Re: 'What 'wings said :) +++Re: ArrrrGGGGHHH! Re: Making Tinctures- Weight or volume?

>>"The reason the "parts" can't be in "weight" is that's the way the original herbalist created the formula"<<

Ok. I get that you are saying that this is how they were originally made. I think i know where i messed up. i thought you meant when you see the word "part" in a herb book it was always going to mean volume.

>>"As 'wings said, this is more "art than science" (you know, the long forgotten "ART of healing"...science has failed dismally, eh?)"<<

Yes I get that part aswell.

>>>"As I mentioned, it's like baking bread...the same specific recipe will fail or succeed on any given day depending upon the humidity in the area (and how high or low one is located geographically).

If you want to sit down with a gram scale and a Dr. Christopher/ Dr. Schulze formula, and start calculating & converting the parts to "weights", have a blast...but you'll likely end up with different RATIOS than they intended...here's why:

Let's say the formula is for 3 parts Mullein (VERY leafy and light) to 1 part Comfrey Root (VERY heavy and dense)

Those converted weight will NEVER be consistent from supplier to supplier (a cup of dried comfrey root from Mountain Rose weighs more or less than one cup from Pacific Botanicals). All herbs weigh more or less depending upon the humidity in the air...and some will absorb more water from the air that others (the leaf absorbing much more than than the root)...hence what one cup of Comfrey weighed yesterday, might only be 7/8 cups to get the same weight tomorrow (depending on humidity, etc).

But 1 cup of Comfrey root to 3 cups of Mullein leaf will ALWAYS be the correct ratio of one herb to another....no matter HOW much humidity they've absorbed or how different the weight is from supplier to supplier."<<<<<<

Ok. That all makes sense to me.


I just have one more thing to ask (sorry) How did you come up with this info? If his son is teaching weight, than how did you figure it out to really be volume?

Thanks for the help. I like your forum. Keep up the good work!