Directions for Black Salve

Black salve often refers interchangeably to two very different compounds. The remedy called simply black salve, a Native American medicine made from the bloodroot plant, treats skin cancers, skin tags and other skin ailments. Black drawing salve, or just drawing salve, consists of a shale petroleum product called ichthammol along with soothing antiseptic herbs. Some drawing salves contain with pine tar instead of the ichthammol. Use these salves carefully to reap their many health benefits.

Black Salve or Blood Root

• Black salve with bloodroot and zinc chloride, a caustic substance, can cause extensive damage when used improperly. (See References section: Quackwatch.com). Only use this product under the supervision of an experienced practitioner who has had documented success. Bloodroot is an escharotic, which means it erodes or "burns off" the area of skin to which you apply it. Do not use it for cancer; you have no way of knowing how far underneath the skin the cancer has spread. Simply getting rid of the mole or scab on the skin surface does not indicatea complete eradication of the cancer. Use this compound for skin tags (flaps of excess skin) and warts; apply it very carefully only to the affected area, then cover it with a bandage. Expect mild to severe burning during the treatment. Do not take black salve internally or get it in your eyes or nose; it can cause damage to mucous membranes.

Black Drawing Salve or Pine Tar Salve

• Whether made of pine tar (sap) or ichthammol, drawing salve draws out splinters, stingers and insect poison, along with treating infection and boils. This type of black salve does not cause the damage the bloodroot preparation can inflict. Apply it in much the same way, however: Using a cotton swab, scoop out a small amount of salve and place it only on the sore or entry site of the splinter. Place a bandage over the area. (This remedy will stain clothing.) Look for drawing salve and pine tar salve at your local health food store and some pharmacies, or make your own version according to a recipe found on BearMedicineHerbals.com. (See Resources section below.) Collect pitch from a pine tree (take care not to do this in a federally protected forest). Place the pitch in a clean jar and add olive oil to the top. To infuse the oil with the pitch, put the jar in a electric cooking pot or double boiler filled with water, then heat it until the pitch melts. Shake the jar occasionally to incorporate the two ingredients. To clarify the liquid, strain it through a couple of layers of cheesecloth. For a more creamy salve, add beeswax. Purchase the shale, or ichthammol, type of black drawing salve online or from your local health food store.