BHM

This herbal combination is comprised of some pretty amazing herbs.
Comfrey Root
Lobelia
Black Walnut Hulls
Mullein
Plantain
Marshmallow
Oregon Grape
Red Clover
Skullcap
Uva Ursi
White Oak
Wormwood

BHM is the best all-around super-nutritious herbal combination. My family has been using this remedy or variations, for nearly all the years of my married life—and that is a lot of years! What do the initials ‘BHM‘ stand for? BHM was formerly known as Bone-High
BHM is available as a tincture and in salve and lotion forms. BHM is also available as a dry herb pack to enable you to make your own tinctures as well as for ease in steeping up amazing cups of nutritious tea. Herbs, sometimes to a significant extent, pull more readily and with different properties in alcohol, glycerin, or water concoctions. Oh, how I love a warm cup of herbal tea on a cold morning or just before going to bed! Because BHM contains bitter herbs many people do not enjoy it as a tea.

The super-nutritious BHM formula contains the same herbs found in the APL (formerly Anti Plague) herbal formula, minus the garlic.  APL is the strongest infection and ‘critter’ fighting formula that I ever come across in all my years as an herbalist! Why are the same herbs in both formulas? Nutrition and nutritive herbs play an important role in the treatment of bone and muscle issues. Since APL is so incredible, nutrition must be equally important when fighting illnesses and diseases.

Individual Herbs

I could easily write an entire page on each one of these wonderful herbs. However, for this article, I will try to contain myself.

Comfrey

This amazing herb is key to this herbal combination. The medicinal uses for Comfrey are so extensive that to do them real justice would take several pages. I will mention a few unusual ones.

Comfrey feeds the pituitary which in turn helps strengthen the skeletal system. Pituitary hormones help maintain the calcium-phosphorus balance which in turn produces strong bones and healthy skin. Dr. Christopher, (an outstanding herbalist in his day) claimed that Comfrey would “cause broken bones to knit in half the usual time.” A poultice made from the root or the leaves can heal even the most obstinate or ulcerous of wounds and assist in treating even the most severe burns (this we know about personally).

Comfrey is a marvelous herb for the respiratory system, especially in extremely serious situations such as hemorrhage in the lungs. It soothes inflamed respiratory (and other) tissues.

Dr. Shook, a great herbalist of the latter part of the 20th century and a contemporary of Dr. Christopher, constantly praised Comfrey in his words and writings. He said, “This is one of Nature’s great masterpieces, one of the most important therapeutic agents ever discovered by man.” Also, “It will cure all curable cases, and in the incurable ones it will soothe, comfort, support the heart, check hemorrhage, ease cough, help breathing, and check diarrhea—in cases of internal injury, broken bones, torn ligaments, and lacerated tissue, it is the quickest, safest and most certain healer.”

Dr. Shook also said, “It does not seem to matter much which part of the body is broken or torn, either internally or externally, Comfrey will heal it quickly. It is a great cell regenerator, as it grows new flesh and bone alike, stops hemorrhage, and is wonderful for coughs, soothing and healing the inflamed tissues in a most remarkable manner.”

Lobelia

Lobelia ‘magnifies’ and ‘carries’ the properties of other herbs into the body more effectively and quickly than when the herbs are used alone.  This is an amazing characteristic! I have personally witnessed these amazing healing attributes many times over the years!

Lobelia is, as far as I know, the strongest relaxant and sedative herb known anywhere. Some claim that it is a dangerous herb. I certainly would not describe it as dangerous in the sense of life-threatening, but it would be an easy herb to overuse and abuse. Lobelia is strongly emetic, so even though it probably could relax and sedate the respiratory system to the point of death, you would have a very difficult time keeping enough of it down to seriously harm yourself! You might, however, feel like death would be a welcome relief from the vomiting and cramping!

Lobelia can remove obstructions and congestion throughout the body and in the blood at a rapid and remarkable rate. An overdose produces a very strong response of vomiting and diarrhea. The vomiting and diarrhea occur because the eliminative organs cannot keep up with the housecleaning that the Lobelia has set into motion. Lobelia is a vasodilator and a muscle relaxant. Coupled with the vomiting these sensations can be alarming! Even in an overdose situation, the marvelous cleansing that has resulted eventually leaves the person feeling wonderful—energetic and relaxed. It takes a very large amount of Lobelia to produce these symptoms. It is not something you need to be overly concerned about. If you take a bit too much, your body will respond with a slightly chilly sensation. You can trust this early warning signal and it will pass in just a few moments.

