schulze says "The first thing to remember is that making a tincture is fun.
You are going to put your love and "good energy" into making this
preparation. If you are all "nerved up" and in a bad mood, your
tincture will taste like it.
Most proportion rules in the past have been 4
ounces of dried
herb to one pint (16 ounces) of alcohol or 8
ounces of herb to a quart
(32 ounces). Herbs have many varying weights and densities, which
makes this type of formula ridiculous. What I have found to work best
over the years is simply my half to full rule. Blend your herbs with your
alcohol and then pour the solution into a big glass jar.
I let it settle for a day to see where the herbs end and the liquid
starts. You want the herbs to settle at least halfway up to the top of the
f^^ jar. If they settle to less, add more herbs.
If you want a stronger tincture, then make sure the herbs settle to
3/4 of the way to the top; a really strong tincture could be all pulp, like
applesauce. This rule has worked better for me in my pharmacy over the
years than all the rules in every herb book I have read.
You need to use your common sense when putting a tincture
together. Eight
ounces of mullein or red raspberry leaf may not even
fit into a
quart jar, so you have to use your best judgment. Follow my
1/2 to full method and you will never fail.
Common, inexpensive tincture jars are one (1)
quart canning jars.
A clear glass jar lets you observe the tincture as it's "working" and is okay
to use as long as you keep it in a dark place, out of sunlight. Do not use
plastic, metal, or any other type of container that your base (alcohol)
i ^ may react with undesirably.
Pour your solvent over the herbs and seal the jar. It should
be shaken vigorously for several minutes to make sure there are no
clumps of herb that have stuck together.
At this point you can open the jar and usually add more alcohol
or herbs. Once your jar is fully packed, it is NOT to be reopened until the
tincture is done. From this point on until it is finished, it should be
shaken at least three (3) times daily or, as Dr. Christopher said, "every
time you walk by it."
The tincture is left in the jar for two weeks. Start the tincture
on the new moon and squeeze it out on the full moon (Many tests have
been done by Dr. Christopher and myself as to the strength and potency
of tinctures in relationship to the time they "brewed" and the phases
of the moon; in all cases, those made in accordance with the phases of
the moon made the strongest tincture.)
Obviously, most manufacturers of commercial tinctures
nowadays, who use a 3 or 4 day "special process" and
ignore the moon phases, are making a highly inferior
product.
There are many astrological books and almanacs that give the
times of the New Moon and Full Moon, although you may have to
calibrate these times to your local area.
Most herbalists don't get too critical on the time, but go just
by the day of the Full Moon. It is nice to keep a record of your tinctures
as well as your other herbal preparations. I record the amounts of herbs,
where I got them, the amount of base and % of alcohol, the date, and any
other pertinent information. This logging of information could lead you
to making fairly consistent tinctures.
The big complaint the A.M.A. and FDA. have of herbal
preparations is that they are not standardized.
Even if you make a preparation the same exact way each time,
you can't rely on the herbal medicinal properties being in the same
quantity from one bunch of herbs to another. How Wonderful!!! This
is nature's beautiful way of adjusting not only the chemical properties
of herbs from season to season, but also the chemical properties to the
local area for the local people.
We are not all living in the same climate, doing the same things,
eating the same foods, etc. Personally, I would rather experiment with
a dosage of a natural remedy than take any of the poisonous, isolated,
synthesized chemicals the pharmaceutical industry has to offer.
You will first want to filter your tincture well through a natural
fiber like cotton or through paper coffee filters (brown unbleached ones
only.) Laboratory grade filters work well, too. Let's not forget the old
cotton diaper cloth — it works great. If you use a funnel, use a glass one,
not plastic or metal.
Bottle your tinctures in amber glass jars with tight lids. (you can use colored glass or paint the bottle on the outside or store in a paper bag or if a dark cupboard as light deteriorates the tincture)
Laboratory polyseal are good airtight, leakproof tops. I usually put my tinctures in 16oz. or 32
oz. amber glass jars and then pour or mix them into 1 or 2 oz.
amber bottles with glass droppers as needed. A glass dropper is
necessary You don't want a plastic dropper sitting in your tinctures
or you will end up with a nice tincture of plastic.
Always label your tincture preparation jar, your tincture storage
jars, and your 1
oz. or 2
oz. dosage jars to identify the type of tincture
in them. I also include the base used, % of alcohol, and the date of
bottling. An unlabeled tincture is dangerous and can be an unpleasant
surprise"
You can write an expiration date on it 5 years from the date you strain it (but it will be good for up to 100 years he said elsewhere.
Generally one takes 2 dropperfuls of a tincture 3-5 times a day (30 drops is a dropperful) if you weigh a lot less or more than 150 pounds, use clark's rule. (see his
patient handbook on dosing children and animals for more on how to compute the dose. but in this case follow his directions but like if you weigh 300
pounds then double his recommended dose. if you weigh 75
pounds use only half has recommended dose for example.
I would definitely not leave the kidney bladder tea and tincture out as it is crucial element, Kevin, since you cannot get it..,make your own as I have directed, Also do not forget to do his kidney morning drink and do all exactly as he instructs in the video and manual.
Remember also one week you are doing the kidney bladder tea, tincture and morning drink and the next week you are doing instead the liver-gall bladder tea, tincture and liver flush..alternative work on the kidneys one week and the liver-gall bladder the next on the incurables part of the program (you will also be adding the 29 steps stuff to his incurables program..)see his five day detox routines for the morning flush drinks you will be taking in addition to the teas on his incurables program.
If you make big enough batches, you will not need to order the stuff over and over as it does last (the dried teas maybe lose potency after a year or so though)
see next post for more on hot and cold showers