Barrie Kavasch in her book Native Harvests: Recipes and Botanicals of the American Indian said about herbal teas for medicinal uses, “Nature perennially provides a superabundance of flavorful botanicals for beverages that are healthful and rejuvenating, as well as refreshing.”

Herbal teas have been used for many centuries.  Herbs continue to be used in folk medicine and are passed down from family to family.  Herbs can be used effectively, but should be used in combination with an approach to holistic health practices.  It is important to learn how to make herbal teas.  Never use aluminum, copper or brass pots for herbals of any kind.  Always use spring or distilled water.  Warm the teapot.  Put into the teapot one teaspoon of dried herbs or one tablespoon of fresh herbs for each cup of water, and one for the pot.  Bring water to a boil and pour into the teapot.  It is the essential oils that give herbal teas their fragrance and flavor, and they are best preserved by always covering the teapot with a towel while the tea is steeping for between five to 15 minutes. Honey may be added for sweetening, but milk is never used.

Infants: Catnip – The Mohegan Indians made a tea of catnip leaves for infantile colic.  The leaves and flowering tops were widely used in medicine as a stimulant or to promote suppressed menstruation.  The plant was also thought to have a sedative effect.  To make catnip tea, infuse one ounce of the dried or fresh leaves in a pint of very hot water and let it steep for three to five minutes.  After steeping, strain the tea and serve it with lemon and sugar to taste.

Toddlers: Mint – This tea is a refreshing and soothing remedy, good when having any type of stomach upset, indigestion or have eaten too much.  Mint teas have a calming antispasmodic effect.  They taste good, and are easy for toddlers to help make.  Cover one tablespoon of fresh leaves or one teaspoon of dried leaves with one cup of boiling water; steep covered for five to fifteen minutes.  Add one cube of sugar for each cup.

Preschoolers: Chamomile: A lovely tea that is reputed to be sedative and antispasmodic, especially relaxing at bedtime.  Said to be a remedy for nightmares.  The tea is an aid to digestion after a meal.  This is a good tea to serve before naptime, and made the same way you would make the mint tea above, but sweeten with honey to taste.  Make a tincture (Soak herbs in alcohol overnight to absorb the principle chemicals of the plant.)  Strain then use by rubbing on the skin to repel insects before a nature walk.

Bradford Angier in his book Feasting Free on Wild Edibles stated “Indians depended largely on edible wild plants for their beverages.  When the first settlers arrived, and for centuries afterwards as they were pushing their way westward, they followed suit.  If these wild drinks had not been rich in Vitamin C, a vitamin which the body cannot store and which is necessary for the prevention and cure of scurvy, many pioneers could not have lived to open our frontiers.”

NOTE: All medicinal uses cited are examples gathered from a variety of herbal books.  While they may have validity nothing here is meant to indicate a recommendation for their use.  If you are sick, see a doctor.  Herbs, as anything else, should be taken in moderation.