Lobelia is selective in its course of action. Dr. Christopher often described, in his talks and lectures, the cases of two young men who were similar in age but completely different in strength and constitution. Each young man had a boil forming on his neck. Dr. Christopher administered the same formula, with a bit of Lobelia added, to each boy.  The boil disappeared into the body of the strong, robust young man with a good digestive and eliminative system.  His system then carried off the poisons.   The other young man’s body, very weak and delicate, continued to encapsulate the boil and allow it to grow on his neck.  The boil could then be safely removed.  His system did not have the strength to process the toxins internally.   The body chose the best action for each circumstance because Lobelia is a very ‘intelligent’ herb.
Read more about Lobelia 

Black Walnut Hulls

Black Walnut Hulls are very strongly antiviral and anti-fungal. My favorite use of Black Walnut is to fight ringworm and other skin infestations and sores. It is very effective at killing the “critters” that are causing the problem. It is also an excellent herb for wound healing. Black Walnut Hulls eliminate parasites from the body according to the experiences of many people.

Black walnut offers a great many health benefits. Among them are protection for the cardiovascular system with reduction of high blood pressure and reductions in the unhealthy forms of cholesterol. This herb appears to be nutritious to the brain.    The brain protects itself against a great many substances but not from this nutritious herb.

Because it contains iodine, Black Walnut Hulls are nourishing to the thyroid. Black Walnut Hulls are a significant source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, copper, and silica. Dr. Christopher taught that the use of black walnut would heal tooth enamel, thus preventing cavities and even healing those that had not already been drilled and filled. There are some amazing stories told of how black walnut hulls, added to water and swished in the mouth several times a day, healed damage to teeth sustained in accidents.

Mullein

Mullein is a true multi-purpose herb, with many properties that are useful for many systems in many ways. In reviewing my herbal notes I found such references as “Mullein has a particular affinity for the respiratory organs.” And “Mullein is of particular use in pulmonary complaints.” Or “Mullein is particularly useful to the urinary tract and the eliminative organs.” Or “Mullein is particularly useful in calming and quieting inflamed and irritated nerves.” In other words, Mullein is useful in just about any circumstance and with any body system. Mullein is one of my favorite and most often reached-for herbs.

Mullein tea cleanses wounds, stops infections, and soothes nerve pain. The properties that ensure these uses make it a perfect addition to the BHM formula.

Mullein acts as both an astringent (drying to tissues) when drying is needed, and as a demulcent (healing and soothing) when this is needed. This is a unique feature among herbs.  I add Mullein to a great many formulas, especially kidney/bladder ones.  In these formulas, Mullein acts as a protective agent and guarantees that accidental overuse will not result in further irritation and possible damage. You never make a mistake when choosing Mullein.

Mullein flowers and leaves are used to treat lymphatic congestion that results in earaches, toothaches, and even hemorrhoids. I always add Mullein to formulas for bones and muscles. Mullein acts as a gentle remedy for bed-wetting in children.

Plantain

Plantain is, first and foremost, a ‘drawing and anti-inflammatory agent.’ It is very useful for drawing out infections from cuts and wounds and reducing inflammation and swelling.  Plantain has been in use in many cultures and nearly as far back as records can be found concerning such matters. There are many stories about plantain’s effective use as a drawing agent for spider bites and insect stings. The anti-inflammatory properties also apply to the internal organs of the body when used as a tea or tincture.

Used as a poultice or a soak, Plantain will remove any infection that might be present and then heal the wound in even very advanced cases of infection. It is particularly effective for infections in the extremities of the body. Plantain with Mullein and Poke Root is unsurpassed as a remedy for infected wounds.

Plantain was, and still is, a key ingredient in the salve that we made when my husband was so badly burned years ago (Miracle Salve). This great herb is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and analgesic.  Plantain promotes the healing of wounds almost as effectively as does comfrey.

