HOW TO TREAT THE FLU

You feel feverish, you have the chills, and medication to treat your condition is still centuries away. You shiver in your drafty 1830s log cabin, knowing that your influenza, if left untreated, could be fatal.

So you turn to a Mi’kmaq neighbour, who fights the flu using knowledge passed down through generations. She recommends making a hot drink using yarrow ( Achillea

millefolium), which is a flowering plant that can also be used to stop blood flow, to treat insect bites, and to relieve toothaches. When picking the plant, make sure you go with someone who is familiar with the local flora, since yarrow — with its small white flowers — looks very similar to poisonous hemlock. A tea made from yarrow will increase your body temperature to make you sweat, an effective treatment for the early stages of the flu. Pregnant women, however, should avoid ingesting yarrow.

1. Harvest yarrow. You can dry some to use another time.

2. Add a small handful of leaves or flowers to boiling water. Let steep for fifteen minutes.

3. Strain the liquid. Drink up to three cups of the yarrow tea throughout the day.