History of black walnut

HISTORY OF BLACK WALNUT

by Joel Brian Berry

The origin of the word nut is derived from the Latin nux referring to the fruit inside the shell, the nut kernel itself. The walnut tree's formal botanical name, Juglans regia, comes from the Romans. The word juglans, from the Latin, means "the acorn of Jupiter," while regia refers to royalty. You could actually translate its Latin name to mean "the royal acorn of Jupiter."

Because the walnut shell has an appearance reminiscent of the human brain, the Afghanistani word for walnut is charmarghz or "four brains".

Though many historians pinpoint Persia as the country of the walnut's origin, confusion persists because archeological remains of walnuts were found as far eastward as the Himalayas and to the distant west and northwest of Persia into Turkey, Italy, and Switzerland as well.

The oldest archeological site where walnuts were unearthed is in the Shanidar caves in northern Iraq. Following that find, at a considerable distance from Persia, evidence of walnuts was discovered in a Mesolithic dunghill in Switzerland.

During the New Stone Age or Neolithic period, items found in Switzerland's lake district included walnuts. The Neolithic period began in Southwest Asia from about 8,000 BCE and expanded throughout Europe between 6,000 to 2,000 BCE.

Traveling slightly eastward, archeologists delicately brushed away layers of dirt in Perigord, France, from Peyrat to Terrasson, to uncover petrified roasted shells of walnuts from the Neolithic period.

Mesopotamia, the area that is now modern Iraq, boasted of walnut groves in the famed Hanging Gardens of Babylon about 2,000 BCE. As testimony, Chaldeans left clay tablet inscriptions that accounted for these orchards. These were the earliest written records mentioning walnuts.

From Medieval times up until the end of the 18th century, Europeans were blanching, crushing, and soaking walnuts and almonds to create a rich, nutritious milk, a common household staple. While the poor dined on the wild walnuts, the rich were able to afford the larger, more expensive, cultivated variety.

Toward the end of the 17th century, walnuts along with chestnuts became important staples in France. During the famine of 1663 the poor consumed their walnuts and then resorted to grinding up the shells along with acorns to create coarse, unpalatable bread.

In World War II when families living in the small villages of Perigord, a region in the southern part of France, had little to eat, they turned to their walnut groves for a source of protein.

Native American Indians enjoyed the pleasures and health benefits of the black walnut well before European explorers arrived. The upper Great Lakes region provides archeological evidence of walnut consumption dating back to 2000 BC. Along with eating the walnut itself, the Indians used the sap of the walnut tree in their food preparation. Wherever the black walnut grows, there is limestone in the soil, a good sign of fertile soil. The early Pennsylvania Dutch made a point of selecting properties that had a stand of sturdy black walnut trees on the land, assuring them of rich soil.

The early colonists carried seeds of the English walnut to the New World and planted them diligently where they settled in Massachusetts and Virginia. However, the trees did not adapt to their new climate and didn't even survive long enough to bear fruit. Black walnuts, however, were plentiful and soon became a valued ingredient in cookies and confections.

In the early 1800's Spanish Franciscan monks established missions along the California coast. Part of their teachings included the cultivation of food plants and trees in the areas surrounding the missions. One area that eventually became the city of Walnut, California, was home to the San Gabriel Mission named for the Gabrielino Indians, originally of Shoshone origin. Many acres of walnut trees, originally brought from Spain, were planted here and became known as "mission walnuts." These first walnut trees produced small nuts with very hard shells.

During the first half of the 1800's, land grants of several acres were issued, and ranchos were established. Walnut groves became well established on these land grants by the1870's in Southern California near Santa Barbara.

In 1867 Joseph Sexton, a horticulturist, initiated California's first commercial walnut enterprise when he planted a grove of English walnuts in Goleta, a small town in Santa Barbara County. Within a few years, 65% of all fertile land in this region was planted with Sexton's English walnuts. In spite of this early success, by the late 1930's the commercial walnut business was destined to move northward to Stockton, California, where improved irrigation, better pest control, ideal climate, and rich soil were more conducive to larger yields.

Today, the California walnut has found its ideal home in the center of the state, an area that produces 99% of the commercial United States walnut supply. On the global market, California produces two-thirds of the world's supply of walnuts. Other countries that grow commercial walnuts include Turkey, China, Russia, Greece, Italy and France.

