Medicine
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Modern and Alchemical techniques for capturing the Vital Essence
Any process that seeks to produce medicine, and ultimately provide
real healing, needs to take into account the vis medicatrix naturae,
or healing power of nature, which is embodied in the Vital Essence,
or Vital Force, that flows throughout our universe. Attuning medicine
to this Essence means crafting an elixir that communicates with
the world around it, rather than dictating its terms to it.
Nothing holds Vital Essence when it is alone. This elusive force
exists in the relationships, and the interconnectedness, of all
things, and is stored in associations, metaphors, and patterns of
shared experience. Thus, to awaken it, we must focus on the gates
of plant signatures, similes, poetry and aesthetics. These will
define and refine our relationship to the plants we harvest and
use.
If we think of the Essence as a force, or wave, present in a plant,
we can see how that wave becomes stronger when a similar wave is
added to it, and weaker when a contrasting one is added. In the
same way, the specific vibrations of plants are strengthened by
associating them, in our minds and hearts, to specific patterns
of analogy, and by bringing those patterns to the forefront of our
perception when we grow, harvest, and process botanical medicines.
A plant’s words are expressed in our mind’s eye as symbols,
feelings, and connection; disregarding this communication will only
sacrifice the Vital Essence to whatever patterns we may be dwelling
on at the time.
The Ingredients:
Science has given us a wealth of symbols and associative patterns
to work with. These are very useful, as long as one does not take
the symbol for the Vital Essence, and remembers that only whole,
vibrant plants can produce whole, vibrant medicines!
Water (H2O) is the universal solvent, the key to life. It has a
polar structure, meaning that electrons move to one part of the
molecule (the Oxygen), giving it a positive and a negative side,
like a magnet. This is essential to its power to dissolve plant
constituents, many of which are also polar and able to blend with
the water by linking their + sides to the water’s - side.
However, substances that are oily (non-polar) cannot mix with water:
they act as insulators, and cannot form the + / - bonds required
to dissolve.
Alcohol (Ethyl alcohol, C2H5OH) can extract non-polar constituents
much better than water. It still dissolves in water because, overall,
it has a slight polarity; but its Carbon section is much more able
to mix with organic oils, resins, and alcohols. It is derived directly
from fermented plant sugars. At a 33% concentration, it stops bacterial
growth. At a 70% concentration, it can kill some bacteria. These
properties make it useful to preserve medicinal extracts, which
would otherwise require the heat of the canner to not spoil.
Water (H2O)
Alcohol (C2H5OH)
Water and Alcohol make up the basis of the medicinal tincture: the
solvent. The constituents we attempt to extract come from the plant
material, the solute. They vary in their degree of water-solubility.
Sugars (with a C=O carbonyl group) and Mucilages are one of the
most common plant constituents. They are present everywhere because
they are essential for a variety of body processes, from energy
production to complex immune regulation. Monosaccharides like Glucose
(C6H12O6) can combine to form long chains of polysaccharides; both
of these are fairly well soluble in water alone, and do very well
in medium-low alcohol concentrations. Many are delicate, and will
be lost if exposed to heat or too-high alcohol concentrations. Echinacea,
for example, is extracted at 40% alcohol to ensure its sugars are
preserved.
Organic Acids (with a COOH carboxyl group) are another widely distributed
class of molecules. They include fruit acids (citric, malic e.g.),
vitamins (Vit. C = ascorbic acid, Vit. B5 = pantothenic acid), and
by-products of fermentation (like vinegar, or acetic acid). They
help as catalysts for every body process, and are very soluble in
water. Rosehips, prized for their citric and ascorbic acid content,
are extracted at low alcohol concentrations: 25% to 33%.
Inorganic Salts and Acids are perhaps the easiest constituents to
extract in water, because they break apart into positive and negative
chunks, or ions. This breakup is encouraged by water’s polar
structure through a process called ionization. These salts of calcium,
magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron and others are essential in fine-tuning
the actions of the heart, kidneys and nervous systems, as well as
providing building blocks for virtually every tissue. Again, because
of their high water-solubility, they are extracted at 25% to 33%
alcohol, although they will remain undamaged by any concentration.
Saponins
are a unique class of plant compounds. They vary widely, but have
similar extraction characteristics. Their name comes from the root
word for ‘soap’, and they do have a good emulsifying
power, dissolving well in water and helping other less-soluble constituents
along too. Luckily, many plants have at least a little saponin in
them to aid in a more complete extraction. Although still poorly
understood, they have been linked to intestinal health, immune regulation,
and metabolism. Ginseng is an herb prized for its saponins: since
they are easy to extract in water, Ginseng is steeped in 25% to
40% alc.
Phenolic compounds (featuring a Carbon ring and a hydroxyl group)
vary widely in solubility. They are often found in plants, from
Wintergreen to Oak, and form the basis of many more complex organic
molecules. Some behave like alcohols, some like oils, others (tannins,
for example) are very reactive and bind to other chemicals such
as proteins, often precipitating them out of solution. Included
in this family are molecules such as flavonoids. Most phenols extract
well at slightly higher alcohol concentrations: Wintergreen would
like 60%. The notable exception are the tannins, which dissolve
well in water at first, but often ‘lock up’ and settle
out of solution if over-exposed to light or oxygen (this is impossible
to avoid).
Glucose (C6H12O6)
Acetic acid, CH2COOH
Ionization of sodium chloride
Phenol
Alkaloids (with a Nitrogen in a Carbon ring) are similar to the
phenols in their basic ring structure, but the comparison ends there.
