Herbs, Health & Healing
The Circulatory System
The blood stream is often called the `river of life' and not without reason. It is perhaps the most important system in the human body. It is responsible for conveying nutrition to every part as well as collecting and excreting waste products. The complex compounds for instance in a herbal remedy have first to be broken down by the metabolic processes before they can be distributed to where they may be required for use in a particular organ. This distribution of nutrients as well as herbal therapeutic agents is possible only because of the very tiny blood vessels called capillaries. However, the `river of life' will not flow at all without an efficient pump and this brings us to -
The Heart
The heart is subject to two kinds of disease -functional and organic. Of these
the organic diseases are by far the most serious in their effect.
Functional disease is usually caused by excesses of various kinds such as
alcohol, smoking, etc. The best treatment is to pay attention to the general
hygiene -plenty of fresh air and tonics containing natural iron. Of
course the excesses must be stopped. One of the best herbals in this field
is White Bryony (bryonia) and should be taken regularly as an infusion.
Organic diseases such as pericarditis where the heart action is quicker than
normal and where there is palpitation, with tenderness around the heart and
difficulty in lying on the left side, are best treated with remedies such
as hawthorn. Endocarditis is an inflammation of the lining membrane of the
heart caused by rheumatic affections or nephritis. Here the symptoms are palpitation
with rapid pulse and there is difficulty in breathing. Warm compresses at
night with herbals which are heart sedatives such as Lily of the Valley, is
the best treatment for this condition, also for valvular heart disease where
the valves have become inflamed or ulcerated and the openings narrowed causing
the valve to work inefficiently.
Fatty degeneration of the muscle fibres of the heart is usually caused by
faulty nutrition. It is most often found in old people with a history of gout,
chronic anaemia and alcoholism. Wheat germ oil and buckwheat are valuable
treatments for this condition. The diet must be drastically reformed to include
at least one salad meal a day and plenty of fruit while all fried foods and
fat meat, etc., should be avoided. One of the finest herbals for this condition
is Nux Vomica.
Myocarditis, which can be acute or chronic, is an inflammation of the heart
muscle and in its final stages results in fibroid degeneration. Rest
and quiet are required in the treatment of this condition with herbals such
as Lily of the Valley, Marigold, Hartstongue, Cactus and Tansy.
Heart Remedies
Some indications of herbals useful in specific conditions of the heart have
been given. The finest heart nutrient is undoubtedly Hawthorn and for all
heart sufferers this is an essential. It can be taken as a food in the form
of the fresh hawthorn berry when this is in season. Commence with five berries
twice daily after meals and gradually increase by one berry with each dose
until a total of 20 berries are being taken per day. Convallaria is similar
in action.
The following is a proven and tried herbal formula which is suitable for all
conditions which affect the heart:
1 oz. Marigold flowers
1 oz. Hartstongue
1 oz. Tansy
1 oz. Vervain
1 oz. Valerian root
The ingredients can be obtained in dried form from your Health Food Store
or Herbalist. Place them in two pints of boiling water and simmer to 11/2
pints. Allow this to cool and then strain, storing in a cool place. Take a
wineglassful of the decoction three times daily after meals. This decoction
should be freshly made every two or
three days.
When the hawthorn berry is not in season the dried variety can be obtained
from your Health Stores or Herbalist and made into a tea infusion or decoction.
For this take 2 oz. of the dried berries and simmer in 1%z pints of boiling
water until there is approximately one pint left. Allow to cool and strain
afterwards, keeping the mixture in a cool place. A wineglassful of this taken
at frequent intervals (every two to three hours) will produce wonderful and
lasting results for all heart sufferers.
The other heart remedies mentioned can all be prepared as decoctions in the
same way. Any of these treatments, once adopted, should be taken over a period
of several months.
Disorders of the Blood Vessels and the Circulatory System
A loss of elasticity in the walls of the blood vessels will result in conditions
such as blood pressure, varicose veins, chilblains, and haemorrhoids. Obviously
if any treatment is to be effective the basic cause of these conditions must
first be eradicated before any therapeutic agent will be of real use.
This means that food and remedies which are rich in the nutrients which the
body needs to restore and maintain the elasticity of the arterial and venous
walls must be incorporated in the daily diet. Foods such as wholemeal bread
and wheat germ, buckwheat (which contains rutin) and the citrus fruits which
are rich in Vitamin C are essential as well as vegetables such as parsley,
leeks and endive.
Since silica and fluorine are the essential minerals required, the herbal
remedies which are richest in these will be best for any disorders mentioned
above. In this context houndstongue and horsetail are indicated and decoctions
made in the same way as those for heart disorders can be made and taken over
several months as a basic treatment in conjunction with a sound diet on the
lines given.
Treatment for Blood Pressure
Red meat and meat extracts should be avoided in the diet and salads with fruits
and vegetables as indicated above should be taken daily. A general mixture
would be a combination of the following:
1 oz. Lime flowers
1 oz. Yarrow
1 oz. Uva-ursi
1 oz. Elder flowers
1 oz. Scullcap
Place these in 2 pints of boiling water and simmer down to 1'/z pints. Allow
to cool and strain for use, keeping in a cool storage place. Take a wineglassful
of the mixture three or four times daily according to severity of conditions.
After meals is preferable for this mixture. As always make this decoction
fresh every two or three days. This is an ideal treatment for high blood pressure.
In cases of low blood pressure use the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Nettles
1 oz. Marshmallow 1 oz. Kola
'/2 oz. Wood betony
Prepare this decoction in exactly the same way, adding the herbs to 2 pints
of boiling water and simmering down to 1'/s pints before cooling and straining
ready for use.
Varicose Veins in the Legs
Bandages of extract of Witch Hazel can be worn during sleep at night. Do not
bind them too tightly. Just soak the bandage in the extract and place over
the area, covering with a dry bandage loosely fastened.
The following mixture should be taken over several months to effect a real
improvement in the condition for it must be realized that any treatment for
the restoration of elasticity to veins or in fact any tissue will take a long
time.
Many years of poor diet, lack of fresh air through improper breathing, etc.,
are the predisposing factors to these conditions and overnight cures or results
cannot be expected:
1 oz. Bayberry bark
1 oz. Wood betony
1 oz. Wood sage
1 oz. Yellow dock
1 oz. Echinacea
1 oz. Boneset
Place these dried prepared herbs (obtainable from your local Registered Medical
Herbalist) in 3 pints of boiling water and simmer until you have 2 pints of
mixture left. Allow this to cool and then strain and bottle ready for use.
Take a wineglassful of this mixture every four hours.
In cases of varicose veins in the testicles (varicocele) the same mixture
will be found very effective, while the parts can be painted with extract
of Witch Hazel every night on retiring.
Haemorrhoids (Piles)
This distressing complaint can be quickly relieved and cleared up with the
use of a blend of herbs containing Collinsonin (stone root). Haemorrhoids
are really varicose veins occurring in the rectum or at the anus. During the
treatment it is imperative that any degree of constipation is avoided and
any tendency to liver congestion prevented.
In extreme cases a local application of ointment of Witch Hazel or Nut Gall
can be used. The following mixture should be taken for about a month, when
all traces of the piles should have disappeared:
1 oz. Oak bark
1 oz. Stone root
1 oz. Black root
1 oz. Motherwort
1 oz. Blood root
Place these prepared dried herbs in 2 pints of boiling water and allow to
simmer gently until 1'/2 pints remain. Allow the whole to cool before straining
ready for use. Bottle and keep tightly corked in a cool place. Take a wineglassful
of the mixture three times daily before meals.
Chilblains
As these usually occur during the winter months and mainly in those with poor
circulation it is advisable to take a course of rutin tablets during the early
autumn as a preventive measure. The natural rutin tablets are the best, as
made from extract of Buckwheat.
It is also essential to make sure that the diet has an adequate amount of
foods containing the B group of vitamins and in particular nicotinic acid
which is a substance forming part of this vitamin group (wheat germ foods,
garlic, leeks, sprouts, etc.). The following mixture of prepared dried herbs
made into a decoction is a wonderful treatment:
1 oz. Lily of the Valley 1 oz. Motherwort
1 oz. Scullcap
Simmer these in two pints of boiling water until approximately 11/2 pints
are left. Cool and strain ready for use. The dose for this mixture is a wineglassful
every three hours for about a week. The chilblains can be bandaged with liquid
extract of Witch Hazel.
Anaemia
This, apart from being a distressing condition in itself, can also be the
cause of such conditions as arthritis later in life. It is a well-known fact
that women who have an inadequate diet of natural physiological iron during
pregnancy and become anaemic, suffer later in life from arthritis and other
allied rheumatic conditions. Some 30 milligrams of iron should be taken in
the diet every day for good health.
Here is where the importance of fresh green vegetables comes in. These are
rich in easily assimilated iron. Dandelion leaves in the daily salad are especially
useful and white fish is one of the best sources of iron which in this form
is again easily assimilable by the body.
For those suffering from anaemia the following mixture will be found very
reliable and it will readily rectify the condition if the rules mentioned
in respect of diet are also observed:
1 oz. Blue cohosh
1 oz. Tansy
3/a oz. Black cohosh
1/2 oz. Aloes barb
These dried herbs should be simmered in 2 pints of boiling water until a residue
of 1'/z pints remains, after which the mixture should be cooled and strained
ready for use. A wineglassful is taken every three hours between meals. Again
the mixture, as in the case of all these decoctions, should be prepared fresh
every two or three days and in this instance it should be taken regularly
over a period of about two months for the best results.
