As you become more experienced in working with the herbs, you will find the confidence to create your own recipes. To help you do that, I am giving you more recipes that include explanations of why each herb is included. The categories listed are: stimulants, diuretics, expectorants, astringents, nervines and tonics. Herbs from one category can be substituted for another from the same category. Of course, not all of the herbs in each of these categories are equal to each other as far as their potency and their secondary effects, so a little research will help you select the appropriate herbs from the categories. Just remember to use the herbs responsibly. When in doubt, consult your health care expert.

For the recipes in this section, the herbs should be dried. When preparing the cough syrups, the dried herbal mixtures are generally decocted (boiled). The mixture is then strained. Then the honey is added and the mixture is allowed to simmer an additional 30 minutes. Add the flavoring after the mixture has cooled. (Wild cherry oil is a great flavor addition.)

Herbal BeautyThere are certain types of herbs that are generally included when preparing cough syrups. They are as follows:

  1. Stimulants or activators: A stimulant is an agent that temporarily increases functional activity. For example, a diuretic increases the secretion of urine. If a diuretic is desired, these herbs would be good choices: parsley, watercress, and asparagus leaves or roots. If a diaphoretic is wanted, you could use boneset, yarrow, peppermint or verbena. A diaphoretic is an agent or sudorific that increases perspiration.
  2. Aromatics: Aromatics have a pleasant smell. Some good examples are mints, fennel, catnip, sassafras bark, and marjoram.
  3. Demulcents: Here are some examples: mallow, hollyhocks, Irish moss, mullein, slippery elm, honey, and balm of Gilead. A demulcent is an agent that soothes or softens. It usually aids the mucous membranes.

BASIC COUGH SYRUP RECIPE: Mix together these dried herbs: 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon boneset, 1 teaspoon lobelia, 1 teaspoon elecampane, 2 teaspoons Irish moss, 1 teaspoon coltsfoot, 1 teaspoon slippery elm, 1 teaspoon wild cherry bark, 1 teaspoon yarrow, 1 tablespoon balm of Gilead, 1 tablespoon mullein, and 1 tablespoon peppermint.

Add the dried herbal mixture to 1 quart of water and boil until the mixture is halved. Strain well and add 1 pint of honey. Simmer an additional 30 minutes. Cool and add flavoring if desired.

Now, let’s look at the ingredients more closely and see why we are using these particular herbs in this cough syrup.

Thyme has antispasmodic properties. This makes it effective to use for coughs and colds. The tendency of the herb to branch out as it grows is the signature of the plant. In this way, it relates to the “branches” found in the bronchial, alimentary and urinary systems.

Lobelia is an expectorant, so it is good to use in cough syrups. It is also called asthma weed. It is prominent in remedies for treatment of asthma and bronchial disorders. The signature is the swollen seed capsules. They swell when it is time to collect them. The swollen seeds are indicators for all swellings and sprains, or for swollen conditions related to wet colds or chest ailments. Use the herb externally in a hot compress for swelling injuries or for sprains.

Elecampane is used because of its soothing properties. It was one of the main ingredients in a cough syrup recipe that comes to us from the Native American tradition. Here is the recipe: Make a cough syrup by combining 1 /2 pound each of elecampane root, spikenard root, and comfrey root. Mash the roots well and add them to a gallon of water. Boil the liquid until it is reduced by half and add 1 /2 pint each of brandy and honey. Simmer an additional 30 minutes. The dose would be 1 teaspoon every hour (or as needed).

Elecampane’s yellow flowers are one of the plant’s signatures. They signify that the herb is useful to the urinary system. In this case, elecampane helps induce urination, which is very useful when you have a cold. It helps you flush the toxins out of your body’s system.

Coltsfoot is also called coughwort. The ancient Romans called it tussilago, which means cough plant. The principle active ingredient in coltsfoot is a throat-soothing mucilage. At one time coltsfoot was used as a tobacco for asthmatics. But studies have shown that the mucilage is destroyed by burning and so coltsfoot really has no therapeutic value as a tobacco. The herb’s signature is that when its leaves are pressed together, they stay together. This led early herbalists to believe that the herb’s active substance would stick to the toxins in the body. After that substance attaches itself to the toxins, the toxins can then be removed through the urinary tract. This is also true of horehound and sage. Both can be substituted for coltsfoot. The flowers of coltsfoot are yellow; this signifies that the herb is also diuretic in nature.

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