat. Compresses without heat are used on wounds, eczema, psoriasis and similar problems where the skin is broken (not inflamed). NB: Never use warming compresses on broken skin. Compress with heat are used when the skin is not broken, for example with rheumatism, sprains, inflammations, accidents, pains and swellings (but not with shingles). With pain you can also use a heating pillow, outside the hot compress. A hot water bottle would also suffice. Cover the compress with wool or other insulating materials. When garlic and onion is used, it is important that it does not come into direct contact with the skin, and should therefore be placed on a cotton cloth. Never use hot compresses on wounds as the ingredients will be absorbed into the body. As a rule, compresses should be left on the person overnight, but not for more than 8 - 10 hours at a time. (This doesn't apply to burns). Don't put the same compress on two nights in a row. An exception is dry chamomile compress, which you can use for more than one night in a row. You can use this compress with or without heating.

You will need:

	A cotton cloth 30 x 50 cm for compress to throat, knee or elbow.
	Clingfilm, surgical tape or freezer tape (never use tape or Clingfilm directly on the skin).
	Elastic Bandage.
	Woolen cloth.

Methods:

Compresses on a wounded surface can first appear much worse. This is because the compress draws out puss and impurities through the wound. Change the compress often, wash and clean the area with a strong chamomile infusion. You will soon see a big improvement and the wound will heal.