Diseases of the DigestiveSystem
Dyspepsia or indigestion in the sense of imperfect gastric digestion is one
of our most common ailments and results from many disorders of the stomach
of a functional and structural nature. The symptoms can be quite serious and
some combinations of these are especially characteristic of gastric disease.
Some of them are due to fermentative changes in indigestible or undigested
food. The products may be gaseous when they will cause flatulent distension
or they may cause pain by directly irritating the mucous membrane.
Irritation of the membrane of any part of the digestive tract can be the cause
of catarrh with the consequent pain and other allied symptoms of gastritis.
In the more chronic cases the pain may be due to an ulcer, further irritated
by food or gastric juice where the balance of the secretion is disturbed.
Pain may be felt at the `pit of the stomach' or around the left side or through
the trunk to the back.
There is no doubt that the pain and discomfort is caused in the immediate
sense by spasm or increased peristalsis excited by these causes. All this
can so easily lead to nausea and vomiting which are indicative of gastric
disturb-
ance. When there is much vomiting, bile often regurgitates from the duodenum
into the stomach and is then vomited.
We are all familiar with the terms heartburn and waterbrash which are applied
to a burning sensation in the stomach area. This happens in dyspepsia and
is often accompanied by regurgitation of fluid which can be felt as high up
as the pharynx. Ulcer sufferers can, over a period of years, have recurring
attacks of haematosis (bleeding).
Herbal remedies offer a wide range of healing powers in all affections of
the digestive system and those with the widest range of therapeutic action
are Comfrey, Coltsfoot (as good for catarrh of the stomach as for the respiratory
system), Slippery Elm, and Marshmallow.
Acute Gastric Catarrh
The usual cause is irritation of the stomach caused by foods which are either
unsuitable or have been eaten in excessive quantities. Surplus foods which
the body cannot handle undergo decomposition producing substances which irritate
the mucous membranes. It can happen to people of all ages. Unripe or overripe
fruit is a common cause in children when a bilious attack is the result. Quite
often there can be serious constipation attendant on acute gastric catarrh.
When this is the case a warm enema of an infusion of Slippery Elm bark should
be administered.
One of the finest foods for eliminating inflammation of the digestive tract
is pineapple uice. The juice has an affinity for membranes of all types and
is said to even dissolve the membrane of Dyptheria. Certainly one or two days
on a fast taking only pineapple juice is a splendid beginning to any herbal
treatment for this complaint. After this the patient can take a light diet
of Slippery Elm food (obtainable from Health Food Stores) steamed fish and
milk.
The finest herbal mixture is as follows, using dried herbs:
1 oz. Comfrey
1 oz. Clivers
1 oz. Meadowsweet
1 oz. Marshmallow
Simmer in 2 pints of boiling water until about 1'/2 pints are left. Allow
to cool and strain. Take a wineglassful of the mixture every four hours for
the first few days and afterwards three times daily after meals.
Chronic Gastric Catarrh
This can result from untreated acute gastric catarrh or from excessive consumption
of tea, alcohol, iced drinks, etc., or incomplete mastication of food. In
these chronic cases the first essential is to give the whole alimentary tract
a complete rest. This means abstinence from all those artifical and denatured
food products which are such irritants to the membranes lining the alimentary
caul.
Try an initial fast of two or three days (according to general condition)
on unsweetened pineapple juice. The ideal is the juice of the fresh fruit
although in this country fresh pineapples are packed before they are ripe
and are thus short of that complete solar radiation which makes the best fruit.
The unsweetened juice can be obtained in tins and it has been found that the
juice extracted from Hawaiian pineapples or those from Trinidad are best.
Follow the two or three day fast with a light, balanced diet consisting of
fresh raw leafy and root vegetables, wholewheat bread and wholegrain cereals,
bran etc. In this way the membranes will be cleansed and re-toned. The two
day fast on pineapple juice may be undertaken once a week until the condition
has made some real improvement.
The best herbal mixture for these chronic cases is to take the following dried
herbs:
1 oz. Black horehound
1 oz. Coltsfoot
1 oz. Calumba
1 oz. Comfrey
1/s oz. Raspberry
1/z oz. Marshmallow
Simmer in 21/2 pints of boiling water until about 2 pints are left. Cool and
strain for use. The dose is a wineglassful every three or four hours for the
first few days and then three times daily after meals until the condition
has completely cleared up.
Peptic Ulcer
It is thought that the acute variety of this complaint occurs mainly in women
between 20 and 30 while the chronic variety is more prevalent in males of
middle age. There is always a risk of haemorrhage. However, many cases are
known to recover after safe herbal treatment in a few weeks.
Naturally diet is very important here and again a diet of fish and milk is
the ideal with Slippery Elm food made as a breakfast cereal taken each morning
and as a night-cap. Since pineapple juice, contains a substance very like
pepsin and has the property of being able to partially digest certain types
of protein food this too is an essential part of the diet in these cases.
A wineglassful of the fruit juice should be taken regularly before every meal,
especially when protein foods are to be eaten.
The best herbal treatment is the following in the form of dried herbs made
into a decoction:
11/z oz. Comfrey
11/2 oz. Marshmallow
1 oz. Meadowsweet
1 oz. Yellow dock
The whole is placed in 21/z pints of boiling water and simmered until about
2 pints are left. After cooling, the mixture is strained ready for use. A
wineglassful every three hours is taken for the first two weeks of treatment
and then every four hours for a further three weeks or until cure is effected.
The Intestines
Disturbances of the large and small intestine canb have many and various causes
and space precludes an exhaustive preamble into the many primary factors which
may result in one or more distressing symptoms making themselves felt. In
fact, in some cases the cause can be of purely nervous origin. Some of the
more common complaints are dealt with here and the best possible herbal treatment
given. It is well to remember that as with stomach disorders, diet can be
one of the predisposing factors in all these complaints and a serious appraisal
should be made of this at the outset of any treatment if there is to be any
cure.
Certainly our- popular present day diets of stodgy food in the form of refined
starches and sugars and the over-indulgence in food generally are the biggest
evils of our time. The sooner a preventive attitude to disease is adopted
by the acceptance of a sane rational diet which provides an adequate intake
of all the vital nutrients without the irritations of denatured, refined and
otherwise useless foodstuffs, the better it will be for all of us.
Diarrhoea
This condition may indeed be due purely to a nervous cause, or it may be due
to overstimulation by bad foodstuffs or drugs. Quite often undigested food
is passed which so irritates the membrane as to cause the diarrhoea. An enema
is often a great help at the outset of treatment and our good friend Slippery
Elm bark taken as a food made with milk is invaluable. Arrowroot is also very
useful and can be made into a food with milk. The best herbal mixture is made
from the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Oak bark
1 oz. Tormentilla
1 oz. Bistort
simmered for 20 minutes in 1 pint of boiling water. Cooled and strained. The
mixture to be taken one wineglassful every two hours until the symptoms abate.
Constipation
Sedentary habits, and an over-abundance of refined and denatured starches
and sugars in the diet are the predisposing factors in this condition. It
can also result from stomach disorders and sometimes from psychological factors.
The first essential is the adoption of a sound balanced diet which will not
only help physiologically but which will also bring about a mental uplift
and an optimism which will form the basis of cure.
All white bread, white sugars, and their products such as chocolate, sweets,
cakes, etc. should be ruthlessly removed from the daily dietary. In their
place wholewheat bread, honey, with bulk foods such as brain and raw leafy
vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, endive etc. should be eaten to aid normal
peristalsis. Fresh fruit should be taken after every meal instead of the inevitable
cup of coffee or tea.
If the following decoction is also prepared and taken with these instructions
any sufferer
from ordinary constipation should find an encouraging improvement in the condition
in a very short time.
1 oz. Black root
1 oz. Echinacea
1 oz. Gentian
Simmer these for 20 minutes in 3 pints of boiling water. Cool and strain.
The dose is a tumblerful of the mixture before meals.
Catarrhal Enteritis
This is inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bowel caused by the use
of violent purgatives, unripe fruit, perhaps a chill in hot weather, etc.
Diarrhoea is the principal symptom, with griping pains. A decoction is made
from the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Elder flowers
1 oz. Burdock
1 oz. Peppermint
1 oz. Golden rod
1 oz. Red clover
Simmer gently in 2 pints of boiling water for 20 minutes. Cool and strain.
Take a wineglassful of the mixture every two hours until the condition has
eased. It will be found an ideal remedy.
Mucous Colitis
The main symptom -of this disease is the discharge from the rectum of tough
mucus which looks like bowel casts. It occurs most often in neurotic types.
A very good herbal mixture is made as follows. Take the following
dried herbs:
1 oz. Marshmallow
1 oz. Collinsonin (stone root)
1 oz. Red clover
1 oz. Raspberry leaves
Simmer these gently in 2 pints of boiling water for 20 minutes, allow to cool
and then strain for use. The dose is a wineglassful of the mixture after each
meal.
Appendicitis
At the caecum or blind end of the large intestine is a small worm-like projection
called the appendix. The removal of this when inflamed (appendectomy) became
very popular in this country following its removal from King Edward VII at
the beginning of this century. There is no doubt that many a healthy appendix
has been removed since that time and that many cases of inflammation (appendicitis)
which could have been easily curable by other means were treated by willing
surgeons on willing victims who thought they suffered from a very socially
acceptable complaint and took the `royal' road to recovery.
