Botanical Name : Sambucus nigra Energetics : Cooling, moistening Major Properties : Antipyretic (reduce fever), diaphoretic Examples of Uses: Reduce fever by sweating it out Parts Used : Flowers fresh or dried Preparations: Tincture Honey - I enjoy elderflower steeped in honey - lovely taste and easy way to use through the winter Dried for tea - maybe add some lemon balm and rosehips for a lovely tea with great immune boost. Personal Observations : I use elderflower largely to reduce fever if it is getting too high or achy. Otherwise, a fever is a good thing for burning off pathogens. I combine elderflower, peppermint, and yarrow into a tincture for fever. Might cause the fever to rise a bit as it gets pushed to the surface, where the diaphoretic action will also open pores to let it out. That's a very simple answer... This brief overview merely highlights my observations. There is, of course, a great deal of information that you can find on the Internet or in books. Or better yet - get together with other herbalists and share your experiences! Please add your own experiences so that together we can create a more comprehensive overview. As always, if you have a chronic ailment that is not resolving itself or an acute issue, seek the attention of your physician.
