Hello! I'm Hazepaw, Poppyclan's Medicine cat apprentice! Here are the locations and uses of the many herbs we use, along with common combinations, dangers and ailments ! But first : The medicine cat code Our code is one of our most important connections to starclan and it is important that we try to obey the code as best we can. ( please notify me if there is any changes so I can change the code as best we can!) No Mates or Kits: Medicine cats may not fall in love, take a mate, or have kits to avoid bias. Impartial Care: A medicine cat must treat any injured or sick cat, regardless of their Clan origin. Loyalty & Prioritization: The safety of the Clan as a whole is paramount, and the medicine cat must put their Clan first. Half-Moon Meetings: All medicine cats must meet at the place where they meet to share dreams with StarClan. Neutrality: Medicine cats must remain neutral in Clan disputes and politics. Training Apprentices: Medicine cats must train an apprentice to take their place. Boundary Crossing: Medicine cats are allowed to cross into other Clan territories to collect herbs, but should not abuse this privilege. Also , medicine cats cannot eat on the way to they're sacred meeting places with starclan. Now onto Herbs! Herbs are our most common way of treating cats: Alder bark - Alder trees grow in boggy and wet terrain and their bark can be used to treat toothaches by slowly chewing or pressing the bark to the tooth. Aloe vera - green, leafy plant; gel is used to treat skin-infections, burns and small cuts. Large, broad, green leaves. Spikes on leaves; gel inside leaves when broken. Can be found in twoleg gardens. Beech leaves - these broad and flat leaves will grow anywhere with moist but not waterlogged soil. They have no healing purposes and are instead used to carry herbs like yarrow or mixed up herbs . Bindweed - Arrow shaped leaves with pink or white trumpet shaped flowers. They grow almost anywhere. They are used to fasten sticks to broken limbs. Blackberry Leaves – Blackberry bushes grow almost everywhere, and the leaves are chewed in a pulp to ease the swelling of bee stings. Borage Leaves – Small blue or pink star shaped flowers with hairy leaves and stems. It grows best in forests and is chewed and eaten by nursing queens to produce more and better milk. Also used to bring down fevers. Bramble Twigs – If chewed into a fine syrup, they help the patient sleep. Blessed Thistle – Believed to be eaten to aid blood circulation. Broom – Shrubs with small leaves and small yellow flowers that grow in forests. It is used to make poultices for broken bones and wounds. Burdock Root – Tall-stemmed thistle with a sharp smell and dark leaves, which grows best in dry places. The root is dug up, the soil is washed off, and then it is chewed into a pulp to lessen and heal the pain of infected rat bites along with also being used to prevent the infection of rat bites. Can also be used to prevent other infections. Burnet – Has oval shaped leaves with clusters of small flower buds at the top. Usually found in dry, grassy meadows and is used as a travelling herb to keep strength up, but also rumoured to stop minor bleeding on Twolegs. Catchweed – A plant with fuzzy green balls on long stems. It is common in hedges and other low, shrubby vegetation and the burrs are put on poultices to stop them from being rubbed off without hurting the skin. Catmint/Catnip – A delicious smelling, leafy plant that is rarely found in the wild and grows in Twoleg gardens. It is the best remedy for greencough and whitecough. Best to collect late in the day, once the dew will have evaporated so it won’t rot. Celandine – Yellow flower with four petals, the juice is trickled into the eyes to soothe any damage or irritation. Chamomile – A small white flower with a large yellow centre. It can be found in Twoleg gardens and is eaten by the patient to strengthen the heart and soothe the mind. Also given to travelling cats for strength. Chervil – A sweet smelling plant with large, fern-like leaves and small white flowers. The roots are described as being knobby and brown. It grows in rocky and dry ground with lots of sun, and is chewed to extract the juice. It is for infected wounds and bellyache, respectively, but can also be used during kitting to give strength to a queen. Chickweed – Tall stemmed plant with fat, almond shaped leaves. It grows near water, best in places with sandy banks and rocks , and is eaten to treat green/white cough, although catnip is preferred. Cob Nuts – a smooth brown nut with a hard outside shell. These are in, under, or near hazel trees that grow in sunny spots, are made into ointments, but are borrowed by warriors to attract prey for their hunting. Cobwebs – Long, thin, shiny strands spun into a web by spiders. They are all around the forest and are pressed over the wound to soak up, stop, or slow the bleeding. It may also be used to bind broken bones. Rp by