The late Dr Havelock Ellis, who died in the mid-thirties at an advanced age,
stated in his autobiography that at intervals throughout his life he had suffered
from the symptoms which in later years he came to know as appendicitis. He
wrote that when these symptoms became acute all he did was to go to bed for
a few days on a light diet when the symptoms invariably cleared up and he
resumed his normal working life. He died with his appendix intact. It does
seem certain that many more patients have died from post operative peritonitis
than have ever died as a result of appendicitis.
Symptoms: Appendicitis usually attacks at intervals
with periods of complete freedom from the symptoms between. In the usual attacks
the victim feels sick with pain of a griping nature round the navel or in
the right side of the abdomen. The symptoms of constipation or diarrhoea may
also be present and the whole area of that part of the abdomen is very sensitive
to the touch, while there is a rise in temperature with a rapid pulse.
It quite often happens during pregnancy in women with a tendency to digestive
disturbances. It can also be the result of gastric or duodenal ulcer or inflammation
of the gallbladder, but the actual cause would seem to be a mystery. It has
been put down at various times to germs such as streptococci, etc.
Treatment It will be seen from the above how important is attention to general
health and particularly the health. of the alimentary tract. Too much stress
cannot be placed upon a soundly balanced diet. There is no doubt at all that
a good deal of suffering due to inflammation of various parts of the alimentary
tract and the digestive system generally is due to the almost pathological
consumption of denatured sugar products among the inhabitants of the so-called
civilized countries of the Western World. We in the British Isles tend to
be the worst offenders, according to the latest statistics, and the sugar
consumption per head in Britain is simply appalling.
If any treatment for appendicitis is to have any hope of success it cannot
be emphasised too strongly that eating habits must be drastically reformed
on Nature Cure lines. This means the total abstention from all denatured white
flour and white sugar and their products, and a very frugal intake of sugar
of any kind (even raw Barbados sugar) and wholemeal flour and bread. All pastry,
cakes, biscuits and such-like useless foodstuffs must be completely and totally
cut out of any diet.
Concentrate on a diet of fresh whole foods consisting in the main of fresh
raw salads, baked acket potatoes (for starch) and a preponderance of fresh
raw fruits. Do not over-work the stomach and digestive system with too frequent
eating. Take only two main meals each day and make the breakfast a very light
meal of fresh fruit. In this way can a safe and permanent cure be expected.
Naturally if there is any doubt at all about the severity or the emergency
of the condition the advice and services of a skilled practitioner should
be sought immediately.
Fortunately the herbalist has some wonderful remedies for appendicitis and
indeed some miraculous cures have been achieved by the use of iris tenax in
homoeopathic doses. Anyone suffering from attacks of appendicitis is recommended
to obtain homoeopathic powders of iris tenax. These should be obtained in
two potencies: six powders of the potency CM and six powders of the potency
30.
While adopting a diet as outlined above and after having spent two days on
an exclusive diet of pineapple juice taken at frequent intervals during the
day, using about three pints each day (with an enema each morning of this
two-day fruit juice treatment) the patient can proceed with the powders.
On the first morning after the pineapple juice treatment and on commencement
of a sound diet, take one of the CM potency powders. On alternate days thereafter,
and until the six powders are used, take one of the 30 potency powders. Following
this take one of the CM powders at monthly intervals until the remaining five
powders of this potency have been used up. These powders can be obtained from
Nelson and Co. Homoeopathic Chemists, 73 Duke Street, off Oxford Street, London,
W.1. Many homoeopathic practitioners regard this iris tenax treatment as a
specific in the cure of appendicitis.
A very valuable herbal mixture which can be made up at home and which can
be taken for about a month is as follows. Take these dried prepared herbs:
2 oz. Comfrey root
1 oz. Avena sativa (oats) 1 oz. Golden seal
Simmer these in three pints of boiling water until 1%2 pints remain. Cool
and strain. Take a wineglassful of this mixture after every meal.
Worms
The tapeworm, roundworm and threadworm are the most common in man and there
are many herbs which are effective in their eradication. These include wormwood,
garlic, male fern, tansy, etc. It is best to obtain the fluid extract of any
of these from your local Registered Herbalist and take the recommended dose.
An enema of garlic juice is also very helpful.
Diseases of the Skin
The skin is in reality a very important part and organ of the body. It is
at the same time part of the respiratory system and an organ of elimination.
It mirrors the general condition of the body. It is inconceivable to have
a healthy skin covering an unhealthy body. It protects the body, regulates
the body temperature, eliminates body waste and assists in respiration.
Usually skin diseases are not in reality local conditions but are external
manifestations of deeper underlying conditions present in one or more organs
or parts of the body. For example, it can be readily understood when it is
realized that the skin is a breathing apparatus that when asthma is suppressed
by drug treatment it is quite unusual for the victim of such treatment to
quickly manifest symptoms of eczema in the skin. In other words the skin has
attempted to take over the intolerable burden from its close parther, the
lungs.
Thus the general approach to all skin diseases should be attention to general
health. Cleansing of the alimentary tract by frequent short fasts, colonic
irrigations or enemas, adoption of good breathing exercises with plenty of
healthy exercise designed to improve the circulation and increase metabolism.
Skin Lesions
Skin disease manifests through many and various lesions such as macules which
are spots or stains on the skin due to pigmentation as in freckles or after
haemorrhage. Papules or pimples which are small (like pinheads), are hard
elevations of the skin. Vesicles are small blisters with fluid content such
as occur in herpes zoster, etc. Blebs are much larger blisters -than vesicles.
They may have a serous or blood content. Pustules are like vesicles except
that their contents are purulent.
Ulcers or sores are suppurations and when they heal scars are left. These
are fibrous tissue in which true skin is absent. Fissures are chaps or cracks
in the skin caused by loss of elasticity. Scales consist of masses of epithelial
cells which are thrown off in certain diseases. The skin can also manifest
scabs or crusts made up of dried secretion of a serous or bloody nature. All
these signs and symptoms can be recognized in various skin disorders but again
it must be emphasized that the general health must be looked to as well as
the treatment of the actual skin condition if lasting cure is to be obtained.
Pruritis
This disorder is mainly functional and may occur generally or locally. There
are usually no visible symptoms other than perhaps the effect of scratching
by the patient. The main characteristic is itching of the skin with no visible
cause. When it is general it can be a symptom of jaundice. During treatment
of this it Acomplaint a saltless diet should be adhered to and all spices
and pickles, etc., discontinued. Lactic oats taken every day are useful in
the diet.
A tea made with Horsetail is a wonderful remedy or 1 oz. of each of the following
dried herbs: Parsley, Yarrow, Olives, Marshmallow and Witch Hazel simmered
from two pints to 1%2 pints of water. Cool, strain and take a wineglassful
every three hours. A local application of chickweed ointment as well as cold
compresses is also very useful.
Blackheads
This unsightly condition which often afflicts the adolescent is again often
due to a too fatty diet. A lotion of lemon and Witch Hazel is very useful
in clearing up the blackheads while a decoction made of the following dried
herbs is also
helpful:
1 oz. Figwort
1 oz. Turkey corn
1 oz. Echinacea
1 oz. Thuja
1 oz. Yellow dock
1/s oz. Arctium lappa
1/s oz. Iris versicolour
Simmer in 2 pints of boiling water until 11/s pints are left. Cool and strain.
A wineglassful every four hours is the dose. The taking of sugar will aggravate
this condition.
Acne
Another unsightly complaint which chiefly affects the face (nose and forehead)
shoulders and upper part of the chest. It is apparently caused by a bacillus
which causes the pustular eruption, though there may be a secondary inflammation
caused by staphylococci. Again this usually attacks those between the ages
of 12 and 25 and is associated with adolescence.
Outward applications are useless for this condition as a general rule although
hot Epsom salts baths twice weekly have been found very beneficial. For these,
use the cheaper variety of Commercial Epsom salts obtainable from most chemists
in 7 lb bags. Dissolve half this quantity in a bath of water as hot as can
be comfortably borne and relax in the bath commencing with a maximum duration
of five to seven minutes. Dry thoroughly and retire at once.
With each succeeding bath increase the time until a maximum of 15 minutes
has been reached. Do not use soap with these baths as this will inhibit the
therapeutic action of the salts.
Ultra-violet treatment is very beneficial for this complaint but this should
be taken only under expert supervision.
All sugars and starches should be precluded from the diet, as well as all
forms of alcohol and cheese, except cottage cheese. The main thing is to aim
at a diet of lean meat, fresh fish (steamed), yogurt, buttermilk, and an abundance
of fresh green and root vegetable salads with about 2 lb of fresh fruit daily.
The best herbal mixture is made from the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Figwort
2 oz. Echinacea
1'/s oz. Thuja
1 oz. Rumex crispus
1 oz. Iris versicolour
These dried herbs should be placed in 2 pints of boiling water and simmered
until 11/s pints are left. Cool and strain for use. Take a wineglassful of
the mixture every four hours and make fresh supplies every two or three days.
This treatment may take a month or so for best results.
Psoriasis
This is a very distressing condition which can affect the whole body including
the scalp. It usually commences at the elbows and knees. Scales of a silvery
character form as an overgrowth of the skin and the deeper layers of the epidermis
are affected. There is great irritation with an irresistible urge to scratch.
The skin often cracks and bleeds. It is claimed that this disease is often
the result of tuberculosis in a previous generation, usually two generations
back.
A very high potency dose of Homoeopathic baccilinum (200) given initially
will often commence improvement. Powders of bacillinum 200 can be obtained
from Nelson and Co., Homoeopathic Chemists of Duke Street, London, W.1.
An all chicken diet has been known tocompletely eradicate this disease when
combined with a suitable herbal treatment. Certainly treatment for this condition
must be aimed at the whole body and to do this it is best to commence with
a fast of three or four days on grapefruit or orange juice, taking an enema
each morning of the fast.
