Teas or Infusions--These are made by pouring boiling water on the plant or bark of the plant and allowing it to steep or soak for a short time ulntil the water cools. When the water has cooled the liquid is strained through a sieve to remove any particles from the solution. Somtimes cold water is used. Infusions are made by soaking the herb material in the water much as you would make tea. Cold infusion is generally better in preparing the herb because boiling water infusions sometimes destroy the potency of the herb. Usually from one to five ounces of the herb should be used with a pint of water.

Decoctions--A decoction is a herbal solution made by boiling the herb in water and straining it through a sieve while still hot. Actually making coffee is the same process one would use when making a herbal decoction. Merely substitute powdered herb of choice for the ground coffe and let the coffee maker create your herbal decoction.

Herbs and health also involve the creation of Cerates. This is when you make herbs into ointments that contain 30 parts of beeswax to 70 parts of lanolin or some other substance to put the herbs into a solid state rather than a liquid state. Herbal ointments are used to treat piles or for treating areas where you do not want the herbal application to evaporate or disolve quickly.

Ointments--These salves are made without beeswax and are softer than cerates and are good for local applications of irritation. The base mixture for ointments is vaseline or cosmoline and/or sheep's oil. The herbal powder is mixed into the base mixture. Ointments dissolve quickly and penetrate the irritated area deeply.

Extracts--These are made by soaking the herb in a soluble solution, usually water or alcohol. After a prolonged soaking, maybe two to three weeks, the herb materials are strained from the solution and the remaining liquid solution is allowed to evaporate by pouring it onto a large flat pan where the water or alcohol will evaporate and leave a thick residue on the pan. The thick residue is the herb extract and is very potent.

Fluid Extracts--These are made the same way as extracts except you do not allow all the alcohol or water to evaporate completely and thus, the remaining liquid is more fluid than the pure extract solution.

Herbs and Health Syrups--These are solutions of sugar. To make a syrup of herbal plants, add simple syrup to the infusion when hot, then bottle the solution while it is still hot. In other words, first make herbal tea and add sugar.

Herbal Powders--Simple mix the powdered herb with corn starch or baby powder to creat health herbs laced powder for applying to irritations.

Herbal Tinctures--Tinctures are solutions of the medical properties of herbs in alcohol or in mixtures of alcohol and water. Take the fresh or dried herb, chop and pound it, add 1 ounce of herbal material- add 2 ounces of water and 2 ouonces of alcohol. Allow the mixture to stand in a bottle for 8 to 10 days in a cool place. After that, strain off the liquid to remove particles and pour into bottles for future use. Herbal Poultices or Fomentations--There are herbal plants applied locally to the irritated area in infusion or decoction forms. Put the herbs into a cloth bag and soak it for several hours then wring the bag out of the liquid and apply the bag to the irritated area while hot.

Herbal and Health Liniments--These are made with the potent extracts of the herbs by combining the herbal extract with an essential oil or mineral oil. The solution is then applied to the irritated area

Suppositories--These are small masses of the herb mixed with beeswax to form a cone shape. The herbal medicine is also mixed with cocoa butter and are designed for use in the rectum or vagina.