# Cough Remedy



## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Since I started preparing my family for the "holidays" as my daughters call it, medacine has been high on my list of concerns. Started researching native medicinal plants and thier uses and am finding that many of those old folk remedies and native medicines have real value and bennifits, some of which work better than their pharmacutical counterparts and with fewer side effects.

One of my best finds has been a cough remedy made from a very common weed found in almost every area in North America. Wild Lettuce is considered by many to be a useless weed but when it is boiled down into a thick black bubbleing nasty foul tasteing syrup, can be used as a very effective cough syrup.

It will also relax tense muscles, help with insomnia, eases anxiety, and my daughters tell me that is the best treatment for menstral cramps they have ever had. It has a whole list of effects but overall it can be likened to having a glass of wine without the buzz.

Here in North Texas we went through the entire summer with triple digit heat and that killed off just about every plant that was not well watered so my supply of wild lettuce is gone until the it starts growing again in the spring and when it does I am going to experiment with making the syrup and canning it for long term storage.

If anyone is interested, I will post directions on how to make it.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I'll never pass up a recipe ... 

For a cough I like raw honey which works very well ... also I'm working with marshmallow (the herb ) tea ...


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Last year I typed up this "recipe", I have placed it in an informal book for my daughters to use, I dont want them to have to start over from scratch if I am not around to help them along.

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Wild Lettuce Syrup

Gather enough of the plant to fill the largest cooking pot in your
kitchen, stalk, stems, leaves and all ariel parts of the plant.

Chop the material up into pieces or run it through a food processor,
keep in mind that if the plant is very big it may be tough and
fiberous. The importand thing is just to get as much if it into
the pot as will fit.

Add enough water to completely cover the lettuce.

Bring the pot to a boil and allow it to simmer for 2 to 3 hours
or until the material is soft and well cooked. The better it is
cooked, the more sap will be boiled out.

Allow to cool and remove the cooked lettuce taking care to squeeze 
out as much of the liquid as possible.

When the majority of the solids are removed, strain out any remaining
particles with the goal being to end up with a liquid free of any
solids.

Boil the liquid down until only a thick black bubbleing syrup remains.
Be careful not to burn it, that will only make it taste worse.

This is the "Medicine" and it taste pretty foul, similar to the old
"CreoMultion Cough Syrup" that was popular in the 50's and 60's, If
you ever had to take it you will never forget it.

To make it more paletable it can be boiled with sugar just like 
you make an ordinary sugar syrup.

A good dose is about a tablespoon, but it can be adjusted to suit
your needs. Just remembber the warning..."Don't drive or operate
heavy equipment while taking this medacine".

The effects can be likened to drinking a glass of wine without
geting the buzz. It relaxes muscles, eases coughs, helps
with insomnia, eases anxiety and my daughters tell me that it is
the best treatment they have ever had for menstral cramps.


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I have also been checking up on the "Mallows", I dont have access to Marshmallow, but I do have and have gown the "White Swamp Mallow" in my garden for years. With the hot weather we had this year it didnt flower so I just left it to struggle along in hopes that it will make some seed before it dies back for he winter.


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

hmmm, sounds like a great natural remedy.

Where does one find wild lettuce?


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

It is pretty common around here(North Texas), it will grow just about anywhere there is dirt and water. It can be found in yards, along the sides of roads, fence rows, or hedge rows.

It is so common it can really be found just about anywhere. I posted the same recipe along with a picture of the plant at another site:

Disaster Preparedness and Awareness Blog

I made several other plant related post there so just page down until you find the Wild Lettuce Syrup entry, the picture is there. I have been to your neck of the woods but I dont know enough about the area to tell you more about how/where to find it there. Once you see the picure you will probobly will not have a problem recognizing it.


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