Medicine Handbook

Here you will find a list of Medicinal Herbs and the ways they are used as treatments. This list will be very useful to the Medicine Cats and their Apprentices, and should be used as a guide for them when treating wounds, diseases, etc. Please come here if you will be using a medicine cat's abilities in any thread, to make sure your cat doesn't use the wrong herb for a treatment. If there are any herbs missing, please alert a Staff member and the herb will be added to the list.



Alder Bark -
Bark of an Alder tree. Used for toothaches, and makes the pain go away. Grows mainly in boggy, wet terrain.

Beech Leaves -
Large, broad leaves. Used by Thunderclan medicine cats for carrying other herbs. Grows in almost any soil that isn't waterlogged.

Blackberry Leaves -
Leaves from the prickly blackberry bush. These leaves are chewed into a pulp to help ease the swelling of bee stings. Found almost anywhere, because of their hardy nature.

Borage Leaves -
Easily distinguished by it's small blue or pink star-shaped flowers and hairy leaves. Is chewed and eaten by NURSING queens to produce more and better milk. Is also used to bring down fevers. Grows best in forested areas.

BURDOCK ROOT -
Tall-stemmed thistle with a sharp smell and dark leaves. The roots are dug up, the soil is washed off, and is then chewed into a pulp. Lessens and heals the pain of infected bite wounds, especially rat bites. Best found in dry areas.

Burnet -
Has oval shaped leaves with serrated (ragged) edges. Large clusters of small flower buds are often seen on top of the plant. A traveling herb, used to help keep a cat's strength up. Usually found in dry, grassy meadows. A newer type of herb.

Catchweed -
A plant with fuzzy green balls on long stems. The burrs are put on the pelt where poultices are to help stop poultices from being rubbed off without hurting the skin. Common in hedges and other low, shrubby vegetation. Isn't used very often in Medicine Cat practices, but can be useful to a cat who won't keep still.

Catmint/Catnip -
A leafy, delicious-smelling plant. Is the best remedy for the deadly greencough, which kits and elders commonly catch in the season of Leaf Bare. Can also be used for whitecough. Is chewed and eaten by the sick cat. Rarely found in the wild; mostly found in twoleg gardens. It is best to collect late in the day, as the dew will have evaporated so it won't rot in the herb storage.

Celandine -
Yellow flower with four petals. The juice is trickled into damaged eyes, helping soothe the pain. Grows better on Thunderclan's territory, but is also known to grow on Riverclan's territory as well.

Chamomile -
A small, white flower with a large, yellow center. Is eaten by cats to help strengthen the heart and soothe the mind. Is also given to traveling cats for strength. Can be found in Twoleg gardens.

Chervil -
A sweet-smelling plant with large, leafy, fern-like leaves and small white flowers. The roots are described as being knobby and brown. The juice of the leaves can be used to help infected wounds, and chewing the root helps with bellyache. Can also be used during kitting.

Chickweed -
Tall-stemmed plant with fat, almond-shaped leaves. Treats greencough when Catmint is not available, although Catmint should be used if available.

Cobwebs -
Long, thin, shiny strands spun into a web by spiders. Very common in every territory. Just be careful not to bring a spider back with it! Is pressed over a wound to soak up and stop (or slow) the bleeding. May also be used to bind broken bones.

Coltsfoot -
A flowering plant with yellow or white FLOWERS that resemble dandelions. Grows best in Newleaf. The leaves are chewed into a pulp to help ease breathing or kitten-cough, as well as cracked or sore paw pads.

Comfrey -
The plant has large leaves, small bell-shaped flowers which are pink, white, or purple, and fat black roots. Has a tangy smell. The roots are chewed into a poultice to help repair broken bones or soothe wounds. Also used for wrenched claws, itching, or for inflammation on stiff joints. Found in damp, grassy places.

Daisy Leaf -
Thick dark-green oval shaped leaves. Is chewed into a paste to ease the pain of aching joints. Is also used as a traveling herb. Found almost everywhere.

