formulate-herbal-remedy
About
This Claude Skill formulates herbal remedies based on Hildegard von Bingen's 12th-century pharmacopeia. It provides plant identification, preparation methods like tinctures and decoctions, and includes dosage and safety guidance. Use it when you need to create a specific herbal remedy or research medieval herbal medicine.
Quick Install
Claude Code
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Documentation
草藥之製
依 Hildegard von Bingen 《Physica》製傳統草藥,合中世紀草木之識與製法。
用時
- 依 Hildegard 藥典需特定疾之草藥乃用
- 欲明草藥於《Physica》之性乃用
- 需製法(酊、敷、浸、煎)之導引乃用
- 需傳統劑量與安全之識乃用
- 究中世紀草藥術乃用
- 欲融 Hildegard 草智於整體健康實踐乃用
入
- 必要:所治之疾(如消化不調、呼吸壅塞、皮膚炎)
- 可選:已知草偏好或禁忌
- 可選:製法偏好(慢性用酊、急性用浸)
- 可選:用者體質(多血、膽汁、憂鬱、黏液),以選適草
- 可選:時令與鮮乾草藥之可得
法
第一步:於 Physica 識草
以疾配 Hildegard《Physica》之草(第一至九冊:草木、元素、樹、石、魚、鳥、獸、爬、金)。
Common Ailments → Physica Plants:
┌─────────────────────┬──────────────────────┬────────────────────┐
│ Ailment │ Primary Plants │ Physica Reference │
├─────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Digestive upset │ Fennel, Yarrow, │ Book I, Ch. 1, 61 │
│ (cold pattern) │ Ginger, Galangal │ │
├─────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Respiratory │ Lungwort, Elecampane,│ Book I, Ch. 95, 164│
│ congestion │ Hyssop, Anise │ │
├─────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Skin inflammation │ Violet, Plantain, │ Book I, Ch. 34, 28 │
│ (hot pattern) │ Yarrow, Marigold │ │
├─────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Nervous agitation │ Lavender, Lemon balm,│ Book I, Ch. 40, 123│
│ │ Chamomile, Valerian │ │
├─────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ Joint pain │ Comfrey, St. John's │ Book I, Ch. 21, 158│
│ (cold/damp) │ wort, Nettle, Birch │ │
└─────────────────────┴──────────────────────┴────────────────────┘
Hildegard's Selection Principles:
1. Temperature: Match plant temperature to condition pattern
- Cold conditions → warming plants (fennel, ginger, galangal)
- Hot conditions → cooling plants (violet, plantain, lettuce)
2. Moisture: Match plant moisture to imbalance
- Dry conditions → moistening plants (mallow, linseed)
- Damp conditions → drying plants (yarrow, wormwood)
3. Temperament alignment: Choose plants harmonious with user's constitution
4. Seasonal availability: Fresh plants in growing season, dried in winter
得: 識一至三草,合疾之寒熱燥濕,宜用者體質。
敗則: 若疾型未明,默選平和之草(茴香、甘菊、蓍),Hildegard 謂其宜眾體質。
第二步:擇製法
依疾之位、緩急與草性,擇相應提取與施用之法。
Preparation Methods from Medieval Tradition:
┌──────────────┬────────────────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Method │ Best For │ Duration │ Shelf Life │
├──────────────┼────────────────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┤
│ INFUSION │ Aerial parts │ Acute conditions │ 24 hours │
│ (hot water) │ (leaves, flowers) │ Internal use │ refrigerated │
├──────────────┼────────────────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┤
│ DECOCTION │ Roots, bark, seeds │ Chronic use │ 24 hours │
│ (boiled) │ Hard plant parts │ Deep ailments │ refrigerated │
├──────────────┼────────────────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┤