The affected areas should be painted every night with fluid extract of Blood
Root which can be obtained from any Registered Medical Herbalist or from a
good Health Food Store or Herbalists' supplier. In this case also, ultra-violet
light treatment has been found to alleviate, though it is not a cure. During
the summer months the sufferer should sunbathe as much as possible. Never
apply soap to the body, particularly the affected areas as this will certainly
aggravate the condition.
The best herbal formula for psoriasis is to use dried herbs as follows:
3 oz. Jamaica sarsaparilla 1 oz. Mezereon
1 oz. Guaacum
1 oz. Yellow dock
1 oz. Burdock
1 oz. American bittersweet elm 1 oz. Black elder flowers 1 oz. Mandrake
1 oz. Fumitory
1 oz. Wood sanicle
Simmer gently for four hours in 4 quarts of water. Cool and then strain. Add
a further 2 quarts of water and simmer again for the same length of time.
Cool again and then strain carefully. Now add 1 oz. of Queen's Delight, Prickly
Ash and Sassafras. Simmer this for a further hour and again cool and strain
ready for use. Keep this wonderful decoction in a cool place, or in a fridge,
and take a wineglassful four times daily between meals.
Eczema
This can be chronic or acute and as mentioned in the introduction can be closely
associated with asthma. It is accompanied by irritation and can manifest several
of the various lesions which were mentioned at the beginning of this chapter
such as papules, vesicles and pustules. It is a non-contagious disease and
there is usually a great deal of inflammation present. It happens to people
of all ages but men are more susceptible than women as a rule.
The skin of course loses its elasticity, becoming thicker than normal and
quite often there is a serious discharge which can become purulent (pus).
This when it dries forms crusts. There are several types which come under
the common heading of Eczema: that caused by constant contact with some allergy
such as mineral oil or grease which is then occupational; that due to foods
to which the patient may be allergic such as eggs or cheese; that due to general
metabolic disturbances; that due to a purely nervous cause, and lastly there
is that caused by parasite or other infection.
The treatment, as for psoriasis, must be of a general nature and the general
health of the whole body must be improved by general body cleansing treatments.
The three or four day fast with enemas is a good' beginning with hot Epsom
salts baths as described for acne.
Plenty of fresh air and sunlight is essential for improvement to take place.
An all fruit diet is also a good sequel to the fast, occupying a further week
before a diet of fresh salads, fruit and a very limited quantity of wholemeal
bread, etc., is adopted. Outward applications of poultices or Marshmallow
leaves or pulverized Marshmallow root and Slippery Elm can follow the hot
Epsom salts bath and these are best left on all night. Cold Epsom salts compresses
are also very useful in allaying the irritation.
The following herbal formula should be commenced as soon as the fast and the
fruit diet has been concluded. Take the following dried herbs:
2 oz. Echinacea
2 oz. Thuja
2 oz. Yellow dock
2 oz. Burdock
1 oz. Parsley piert
1 oz. Uva ursi
1 oz. Clivers
1 oz. Gentian
1 oz. Gravel root
1 oz. Wild carrot
1 oz. Nettles
1 oz. Blue flag
Simmer these slowly in six pints of water for two hours. Allow to cool, and
strain for use. Always keep in a cool place. The dose is a wineglassful of
the mixture every three to four hours according to whether the symptoms are
acute or chronic.
Seborrhoea
This is a functional disorder of the oil glands of the skin when an abnormal
amount of sebum is secreted. It is common in the scalp and in a few cases
may spread down the face to the limbs and trunk. It occurs mostly during puberty
or adolescence. It is unpleasant in that it can give off an unpleasant odour
due to decomposition of the sebaceous matter, especially when it occurs under
the prepuce.
Fats should be restricted in the diet to vegetable oils and a very limited
amount of whole cereals should be taken. Otherwise the instructions regarding
an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetable salads should be followed. The best
herbal treatment is to take 1 oz. each of the following dried herbs: Echinacea,
Thuja, Burdock, Blue Flag and Queen's Delight and simmer them in 3 pints of
water for about two hours. Cool and strain, taking a wineglassful of
the mixture after every meal. The affected areas should be bathed with a lotion
of liquid extract of Witch Hazel.
Diseases of the Respiratory System
It is not possible in a small manual such as this to deal with the more serious
chest and lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and the many
others such as asthma. In these cases it is recommended that the sufferer
seek the advice and expert help of a Registered Medical Herbalist.
However, it is well to note than a great many of these diseases are avoidable
and there would be a lot less incidence of them if attention was paid to diet
and general health, thus preventing and avoiding the necessity of cure. It
is true that statistics prove that in our modern cities with their ever increasing
traffic, which results in such air pollution, these more serious lung conditions
are more prevalent.
Governments all over the world are at last waking up to the increasing dangers
of air pollution by petrol and diesel fumes as well as those resulting from
coal combustion, and from factory chimneys, etc. The Clean Air Act in England
has done something to mitigate this latter menace but the dangers from oil
and petrol fumes go unchecked. The best advice to city dwellers whose lives
are spent for the most part in these undesirable atmospheres is to get out
into the fresh country or coastal air as often as possible.
The one day a week bumper-to-bumper trek from the city to the coast is not
the answer as by far the most part of the time is spent in driving in an even
more confined atmosphere of diesel and petrol fumes than when free in the
city itself. The habit of smoking is worst of all when indulged in such an
atmosphere and it is hardly to be wondered that in these circumstances this
can be the straw which breaks the camel's back.
The following pages of this chapter will be confined to dealing with the more
common afflictions of the respiratory tract but in dealing with these we must
not forget that the chronic diseases mentioned above will all yield to expert
herbal treatment when attention is also paid to the general health and way
of life of the patient. Here diet is of the utmost importance as is exercise
and good breathing to a regular rhythm. There are many useful handbooks on
the very valuable Yoga systems of breath control which can be recommended
to every sufferer of chronic respiratory affections.
One of the best breathing exercises is to stand by an open window every morning
on rising and spend five minutes breathing in slowly, counting up to the limit
of inhaling. Hold the breath for twice this count and breath out in four times
the count. This can be repeated before retiring and it will be found to induce
good sound sleep in those who find it difficult to get off after theday's
stress and strain.
Treatment: In all cases of lung conditions the blood and nerves must be considered
as well as the symptoms of the condition. For this reason the regular breathing
as outlined above is a `must' during the treatment of all the conditions mentioned
here and no herbal or other treatment will ever be satisfactory until the
patient has learned to control breathing to some extent.
As the great teachers of Yoga will affirm, good rhythmic breathing not only
has a physiological effect but it also affects in a beneficial way' the nerves
and the blood. What the Eastern sages call 'Prana' or Life Force is intimately
linked with good rhythmic breathing and every inhalation results in an intake
of this 'Prana' as well as air. It is vital therefore when following treatment
for any of the following common conditions to adopt a system of rhythmic breathing
and thus prevent the necessity for ever having to seek treatment for the more
serious lung conditions.
Chronic Nasal Catarrh
For this condition the Herbalist can offer some wonderful remedies which have
stood the test of many centuries. They are non-suppressive and with the help
of a good diet and breathing exercises will attack the cause and not just
alleviate the symptoms. In the initial stages of treatment a nasal douche
of one or two drops of eucalyptus oil in four drops of olive oil can be used.
Take the following dried herbs: 1 oz. Boneset
1 oz. Ragwort
1 oz. Burdock
1 oz. Cascara
1 oz. Clivers
1 oz. Golden rod
Simmer in 3 pints of water for an hour. Cool and strain. Take a wineglassful
of the mixture after every meal.
Hay Fever
Sometimes this is the result of a neurotic personality or it may result from
an allergy to pollen floating in the atmosphere. It is known also to run in
families. This is another condition in which the general health must be taken
in hand and a sound balanced diet adopted of good salad meals with plenty
of fruit, and a minimum of starch and sugars. The mixture outlined for nasal
catarrh is also suitable for this condition.
Golden Seal
Some readers who have a knowledge of herbal medicine may well wonder why little
mention has been made of this wonderful remedy so far. It deserves special
mention on its own account but as it is expensive to buy it has been omitted
from most treatments already given. However, it is by far the most wonderful
remedy the Herbalist has to use whenever a membrane of any kind in the body
is involved.
Conditions of the stomach, the intestines, and lungs and bronchii are all
regions of the body for which this famous remedy has a predilection. It can
be used alone as an infusion or decoction of the root or in conjunction with
other remedies added to further enhance its value. 1 oz. of the root, simmered
in a pint of water for an hour and allowed to cool, can be taken between meals
a wineglassful at a time in addition to any of the mixtures already mentioned
for conditions affecting any of the membranes of the body. It should be taken
between meals about every three hours.
For ulcerated conditions of membranes it is unsurpassed - conditions like
duodenal ulcer, ulcerated colitis, chronic bronchitis, etc. In fact whenever
there is mucus. The following formula is one of the best: take the following
dried herbs:
1 oz. Golden seal (Hydrastis)
1 oz. Cranesbill
1 oz. Marshmallow root
'/s oz. Echinacea
'/s oz. Phytolacca
Simmer in 3 pints of boiling water for two hours. Cool and strain. Take a
wineglassful of the mixture every three hours.
