# Survival > Bushcraft Medicine >  Mullein - Verbascum thapsus. Tones mucus membranes

## aldankirk

One of my favorite medicinal plants
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*Range*: 
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*Identifying characteristics*: 
A biennial which produces a rosette of large, fuzzy, gray-green leaves the first year, and an attractive spike of light yellow flowers the second year. The leaves are large, oval shaped, and extremely hairy, even flannel like. The second year flower stalk is erect, and quite large, growing up to 8ft in height. The end of the stalk has a spike fully of tiny yellow flowers. This common plant is often missed, but I have no idea how, as it is so large, it grows practically everywhere, and is really quite beautiful.

*Habitat*:
Roadsides, and waste areas throughout the United States.

*Parts Used*:
leaves, stalk, flowers, and roots. Whole plant

*Uses*:
*Wild Food Uses*:
None Known

*Medicinal Uses*:
A tea or tincture made from the plant is used to treat a host of lung ailments. Native Americans smoked the leaves to alleviate coughing, bronchitis, and asthma. I have personally used mullein tincture to treat colds, and asthma. I use mullein in a tonic to treat colds. Taken at the first signs of a cold, this formula has proven highly effective at "nipping a cold in the bud". It has also proven to lessen the length and severity of colds. I use a mixture of mullein and goldenrod tinctures to treat seasonal allergies. During the winter months I used to suffer from nose bleeds brought on by the dry air inside my house. I began taking mullein tincture to remedy this, and did not have one nose bleed over the last two winters. A friend of mine had a severe sinus infection that would not respond to antibiotics. He took a tincture of Verbascum thapsus I gave him, and in two days his sinuses were clear.

*Medicinal Actions*:
Anticatarrhial, Antitussive, Demulcent, Lymphatic

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## cowgirlup

How do you make the tincture?  Care to share the recipie?

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## Woodmaster750

My Grandma use Mullein to make tea and she would also make a paste to put on your chest when we would have a cold. I hatted going to the ranch if I had a cold as a kid. But it would work. She used a lot of the old ranch remedies, but of course she was from the old Spanish school. Hell my other Grandma was Portugues and she was the same way but she would use a mustard steam also.

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## aldankirk

Mullein tea works quite well. I drink it oten during the summer months. I rather like the simplicity of using a tincture much more though.

To make a tincture you need to assemble a few things. You will need a 1 quart mason jar with lid and ring. You will also need alcohol for the menstrum. I recommend using a 95% ethanol like Everclear. If that is not available, you can make do with 100 proof vodka. It is very important that you not use anything of lower proof, as this will effect the shelf life of the tincture. And finally you will need enough chopped mullein leaves to completely pack the mason jar. It is important that you chop the Mullein very well. This creates more surface area which makes for a better infusion into the menstrum.

Completely fill the mason jar with the finely chopped mullein leaves. Next fill the mason jar with the alcohol to the very top. Cover with the lid, and seal with the ring. Now shake the mixture quite well to release the air bubbles trapped inn the leaves. Open the jar, and refil with more alcohol. reseal the jar, and put it in a cupboard overnight. You will probably have to top off the alcohol once more. Give the jar another shake, and put it back into the cupboard. Shake it at least once a day for the next seven days, then leave it alone for an entire month. After your month has elapsed, pour the contents of the jar through a strainer lined with cheesecloth, into a large bowl. It is now very important that you give the tincture a final strain through a fine coffee filter, and place it back into the mason jar. Covered well, this jar will of tincture will last in a dark cupboard for a couple of years.

I keep a full brown dropper bottle in the cupboard to make it easy to take the tincture. I typically take about 30-60 drops twice a day as a preventative. When you are symptomatic, you can take up to 90 drops three times a day. This is the best cough suppressant I have ever used. It works by toning the mucus membranes. Most coughs are caused by sinus drainage. It has been my experience that Mullein reduces or eliminates sinus drainage.

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## wareagle69

good thread, i can tell you that the leaves are an excellent desert ,look up my threads on this plant to learn how

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## rwc1969

I've heard people say the hairs are an irritant both to the skin and throat, but, I have not found this to be true. Anyone else have any experience in that dept? I'm curious to know if I am somehow immune to the irritating hairs or if it is just a myth. They seem quite soft to me and it actually feels good on the skin.

