Winter is coming

Winter is coming... Bright fires, wet dogs, the smell of mushrooms and leaden skies...

Gaeaf yn nhgymru fydd...

But inspite of gathering mushrooms, I'm already planting herbs and medicines for next year...

Swine flu and stable doors - closing ones?

Ah, the medical sense of our lovely health authorities. Not two weeks after I wrote about their placebo campaign, than they are trying a real placebo on Swine flu.

The BBC Has just reported that stocks of vaccine for the H1N1 strain of influenza are to be made available for use by vulnerable patients in the wake of the recent outbreak of flu... that, given, includes H1N1.

However these stocks of vaccine are almost 18 months old! The influenza virus is known to mutate rapidly, exchanging genetic material with other strains of influenza, including 'seasonal flu'. And Influenza has done this before. Lipstitch et.al., writing in the New England Journal of Medicine state that Pandemic Influenzas have historically mutated between seasons. So, a season and a half away, what use is an old flu vaccine for sufferers who may already have the complaint? It is completely meaningless and a gesture to ease public fears only; if they wanted a response appropriate to the current conditions, an appropriate intervention would be prudent. Such as symptomatic relief and antivirals. Or even, shock horror an up to date and thus effective vaccine administered in time, and produced in appropriate quantity.

Sometimes, ministering to widespread public health is more about ministering to the minds of the populace as it is about ministering to the pathological insult.

Hey ho.

Again, this is not medical advice, it's an opinion. If you don't like it, well, bad news.

We all love placebos...

I love slightly inaccurate news reporting... or better yet, that which isn't as specific as it should be.

BBC News have just said on their news channel (I'd have found a weblink but the wording isnt online) that "The government have launched a publicity campaign to combat the 'flu virus". I never knew the placebo effect was so strong!

Sweet Mulled Scrumpy

Here's one that'll keep away the winter weather; try this recipe out! It makes enough for two people/2 pints. For larger group or party scale accordingly.

800ml of Scrumpy (I like Westons cloudy extra strong - can be found in most British supermarkets in a 4 pint demijohn)

300-400ml of fresh apple juice (the tetrapacked stuff from supermarket is great)

1  large cinnamon stick

1 flat teaspoon of cloves

1.5gm (aka quarter of a teaspoon) of ginger if you like it spicy (try with less if in doubt; a goodly pinch is better first time)

1 whole orange, sliced.

Add contents to a pan, and heat to approximately 60 C. I just dabble my finger 'till it's uncomfortable.

Don't let this boil as you'll drive off the alcohol...

Serve in a jug and drink while hot!

It really does warm you up and it's suitable for those that don't like cider too dry... give it to the kids and see what happens. Give it to the adults and see what happens for that matter...

Really good herbs for winter ills

Well, I just heard on the news earlier that Swine Flu is back and wreaking havoc amongst the population, especially with December being a cold month. Amongst the vulnerable, swine flu can be a real nasty and the intervention of a physician is called for forthwith.

However there is hope in feeling better from one of the ills that has eluded medical science... Man Flu. This nasty seems to infect a higher ratio of males to females, and symptoms include: Fevers, Sneezing, Bunged up nose, sore throat, eating of unhealthy food, lethargy, spasms of the trachea that lead to vocalisation of absurdities such as "I caaaat make it in to wowk bowss... I'b dieibg here", a preference for staying in bed or on the sofa whilst showing a desire to prove that masculinity hasn't been laid low completely by the microscopic little shit. This usually comes in the form of making croaky noises at ball sports or action films.

*Note: Whilst writing the author of this post is in bed fulfilling most of the above symptoms

The cause of these symptoms can range from anything from rhinovirus to influenza... aka colds and flu. Most doctors recommend the consumption of paracetamol; painkiller and known liver nasty, consumption of various cough linctus preparations from the pharmacy or honey and lemon. Let's leave the honey and lemon in this prescription and see what herbs can do to help get your man into a suitably restored condition.

 

Winter Ills Tea

This tea should be kept in most households in countries that actually have winter. The ingredients are easy to source from most health-food shops and reasonably priced.  

