Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva):
Elm trees have a long history of use in North America. In her fabulous book Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs Gail Faith Edwards gives numerous examples of indigenous uses of this helpful tree.
The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is incredibly mucilaginous, offering many healing abilities due to its demulcent and emollient qualities. It can be used internally to soothe a sore throat, help expel stuck mucous in the lungs, and soothe inflammation of mucous membranes such as ulcers and colitis.
Elm trees have a long history of use in North America. In her fabulous book Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs Gail Faith Edwards gives numerous examples of indigenous uses of this helpful tree.
The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is incredibly mucilaginous, offering many healing abilities due to its demulcent and emollient qualities. It can be used internally to soothe a sore throat, help expel stuck mucous in the lungs, and soothe inflammation of mucous membranes such as ulcers and colitis.
Typically it is taken in tablets or as gruel. To make gruel, place a tablespoon of powdered slipper elm into a pint of water and stir well.Occasionally stir this mixture until it has reached a thick slippery consistency.
This nutritive gruel is an easily digestible food for those too weak to eat normal foods. Slippery elm can also be added to cooked oatmeal.
Whenever you take slippery elm internally also drink a large glass of water. Slippery elm can become too drying if not taken with enough water because it will soak up water and expand. Because of its high mucilage
content, any medications taken with slippery elm may have a delayed absorption rate.
Slippery elm can also be made into a poultice to protect wounds and rashes and to help to draw out infections. To use it as a poultice, mix slippery elm with water until it forms a thick paste.
Herbalist Jim McDonald gives us another use for slippery elm. He recommends adding a pinch to nourishing herbal infusions to prevent spoilage. (For more information on nourishing herbal infusions see page 20.) Slippery elm tablets were popular way back when and can still be bought at health food stores. The following recipe comes from Lesley Tierra’s A Kid’s Herb Book.
Slippery Elm Sore Throat Drops:
• Make a tea of licorice using ½ cup of water and 1 teaspoon chopped licorice root. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then strain. You should
have ¼ cup tea. If less, add a little water to make ¼ cup liquid.
• Put ½ cup slippery elm powder in a bowl and make a hole in the center. Pour ¼ cup tea (or plain water if you don’t have licorice tea) into the hole and gently mix into the slippery elm powder to make a
smooth dough.
• Sprinkle some slippery elm powder on a clean flat surface and roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness.
• Cut dough into small circles – a tiny bottle cap, such as the lid from a vanilla extract bottle, works well. Or roll dough into small balls and then flatten and smooth the edges with your fingers. Make sure all the edges are smooth so the tablets aren’t sharp when you suck on them. You can press designs into each tablet if you like. Set evenly spaced on a plate. Leave out uncovered overnight or for a day or two until completely hardened. (If you live in a really damp environment you may need to put them in the oven on the lowest setting to get them completely dry.)
• Store in a dark bottle or a tin in a cool, dry, dark place. (Mine keep for months, but it depends on how dry you can get them.)
• Suck on the pill so it dissolves in your mouth and coats your throat to heal your throat and lungs.
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