Though the first walnuts to arrive in the United States came from Spain in the early 1800's, the French contributed many of their varieties during the latter part of the nineteenth century.
Creative cooks and chefs of many countries have eagerly adopted walnuts and incorporated them into a multitude of dishes from soups to desserts and even dessert cordials.

Baklava, a well-known delicacy served throughout the Middle East, is a rich dessert made of alternate layers of buttered filo dough and ground walnuts. A final topping of sweet spiced syrup is poured over the top and allowed to soak in for several hours before the baklava is cut into diamond shapes and served.

Though we are most familiar with fully mature walnuts, green walnuts, completely edible but quite sour, are an ideal ingredient for pickles, jams, and marmalades. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, many English cookbooks touted an abundance of recipes for pickling both black and green walnuts. In the Middle East, a sweet syrup is used to preserve half-ripe walnuts, a process that takes several weeks before the delicious confections are ready to eat. In Italy, walnuts are sometimes added to the pine nuts in the preparation of pesto, a thick basil and olive oil sauce served over pasta. The French enjoy their Walnut Soup and relish sauces made of walnuts, garlic and oil, while the Persians favor a dish called Fesenjen made of poultry or meat, walnuts, and pomegranate juice. The ancient Persians made a paste of ground walnuts and used it to thicken soups and stews. During the Middle Ages this handy technique was introduced into Europe. Before the colonists arrived in America, the Narragansett Indians of the Eastern United States also pounded the black walnut into a paste to thicken their soups and vegetable stews.

During the fourteenth century, walnuts appeared on the dessert list at a French royal banquet. The walnuts for this occasion were preserved in a spiced honey mixture that was stirred once a week for several weeks in preparation for the event.

The walnut tree has provided the creative entrepreneur many opportunities. The wood of the tree is exceptionally hard, making it ideal for fine furniture, wall paneling, musical instruments, sculpting, and woodcarving. The walnut wood has found its way into the kitchen in the form of plates and spoons, while the farmer employed the wood for animal yokes and water jugs. Even wooden shoes were formed from the walnut tree. During war times the Europeans made gunstocks from the firm wood of the walnut tree. During World War I, the hardy wood of the black walnut was used for making airplane propellers.

In past times walnut shells served many purposes as well. Pliny suggests crushing them finely to use for filling dental cavities. Imagine shaving with the edge of heated walnut shells instead of a razor. King Louis XI's barber engaged in this practice because he thought it would prevent nicks. To prevent bread from sticking, bakers would spread powdered walnut shells on the base of their ovens.

More recently, finely powdered walnut shells served many commercial industries. The powder was employed as a polish for metals used in the aeronautical industry and as face powder in the cosmetics field. Oil riggers use the powdered shells to sharpen their drills. NASA has even put powdered walnut shells to use as thermal insulation in rocket nose cones. Apparently, the powder can withstand extreme temperatures without carbonizing.

The French have created a fine liqueur with walnut husks as its base, but leave it to the Italians to create Nocino, a renowned cordial made from green walnuts. The recipe originated in Modena, where the unripe walnuts are picked on the Festival Day of St. John on June 24. The walnuts are cracked, steeped in alcohol for two months, and then filtered to remove any debris before the cordial is sipped with gusto.

In past centuries people discovered that all parts of the walnut could be processed to create colors and dyes. Furniture makers and finishers use the husks to create a rich walnut stain. Women developed a beauty secret to enhance their appearance, a hair dye made from the walnut hulls. Scribes made a rich brown ink from walnut hulls. Since prehistoric times weavers extracted a rich dark brown dye from walnut juice, while they used the green husks to make a yellow dye. The also boiled the bark to extract a deep brown dye used for coloring wool.

Before the age of mechanization, the traditional September harvesting of walnuts consisted of shaking the trees by hand using long hooked poles to knock the nuts to the ground where they could be easily gathered. Today, the trees are shaken by machine, while another machine uses vacuum suction to collect the fallen nuts.

Commercial hot-air dehydrators with blower fans circulate warm air to reduce the moisture of the walnuts to between 12 and 20% to preserve their shelf life. In past centuries, walnuts were simply left on drying racks away from the sun until they were properly dried.

LOCATION OF BLACK WALNUT

Common name: Black walnut

Family: Juglandaceae

Range: Europe, Eastern N. America - Massachussets to Florida, west to Texas and Minnesota.