Dandelion -
Common yellow-flowered plant with long, hollow stems. The white liquid inside of the stems are thought to be used to soothe and heal bee stings. The leaves can be chewed to act like a painkiller. Found almost everywhere.

Dock -
Common, large-leaved plant with a tangy smell and taste. The leaves are chewed up and applied to scratches to help soothe the pain, though it can sting when applied. Also soothes sore pads. Best found in leafy areas. Similar to Sorrel.

Fennel -
Thin, spiky leaves. The stalks are broken and juice is squeezed into the cat's mouth to help soothe pain in the hips. Found in numerous places, especially on dry soil near the sea/coast and on riverbanks.

Feverfew -
Small bush with flowers resembling daisies. Has a sharp tangy smell and small soft leaves. Is eaten to reduce body temperature for cats with fever or chills. Also heals aches and pains, especially good for headaches. Grows best along the water.

Goldenrod -
A tall plant with bright yellow flowers. Chewed into a poultice to help heal wounds. Grows well on the Windclan moors.

Heather Nectar -
Nectar found in bell-shaped flowers. Included in herbal mixtures to make swallowing easier, as it sweetens the mixture. Best grown in shady areas.

Honey -
A sweet, golden-colored liquid made by bees. Is eaten or given by moss soaked in it. Soothes infections, smoke-damaged or sore throats, helps cats swallow other herbal mixtures, helps soothe coughing, and gives energy. Found in honeycombs or bees nests up in trees.

Horsetail -
A tall, bristly-stemmed plant, referred to with fleshy stalks. Chewed to a poultice and applied to wounds to treat infections, and helps stop bleeding. Found in any marshy area.

Ivy Leaf -
Leaves from the ivy vine. Used by Shadowclan cats to store other herbs.

Juniper Berries -
Purple-blue berries from the dark green, spiky-leaved juniper bush. Chewed and eaten to help soothe bellyaches, gives strength, and helps troubled breathing. Is also used to help calm cats. Grows in places that are not wet.

Lamb's Ear -
Soft, fuzzy green plant. Is known to give a cat strength. Most commonly found in the mountains.

Lavender -
A small purple flowering plant. Cures fever and chills. Also a herb used to hide the scent of death. Grown in twoleg gardens. Can also be found in sunny spots with sandy or gravelly soil.

Mallow Leaves -
Large fuzzy three-nubbed leaves from a flowering shrub; sweet rose scent. Eaten to help soothe bellyaches. Grows best near shores, but best collected at sunhigh, when they are dry.

Marigold -
A low-growing flower; yellow to bright orange. Petals or leaves are chewed into a poultice. Juice can be used as well. Stops infection, bleeding, and is used for inflammation of stiff joints. Mostly found near water.

Mouse Bile -
Extracted from a mouse. The only remedy for ticks, mouse bile is foul-smelling, and is stored in moss. When dabbed on a tick, the tick falls off. The smell can be masked by Wild Garlic, or by washing paws in running water. If accidentally swallowed, can leave a horrible taste in mouth for days. Medicine cats always have to remember to wash their paws in a body of water, such as a creek or stream, after using mouse bile.

Oak Leaf -
Round, cartoony ruffled leaves. Is stored in a dry place, and is wrapped around a wound to help stop infection from setting in. Is found all over the forest floor and collected in Leaf-Fall.

Parsley -
A long-stemmed plant with ragged-edged crinkly leaves, sharp scent, tastes cold and fresh, tastes the same fresh or dried. Eaten by queens to help stop producing milk if her kits die, don't need milk anymore, or are producing too much milk. Also used to cure bellyache.

Poppy Seeds -
Tiny, round black seeds that are shaken out of a dried poppy flowerhead. Are chewed on to help a cat sleep, soothe shock or distress, or ease pain. Not recommended for nursing queens. Found all over the forest.

Ragwort Leaves -
Tall shrub with yellow flowers. Tastes foul to cats. Crushed and chewed; Mixed with juniper berries. Helps treat aching joints, and keeps a cat's strength up. Found almost everywhere, especially in cool areas with high rainfall.

Ragweed -
Ragged-leaved plant resembling a fern. Thought to give cats extra strength and energy, much like Lamb's Ear. Commonly found in the mountains.