Coughs, Colds and Influenza
These are usually annual visitors which are responsible for a great deal of
lost time in the working year. Whenever the onset of a cold or chill is felt
take to a light diet with plenty of pineapple juice. A tea made with dried
Elder flowers and Peppermint on going to bed will often `nip in the bud' a
threatened cold. If a
cough develops this can be quickly soothed by the following mixture:
1 oz. Ground ivy
1 oz. Horehound
1 oz. Hyssop
1 oz. Honey
Simmer in 1 pint of water for an hour. Cool and strain. Take a tablespoonful
frequently until the cough has subsided.
One of the finest remedies for coughs and bronchial affections is to chop
up a Spanish Onion in a small dish or saucer and cover with honey. Cover this
with another plate or dish and leave overnight. In the morning strain off
the liquor and take a teaspoonful frequently. It can have miraculous results
in the most stubborn of coughs.
Ground Ivy and Horehound with Hyssop as in the above formula are also wonderful
in action and no-one should neglect this remedy who suffers from any kind
of affection of the respiratory tract.
Diseases of the Nervous System
How often have we heard the expression - `Oh it's my nerves', and certainly
we live in an age when the stresses and strain of our way of life tend to
have an increasingly deleterious effect on our nerves. Only by well ordered
lives with self discipline can we hope to withstand the many and various inducements
which lead to indulgences which are conducive to ill health, particularly
involving the nervous systems of the body.
Lesions in the motor sensory nervous system can lead to muscle cramps, spasms
and even paralysis. For these conditions the Herbalist has a species of plant
known as the primula to help. This includes varieties of the Primrose and
the Cowslip. Wood Betony enhances the action of the Primrose. Primrose is
also a wonderful remedy for sleeplessness.
In fact, for all cases where muscle spasm is present and for insomnia as well
as muscular rheumatism, take 2 oz. of one or other variety of Primrose or
Cowslip and I oz. of Wood Betony and simmer in 2 pints of water for one hour.
Cool and strain, afterwards taking a wineglassful of the mixture every three
to four hours according to the severity of the condition.
The Primrose
The German name for this gives us a much better idea as to its therapeutic
character. It is Schluesselkey which means 'Keyflower'. Being a spring flower
it is associated in ancient lore with renewed vital force or vitality. It
can always be relied on to produce good results as a sedative and an anti-spasmodic.
It is a very useful remedy in . cerebral congestion, stroke, neuralgia and
migraine as well as rheumatism of the muscular and gouty types.
Neuritis
This can involve one or several nerves and can be acute or chronic. There
is inflammation of the nerve sheaths or nerve fibres. Diet which is rich in
foods containing all the vitamin B group is essential. Yeast taken daily is
a great help to supplement the diet. A very good herbal mixture ,can be made
by taking the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Mistletoe
1 oz. Scullcap
1 oz. Lupulin
1 oz. Gentian
1 oz. Valerian
Simmer in 3 pints of water for one hour. After cooling, strain and take a
wineglassful of the mixture three times daily after meals.
Neuralgia
This is usually aggravated by debility, anaemia or other run down general
conditions. It may be
due to irritation of a nerve such as in tooth decay or it may be the result
of neuritis. For this condition the best herbal treatment is to make a mixture
of the following dried herbs:
2 oz. Scullcap
2 oz. Lupulin
1 oz. Asafoetida
1 oz. Gentian
'/z oz. Valerian
Simmer in 4 pints of water until about 3 pints are left. Cool and strain.
Take a wineglassful of the mixture every three hours.
Nervous Shock
As a first treatment after accidents or in times of severe mental strain as
in the event of bad news, etc., Arnica is a wonderful remedy. As this plant
taken as a plain tea or decoction can be a violent irritant and is poisonous,
it should only be taken in Homoeopathic form. It is best to get powders of
the 12x potency.
Neurasthenia
Nervous exhaustion or neurasthenia is often the result of overwork, prolonged
anxiety, worry or emotional shock. It can result from abuse of the body by
alcohol, etc. Sexual neurasthenia is also common, resulting in loss of sexual
desire and impotence. In general cases there is also loss of muscular power.
Rest and a diet rich in nutrients of the nervous system is necessary if treatment
is to be a success. The best herbal mixture for these
cases is made up of the following dried herbs:
2 oz. Wild yam
1 oz. Valerian
1 oz. Gentian root 1 oz. Scullcap 1 oz. Mistletoe
Simmer in 4 pints of water until 3 pints are left. Allow to cool and strain,
taking a wineglassful of the mixture every three hours.
Diseases of the Liver and Gall-Bladder
The liver is a solid dark brown coloured organ and the largest gland in the
body. It weighs on average about 31/s lb and has dimensions of about 12 in.
across with a thickness of about 6 in. at its maximum. Situated in the right
side of the abdominal cavity the top part of it is rounded in shape to enable
it to fit into the cavity of the diaphragm where it rests on the other organs
of the abdomen. It has several functions, being an organ of excretion as well
as secreting substances like bile.
The blood supply to the liver is carried via the hepatic artery and the portal
vein near to which are the hepatic ducts. These join to form the very short
single duct which then connects with the cystic duct which is attached to
the gall-bladder. It is through this system of complicated ducts that the
bile manufactured in the liver is carried for storage in the gall-bladder.
The cystic duct also joins with the hepatic duct to form the common bile-duct
and this opens into the small intestine so that bile may also be carried directly
to the small intestine.
The liver is also vital to the nourishment of the body and is a great repository
of nutrients. Whenever the body is in urgent need of energy the liver will
go to work and manufacture the energizing substances required by the body
for digested foods, especially the sugars and the starches.
If the diet is badly balanced and then are excesses of various foods eaten,
the liver will not function at its best. This is also true if not enough exercise
is taken. A healthy liver can only be maintained by a good sound diet and
plenty of exercise to keep it in top condition. Upsets in the liver caused
by strain on its delicately balanced functions will cause a variety of diseases
such as cirrhosis, indigestion and diseases of the gall-bladder. An upset
condition of the bile-ducts will cause jaundice. In fact, indigestion can
be a symptom of diseases of the liver and gall-bladder or of the kidneys,
appendix, heart or even the lungs.
Cirrhosis of the Liver
This can be caused by the intake of too much alcohol or, in cases where the
diet is rich, in spicy foods such as curries, which is why it is a common
complaint among the Hindus. Sometimes the bacteria which are harmless in the
intestines make their way to the liver and set up an infection which becomes
chronic, causing cirrhosis. In this condition the liver shrinks and a hard
knobbly surface is formed. The disease is more common in men than in women
and in middle-aged men in particular. The symptoms are discomfort in the pit
of the stomach with sickness and vomiting. There is often insomnia and the
symptoms of dropsy, while the urine becomes scanty and thick.
This is a case when meat should not be eaten and a light fish diet should
be adopted with plenty of fresh green salads and fruit. The lemon and grapefruit
are particularly valuable, while the orange is a fruit which must be left
severely alone. Naturally no alcoholic drinks of any kind should be taken.
Treatment for this condition should always be commenced with four or five
days on fresh fruit, such as grapefruit, with an enema each morning.
The finest herbal remedy to take during this four or five days on fruit is
Bitter Root which grows among the mountains of Europe, 4-30 grains of the
root can be taken morning and evening, or a tea can be made by boiling an
ounce of the root in 1 pint of water. for half an hour. After cooling and
straining, take a wineglassful of the infusion on rising and retiring. After
the four or five days on fruit, take up the light fish and salad diet as outlined.
While on this diet the following mixture made from dried herbs should be taken:
2 oz. Poplar bark
1 oz. Golden seal
1 oz. Bitter root
1 oz. Culvers root
'/s oz. Capsicum
Simmer these in 3 pints of water until half is left. Cool, strain and store
in a cool place. The dose is a wineglassful of the mixture three times daily
after meals.
Jaundice
Catarrh or inflammation of the bile-ducts will prevent the flow of bile from
the liver and gall-bladder into the intestine. When this happens the bile
finds its way into the blood and causes the yellowish skin condition which
is a symptom of jaundice. Usually the inflammation starts in the duodenum
and then spreads to the bile-duct. This can happen as a result of a chill
or in cases of vaccination fever.
If the cause is from vaccination then Thuja occidentalis should be taken.
It is a really wonderful remedy for this condition especially if it is used
homoeopathically. The 200 potency is best. Take one powder of this first thing
on rising and do not repeat the dose until improvement in the condition has
slowed down or stopped, when the dose may be repeated. The results of this
in cases of vaccination fever which produce the symptoms of jaundice can be
nothing short of miraculous. In other cases of jaundice adopt the four or
five days on fresh fruit with the morning enema and then take to a light diet
as outlined for cirrhosis of the liver.
While on this diet, which should be closely adhered to until all symptoms
have vanished, the following mixture should be prepared from dried herbs:
2 oz. Dandelion root
1 oz. Circuma
1 oz. Barberry bark
1 oz. Agrimony
1 oz. Poplar bark
Boil these dried herbs in 5 pints of water for an hour. Cool and strain and
add half a teaspoonful of cayenne pepper. The dose is a large wineglassful
three or four times a day according to severity of symptoms. It is a good
plan to begin each day with the juice of a fresh lemon in half a tumbler of
warm water. Do not sweeten this juice.
Here is another good mixture for all liver disorders especially when there
is any fever present. Take the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Wild Cherry bark
1 oz. Rhubarb root
1 oz. Prickly ash berries
1 oz. Pleurisy root
1 oz. Culvers root
Boil these in 4 pints, of water for one hour. Cool and strain. Take a wineglassful
of the mixture three times daily or four times if the symptoms are acute.
The rhubarb will stimulate the gall ducts and help in the excretion of all
bilious material. It has a soothing effect on the mucous membrane as well
as being an astringent and will certainly help to eradicate catarrh which
may be the cause of the inflammation.
