[Sca-cooks] herbal question

[A. F. Murphy]

You are thinking of an essential oil. (Soup is a decoction, tea is an
infusion, does that help?) Eucalyptus is the classic, but make sure they
can be used with your inhaler (vaporizer? Humidifier?). Some get gummed up
with anything added. Many natural food stores have them, or herb shops. The
occasional drug store, too.

Oh, wasabi or cayenne are good, too, but they work best if you eat them...
*G*

Anne


> [Original Message]
> From: Ted Eisenstein <Alban at socket.net>
>
> 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
> _