Raspberry Leaves -
Soft to the touch, but with jagged edges. Could be a painkiller, or help stop bleeding, such as during kitting.

Rush -
Has long narrow and lavender-colored head stalks. Used to bind broken bones, and helps to hold a broken limb in place, much like a cast for Twolegs. Often grows in infertile soils in a wide range of moisture conditions.

Snakeroot -
The best remedy for poison, especially snake bites. Grows mainly in warmer areas, however some grow in cooler areas.

Sorrel -
Similar to Dock, Sorrel is used as a traveling herb. Can be found near Twoleg nests.

Stinging Nettle -
Has green, spiny seeds. The seeds are eaten by a cat who's swallowed poison, or the leaves are chewed into a poultice for a wound. Induces vomiting, or brings down swelling. Can be mixed with Comfrey to heal broken bones. Helps with wounds. Found all over the forest.

Tansy -
The Tansy plant has round, yellow leaves and a very sweet and strong scent, making it good for disguising a cat's scent. Is consumed (only in small doses) to help cure coughs. Can be used to cure wounds and poisons, stops cats from getting greencough, and soothes throats. Found in the forest and near twoleg places.

Tormentil -
Has a strong, aromatic scent and a sharp taste. The root is chewed and put on wounds to extract poison. Found in most cool or cold areas, but other types may be found in gardens.

Thyme -
Small, delicate, thick, sticky leaves with a fresh tang. Leaves can be chewed on to help calm nervousness, anxiety, and cats who are in shock. Best found in hot, sunny locations.

Traveling Herbs -
Traveling herbs consist of Sorrel, Daisy, Chamomile and Burnet. Used to give a cat more energy and strength.

Watermint -
A green, leafy plant. Is usually chewed into a pulp and then eaten, easing the suffering that originates from a bellyache. Usually found in streams or damp earth.

Wild Garlic -
Due to its strong smell, it is good for hiding the scent of a certain Clan, and disguising cats on raids. When rolled on, it helps prevent infection, especially from rat bites. Found not far from the Thunderclan camp.

Willow Bark -
Bark of a Willow tree. Helps ease pain. Grows near twoleg places.

Wintergreen -
Easily identifiable by its red berries. Treats wounds and some poisons. Found in Oak-Pine woods and sandy habitats to sub-alpine places.

Yarrow -
A flowering plant with small white bunches of flowers. Its leaves are chewed into a poultice that can be given to cats or applied to a wound, depending on the situation. Extracts poison from wounds, and will make a cat vomit up toxins. The ointment will soften and help heal cracked pads.


Deathberries -
Red berries from the dark-leaved, poisonous yew bush. Sometimes used to kill another cat by making them eat the berry. Consuming the berry can kill the cat who ingested it within minutes. Shadowclan medicine cats sometimes use these berries to end a cat's life to prevent unnecessary suffering.

Foxglove Seeds -
Tiny, black seeds from the bell-shaped flower of the foxglove plant. Are used to treat the heart under very few circumstances, and can easily cause paralysis and heart failure when ingested. Are found almost anywhere, especially in temperate regions. Foxglove Seeds are often mistaken for poppy seeds because they look extremely similar. They are known to be a dangerous medicine.

Holly Berries -
Plant with spiny leaves that produces red berries with no medicinal value. While Holly Berries are not as dangerous as Deathberries, they are still poisonous and a danger to kits, because kits think they look tasty. Found in forests.

Deadly Nightshade -
A small shrub with faintly scented, bell-shaped flowers that are purple tinged with green in color. Berries are shiny and black when ripe. Used to kill a cat who cannot be saved quickly, this plant is very poisonous. Found in moist, shady places. Often grows in places where soil is rich in limestone.

Water Hemlock -
Green or white flowers with petals in umbrella-shaped clusters. Has no medicinal value, but causes writhing and foaming at the mouth when ingested. Was once mistaken for Parsley, which made Thunderclan inform their warriors a little more about herbs. Is the second most poisonous plant in the Clan territories, after Deathberries. Is found in wet, marshy areas.