Equal quantities of the following, well mixed and stored in an airtight dark jar for use as required, or made into teabags (Empty teabags available from Amazon or most healthfood shops; also known to be sold by some suppliers of herbal 'remedies' sold in supermarkets; these are however adulterated with dust which can impede the use of your empty bag!) 

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L. (foliage))
• Elder Blossom (Sambucus nigra L. (flower heads))
• Peppermint (Mentha x intermedia (foliage)

Pour boiling water over 5 grams of the tea in a cup and leave to soak for 15 minutes, covered with a saucer... drink half a cup at whatever tempreature you like 3 times a day. 

 

Honey and Lemon

Nothing at all wrong with this traditional remedy, just use as much of the ingredients as possible; I like a desert spoon of honey and the juice of one lemon brewed in a cup of boiling water.

 

Rosehip Syrup

Always a good one, look up the recipe... that's one for another time and I do have manflu remember! 

 

Echinacea / Antiviral herbs 

These are great things; just perhaps not at the strength some sell them at. I take 5mls of equal parts of Echinacea and Elderberry tincture in a little water 3 times a day. 10 drops? Forget it, that's for maintaining a healthy immune system not fighting stuff off. But then I have been known to like heroic doses! 

That's all folks... be well and stay safe!

*Sigh* It's that time again... This information is not intended to replace the advice of a healthcare practitioner who will know your individual case far better than my suggestions. Please consider this guidance supportive treatment only and check with a healthcare professional if you are in any doubts as to your state of health. They'll be quick enough to tell you if there's nothing to worry about, believe me. If you don't like what I've said, or decide to treat the intestines hanging out of your bellybutton with mint tea, please don't bother sueing the pants off me, I'm a broke student. And the pants is all you'd get; unwashed I might add. And as pants mean the british definition in my vocabulary, the dangers are great if you get them!

First day of clinic

Well, a bit of a milestone on my path to becoming a Phytotherapist occurred on Saturday (it would have to be a Saturday wouldn't it!). I had my first day of clinical training. This is  something I've looked forward to over the last year - I've (it now seems rightly) always thought that actually getting involved in the clinical process is the time that you really start to learn about medicine. 

The thing that really surprised my was not what I learnt or anything else like that... it was how I actually felt about being around patients and hearing their story as individuals; the prime element in the clinical relationship as I see it. We had four lovely patients, all of whom were absolutely lovely... they can say what they want about putting on shows of compassion for patients, but that wasn't needed... they all felt like family members and I was as equally concerned as if they had been.

We've been told time and again not to pick up the patients' problems, that in a way we have to distance ourselves from their issues. This is of course perfectly right. But I've gained a real insight into clinical empathy and had a bit of an awakening.

The closing thought is that, though I would like to wrap up all who come to the clinic for treatment in cotton wool, the insight is that I can't. The goal is to stay healthy, happy and proactive myself so I can make good judgements and prescribe good medicine... that is how (in my case anyway) you help the patients, and that's what they're coming to the clinic for.

I'll certainly hang on to these views... I won't take patients myself for a while yet... but I hope these insights gained in the total freshness of my exposure to this subject never leave me, as long as I'm training or practising in the future.

A time for British students to unite

Hey guys, do check out this blog post on the student protests in London. Whatever your views on this issue, this post deserves a read: http://bit.ly/cGK14Y

As a part time student who only spends about 1 week a month in London at uni, I have strong views about paying extra for a product that I don't think is worth the proposed tuition fees. What I fear is that we are on a slippery slope to a US style system where you end up paying ~$20K a year in tuition fees and leaving uni with a debt of close on the cost of buying a home - before you even start out in life. Admittedly we have a government body who oversee the administration of the student loan system, whereas in the US it is a commercial concern, but I don't believe that money should cloud the process of getting a good education -an issue I have given a LOT of thought to. In my parents' uni days no money changed hands between student and university, and I think this is the way things should be again. If you want to help the economy, let people be educated out of poverty by giving them the tools to serve their society while (if you don't buy my left wing views) spending and helping keeping the money going round.

Thanks for reading!

-- I sent this from my 3 mobile --

The return of the of Calon Ddraig's Herbarium - in a slightly different form

My first posterous post

Well, this is my first time using posterous... looks good so far - thanks for introducing me to this yibble!