I do not have luck with manual can openers. They all seem to leave a little connection; never a clean cut around the entire can. I have even shopped around and bought supposedly, “new and improved” can openers, but after awhile they all leave a small frustrating connection.

One day while making supper, I made a mistake. I was in a rush and had very little patience while opening a can. Instead of slowing down, focusing on the little connection and getting a good grip on the can opener or use a proper tool to release the little connection, I attacked the connection with a chopstick. As it popped up my thumb slid into the can with a very sharp edge. It was a bloody mess.

I immediately ran cold water over my thumb for a minute or two then quickly grabbed a towel, wrapped my thumb, applied pressure, held my hand above my heart and ran to my garden where I picked and “bruised” several Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) leaves. I slowly opened the towel, wrapped my thumb in the Yarrow leaves with the towel around it, and held my hand above my heart.

Mathew finished making dinner, thank goodness he is much better at opening cans than his mother. After dinner was made and we were waiting for Mike to come home, I looked at my thumb. The bleeding had stopped thanks to Yarrow’s amazing hemostatic abilities. I was very impressed as there was a lot of blood when I first cut it. Since the bleeding had stopped, I took the opportunity to look at the damage. I suspect some people with a similar wound would have gone to the doctor for a couple of stitches, but I decided that it would heal okay on its own. I found a couple more fresh Yarrow leaves, bruised them, wrapped them around my thumb and taped a gauze patch around my thumb. Along with having great hemostatic powers, Yarrow is a powerful antiseptic.

After dinner, I removed the bandage, no more blood, so I simply put a regular band-aid around my thumb. It was still rather tender but in good shape. The next morning, I was rather impressed at how well the healing process was going.

After a week, it barely looked like a scratch.

I highly recommend that you learn how to identify Yarrow: once you do, you’ll find it is an excellent first aid herb. It can help you in a pinch (or cut, or a slice…). After all, I do have first hand knowledge of it (pun intended).

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.