In all cases of liver disorders make sure that dandelion leaves form a liberal
part of the salad meals and other greens such as- endive. A dressing of lemon
juice and olive oil will also be found of great help.
Gall-Bladder Disease
The gall-bladder is a pear-shaped vessel which serves as a store for some
of the bile from the liver. The bile, which is a most important digestive
substance, is manufactured in the liver and leaves it by way of the hepatic
duct to the common bile-duct and from there to the duodenum as explained earlier.
Most of it, however, is collected in the gall-bladder where by loss of water
it becomes concentrated.
It is when a meal has been taken that about 20 minutes afterwards the gall-bladder
releases the bile into the duodenum where it meets and mixes with the food
from the stomach. This mixture of food and digestive juices from the stomach
is acid while the duodenum is normally alkaline.
The most common disorders of the gallbladder are inflammation and gall stones.
The catarrh which results from inflammation is known as cholecystitis and
is most common in middle-aged persons who lead sedentary lives. It occurs
more frequently in women than men and the fair, over-weight types are the
most prone. Prolonged and chronic inflammation can lead to cholelithiasis
(gall stones).
Causes: Lack of exercise and the eating of too much starchy and stodgy food
are the prime causes. Various infections such as infected tonsils and bad
teeth can, by way of the blood stream, also set up infection of the gall-bladder
from these remote parts. The germs which often find their way into the gall-bladder
are those which normally live in the healthy intestine, such as bacillus coli,
where they are quite
harmless.
The catarrh resulting from the inflammation which is caused by too much starch
intake and little or no exercise is, as would be supposed, a very good breeding
ground for all types of harmful bacteria and it is known that the germs of
typhoid fever, for example, will continue to survive in the gall-bladder for
many years after an attack. This chronic catarrh, if left untreated, will
in time lead to gall stones.
Symptoms: The stomach always feels overloaded after
eating, with discomfort and loss of appetite. There is pain at the right side
of the abdomen below the ribs and often aching under the right shoulder blade.
Constipation is another usual feature, with sickness and vomiting. General
depression and a feeling of being chronically ill and always tired and listless
will follow.
Treatment: The first essential is to remove the
cause. The diet must be completely changed and before going on to a properly
balanced diet which will prevent the recurrence of the disease, it is essential
to first of all rid the body of the toxins which have caused the condition
in the first place.
The very best way to do this is first to spend three days on a restrictive
diet of fresh fruit and raw vegetables. The best fruit for this condition,
as for liver disorders, is grapefruit, and two or three pounds of the fruit
should be eaten daily split up into three meals. The first part of each meal
should be raw salad of fresh lettuce, endive, celery, parsley, cress, dandelion
leaves, etc., accordipg to season, with grated carrot, turnip, swede, etc.
On the first morning of this three day eliminative treatment a 1 pint enema
should be taken using the gravity douche, the second morning a 2 pint enema
and on the third morning a 3 pint enema. The water which should be at blood
heat when taken into the colon shoud be held for at least half an hour.
On the fourth day the two food treatment should be undertaken. This consists
of one bottle of pure lemon juice (about 26 fluid ounces) and the same amount
of pure olive oil. At about 11 a.m. on the fourth day, after the enema has
been taken first thing in the morning and nothing at all eaten, the two food
treatment should be commenced. Every 15 minutes a tablespoonful each of the
lemon juice and the olive oil shoud be taken. This is repeated every 15 minutes
until the lemon juice and the olive oil are exhausted. Do not stop the treatment
if you feel sick. Persevere with this at all costs.
Eat nothing else the whole day and on the fifth day commence another three
days on the grapefruit and salad diet with the daily enemas. At the end of
this time most conditions of catarrh will have cleared up and from then on
a sensible balanced diet should be adopted. This ought to consist of a light
breakfast of fresh fruit in season, always bearing in mind the great advantage
of grapefruit in this particular condition. A slice of buttered wholemeal
toast may also be had with this meal.
Lunch and the evening meal should form the main meals of the day and one of
them should always be a good salad with fresh lean meat, grated cheese or
fish. The other can be cooked, consisting of two green vegetables as in season
and two root vegetables such as carrot and turnip with fresh lean meat or
fish. Take eggs only in moderation and not more than two in any week. It is
a good plan to have a first drink on rising in the morning of pure lemon juice
in warm water. This should be made with the juice of one fresh lemon or a
tablespoonful of pure lemon juice and it should be unsweetened.
Herbal Mixture
The following is the best mixture to take for these complaints. Take the following
dried herbs:
2 oz. Dandelion root
2 oz. Stone root
2 oz. Eunoymin
2 oz. Leptandrin
Pour over these 2'/z pints of boiling water and simmer until 1 pint is left.
Allow to cool and strain. Take half a tumbler of the mixture three times daily
after meals. Make this mixture fresh every two days or so and keep stored
in a cool place.
One last important thing is this treatment of gall-bladder disease is to remember
the need for regular exercise. Walking is extremely good but it must be regular.
Walk five miles every day without fail. There are many other forms of
exercise which can be undertaken according to age and, for younger people,
these include running, swimming, horse riding (which will shake your liver
up). The main thing is to make sure that whatever kind of exercise you undertake
it is regular and not just something which happens once, weekly on a Saturday
afternoon in an energetic hour.
Diseases of the Urinary System
The urinary system comprises the kidneys, ureters, the bladder and the urethra.
The Kidneys
These are glands lying below the waist line at the back of the abdomen. They
take care of waste material from the blood in the form of urine which, with
excessive water, passes through the kidneys via the tubes called the ureters.
In this way the urine reaches the bladder whence it is excreted by the urethra.
Each kidney is enclosed in a fibrous capsule. The blood supply to the kidneys
is by the renal artery and vein and at the top of each kidney is a small ductless
gland called the adrenal.
Obviously if the kidneys are out of order this will affect the whole body
either directly or indirectly since acid wastes which should have been excreted
are perhaps re-absorbed into the body with quite harmful and far reaching
results. For this, if for no other reason, it is a good thing even when well
to refresh the kidneys from time to time with one or other of the marvellous
herbal kidney tonics which can be so readily obtained and which can be so
useful in prevention as well as in cure. Here is aneasy way to make tea which
if taken for a day or two, two or three times a year, will keep most ordinary
folk free from any chronic kidney affections. Take the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Asparagus root
1 oz. Parsley root
1 oz. Celery root
1 oz. Fennel
Pour a pint of boiling water over these herbs in a clean teapot. Allow to
stand until cool and then take a wineglassful of the mixture with a few drops
of lemon juice before each meal for two or three days consecutively.
Do this every three months or so and you will be very well insured against
kidney disease later in life. This tea, as will be seen, is made up of herbs
which are also culinary vegetables which can be used whenever in season in
salads or properly cooked with any main meal. This will afford added protection.
The strawberry root can also be added. to this tea, using 1 oz. of the root
to the other four herbs. It is not generally known, but the strawberry, like
the Willow Tree mentioned earlier, is rich in natural salicin, and quite the
contrary to what is so often heard it is extremely good in the treatment of
rheumatism, especially the inflammatory types.
When it is realized that uric acid and other wastes of the urine such as sarcolactic
acid are often causes of rheumatism, and these wastes are excreted by the
kidneys, it can easily be seen why the strawberry can not only be a good kidney
tonic but a very good way of avoiding the consequences of excessive uric acid,
etc., in the system such as the various painful rheumatic complaints.
Kidney Disease
Stones or Calculi are quite a common disease of the kidneys and their presence
may be undetected until such time as they begin to pass towards the bladder.
The pain can be particularly violent during their passage through the ureter.
In these cases the above tea should be made every two or three days and long
drinks of it taken at frequent intervals until the stone has been naturally
passed. Copious amounts of fluid must be taken throughout the treatment.
One of the finest herbal mixtures for stones or calculi is the following made
from dried herbs:
1 oz. Dropwort
1 oz. Poplar bark
1 oz. Givers
1 oz. Buchu leaves
1 oz. Tansy
Boil these for 20 minutes and then allow to cool before straining, after which,
dissolve 2 oz. of gum arabic in the liquor. Take a wineglassful of this mixture
three times daily between meals with 10 drops of oil of cubebs in each dose.
Bright's Disease
This is a chronic inflammation of the kidneys also known as Nephritis. Pain
in this condition is usually felt at the back of the loins.
One of the best herbal mixtures for this is to take the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Golden seal
1 oz. Buchu leaves
1 oz. Prickly ash
1 oz. Broom
Boil for 20 minutes in 4 pints of water. Allow to cool, and strain. Take a
tumblerful of the mixture three or four times a day and make fresh supplies
of this every two or three days.
Strangury
This complaint can have many causes such as inflammation in the kidneys, bladder
or the urinary passages, or it may be caused by stones. There is a frequent
urge to pass urine but this is always slow and painful and sometimes only
a few drops can be passed at a time. Enlargement of the prostate gland in
older men can also be a cause and this is dealt with later under the heading
of `prostate gland'.
When the cause is due to general inflammation, catarrh of the bladder, etc.,
use the following well tried and highly successful herbal mixture:
1 oz. Parsley piert
1 oz. Wild carrot
1 oz. Pelitory of the Wall 1 oz. Woodruff
Boil this for 20 minutes and allow to cool before straining, ready for use.
Take half a tumbler of this mixture three times daily into which 10 drops
of oil of juniper have been placed.
Suppression of Urine
This is a serious condition in which the kidneys fail to produce urine, usually
as a result of acute inflammation sometimes due to fever, etc. Prompt treatment
is essential if it is to be effective. Hot and cold compresses over the
kidney region are very helpful.
