The Simplicity of Herbal Health
Oakwell Classes
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Mullein
Hanging in one of my rooms, I have an Indian ceremonial pipe. I packed it with powdered Mullein leaf to smoke at a women’s ceremony that was held at my home. This is not a new idea. Native American’s smoked mullein to assist with lung problems. For years we have been telling everyone that smoking is bad for the lungs but getting the powder of Mullein into the lungs, can be healing for them.
Dr. Christopher talked about Mullein as being great for healing glands. In Chapter II, I talked about healing my Thyroid with it in the formula that Dr. Christopher created, 3 parts Mullein and 1 part Lobelia. This formula was to clean out the lymph glands but works for all glands.
Mullein has been known as “Camper’s toilet paper” because the leaves are very large and soft, sometimes as large as two feet. Even though the leaves have a soft hairiness to them, I would use a leaf from this plant as an emergency bandage.
Fomentations have been made from these leaves by adding hot vinegar and water to apply in cases of “inflamed piles, ulcers, tumours, mumps, acute inflammation of the tonsils, malignant sore throat, dropsy (water retention) of the joints, sciatica, spinal tenderness, etc.” according to Hutchens.
Mullein has also been used to handle hemorrhoids and as a tea it is great for the kidneys.
The top of the second year plant looks like a candle with its long flower head towering as much as a foot to three feet higher than the leaf part, bringing this plant up to 7 or even 10 feet tall at times. The flowers open a few at a time in different places up and down this flower head. These flowers have been used for ear problems by putting them into a small jar and filling it with good oil such as olive oil. The flowers add their bit to the ointment and allow this to heal and soothe the ears.
I would think that these second year plants would make a wonderful torch when semi-dried to use at night. I will have to check this out sometime.
Mullein is a two-year plant so it needs to be re-seeded. This can be done by tipping the flower heads and taking the seeds out for later use. I always have one or two in both stages of life growing in my flower gardens.
A lot of these herbs get really big but they add so much to the variation of a garden. Why would we grow only 5 different kinds of plants in our gardens? We need to create an orchestra of plants. Why just have all brass or all woodwinds, instead create a mixture of different harmonies.
Let Mullein be one of your new plants. And remember that the second year it is going to get 4 to 10 feet tall so perhaps you would like it in the back of the your garden.
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About the Book
Make your own medicine with this step by step study. Herbs are goods that cleanse and nourish out bodies allowing us to heal.
Find out how herbs have worked for other people and how simple it is to be in control of our own health. Here is what some past students have said about this study:
“the variety of information is exceptional.”
“I learned so much from this study that I wish my friends could learn.”
“I came into this study not knowing anything about herbal health. Now I am excited and making my own stuff.”
“I look forward to the next tea. Thank you for opening up a new world to me.”
About the Author
Phyllis Heitkamp, M.H. studied with Rev. Hanna Kroeger, nationally recognized herbalist of
Phyllis works out of her home where she teaches herbal study and preparation classes along with giving lectures at Libraries, Health food stores and Book stores, Garden clubs and Churches in the State of
For the past couple of years, she has been on the board of directors for Wellspring of Newburg, which is an organic farm/Bed and Breakfast/educational retreat.
She has taught classes at LaFarge Adult Education, lectured at
Her book Wisconsin Medicinal Herbs was published in 1999 and is distributed throughout the state of
Her goal is to continue learning about the healing properties in herbs and be able to disseminate this information to interested parties. To continue this goal, she is at oakwelherb@aol.com for comments. To keep abreast of new healing methods as they appear and new ideas in this field. To help other’s reduce their use of chemicals by making informed decisions. The Internet has provided a way to keep past students informed of new information as it surfaces.
I cannot teach anyone anything.
I can only make them think.
Socrates