Habitat: Rich fertile woods and hillsides in deep well-drained soils.

Walnuts belong to a family that includes the pecan and hickory pecan. There are three main varieties of walnut trees, the most familiar variety being Juglans regia, known as the Persian or English walnut. For the past two centuries its main growing region has been North America, specifically California. Southeastern Europe also grows many varieties of the English walnut which is also cultivated from Turkey to the Himalayas and even reaching into China. This variety grows to a height of 40 to 60 feet high and has a lifespan of about 60 years or more.

Juglans nigra, or the Black Walnut, grows mainly in the Eastern and Central United States, from New England to Minnesota and Nebraska, and south to the Gulf of Mexico. The black walnut can grow to a height of 150 feet, with the nuts bearing a more rounded shape. Though the tree is grown mainly for lumber, there is a minor industry in harvesting the nuts because of their distinctive, rich, and oily flavor that is valued for baking, candy-making, and preparing black walnut ice cream. The black walnut tree is known to be a centenarian, living for 100 years or longer.

All walnut trees are deciduous and grow well in temperate zones if sheltered from extreme cold and strong wind. They thrive best in deep, fertile soil free of alkali and should not be planted closer than 60 to 70 feet apart. The trees will grow easily on mountainsides up to an altitude of 3,000 ft.

Walnut groves must be irrigated frequently because the trees require an abundance of water to produce nut kernels that are moist and well developed. However, it is also necessary to provide good drainage. Deep watering in the winter is important.

In Europe the trees grow to a height of 60 to 85 feet with a typical trunk circumference of 3 feet. One farmer recorded a circumference of 16 feet in a farmers' almanac. In the United States walnut trees can grow to a height of 20 feet in 6 to 8 years and finally reach about 90 to 100 feet when mature.

Each tree produces both male and female flowers that bloom in April and May, about the same time the leaves begin to appear. Though the trees self-pollinate, most growers will plant one or two other varieties in the grove for optimum cross-pollination.

In the United States, California's Sacramento Valley is the center of walnut production, whereas in France, Perigord is known for its abundance of walnut groves that were thriving well before 1657.

Throughout Europe the two varieties of walnut are the Juglans regia, the familiar commercial walnut, and the black walnut, Juglans nigra. The English walnuts reach maturity in the early fall when the husks split open. The black walnut and the butternut also mature in the fall season.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF BLACK WALNUT

The black walnut contains a number of active ingredients, of which the most important are juglone, tannins and iodine. Juglone is a brown constituent of the black walnut hull, leafs, bark and even roots. It is called a phytotoxic allelochemical. Phytotoxic means that it kills plants, and allelochemical means that the black walnut tree produces this chemical to keep other plants from growing around it. You may have noticed that vegetation under black walnut trees is rather scarce, and this is the reason. Since yeast and fungus in humans are also plants, it has been conjectured that it will work against fungus as well and it has been described as an anti-fungal in many herbal reference books.

Chemical Constituent Comparative Scale
Very Low Low Average High
Magnesium (44 mg) Total Ash (2.9%) Aluminum (23.1 mg) Calories (363)
Vit A (s100 IU) Calcium (309 mg) Carbohydrates (82.1%) Crude Fiber (16.2%
Vit C (0) Manganese (2.36 gm) Chromium (0.9 mg) Fat (5.2%)
Zinc (trace) Niacin (0.7 mg) Cobalt (3.6 mg) Iron (45.5mg)
Phosphorus (107 mg) Silicon (2.22 mg) Potassium (1490 mg)
Protein (9.8%) Tin (1.2 mg) Selenium (2.99 mg)
Riboflavin (0.1 mg)
Sodium (13 mg)
Thiamine (0.2 mg)

MEDICINAL QUALITIES OF BLACK WALNUT

In one region of southern France known as Perigord the long-standing traditional diet is very high in fried foods, rich meats, and fatty patés. Yet, the people suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. At first medical experts explained this phenomenon by attributing this miracle to the red wine they drink. Red wine is known for its superior antioxidants to protect the heart. Yet, the residents of this region didn't drink any more red wine than those in other parts of Europe. Closer examination revealed that their daily green salads were dressed with walnut oil and chopped walnuts, helping to lower their levels of LDL and overall cholesterol in the bloodstream.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 1994, showed that those whose diets included nuts, either walnuts or almonds, were able to lower their LDL cholesterol by 9 to 10%.

