[Sca-cooks] herbal question

[Ted Eisenstein]

Okay, so this isn't technically a cooking question; but it does sort
of concern herbs - and since I don't have the address for an herbs
list, and since y'all are knowledgeable, what the heck. . .

I've gotten a steam inhaler for the occasional sinus-clearing thang?
And I'm wondering if there are any essences of <herb> that would
penetrate said sinuses better than just pure steam, that I could add to
the water?

(And the first person who suggests wasabi will be consigned to eating
it for lunch. Only it. <grin>)

Are there good sources out there that list which herbs and decoctions
thereof are good for which imbalances of the humors? And how does
one do a proper decoction, anyway? (Errr, no, not tea-type things. I'm
looking for essences, I guess, the ones that are closer to alcohol than to
simple herbs-steeped-in-water-for-eons. No, wait, not steeped in alcohol,
although those would be spiff, but the ones that are pure essence, which means,
I guess, proper distillation of Essence of <Whatever>. I think. Does anyone
have the slightest idea of what I'm talking about? I sure don't, for once.)

Questions. I have questions.

Alban, sniffing away in Calontir