Marshmallow

The properties of marshmallow as utilized in this remedy are, in part, its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It is also healing for cartilage problems in joints and elsewhere in the body. Marshmallow, with cayenne in small quantities, treats blood poisoning, burns, bruises, wounds, and even gangrene quite effectively.
Use Marshmallow to soothe mucous membranes. Whether it’s irritation in the stomach, ulcers, problems in the intestinal tract like colitis, diverticulitis, or irritable bowel syndrome. Sore throats and kidney/bladder irritations also respond well to Marshmallow. Because Marshmallow is both diuretic and demulcent, it is very powerful in the treatment of urinary tract issues.  Boils and abscesses respond well to poultice and ointments which contain Marshmallow.  Any type of inflammation responds well to Marshmallow used as a tea or mouthwash.

This great herb contains a whopping amount of vitamin A and is very high in calcium and zinc. It also contains iron, sodium, iodine, B-complex vitamins, and pantothenic acid. One of my favorite herbs for anything kidney, stomach, or lung-related.

Oregon Grape

I have a tremendous respect for this herb and have tried to take advantage of its many healing properties by using it in formulas for as many various applications and body systems as I possibly could! It would take pages just to highlight, even with just a sentence or two, each of the many health benefits of Oregon Grape.

Oregon Grape contains several alkaloids and has a very bitter taste.  Herbs known as “herbal bitters’ contain high percentages of alkaloids.  The benefits of these alkaloids far outweigh any complaints about their bitter taste.

Herbal bitters strengthen the digestive tract by stimulating the flow of bile. At the same time, Oregon Grape also has a sedative effect on the smooth muscles lining the intestinal tract.  This herb stimulates the production of bile which loosens waste from the colon walls.  Less pain  results. This action prevents many complications such as constipation, stomach cramps, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, gallbladder disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. If these conditions already exist, Oregon Grape has constituents that can aid healing. The sedative effects help with the pain throughout the process.

Some of the alkaloids present in Oregon Grape strengthen bone marrow and are of assistance to chemotherapy and radiation patients.

Berberine is an important part of Oregon Grape (and Goldenseal) and is responsible for a large part of the long list of healing properties of this plant. Plants containing berberine always show a broad spectrum of antibiotic activity. The action of berberine is stronger than that of modern antibiotics.  Berberine produces no side effects. Effectiveness against strep and staph is a hallmark of berberine-containing plants and usually requires only low doses for effectiveness.

Red Clover

Red Clover has a long history of use as an herbal remedy. This great herb dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The same herbs have been used for the same situations for centuries and in several continents and cultures.  I find this both interesting and impressive! What a great testimony to the effects and lack of side effects of these herbal remedies. The healing properties listed below are only a small, very small, sampling of the great healing strengths of this great herb.

A vast array of formulas at Butterfly and around the world include Red Clover in their formulas.

Like many of the herbs in BHM, Red Clover acts on the entire system through the gentle and gradual purifying of the blood. Red Clover specifically strengthens the immune system. This herb is generally an ingredient in anti-infectious formulas, rather than being used by itself as an infection fighter. Used in combination with Yarrow and Elderflower, Red Clover is very potent. In recent studies, it has shown promise as a way to stop the growth of free radicals.

Skin conditions respond well to Red Clover as do spasmodic coughs. In recent years Red Clover has been used for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and is particularly useful in exerting a protective effect on the heart and circulation.

Interestingly, used by itself or with herbs such as Comfrey, Red Clover aids in the rebuilding of the cartilage in damaged knees or backs where the discs have been compressed. It is one of the truly great herbs for cartilage and ligaments!

Skullcap:

Skullcap has been recognized since early in the 19th century as a nervine.  It was said to have a “deeper” action than any other nervine herb. It was used for hysteria, epilepsy, convulsions, and rabies, as well as to calm patients who had serious mental disorders. Skullcap supports and nourishes the nervous system, and calms and relieves stress and anxiety.  Skullcap is often used for depression.

In more modern times, practitioners recognize skullcap as a nervine with analgesic and antispasmodic properties. Skullcap is useful for injuries and ailments related to bones and muscles, especially in nerve-rich areas of the body.

Notable among the nutrients found in Skullcap are calcium, magnesium, and potassium, all of which are extremely nourishing to the nerves.