Another study that appeared in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 1995, found that walnuts could also diminish the extent of heart damage after a heart attack.

From ancient times through the nineteenth century herbalists prescribed the walnut, the bark, the roots, and the leaves as an astringent, a laxative, a purgative to induce vomiting, a styptic to stop bleeding, a vermifuge to expel worms or parasites, and a hepatic to tone the liver. The walnut served to induce sweating, cure diarrhea, soothe sore gums and skin diseases, cure herpes, and relieve inflamed tonsils. The nut itself was used to prevent weight gain, calm hysteria, eliminate morning sickness, and to strengthen one's constitution. The hulls were boiled and used to treat head and body lice, herpes, intestinal parasites and worms, skin diseases, and liver ailments. The leaf was decocted to cure boils, eczema, hives, ulcers, and sores.

Even the walnut oil was employed as a medicinal aid. It was first diluted before it was used to treat colic, dandruff, dry hair, gangrene, and open wounds, while the green rind of the walnut was used to treat ringworm.

Alterative; Anodyne; Anti-inflammatory; Astringent; Blood purifier; Blood tonic; Detergent; Emetic; Laxative; Pectoral; Vermifuge.

The juice from the fruit husk is applied externally as a treatment for ringworm. The husk is chewed in the treatment of colic and applied as a poultice to inflammations.

The bark and leaves are alterative, anodyne, astringent, blood tonic, detergent, emetic, laxative, pectoral and vermifuge. Especially useful in the treatment of skin diseases, black walnut is of the highest value in curing scrofulous diseases, herpes, eczema etc. An infusion of the bark is used to treat diarrhea and also to stop the production of milk, though a strong infusion can be emetic. The bark is chewed to allay the pain of toothache and it is also used as a poultice to reduce the pain of headaches.

A tea made from the leaves is astringent. An infusion has been used to lower high blood pressure. It can be used as a cleansing wash. The pulverized leaves have been rubbed on the affected parts of the body to destroy ringworm. The sap has been used to treat inflammations. Nuts are a highly concentrated form of excellent nutrition; however, it's important to stress that they ought to be eaten in moderation. Because walnuts, like other nuts, are high in fats, it's important to note they are also high in calories.

While one-fourth cup of raw, unsalted walnuts contains 180 calories, be aware they contain 18 grams of fat, 1.5 grams saturated. The fat in walnuts is mostly polyunsaturated. If you are watching the fat, you can calculate your fat intake by dividing the 77% of calories from fat by the 180 calories to learn that a one-fourth cup serving contains 43% fat. That percentage may sound high, but it should not discourage a healthy person from gaining nutritional benefits from eating walnuts in small quantities.

Walnuts are rich in protein, providing 7 grams for that same one-fourth cup, 2 grams of fiber, and only 7 grams of carbohydrates. Walnuts can be considered a super food because they contain a full complement of vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and folic acid. They also contain a wealth of minerals, such as iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

Walnuts contain Vitamin E-alpha, beta, delta and gamma-tocopherol, making it exceptionally high in antioxidants.

Nutritionists tell us that Omega 3 fatty acids are found in only a few plant food sources, yet are essential to a healthy body. In a 2,000-calorie diet, 3 tablespoons of walnuts will provide our daily requirement of these Omega 3 fatty acids.

CONTRA-INDICATIONS OF BLACK WALNUT

No known health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages.

Those superstitions about not being able to grow anything in the soil surrounding the walnut tree actually have truth and reason to back them up. The tree's roots tend to secrete juglone, a poisonous substance, into the soil that actually poisons some plants growing near the trees. Horticulturists recommend not planting tomatoes, rhododendrons and azaleas within 80 feet of any walnut tree.

Black Walnut Toxicity to Plants, Humans and Horses

HYG-1148-93
Richard C. Funt
Jane Martin


The roots of Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) and Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) produce a substance known as juglone (5-hydroxy-alphanapthaquinone). Persian (English or Carpathian) walnut trees are sometimes grafted onto black walnut rootstocks. Many plants such as tomato, potato, blackberry, blueberry, azalea, mountain laurel, rhododendron, red pine and apple may be injured or killed within one to two months of growth within the root zone of these trees. The toxic zone from a mature tree occurs on average in a 50 to 60 foot radius from the trunk, but can be up to 80 feet. The area affected extends outward each year as a tree enlarges. Young trees two to eight feet high can have a root diameter twice the height of the top of the tree, with susceptible plants dead within the root zone and dying at the margins.

