Plantain Stories

Bites, including spider, snake, scorpion and yellow jackets, and the use of Plantain on each, has been a popular topic on our Community Board (see http://www.snh.cc/Community.html for more information on our Community Board). In today's article we have some of the stories shared on that board:

Dr Christopher makes a Stings and Bites ointment. I can testify to its usage. Its main ingredient is plantain, so if you have some of just that, them bruise the leaves and place on the bite. I recommend having the Stings and Bites with you at all times.

We have black widows, brown spiders, and many other nasties here. Something bit my foot one night before a hike. It quickly swelled up and had a red streak going toward my ankle. I quickly applied the ointment, a big glob of it, put on a sock and went to bed. It was fine the next morning.

Before another hike I was leading, something bit my foot at night. I didn't think anything of it, just felt like a small irritation, but within about 2-4 min, it started to hurt! and burn and a red streak formed! I went to the kitchen for the Stings and Bites formula (plantain ointment) and applied it on about 1/2 inch thick to the entire area. I then took my tincture of Echinacea and drank about 2 oz. After 15 min, I drank about 2 oz more. By now the pain had subsided and the ointment needed to be reapplied, I again applied it thick. I drank another 1-2 oz of Echinacea and reapplied the ointment, gauzed and placed a sock over and went to bed. In the morning all was fine. I also had applied the Echinacea to the bite/sting, but I can't remember if it was before or after the plantain.

I decided to take the ointment with me the next day on the hike. When we had finished, a lady started scratching her elbow furiously, she also had lots of red. I took out my ointment and applied. Within 1-2 min, her crazy itching was gone and she was fine.

One more, a little boy was bit by something; the parents just did the normal Cortizone and Benadryl before bed. The next morning his toe was swollen and red, they suspected a wolf spider they found after he went to sleep. I applied the paste to that as well as a rash he had. I reapplied 2 hours later. All was fine. I didn't do the Echinacea on him, the rash did stay slightly for 1 week, but it was nothing to worry about.

Stories posted by Community member: livingforj

One time I was bitten by a yellow jacket (wasp) I put on a formula that contained plantain it was not the 1st ingredient as that was all I had. I had no pain after application and the swelling and redness drastically reduced.

Story posted by Community member: mike cmt ch

We had a horse fall in our creek and get stuck in the mud last Monday and while my family and friends help to pull him out, I, who was barefoot because of the mud, got bit by a spider. I did not find out till the next afternoon when it felt like I had a nasty splinter in it. I looked at it, saw it was infected with pus and thinking it's a sliver tried to pop it so I could clean it. Right away I knew something was wrong by the way it hurt and burned. I left it till I got home and showed my mom to see what she said and by that time the area around the bite was turning purple and looking nasty and I had a red line going up my ankle. I had seen that there were Wolf spiders around, but by the look of the bite, seemed more like a Recluse. I soaked my foot in Epsom salts, used Black ointment, Complete Bone and Tissue and applied a Plantain Tincture, and by Thursday it was just a faint pink dot!

Story posted by Community member: HerbalDea