To make a cold compress wring out a large handkerchief in cold water and place
over the area. Place an old warm woollen garment over this and loosely hold
in place. It should be kept on for up to two hours, when a sensation of warmth
is experienced in the first 20 minutes. If this does not happen commence with
a hot flannel compress for half an hour and then try the cold compress again.
Here is a well tried herbal mixture which should produce good results swiftly.
Take the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Broom
1 oz. Dandelion root
1 oz. Tansy
1 oz. Pellitory
'/z oz. Valerian
Simmer these in 4 pints of water until only half the quantity is left. A wineglassful
of this mixture should be taken every two hours after it has been cooled and
strained.
Retention of the Urine
This can be caused by a kind of paralysis following shock such as after an
operation, etc., or by an obstruction such as stricture or stone or from an
enlarged prostate gland. Vapour baths are very good for this condition, as
are hot compresses of Camomile Flowers over the bladder region. To make such
a compress, pour boiling water over a quantity of the flowers just enough
to soak them well. Place these over the bladder area and cover with a piece
of linen. Cover again with some old woollen garment and bind loosely. Leave
on for one hour.
As an internal mixture make up the following dried herbs:
2 oz. Slippery elm bark
2 oz. Marshmallow root
1 oz. Tansy
1 oz. Juniper berries
Simmer these in 3 pints of water until only 2 pints are left. Strain and then
add to the hot mixture 2 oz. of gum arabic, stirring until entirely dissolved.
The dose is a wineglassful every three to four hours.
Enuresis
Enuresis, or involuntary flow of urine is often caused by chronic general
debility, or paralysis. Sometimes there is no obvious cause. One of the most
successful herbal mixtures for this embarrassing complaint is to take the
following dried herbs:
2 oz. Bistort root
1 oz. White poplar
1 oz. Valerian
1 oz. Beth root
Simmer these in 4 pints of water until only 1 is left. Cool and strain. The
dose is a wineglassful of the mixture three times daily between meals. This
will be found particularly useful for children who suffer from involuntary
discharge of urine at night.
In all the above complaints when they are accompanied by burning sensations
the famous Holborn Herbalist Gerard recommended an unguent made with the juice
of cowslips and oil of linseed. This could be massaged into the bladder region
and also across the small of the back.
It is interesting to know that Gerard, who is almost as famous as Culpeper
in British Herbalism, was a neighbour of our famous Shakespeare and it is
quite possible that these two were on visiting terms. How interesting it would
be to know what conversation passed between these two - both great artists
in their . own particular field.
Women's Complaints
It is perhaps in the field of women's ailments that the surgeon during the
last century has reaped his richest harvest. It would seem that the merest
excuse has been needed in the past to operate and remove from countless thousands
of women their organs of reproduction. Certainly surgery may be necessary
in extreme cases and as a last resort but it is equally certain that a great
deal of surgery could be obviated if the proper steps were taken at the right
time and many so-called serious cases could be avoided by prompt and commonsense
treatment along natural herbal lines.
On average, the allotted span of woman is some years longer than that of her
male counterpart. She may not be so physically strong as man but she has much
greater powers of endurance and suffering. The female of our species is designed
to carry a greater burden and a greater physiological responsibility than
the male. The supply of nutrition during the development of the embryo during
pregnancy and the discomfort of carrying require a special temperament although
this need not, as so many people imagine, involve greater suffering.
Indeed, childbirth and pregnancy can be free from suffering, and if the childbirth
is a natural one and the mother is fit and healthy then it will also be a
painless one. Pregnancy is not a disease and does not, as so many people seem
to think, require any special treatment. Our race has prospered and multiplied
not because of but despite, the often barbarous regimens and treatments meted
out to women during childbirth and labour.
The many species of life beside our own are able to multiply and thrive without
any intellectual help and species only die out when interfered with and interrupted
by influences outside them and beyond their control. They do not require the
advice and attention of specialist gynaecologists. They can and do survive
very well without them.
For a woman to have a comfortable and natural childbirth experience it is
first essential to make sure that the ordinary everyday natural laws of living
are observed. Diet is of primary importance with adequate exercises and plenty
of fresh air.
A pregnant woman is not an invalid. In diet, account has to be taken of the
growing foetus but this does not mean that the mother-to-be has to eat twice
the amount of food in order to make sure that her baby is also receiving the
right amount of nutrition for development. It does mean though, that the quality
of the food is of the utmost importance if the child when it is born will
commence life with the best possible chance of survival and of being able
to grow and develop as a normal healthy individual in its own right.
As mentioned in the chapter on circulatory diseases, physiological iron is
one of the great factors in a woman's health during pregnancy. This being
so, make sure that each meal consists of fresh whole natural foods. If a mental
resolution is made and carried out that no food, unless it conforms to the
definition of being fresh and whole, will be eaten, then a great deal of needless
suffering will be avoided and the mother-to-be can rest assured that her baby
when it arrives will be sound and healthy with every possible chance of survival
and of growing into a healthy balanced human being.
Suppressive drugs of any kind are not only unnecessary but are harmful and
must be avoided at all costs. On the other hand the Herbalist can offer some
plant extracts which will be of great help and which will promote a happy
and painless childbirth. Among these are the raspberry leaf. A tea can be
made from the dried leaves very easily and if this is taken regularly during
pregnancy most women can look forward to a completely painless birth.
Take 2 oz. of the dried leaves obtained from any good Herbalist and simmer
these in 1'/s pints of boiling water for 20 minutes. Allow the whole to cool
before straining ready for use. A wineglassful of the tea should be taken
three or four times daily between meals during the whole period of pregnancy
for the best results. Make a fresh supply of this tea every two days or so.
Never keep it too long.
Dropsy of the Womb
In the first stages this can often be confused with pregnancy. It can be caused
by a blow or fall producing inflammation or may be the after effects of operative
measures during delivery. The condition is accompanied by symptoms such as
loss of appetite, some nausea, bearing down sensations and pain and swelling
of the breasts as well as swelling and tenderness of the abdomen. The accumulated
fluid can often be discharged from time to time, only to form again.
Treatment: For effective treatment it is essential to make
sure that the skin is functioning properly and for this purpose hot and cold
baths are desirable. Take a hot water bath of about five minutes duration
followed by a tepid or cold shower every day on rising. Dry immediately with
a good rough towel. The finest herbal treatments for this condition consist
of tonics and bitters. One of the best mixtures can be made as follows from
prepared dried herbs:
1 oz. Agrimony
1 oz. Givers
1 oz. Burnett saxifrage
1'/s oz. Dandelion roots
Place these in 4 pints of boiling water and gently simmer until 2 pints are
left. Cool and then strain after which add a teaspoonful of cayenne. Take
a wineglassful of the mixture every two hours until the symptoms subside after
which reduce to four times daily until completely cured.
Another valuable mixture for this complaint is to take the following dried
herbs:
1'/s oz. Pellitory of the Wall
1'/s oz. Broom
1 oz. Parsley piert
1 oz. Juniper berries
'/z oz. Mountain flax
Add these to 5 pints of boiling water and gently simmer for an hour. When
cold, strain and bottle for use. Take two tablespoonfuls of this mixture three
times daily after meals.
Inflammation of the Womb
A chill during pregnancy or violent exercise, a sudden jolt such as during
horse riding or dancing excessively, may produce inflammation of the womb.
It may be the result of delivery and it can be acute or chronic. There may
be some congestion present.
Treatment: Attention to hygiene is essential with
plenty of fresh air and a psychologically cheerful approach to everyday affairs.
The following should be prepared and the mixture taken until the symptoms
have cleared up:
1 oz. Marshmallow root
1 oz. Chamomile flowers
1 oz. Lady's slipper
Place these prepared herbs in 2 pints of boiling water and simmer gently for
half an hour. Allow to cool and then strain. Take half a tumblerful of the
mixture three times daily between meals.
Prolapsus (Dropped Womb)
This often happens after childbirth especially if the diet has not been sound
and there is loss of elasticity in the tissues. Another symptom of this loss
of elasticity is varicose veins when they appear after childbirth and which
are dealt with in the chapter on circulation. If the ligaments which hold
the womb in place lose their elasticity the womb will drop. Another cause
can be undue strain which causes the ligaments to become relaxed.
Symptoms: Pain will be experienced in the small
of the back and in the groins. This pain will be aggravated by standing or
walking for any length of time. There is a sensation of bearing down - a dull,
heavy, wearing pain. There will be pressure on the bladder and the rectum
which may cause symptoms of difficulty in urination and constipation. The
severity of these symptoms will naturally vary with the degree and extent
of the prolapse.
Treatment: In order to alleviate the symptoms 'as
early as possible, hip baths should be introduced at once. The patient should
sit in about five inches of cold water for two minutes first thing on rising
and again on retiring every day for two or three weeks. After the immersion,
dry thoroughly with a warm towel. This will stimulate and strengthen the tissue,
helping to tone up the relaxed ligaments.
A cold compress round the waist at night is a good alternative to the hip
baths. For this a band of linen about six inches wide and long enough to go
round the body should be wrung out in cold water and placed round the hips.
This should then be wrapped round with an old woollen garment large enough
to completely encircle the waist. This should be pinned and left in position
all night, if warmth is felt after five minutes or so. If warmth is not generated
it should be removed and tried again on a subsequent night and if not successful,
adopt the hip bath treatment.