Not all plants are sensitive to juglone. Many trees, vines, shrubs, groundcovers, annuals and perennials will grow in close proximity to a walnut tree. Certain cultivars of "resistant" species are reported to do poorly. Black walnut has been recommended for pastures on hillsides in the Ohio Valley and Appalachian mountain regions. Trees hold the soil, prevent erosion and provide shade for cattle. The beneficial effect of black walnut on pastures in encouraging the growth of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and other grasses appears to be valid as long as there is sufficient sunlight and water.

Gardeners should carefully consider the planting site for black walnut, butternut, or persian walnut seedlings grafted to black walnut rootstock, if other garden or landscape plants are to be grown within the root zone of mature trees. Persian walnut seedlings or trees grafted onto Persian walnut rootstocks do not appear to have a toxic effect on other plants.

Horses may be affected by black walnut chips or sawdust when they are used for bedding material. Close association with walnut trees while pollen is being shed (typically in May) also produce allergic symptoms in both horses and humans. The juglone toxin occurs in the leaves, bark and wood of walnut, but these contain lower concentrations than in the roots. Juglone is poorly soluble in water and does not move very far in the soil.

Walnut leaves can be composted because the toxin breaks down when exposed to air, water and bacteria. The toxic effect can be degraded in two to four weeks. In soil, breakdown may take up to two months. Black walnut leaves may be composted separately, and the finished compost tested for toxicity by planting tomato seedlings in it. Sawdust mulch, fresh sawdust or chips from street tree prunings from black walnut are not suggested for plants sensitive to juglone, such as blueberry or other plants that are sensitive to juglone. However, composting of bark for a minimum of six months provides a safe mulch even for plants sensitive to juglone.

KNOWN HERBAL FORMULAS OF BLACK WALNUT

Decoction: soak 2 teaspoons of herb in 1 cup of water, boil and strain.

Infusion: prepare by using 1.5 g of finely cut herb, soak in cold water, bring to a simmer and strain after 3-5 minutes.

Tincture: Fill container 2/3rds full of herb and fill with 100 proof grain alcohol.

Anti-obese formula: 6 parts Chickweed, 4 parts Saffron, 3 parts Burdock, 3 parts Parsley Rt., 3 parts Kelp, 2 parts Echinacea, 2 parts Black Walnut, 2 parts Licorice, 3 parts Fennel, 2 parts Papaya & 1 part Hawthorn berries.

Prolapse Formula: 6 parts Oak bark, 3 parts Mullein herb, 4 parts Yellow dock rt., 3 parts Walnut bark or leaves, 6 parts comfrey rt., 1 part Lobelia & 3 parts Marshmallow rt.

Bone, flesh and cartilage formula: 6 parts Oak bark, 3 parts Marshmallow rt., 3 parts Mullein herb, 2 parts Wormwood, 1 part Lobelia, 1 part Skullcap, 6 parts Comfrey rt., 3 parts Walnut bark or leaves, & 3 parts Gravel rt.

Arthritis-rheumatism formula: 4 parts Brigham herb, 6 parts Hydrangea rt., 4 parts Yucca, 4 parts Chaparral, 1 part Lobelia, 1 part Burdock rt., 1 part Sarsaparilla, 1 part Wild lettuce, 1 part Valerian rt., 1 part Wormwood, 1 part Cayenne, 1 part Black cohosh & 3 parts Black walnut.

Infection formula: 4 parts Plantain, 4 parts Black walnut, 4 parts Golden seal rt., 2 parts Bugle weed, 1 part Marshmallow rt. & 1 part Lobelia.

DOSAGES AND APPLICATIONS OF BLACK WALNUT

The walnut consists of three distinct parts. The edible portion, known as the kernel or fruit of the nut, is actually the seed of the walnut tree. It has two lobes. The inner part of the lobe is ivory colored and is covered by a thin brown skin that is firmly attached.