They also range widely in structure and action, and can often be
quite potent and shocking to the body systems. Fortunately, they
are poorly soluble in water, so it is harder to get that deadly
dose from just a cup of tea. They are best extracted at very high
alcohol ranges (70% to 90%). Sometimes this alcohol is heated. An
example is Lobelia, which usually is extracted at an incredible
85% alcohol.
Essential oils and resins are very hard to dissolve in water. To
this end, we must
rely on some of the other plant constituents to help them emulsify;
but we are luck that, in most plants, they are present in such low
concentrations that they can be mostly dissolved, especially with
a good shake of the tincture-bottle. They are a vital component
to any tincture, giving it the aroma that makes it characteristic.
If a plant is selected for extraction based on its essential oil
or resin content, alcohol concentration should be high: at least
60% for a plant like Peppermint, or Thyme, and up to 90% for bee
Propolis.
The Process:
When preparing medicinal tinctures, pay attention to the plant material
you are using. Is it rich in volatile oils? It is salty? Is it sweet?
Sour? Astringent? These will provide quick indications of what constituents
are in the forefront; just remember, the less obvious ones are just
as important! If unsure, try the middle of the road—50% alcohol
by volume. Be sure not to go ever go under 25% alcohol (for a dry
herb) or 33% alcohol (for a fresh herb).
Obtain a good reference source (some listed at the end) describing
some herbs by their constituents. Keep records of what herb was
extracted at what alcohol range, and record your overall impression
of the tincture: too watery? No taste? Only an ‘alcohol bite’?
Soon the analogies and patterns of basic chemistry will resonate
more clearly, and you will notice you are better able to quickly
guess what alcohol concentration would be best.
Once you have determined what percentage alcohol to use, there is
a simple formula for calculating the amount of alcohol and water
you will need for a given weight of herb. This is it:
Where W is the weight of the herb you are using; F is the number
in the weigh-to-volume ratio (so, for a 1:3 tincture, F is 3. For
a 1:5 tincture, F is 5. And so on); S is the desired percentage
of alcohol (33, 60, 90, etc…) and A is the amount of pure
grain alcohol you need. The amount of water needed to make up the
rest of the solution is given by multiplying W x F, and then subtracting
A.
A = W*F*S / 95
The Alchemy:
Regardless of what plant is used, alchemists such as Paracelsus,
Agrippa, and others recognized three basic elements to each living
being: Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt. Mercury
was considered universal to all plants, Sulfur and Salt were unique
to each different one. Once a tincture has been set to steep, we
can begin to look at some other processes to bring more analogy,
poetry, and refinement to the medicine. Such a product becomes
known as a spagyric extract.
Water is again central to alchemical processes. Not only can it
dissolve various constituents, but it also has a certain impressionable
quality, which gives it the ability to store patterns in itself
much like a crystal can store and amplify energy. Subtle connections,
identified by chemistry as hydrogen bonds, link water to itself
much more tightly than its polarity alone could explain (witness
surface tension), and can be rearranged constantly to provide infinite
unique structures. As such, water takes on and holds much of the
more subtle energetic vibrations of plants (this is referred to
as the “memory of water” by homeopaths). This is only
true for distilled water, for distillation resets the water memory
by converting it to a gas.
Mercury is alcohol in the alchemists’ minds. If there is one
element that can be directly linked to the Vital Essence, this is
it. Mercury functions as the universal messenger of alchemy, and
is considered to be representative of the basic Life Force that
unites all living creatures in mutual creation / destruction. It
is derived from sugar, and shares many of its characteristics; after
all, sugars are essential to life (right after water and oxygen)
and also form the building blocks of our DNA and RNA. The life that
sugars represent is preserved, in death, as the ferment alcohol.
Since it is the most basic form of essence, it is universal in the
plant world—the pure Mercury distilled from barley is the
same as that distilled from corn, or any other plant.
Sulfur carries the rest of the living essence of the plant. However,
it is much more specific, and embodies the distillate of the ‘personality’,
or soul, of the plant. It resides in the essential oil, or the non-watery
distillate that rises, at very low temperatures, from a steam of
the plant material. Essential oils, so aromatic, link directly to
our most powerful associative sense: the sense of smell. Thus it
is no wonder that the most unique Sulfur of an herb is also the
most powerful connection to that herb: its fragrance. It is difficult
to directly extract the Sulfur, requiring steam distillation equipment.
But a good degree of extraction can occur right in the steeping
mason jar, where the tincture only appears to be resting: if space
is lest at the top of the jar (at least 3 inches for a 1/2 gallon
jar), convective loops become established that circulate alcohol
and water vapor in the airspace. If, on the first day of steeping,
the jar is placed in a warm, sunny window for just a few hours,
the essential oils will separate and recombine by themselves.
Salt is the body of the plant, the important essence of matter,
needed to balance and provide grounding to the Vital Essence, captured
in the Mercury and Sulfur. The Salt is, very simply, salt. More
specifically, it is the combination of all the soluble salts of
the plant, essential for remedy absorption and cellular nutrition.
It is extracted from the marc of the tincture, the part that remains
in the strainer after the tincture is poured off. To obtain it,
the marc must be burned to a fine whitish-gray powder (in a flameproof
pot!). This powder is then mixed with pure distilled water, and
allowed to settle. After a few hours, the clear liquid is poured
off, and the sediment discarded. The remaining liquid is then evaporated,
and the salts collected are the Salt, the body of the plant. It
will help the medicine reach every nook and cranny of our bodies.