Coltsfoot – A flowering plant with yellow or white flowers resembling dandelions. It grows best in new leaves by waterfalls, but also grows well in marshes. The leaves are chewed into a pulp to ease breathing or kitten cough, as well as cracked or sore pads. Comfrey Root – It has large leaves, small bell shaped flowers which are pink, white, or purple and fat black roots with a tangy smell. It grows in damp, grassy places. The roots are chewed into poultices to repair broken bones or soothe wounds. Some medicine cats use them for wrenched claws, itching, or inflammation of stiff joints. Also eases stiffness in the shoulders when one’s nest is lined with it. Daisy Leaf – Thick, dark green oval-shaped leaves that grow almost everywhere. They are chewed into pastes to ease the pain of aching or stiffness in the joints, but it is also a travelling herb. Dandelion – Common yellow-flowered plant with long, hollow stems. Once flowering is finished, the flower transforms into a sphere made out of hundreds of smaller white florets with seed heads at the bottom which connect to the flower head. They grow almost everywhere, and the white liquid from the stem is thought to be applied to bee stings. The leaves can also be chewed to act like a painkiller. Dock – Common, large-leafed plant with a tangy smell and taste. It doesn’t grow well in the mountains, but it grows best in leafy areas. It’s chewed up and applied to scratches to soothe them, though it can sting when applied. It’s a plant similar to sorrel which can also soothe sore or cracked pads, and if placed in one’s nest, ease the pain of wounds. Fennel – Thin, spiky leaves. They are found in numerous places, especially on dry soil near the sea/coast and on riverbanks. The stalks are broken and the juice is squeezed into the receiver’s mouth to ease joint ache in the hips. Sometimes it is used to help queens with kitting to ease pain without endangering the kits. Feverfew – Small bush with flowers resembling daisies. Has a sharp, tangy smell and small, soft leaves. It grows best along the water and is eaten to reduce body temperature for cats with fevers or chills. It can also heal aches and pains, especially good for headaches. Goatweed – Plant with ovate leaves that grows near rivers, and is given daily to cats with anxiety to ease their anxiety, and it is also given daily to cats going through grief. Goldenrod – A tall plant with bright, yellow flowers that grows well on moors. It is chewed into a poultice and applied to wounds to heal them. Hawkweed – Small green plant with orange or yellow flowers. It’s like a catmint but not as strong. Little is known about hawkweed. Heather Nectar – Nectar found in bell-shaped flowers that are best grown in shady areas. The nectar is included in herbal mixtures to make swallowing easier and sweetening. Honey – A Clan favourite, this sweet, golden-coloured and goopy liquid is made by bees in honeycombs and bee nests. It is eaten, or moss is soaked in it and given to cats. It soothes infections, offers a great remedy for smoke-damaged or sore throats, helps cats swallow other concoctions, helps soothe coughing, and gives energy. Mentors, if they find some, might give honey to their apprentices or kits as a treat. Horsetail – A tall, bristly-stemmed plant with fleshy stalks that grow in any marshy area and is chewed into a poultice, then applied to wounds to treat infection and stop bleeding. Iris – Used to stimulate breathing during the process of kitting, but is also used for kits’ sore throats. Ivy Leaf – Leaves from ivy vines that grow in moist caves in forests, but it is used by medicine cats to store other herbs. Juniper Berries – Purple-blue berries from the dark green, spiky-leaved juniper bush. It grows in places that are not wet, are chewed and eaten by patients to soothe bellyaches, give strength, help troubled breathing, and to help calm cats. Lamb’s Ear – Soft, fuzzy green plant that is commonly found in the mountains. It gives a cat strength. Lavender – A small purple flowering plant that grows in Twoleg gardens, but can also be found in sunny spots with sandy or gravelly soil. It is placed under a cat’s nose and to be inhaled constantly to cure fevers and chills. It is also rubbed/placed on an animal’s body to mask the scent of death. Mallow Leaves – Large fuzzy three-nubbed leaves from a flowering shrub; sweet rose scent. They grow best near the shore, but are best collected at sunhigh when they are dry. They are eaten to soothe bellyaches. Marigold – A low-growing flower that is yellow to bright orange. It grows near water and the petals or leaves are chewed into poultices to stop infection and bleeding. The juice can also be trickled to ease inflammation of stiff joints. ( rest is in comments )