The shell, called the endocarp, is a very hard material made up of two distinct halves firmly sealed together. The shell is light brown in color and has an appearance reminiscent of the convolutions of the human brain. An inedible, thin, cellulose-like membrane separates the two lobes of the walnut inside the shell.

The husk, called the pericarp, covers the shell with a soft, fleshy, green skin that protects the walnut. When fully mature the husk is about two inches in diameter. Not commonly known, is that the very immature green husk is edible. At this stage the shell and the nut have not hardened and both are also edible, though they taste quite sour.

Toasting

To enhance the flavor of walnuts, toast them lightly. Simply put a cup or two of walnut halves or pieces into a deep, non-stick open skillet over high heat on the stovetop. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly for one to two minutes, taking care not to burn the nuts. Immediately pour them out onto a dish to cool. If left in the skillet, the residual heat may burn them.

Cracking

Removing English walnuts from their husks and shells is rarely a problem. Almost any nutcracker will do. Though they are seldom used today, a nut pick can be quite handy for pulling the walnut out from its shell.

Chopping

Chopping nuts can be done in the food processor using the pulse-chop method. If you only have a few nuts to chop, simply break them up by hand. If you want coarsely ground walnuts, use a nut mill, an item that may be available in kitchen shops.

Walnut Oil

Though the walnut oil was used for many purposes, the first pressing of the walnut kernel was highly prized by chefs for its lightness and delicate flavor. High in polyunsaturates, walnut oil is also rich in gamma-tocopherol, a form of Vitamin E considered nutritionally superior. Since it is so high in antioxidants, the gamma-tocopherol protects the oil from becoming rancid quickly.

In France during the eighteenth century, before walnuts were pressed into oil, they were stored for two to three months to cure. To extract walnut oil, the nuts were first crushed into a paste. The most highly valued oils were achieved by heating the paste delicately to bring out the best flavor of the nuts. Next, the nuts were pressed to extract the oil. Oil could also be extracted from walnuts without heating, but heating was preferred, resulting in exceptional flavor. It takes about four pounds (approximately 2 kilograms) of nuts to press out a scant quart (a liter) of oil.

Aside from the delicacies of the table, walnut oil served rather diverse purposes. The ancient Egyptians used the oil in the embalming of their mummies. Parts of Europe where walnuts were plentiful used a lower quality of the oil to light their oil lamps. In nineteenth century France walnut oil was used in the church as holy oil.

European artists favored walnut oil as a paint medium to be mixed with pigment. In fact, many of the French impressionists preferred it to poppy and linseed oils that actually surpassed it in quality. The paintings of Monet, Pissaro, and Cezanne carry traces of walnut oil as shown by chemical analysis.

Using Walnut Oil

All vegetable oils are high in calories, and all should be used sparingly. Walnut oil contains 260 calories per ounce. One tablespoon contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat. Use small amounts as a salad dressing or drizzle delicately over steamed vegetables.

Mode of Administration: Comminuted drug for decoctions and other galenic preparations for external use.

Preparation: To prepare a decoction, soak 2 teaspoons of herb in 1 cup of water, boil and strain. An infusion is prepared by using 1.5 g of finely cut herb, soak in cold water, bring to simmer and strain after 3-5 minutes.

Daily Dosage: The average daily dose for external use 3-6 g of herb.

BLACK WALNUT - PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

After reading and also watching the Dr. John R. Christopher videos the very first herbal preparation I ever made was the Black walnut tincture. I had developed a severe rash on both legs from the knees down as a result of working with lead, copper, and nickel for many years.

The rash was so bad that I scratched it all the time and most every day my socks would have blood on them. I was hoping the Walnut tincture applied to my legs would cure the rash, I didn’t realize at that time in my life that the problem needed treated from the inside.

The Walnut tree is plentiful here in central Ohio and I didn’t have to travel out side the yard to obtain the walnuts. I removed the hulls and soaked them in Vodka and eventually strained the fluid to make my very first tincture.

I painted my legs from the knees downward and the itch temporary was stopped, my legs stained black from the iodine. The next day the itch was back, so not knowing any better I decided to paint my legs again, this turned out to be a huge mistake. I didn’t know that the skin had been killed and new skin already starting under the surface.

When the second coating of Walnut tincture soaked through the dead skin and came in contact with the newly forming skin, I started experiencing severe burning pains. I was very scared and in more pain than I had experienced before, I wanted to go to the hospital, but knew I couldn’t because of the explanation I would have to give for having black legs.