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## your_comforting_company

Mullein hairs don't bother me either. I've used it for t.p. before with no ill effects at all.
As with any wild plant, it's important to do a skin test to check for allergies. I have not encountered anyone yet who was irritated by it.

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## aldankirk

I have no problem with the hairs topically, but internally is a completely different story. As you said, they do make a wonderful TP. I made a tea one time, and did not strain out the hairs. I did that only one time. It was miserable. I could not stop coughing. They irritated the hell out of my throat. I now strain the tea through a coffee filter, and everything is just fine. One takes Mullein to soothe a cough, not create it.

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## Canadian-guerilla

not much of a tea drinker

Mullein means TP and firebow spindles to me

may have to try the desert

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## aldankirk

There is absolutely nothing better for a cough or cold. Or for that matter a sinus infection. I have successfully treated numerous sinus infections with mullein. It beats the hell out of ANY prescription antibiotic. It helps your body heal itself, just the way it was intended. It can get rid of in a day or two what it takes antibiotics weeks to alleviate.

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## crashdive123

> There is absolutely nothing better for a cough or cold. Or for that matter a sinus infection. I have successfully treated numerous sinus infections with mullein. It beats the hell out of ANY prescription antibiotic. It helps your body heal itself, just the way it was intended. It can get rid of in a day or two what it takes antibiotics weeks to alleviate.


I'm not all that knowledgeable in this area.  Do you have a source for this claim, or is it your opinion?

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## randyt

very interesting. Does it matter if the when the leaves are harvested? Or if the leaves are harvested from a first year plant or second year plant? How is the tincture taken? thanks

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## aldankirk

It is a result of years of using the plant, and seeing it function as I have indicated. There are also numerous herbology books that extoll the virtues of this plant. Its benefits are also lauded in the Physicians Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine.

I do not often listen to what I see on the internet or television. I do not typically pay any more attention to something written in books; I believe in checking things out for myself. As I wrote, I have personally used mullein to treat sinus infections. I have also given it to numerous people suffering from sinus infections, and witnessed their almost immediate improvement. This past spring my neice, and one of my best friends were both taking antibiotics to treat sinus infections, neither of which were working. They had suffered weeks before we spoke. I gave both of them mullein tincture I had made, and BOTH of them said their symptoms were gone within a day and a half.

Western medicine and herbalism work on the body in completely different manners. In western medicine they prescribe medications to act upon the body, or to cause some effect, ie an antibiotic to kill a microorganism. Often times they do this in direct contrast to how the body functions. For the past century western medicine has prescribed medications to lower a fever, when a fever is your bodies defense against an invader. Most microorganisms need very specific conditions to live. One of these conditions is the 98.6° F warmth of the human body. In order to kill off the invader, the body will raise its own temperature to create a hostile environment. If we lower the temperature, we keep the invader nice and happy. It is only now that the medical community has come to realize the error of their ways, and no longer work to lower a fever. As long as the body can get rid of its waste, it will not burn itself up.

Herbs do not work against the body, they fight infections and illnesses by helping to support the body, and give it the materials it needs to rid itself of sickness. My internist is from the Phillipines. He believes wholeheartedly that our first line of defense should be herbalism, and that we need only see a physician if the problem cannot be solved by the body. As a matter of fact he said he had not taken a western medicine until he was in his 20's and in medical school. There are centuries of anecdotal evidence to support my "claims", but if you think about it, it is just common sense.

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## aldankirk

I have used flowers only, leaves only, and combinations thereof. I have also used plants from early spring, summer, autumn, and even some I found still green in winter. I noticed no difference in efficacy between any of the batches I have made. The tincture is measured out by the drop. verbascum thapsus works by keeping the mucus membranes of the sinuses, throat, and lungs properly lubricated. This eliminates irritation which can lead to all manner of problem.

As for dosages, for preventative measures I take 30 drops twice a day. I take 60 drops three times a day if I am beginning to feel symptomatic. The dosage of 60 drops three times a day has been highly effective at treating sinus infections. According to the PDR for Herbal Medicine, Verbascum thapsus is safe to use with any other drug, as there are no known interactions.