│ TINCTURE │ Long-term use │ Chronic support │ 2-5 years │
│ (alcohol) │ Concentrated dose │ Travel-friendly │ │
├──────────────┼────────────────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┤
│ POULTICE │ External wounds │ Acute topical │ Use fresh │
│ (crushed) │ Skin conditions │ Inflammation │ │
├──────────────┼────────────────────┼──────────────────┼──────────────┤
│ OIL INFUSION │ Massage, salves │ Skin/muscle care │ 6-12 months │
│ (oil carrier)│ External only │ Long-term │ │
└──────────────┴────────────────────┴──────────────────┴──────────────┘
Decision Tree:
- Internal + Acute → Infusion or decoction
- Internal + Chronic → Tincture or daily decoction
- External + Acute → Poultice
- External + Chronic → Oil infusion or salve
得: 製法合草部(莖葉抑根)、疾況(急抑慢)、施途(內抑外)。
敗則: 若未定,默用浸——初學最安全而寬容。
第三步:製藥與定劑量
以精度量與技法施製。
INFUSION (for aerial parts: leaves, flowers):
1. Measure: 1 tablespoon dried herb (or 2 tablespoons fresh) per 8 oz water
2. Boil water, remove from heat
3. Add herb, cover (to preserve volatile oils), steep 10-15 minutes
4. Strain through fine mesh or cheesecloth
5. Dosage: 1 cup 2-3 times daily, or as specific ailment requires
DECOCTION (for roots, bark, seeds):
1. Measure: 1 tablespoon dried root/bark per 8 oz water
2. Combine in pot, bring to boil
3. Reduce heat, simmer covered 20-30 minutes (up to 45 for hard roots)
4. Strain while hot
5. Dosage: 1/2 cup 2-3 times daily (more concentrated than infusion)
TINCTURE (alcohol extraction, 4-6 week preparation):
1. Ratio: 1 part dried herb to 5 parts menstruum (40-60% alcohol)
2. Combine in amber glass jar, seal tightly
3. Shake daily, store in dark place for 4-6 weeks
4. Strain through cheesecloth, press to extract all liquid
5. Dosage: 15-30 drops (approximately 1/2 to 1 dropper) 2-3 times daily,
diluted in water or tea
POULTICE (fresh or rehydrated dried herb):
1. Fresh: Crush or chew herb to release juices, apply directly to skin
2. Dried: Rehydrate with hot water to paste consistency
3. Apply to affected area, cover with clean cloth
4. Replace every 2-4 hours or when dry
5. Duration: Acute inflammation (24-48 hours), wounds (until healed)
OIL INFUSION (for external salves):
1. Ratio: Fill jar 3/4 with dried herb, cover completely with oil
(olive, almond, or sunflower)
2. Method A (solar): Seal jar, place in sunny window 2-4 weeks, shake daily
3. Method B (heat): Place jar in water bath (double boiler), low heat 2-4 hours
4. Strain through cheesecloth, press herb matter to extract all oil
5. Store in dark bottle; use within 6-12 months
得: 藥依法製成,草與溶媒比例正,浸提時間合。劑量明,內外皆清。
敗則: 若製過強(苦、灼),減半稀釋。若三日無效,下批增草量五成。
第四步:記禁忌
識安全之慮、藥互作、宜避之人群。
Common Contraindications by Plant Category:
EMMENAGOGUES (stimulate menstruation):
- Plants: Pennyroyal, Rue, Mugwort, Tansy, Wormwood
- Avoid: Pregnancy (all trimesters), breastfeeding
- Caution: Heavy menstrual flow
PHYTOESTROGENS (estrogen-like activity):
- Plants: Fennel, Anise, Hops, Red clover, Licorice
- Avoid: Hormone-sensitive cancers, pregnancy
- Caution: If taking hormonal medications or birth control
BLOOD THINNERS (anticoagulant properties):