Uva Ursi

This is one of the great medicinal herbs. A search of its constituents places it firmly as effective in one way or another to almost every body system, but especially to the various organs of the glandular and endocrine systems.

Uva Ursi is a mild but effective bitter astringent. It can help stop a hemorrhage and tone the uterus after childbirth as well as acting as a tonic to the digestive and urinary tracts.

This herb is useful when kidney stones need passing as it acts to protect the kidneys from damage and even begins the repair of damage that has already occurred. Uva ursi is a mild diuretic, sweeping gravel away before it can clump into kidney stones.

White Oak Bark

White Oak heals damaged and inflamed tissues of the skin, muscles, and mucous membranes. It has antiseptic properties and has proven to be an excellent remedy for gangrene and other types of seriously infected flesh.  It is easy to see why it is included in the BHM combination.

This medicinal plant is a valuable astringent herb because it is useful for both external and internal bleeding as well as wound healing.

Many herbal remedy books talk about this herb as a cure for hemorrhoids.

White Oak bark contains vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iodine, sulfur, iron, sodium, cobalt, lead, strontium, and tin.

Wormwood:

.  Ancient Greek and Roman practitioners of herbal medicine knew and used Wormwood extensively.  As a result, there is a tremendous amount of literature as to its medicinal properties and uses.

Today Wormwood is used mostly as an herbal bitter—a very bitter digestive and lymphatic stimulant and cleanser. “As bitter as Wormwood” is a very ancient proverb. The Bible mentions Wormwood in this context. “But her end is as bitter as Wormwood. . .” C. S. Lewis named his devil/tempter Wormwood, a fitting appellation, I think.  Using wormwood to expel worms might also account for its name.

Wormwood is VERY effective as a bitter herb in stimulating digestion by increasing bile production, and it also very thoroughly cleanses the lymphatic and intestinal systems.

Be sure to use wormwood that is Artemisia absinthium.   The various sage plants that are sometimes referred to in herbal remedy books as ‘wormwood’  act less strongly than this variety. Wormwood is so powerful that it is used to expel tapeworms, threadworms, and roundworms from people and their pets for many, many years. When using wormwood by itself rather than in a formulation, it is advisable to start with VERY small doses as it is a potent cathartic. Overdose would be easy to bring about!

I have never been quite sure why Wormwood is included in this formula or the APL formula. Dr. John Christopher, a man whose healing genius I greatly revered and appreciated, included it in both his BF&C formula and his Anti-Plague formula. Dr. Christopher lived in a different day and environment than we do—much less drugs and environmental poisons around. This made it possible for him to use ‘stronger’ emetics and cleansers than most of us do today but I decided to keep wormwood in these formulas at a very small percentage of the whole.

Because there are so many ingredients in these formulations, there is not “too much” of any one herb, including Wormwood, for safety’s sake.

Combinations Vs. Single Herbs

Herbs, like essential oils, gain some important points in effectiveness when placed in formulas rather than taken separately. As an illustration, think about the ingredients of your favorite dish when cooking or eating. All of the nutrition would be there if you ate each one separately but would it be as ‘good’? Another, and perhaps better, comparison is people working together to accomplish all the intricate details of a complicated project.

And, seriously, is anyone going to make a tea or take a tincture of every one of the herbs listed in even a simple formula, one by one, every day to get the wonderful range of nutrients in this formulation? Doubtful, don’t you think?

BHM-Plus

BHM Plus has all the same herbs as the BHM, with the addition of herbs that are specific to infections and suppurating sores. This is a very potent combination! It is better at drawing out infections than anything I have ever seen on the market—both herbal and otherwise. It is strong enough to handle even widespread infections.

There are truly strong nervine herbs in either the BHM or the BHM-Plus formulas. They work because they reduce inflammation and heal the tissues. The addition of nervine herbs and essential oils always helps with pain and speeds healing.

Butterfly Express, llc, makes BHM Plus available as a salve and also as a dry herb pack.  The dry herb pack made into a strong tea maks an amazing soak.

The consistent application of BHM salve, and later when the wound is healing, vitamin E oil, will reduce any scarring that may have occurred.

Apply arnica oil and take arnica homeopathic internally if there is bruising.

With cuts, wounds, and even abrasions, take infection-fighting herbal combinations as well. Two of my favorites are RC and IF