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## randyt

Sounds good, I'm going to give it a try. Are the drops taken with water or straight? What do you think of using a blender with the leaves and alcohol? thanks

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## LowKey

You forgot this part:
*The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.*

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## aldankirk

> Sounds good, I'm going to give it a try. Are the drops taken with water or straight? What do you think of using a blender with the leaves and alcohol? thanks


You can take the tincture right from the bottle, or you can mix it into a drink. I do not add anything to impart flavor, so I typically take it in a small amount of water. Once I mix the leaves and alcohol, I use an imersion blender to chop everything up very well. While this works quite well, it is not nececssary.

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## aldankirk

> You forgot this part:
> *The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.*


I see you have found my website.

You are correct, I did not add that verbiage to my posts. I make sure it is part of my website because I had someone accuse me of offering medical advice without a medical license. Being as this is not my site, I am merely posting my opinions, and did not feel I had to add a disclaimer. I am bothered that I have to add it to my site at all. After that idiot called me out, I checked with an attorney, and he suggested I take down my site. When I said I would not, he suggested that I at the very least add a disclaimer to each page listing any medicinal properties.

It is a wonderful world in which we live, is it not?

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## hunter63

As I was cleaning up my "patio" at "The Place" today....lots of "weeds" (stuff in my way and I don't know what they are....are weeds), I did notice a good amount of mullien.

Seems that they are in all stages of growth and maturity all at the same time, which seem a little strange to me???

Did pick up some big dry stalks, for a hand drill try......But wanted to come back and check out this thread again.
Thanks for posting.

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## Rick

Uh oh. Hunter is playing with fire again. No good can come of this. (looking up number of fire department)

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## hunter63

LOL, Yeah it's all volenteer around here.....And i'm not sure which township would respond as i'm right on the line.
My town ship is farther by about a mile.....?

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## Brazito

Two questions: Is there a reference guide to convert drops to say 1/4 teaspoon etc?
                       Flower stalks in this area are drying out, still useable for tincture or no?

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## aldankirk

Here is a link to a pretty decent conversion chart. It is very easy once you get used to it. If you have a smart phone, there are also a number of good conversion applications. I use Convertpad on my HTC Eris. It quite literally converts anything you can think of. I find it helpful when I am attemtping to convert mg dosages of dried herbs to drops or ml's of tinctures.

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## Brazito

Here's one that converts anything to anything but not drops: http://www.onlineconversion.com/

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## Rick

> If you have a smart phone, there are also a number of good conversion applications.


I have a very smart phone. Having a smart user is where it falls flat. When I first got it I held it up to my ear and waited. 

"What are you doing?" my wife asked. 
"Waiting for the operator to ask me what number I want to call." 
She just shook her head and walked off. No one wants to help me.

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## Brazito

> I have a very smart phone. Having a smart user is where it falls flat. When I first got it I held it up to my ear and waited. 
> 
> "What are you doing?" my wife asked. 
> "Waiting for the operator to ask me what number I want to call." 
> She just shook her head and walked off. No one wants to help me.


Yeah, I hate my smart phone it makes me feel stupid.

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## Chris

> There is absolutely nothing better for a cough or cold. Or for that matter a sinus infection. I have successfully treated numerous sinus infections with mullein. It beats the hell out of ANY prescription antibiotic. It helps your body heal itself, just the way it was intended. It can get rid of in a day or two what it takes antibiotics weeks to alleviate.


Of course it is. Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Not hard to be better at something that does nothing. 

I'm not sure if there is anything that an antibiotic would be prescribed for that would take weeks to cure either, I've never heard of an antibiotic course for more than 7 days, and the symptoms are usually gone by day two, with the rest of the course needing to be taken to kill any bacteria still in your system, less they evolve and become resistant. 

I'm also not aware of any medication meant to cure the common cold. Alleviate the symptoms sure, but modern medicine has only a few true antiviral medications that actually attack the virus, and they're not wasted on trivial things typically. Your body does most of that anyways, whether you take mullein, or mint, or Sudafed to treat the symptoms.

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