- Plants: Garlic, Ginger (high dose), Feverfew, Ginkgo
- Avoid: Before surgery (stop 2 weeks prior)
- Caution: If taking warfarin, aspirin, or other anticoagulants
HEPATOTOXIC (potential liver stress):
- Plants: Comfrey (internal use), Pennyroyal, Kava
- Avoid: Liver disease, alcohol use disorder
- Caution: Long-term high-dose use
PHOTOSENSITIZERS (increase sun sensitivity):
- Plants: St. John's wort, Angelica, Celery seed
- Avoid: Before sun exposure, with photosensitizing medications
- Caution: Fair skin, history of skin cancer
GENERAL CAUTIONS:
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding: Most herbs lack safety data; avoid unless
traditionally used for pregnancy (ginger, red raspberry leaf)
- Children under 2: Avoid all herbal preparations except gentle teas
(chamomile, fennel)
- Children 2-12: Use 1/4 to 1/2 adult dose, depending on age and weight
- Elderly: Start with 1/2 dose; may be more sensitive to effects
- Chronic illness: Consult healthcare provider before use
- Surgery: Discontinue all herbs 2 weeks before scheduled surgery
得: 所選草之相關禁忌皆識,特定人群(孕、幼、藥互作)皆標。
敗則: 若未定,勸用者求資格草藥師或醫者。默為「孕、哺、十二歲以下未得專業導引者不宜」。
第五步:安全核與整合
末核並導引,以觀效並融入健康實踐。
Safety Review Checklist:
- [ ] Plant correctly identified (botanical name confirmed)
- [ ] Preparation method matches plant part and condition
- [ ] Dosage is within traditional safe range
- [ ] Contraindications reviewed and documented
- [ ] User informed this is historical folk medicine, not medical advice
- [ ] Expected timeline for effect noted (acute: 1-3 days; chronic: 2-4 weeks)
Monitoring Protocol:
Days 1-3:
- Note any immediate reactions (digestive upset, skin rash, headache)
- If adverse reaction occurs, discontinue immediately
- Positive signs: Symptom improvement, increased energy, better sleep
Days 4-14:
- Assess effectiveness: Are symptoms improving?
- If no improvement by day 7 (acute) or day 14 (chronic), reassess plant selection
- If partial improvement, continue; full effect may take 2-4 weeks
Integration Notes:
- Herbal medicine works best in context: adequate sleep, whole foods diet,
stress management, and connection to nature
- Hildegard's remedies are not isolated pharmaceutical interventions —
they are part of a holistic health practice
- Record observations in a journal: date, remedy, dose, effects
- Seasonal adjustment: Some remedies are more effective in specific seasons
(warming herbs in winter, cooling herbs in summer)
得: 用者得全識:製法、劑量、禁忌、監察、融入之境。安全聲明清。
敗則: 若用者疑自製,勸初次求資格草藥師製,熟後家中自為。
驗
- 自 Physica 識草,溫潤性相宜
- 製法合草部(莖葉浸、根煎等)
- 劑量明頻次與期限
- 禁忌有記(孕、藥互作、特定疾)
- 安全核畢,有監察協議
- 告用者此乃歷史民醫,非醫療診斷或治療
- 傳效期(急性對慢性)
陷
- 誤識:常名混淆而用錯草。必驗植物學(拉丁)名
- 過提取:煮沸嫩莖葉毀揮發油。用浸(泡),非煎
- 劑量不足:中世紀製劑常強於今日草茶。依傳統比例
- 忽禁忌:孕與藥互作重大。疑則勸勿用
- 以今代古:Hildegard 草乃歐洲中世紀植物。代用或不合其體質體系
- 望藥速效:草藥漸進。急性一至三日,慢性最少二至四週
- 單藥獨重:Hildegard 醫術整體也。藥與飲食、祈、息、時令合用最效
參
assess-holistic-health— 體質察導引草選(寒體→溫草)practice-viriditas— 連 viriditas 以增草藥受感consult-natural-history— Physica 宇宙觀中草之更廣語境heal(esoteric domain) — 藥後健康察與康復監prepare-soil(gardening domain) — 若欲種藥草maintain-hand-tools(bushcraft domain) — 收採與製草
GitHub Repository
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