This article will tell you how to "get" aspirin in the field, namely, from willow bark. As a result, you will get an excellent remedy for headaches and hangovers.
Aspirin, which is sold in pharmacies, is acetylsalicylic acid. From willow bark, you can get herbal tea containing salicylic acid, which is the raw material for the production of acetylsalicylic acid.
In tablets, the content of the active substance is naturally high, which accelerates the effect of the drug. In willow tea, the concentration of salicylic acid is small and absolutely safe. Unlike commercial aspirin extracted from willow bark is a very mild painkiller.
If you have any doubts and you are not 100% sure about the variety of a particular plant, never use it. This can be life-threatening, lead to illness or even premature death.
There are 4 main types of willow: weeping, black, golden-haired and white or silver willow.
The latter contains the largest amount of salicylic acid. Besides, it's the easiest to find. It grows, as a rule, near the water.
Make sure it's a real willow tree. To do this, first, pay attention to the leaves, they should look something like this:
The edges are not wrapped downwards, with a pointed tip, 5-15 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, pubescent with pressed silvery hairs.
Secondly, the bark. It should be dark gray, on old trunks - roughly-longitudinally-fractured.
Thirdly, take a handful of leaves, rub them a little and smell the smell. Remember this peculiar sweet aroma. It will be possible to determine the willow even in winter.
After the identity of willow is accurately established, you can proceed to the very process of "getting" aspirin. For these purposes, you will need the inner bark of the tree. With a reliable sharp knife, you need to carefully cut a square in the bark. Make sure the knife goes deep enough. Remember that it is not the outer crust that is of interest, but the inner one. Holding the knife at one point, gently pry the bark out.
Act in this spirit around the perimeter of the square. Don't pull too hard. If you do this, the bark will fall to pieces, and all the work will go to waste. Ideally, you need to dig this very square out.
Note that the bark is partly white, partly pinkish. Pinkish streaks are just that. What do you need. Carefully peel the square piece from the outer bark.
Do not worry about the fact that you have deprived the tree of bark. This small scar will heal quickly enough and will not harm the overall condition of the tree in any way. However , there are two rules for handling willows:
Otherwise, your actions can greatly harm the condition of the tree, and possibly even kill it.
Put the pieces of bark on the coffee filter. Wrap it in a bundle. Put it on another coffee filter and wrap it again. Fasten the knot with a thread. You should get a large tea bag. By the way, it is not necessary to use two coffee filters, one will be quite enough.
Then place the willow bag in a pot of boiling water. Stirring occasionally, watch the color of the water. It will slowly acquire a reddish-brown color.
After about 20 minutes, the tea should be ready. As soon as it boils, do not keep it on the fire for a long time, a few minutes is enough. Do not forget to filter the tea from unnecessary impurities and solid particles. You can do this, for example, with a tea strainer, a handkerchief or gauze. After that, you can add a little sugar to the resulting drink (optional) and drink. Oddly enough, willow tea has a rather pleasant taste.
The undeniable advantage of this tool is its 100% naturalness. As they say, without additives, dyes and preservatives. Willow drink is an excellent remedy in the fight against minor pain. But it is not recommended to use it too often, since immunity can be developed to it.
Try not to drink more than one glass at a time. If you experience severe enough pain, this treatment probably won't be effective, but it can still alleviate the condition. And the last tip: if you don't have the opportunity to make tea (or just lazy :), then at least just chew willow bark. Everything is much better than nothing.
