Class Notes from Lesson 10-6 Constitutional

 Lesson 10-6: Formulating Echinacea MPS Extract

MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDE-AMPLIFIED TINCTURE OF ECHINACEA ANGUSTIFOLIA

Since this is a special plant, with active constituents that have differing solvents, here is an Echinacea-only method of making the most impeccable extract possible.

Percolate as if for a 1:3 tincture, using 80% alcohol, and macerate in the percolator for 48 hours, instead of the usual 12-24 hours. Draw the 1:3 strong tincture and put it aside; this is Extract #1. Remove the marc, add 5 parts of hot water to it in the top of a double boiler, steep over boiling water for two hours, remove from heat, cool down, and squeeze the fluid from the marc, which is then discarded; this is Extract #2. Evaporate this second extract over the boiling water until 2 parts in volume. Combine both extracts to form a 1:5 tincture in which both the aromatics and the mucopolysaccharides are in maximum solvency.

Hypothetical Example. You have 5 ounces of dried root and seedheads; you break it apart, grind it down, press the powder into a measuring cup, and find that it takes up 10 ounces of volume. It will therefore hold 10 ounces of menstruum in the percolator and, as you need to draw 15 ounces of finished strong tincture (1:3) and will lose 10 ounces to the herb in the percolator, you need to make 25 ounces of menstruum. At 80%, that means mixing 20 ounces of pure alcohol with 5 ounces of water. You moisten the powder, wait an hour, pack it carefully in the percolator, set it (covered) aside for two whole days, pour the remainder over the column, and draw 15 ounces of over-strength tincture. Then you remove the marc from the cone (which is passively holding 10 oz. menstruum), add the 25 ounces of hot water (5 parts), and mix them in the top of the double boiler. Boil the water in the lower section, steep the muddy grey gmel for two hours over the steam bath, remove, cool, and squeeze through a cloth. You throw away the tired old herb. You now have in front of you one bottle holding 15 ounces of evil-looking reddish brown Echinacea tincture (1:3), and another volume of approximately 2 1/2 cups of grey, milky, slightly alcoholic soup. Put the soup back over the double boiler and evaporate it over the steam for several hours until the 2 1/2 cups is reduced to 10 ounces in volume (2 parts). Combine the 10 ounces and the 15 ounces, and you now have a mucopolysaccharide-amplified tincture (1:5) of Echinacea angustifolia. The five ounces of dried herb is now digested into 25 ounces of really wicked-looking tincture. This all may seem complicated (and it is), but the good Echinacea you gathered is so damned useful that it warrants this labor and respect. (from Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West)

BAD FORMULA COMBINATIONS PLANTS HIGH IN TANNINs (don't combine plants high in tannins with plants high in alkaloids)

Abies (Spruce)

Agrimonia (Agrimony)

Alnus (Alder)

Arbutus (Madrone)

Arctostaphylos (Manzanita, Uva - Ursi)

Betula (Birch)

Ceanothus Red Root)

Cinnamomum (Cinnamon)

Cola nitida (Cola Nuts)

Ephedra (Ma Huang or Mormon Tea)

Fraxinus (Ash)

Geranium (Cranesbill, Alum Root)

Granatum (Punica, Pomegranate)

Guaiacum (Lignum Vitæ)

Hamamelis (Witch Hazel)

Heuchera (American Alum Root)

Jatropha cineria (Sangre de Drago)

Juglans (Walnut, Butternut)

Krameria (Rhatany)

Ligustrum (Privet)

Myrica (Bayberry)

Orobanche (Broomrape)

Paullinia (Guarana)

Polygonum bistorta (Bistort Root)

Potentillas Prunus (Wild or Choke Cherry)

Quercus (Oak)

Rheum (Rhubarb)

Rhus (all) (Sumach)

Rosa (Rose)

Rubus (Blackberry, Raspberry)

Rumex hymenosepalus (Canaigre)

Trillium (dry)

Vaccinium (Blue,Huckle,Bil,Grouseberry)

Xanthium (Cocklebur)

PLANTS HIGH IN ALKALOIDS

Aconitum (Aconite)

Argemone (Prickly Poppy)

Berberis vulgaris (Barberry)

Cineraria (Dusty Miller)

Coptis (Goldthread)

Corydalis Datura (Jimson Weed)

Dicentra (Turkey Corn, Bleeding Heart)

Ephedra vulgaris (Ma Huang)

Eschscholtzia (California Poppy)

Garrya (Silk Tassel)

Gelsemium (Yellow Jasmine)

Hydrastis (Golde Seal)

Hyocyamus niger (Henbane)

Jeffersonia (Twin Leaf)

Lobelia (all)

Lophophora (Peyote)

Lycium (Wolf Berry)

Mahonia (Oregon Grape)

Nicotiana (Tobacco)

Nuphar (Yellow Pond Lily)

Passiflora (Passion Flower)

Peganum harmala (Syrian Rue)

Petasites (Western Coltsfoot)

Pilocarpus (Jaborandi)

Ptelea (Wafer Ash, Hop Tree)

Sanguinaria (Blood Root)

Scoparius (Cytisus, Broom Tops)

Senecio aureus (Life Root, Squaw Weed)

Solanum carolinense (Horse Nettle)

Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet)

Tribulus (Puncture Vine)

Tussilago (Coltsfoot)

Ustilago (Corn Smut)

Vinca Major (Periwinkle)

Glyconda (Modified) (Glyconda/neutralizing tonic can be mixed with tinctured to prevent precipitation - stabilizes tinctures so the store and keep - and make really bad tasting herbs palatable. On its own it is aGI tonic.)

Rhubarb Tincture..................80 ml

Cinnamon Tincture...............64 ml

Hydrastis Tincture................40 ml

Spirit of Peppermint.............. 8 ml

Potassium carbonate..............16 grams

Glycerine...........................350 ml

Diluted alcohol (50%).........450 ml

Step 1. Dissolve 16 grams of potassium carbonate in 350 ml glycerin

Step 2. Mix the tinctures, spirit and diluted alcohol.

Step 3. Mix both liquids, stirring or blending until KCO3 is dissolved.

Step 4. Add additional diluted alcohol to the total (if necessary) to bring the total volume to 1000 ml. 

Here is the link to the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Course

https://www.swsbm.com/school/