In order to control the pain and promote de-toxifiocation and reduce pain, I had to sit in a bathtub of cool water for 2 hours and even under water the pain was very severe. Eventually, in time, the skin separated and I could see the fresh skin underneath was burnt. Not knowing about herbs for more than a few days in my life I experienced the power and the pains of self-experimentation. This did not scare me from doing further self-experimentation, I had experienced the power of herbal treatment and desired to know more and learn how to use these methods.

Some years later I decided to gather Walnuts for a food source. We gathered all the local walnuts in our yard and my wife’s mother gathered all her Walnuts in her yard and a local man had a shelling machine that removed the hulls. We ended up with about 5 bushel of Walnuts.

I allowed the Walnuts to dry for 1 year. They were very hard to crack, my wife had suggested allowing them to dry for 2 years as she remembered that was how long her family did when she was a child. I made several attempts in the 2 year period to learn how to crack the shells.

I used a borrowed nutcracker from my wife’s grandparents. It was a large machine designed to crack Black walnuts. Even with this machine, the walnuts were very hard and I was doing good to get 1 quart of nut meat in a hour’s time. The machine was also showing wear from the force needed and I was afraid it was going to break, so I eventually gave up. The bags of Walnuts were eventually given away to a man that stopped by our garage sale and asked about them when he seen them in the garage. I wished him well, they were too much work for me.

Some years later I read how Walnut tincture was used for parasite control in humans and pets. With the will to self-experiment I once again gathered Walnuts and made the suggested formula. The source suggested doing a liver flush 7 days after taking the Walnut tincture to see if parasites would be present with the gallstones from the liver. Doing this for the first time showed many parasites and after several treatments the parasites became less and less until no more showed in the liver flush. Others I told this about did the same as I and had similar results. They in turn told others and eventually people were coming to me to obtain the Walnut tincture. I explained how easy it was to make their own, but most people would rather have someone else make it and I was glad to do it.

Word of mouth traveled and more and more people were asking for the Walnut tincture, it eventually lead to the point of us creating a herbal store in our house that expanded into building our own store. Over the years I have gotten the reputation of making one of the best and cheapest herbal de-worming formulas based on Walnut tincture.

We have become well known with the American Amish. Several Chiropractic clinics purchase our Walnut formula as does several people who have clinics or just re-sell herbal products. Several websites sale our formulas and it is sold under various names and prices.

This has also lead to doing seminars in people’s homes and what started out as a hobby now generates more income than my factory job of 28 years.

Thanks to Dr. John R. Christopher, it was his books and videos that gave me the will to try, to self-experiment! It was the desire to grow as many of the herbs that Dr. John R. Christopher used in his practice that eventually lead to the forming of our own herbal business based upon the wisdom of Dr. John R. Christopher’s books which our customers use to learn as I did.

Out of all the many herbal books I have read by the famous and not so famous herbalist of past and present, I have came full circle and see that Dr. John R. Christopher’s wisdom put on paper and video as being the source for anyone seeking herbal knowledge.

BLACK WALNUT - BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) Zel and Reuben Allen
Vegetarians in Paradise/Walnut History/Walnut Folklore/Walnut Recipe, May 2005
Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 5

April, 2005 - Access Date

2) Zel and Reuben Allen
Vegetarians in Paradise/Walnut History/Walnut Folklore/Walnut Recipe, May. 2005
Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 5, pp 4 - 16

April, 2005

3) Duke University Research - go to
Chemical Constituents of Black Walnut,

April, 2005

4) RBC HERBAL INC. website, Virginia, USA
Medical Qualities of Black Walnut

April, 2005

5) RBC HERBAL INC. website, Virginia, USA
Contra-Indications of Black Walnut
http://drclarkia.com/juglans_nigra.htm
April, 2005

6) Dr. John R. Christopher
Known Herbal Formulas of Black Walnut
The School of Natural Healing - Book
April 2005

7) Zel and Reuben Allen
Dosages and Applications of Black Walnut
Vegetarians in Paradise/Walnut History/Walnut Folklore/Walnut Recipe, May 2005
Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 5

April, 2005

8) Dr. John R. Christopher
The School of Natural Healing Video Series
April 2005