When loss of elasticity is due to inadequate nutrition during pregnancy and
there are also symptoms of varicose veins the wonderful comfrey root should
be taken over a long period. For this it is advisable to obtain a supply of
the manufactured liquid extract from a qualified Registered Medical Herbalist.
A drachm of this extract should be taken three times daily after meals for
several months.
A very good and reliable herbal mixture which can be prepared at home and
which can have wonderful results in this condition is to
take the following dried herbs:
11/z oz. Collinsonin (stone root)
1 oz. Comfrey root
1 oz. White poplar
1 oz. Oak bark
Place these in 4 pints of boiling water and simmer until about half is left.
Cool and strain
and take half a tumblerful of the mixture three times daily after meals.
Dysmenorrhoea (Painful Menstruation)
This is one of the most common complaints with which women have to live. It
can occur at any time from puberty to the `change of life'. It can be the
result of many causes such as inflammation of the womb, rheumatism, chills,
strain, or it can be the result of psychological disturbances brought about
by grief, worry or over-excitement.
Symptoms: These are pain, usually two or three days
before discharge, in the loins, in the small of the back as well as the abdomen.
Sometimes pain is experienced in the thighs. There is a feeling of fainthess,
sometimes nausea, with headaches and neuralgia and the patient becomes very
irritable. Sometimes during the menstrual period the blood will discharge
in clots and if left untreated these symptoms will become of longer duration
with each succeeding period.
Treatment: The hot and cold water treatments are very effective in this condition
and the same procedure should be followed as outlined for prolapsus. Steam
or turkish baths will also be found most useful in alleviating the painful
symptoms, while the most useful herbal mixture can be prepared from the following
dried herbs:
1 oz. Ground pine
1 oz. Southernwood
1 oz. Tansy
1 oz. Catmint
Place these in 4 pints of boiling water and simmer until about 2 pints are
left and pour the boiling liquor from the residue of herbs on to one ounce
of black cohosh. Allow this to cool and then strain. Take a wineglassful of
the mixture four times daily between meals.
Menorrhagia (Flooding or profuse menstruation)
This is an excessive bleeding from the womb and can happen at any time and
at any age. It can have a variety of causes. If flooding happens during pregnancy
it is usually a sign of a threatened miscarriage. It can be the result of
a congenital abnormality of the womb or it can happen immediately or a few
days after childbirth when it is often due to part of the afterbirth remaining
in the womb with a consequent prevention of the normal process of the sealing
up of the blood vessels. Again it can occur at the `change of life' and in
fact it is a quite common phenomenon at this time. At the other end of the
scale it can happen at puberty when menstruation is just commencing.
Treatment: In the case of flooding after childbirth it is essential first
to empty the womb as soon as possible of anything that may have been left
so that there shall be no chance of blood poisoning. Massage of the abdomen
to affect the womb with infusion of oak bark can be very beneficial. Here
are two wonderful herbal mixtures for this complaint which are always helpful.
Take the following prepared dried herbs:
1 oz. Cudweed
1 oz. Cranesbill
1 oz. Beth root
1 oz. Unicorn root
Place these in 4 pints of boiling water and simmer until 3 pints are left
when the mixture should be allowed to stand and cool before straining ready
for use. The dose is half a tumblerful of the mixture three times daily after
meals.
The alternative mixture can be made as follows with dried herbs:
1 oz. Bistort root
1 oz. Tortmentil root
1'/s oz. Beth root
Place these in 3 pints of boiling water and simmer gently until 2 pints are
remaining. After allowing to cool, strain and the mixture is ready for use.
The dose is the same as for the first mixture, half a tumblerful three times
daily after meals.
Amenorrhoea (Suppressed Menstruation)
The causes of suppressed menstruation can be many and various. Chills, colds,
fevers, anaemia, general debility as well as mental strains and stresses can
be predisposing factors. Worry, shock, psychological disturbances and in fact
a host of general factors can cause or contribute to the cause of this condition.
Symptoms: Menstruation always ceases in a natural way during pregnancy and
during lactation. It ceases again in a natural way at the commencement of
the menopause (change of life). When not due to' natural causes, the main
symptoms are often anaemia, loss of weight, headaches, rheumatic pains in
the back and down the limbs, loss of appetite, inflammation of the womb and
a general listlessness.
Treatment: Massage to the lumbar region has been found very beneficial, and
sitz baths or the abdominal cold compress treatment as outlined earlier are
also helpful. The finest herbal treatment which often produces wonderful results
quite quickly is to take the following dried herbs:
2 oz. Motherwort
1 oz. Golden seal
1 oz. Chamomile
1 oz. Blue cohosh
'/z oz. Ginger
Place these herbs in 4 pints of boiling water and gently simmer until 2 pints
remain. Allow to cool and then strain prior to use. The dose is half a tumblerful
of the mixture three times daily after meals. At the same time it is essential
to see that the diet is adequate in such foods as eggs, lean meat and fish.
Leucorrhoea (The Whites)
This is a very common and distressing condition and can occur at almost any
age and at lany time. It consists of a discharge usually from the vagina although
it can come from the womb and is of a whitish colour. It can be a symptom
of more serious disease or can result from lack of cleanliness. In children
it can be a symptom of threadworms or some other irritation. It can be due
to weakness and debility.
Treatment: Cleanliness is essential and the vagina should be
washed out daily with soothing and cleansing antiseptics. A good douche can
be made by taking the following extracts obtained from a good Herbalist:
2 oz. Fluid extract of Hydrastis
8 oz. Distilled extract of Witch Hazel
Mix these together and use an ounce of the mixture to a pint of water at blood
heat for the douche, and wash the parts thoroughly twice daily.
A very reliable herbal treatment which should soon clear the condition is
to take the following dried herbs:
1 oz. Golden seal
1 oz. Prickly ash
1 oz. Solomon's seal
'/z oz. Unicorn root
Place these in 3 pints of boiling water and simmer gently until about 1 pint
is left. Cool and strain ready for use. The mixture should be taken in doses
of a wineglassful three times daily after meals.
Menopause (Change of Life)
This usually occurs in women between the ages of 40 and 50 and should be quite
natural in character and without any untoward symptoms. However, due to the
stresses and strains of modern living, with poor diet and other causes, it
can sometimes be accompanied by symptoms which become distressing. The periods
becomemscantier and often miss some months when they are due, before ceasing
altogether.
This is usually quite normal and can continue for about two years. Sometimes
there are symptoms of flushing (a rush of blood to some part of the body)
with palpitations and hot sweats followed by feelings of chill and cold. These
frequently happen at night, and can be quite unpleasant experiences. All kinds
of nervous symptoms can also make their appearance. Neuralgic pains often
appear and disappear without warning and there is also a tendency to put on
weight. For this the diet must be watched carefully. Most women pass through
this period without harm. Others suffer very much and for these the finest
herbal treatment is as follows:
1 oz. Golden seal
1 oz. Pulsatilla
1 oz. Motherwort
1 oz. Tansy
1 oz. Black haw
'/s pz. Arrach
Simmer these in 3 pints of boiling water until about 2 pints are left. Cool
and strain. Take half a tumblerful of the mixture in as much water three times
daily between meals. This mixture should be taken over a period of several
months or even a year.
Conclusion
Naturally in a small site of this limited scope it is only possible to deal
with the more common ailments to which women are prone and in all cases of
serious symptoms it cannot be too strongly stressed that the sufferer should
seek and follow the advice of a Registered Medical Herbalist where more specialized
and individual treatment can be obtained.
Some Useful Information
In the preceding chapters of this handbook the body has been split into its
main systems and really sound constructive treatments of a purely natural
character have been presented which, if used properly and according to the
instructions, will bring about remarkable results. In addition, some of the
principal organs have been dealt with and the afflictions to which they are
most prone.
The treatments have all been devised in such a way that they can be carried
out in the home and all the mixtures recommended can be prepared by anyone.
Every herb mentioned can be obtained quite easily from any good retail Herbalist.
The more rare and costly herbs have been purposely left out and all the mixtures
used are in the form of easily made decoctions. No specialist knowledge is
therefore necessary either in the reading of this book or in the preparation
of any of the recommended prescriptions.
Herbal medicine has a secure place in the treatment of disease and because
new and quick acting drugs are always being discovered is no reason to discard
and ignore what has been proved and found effective over countless
hundreds of years. These remedies are just as effective today in the alleviation
of cure of disease as ever they were and readers of thisbook who really follow
the advice and instruction herein will be fully rewarded in renewed health
and vigour and what is equally important, the fear of chronic and incurable
disease will disappear.
This section deals with one or two conditions which are not covered in the
previous sections and which are quite common in occurrence. They cannot be
properly included in the various divisions of the systems of the body which
are dealt with nor do they come ordinarily under the disease conditions of
the organs mentioned. They are nonetheless important, especially to those
who may be sufferers. Conditions of the thyroid gland and the prostate are
sufficiently common to warrant attention and treatments are given in the following
pages for conditions of these glands as well as for other fairly common complaints
which can be treated privately in the home.
Thyroid Conditions
An upset of this gland can have far reaching effects on the whole system.
Its hormone secretion is vital to the health of the whole body and it is intimately
concerned with individual vitality. It can be responsible for such seemingly
remote ailments as stomach upsets and intestinal complaints. It can effect
the eyes. Again the Herbalist relies on that wonderful remedy previously mentioned
- the Primrose - for all conditions caused by disorders of the thyroid gland.
The instructions for using this as an infusion or decoction should be followed
in all cases where the thyroid may be responsible. It can have nothing short
of miraculous results.
The Prostate Gland
Many men find their lives made a misery in middle and later life by inflammation
of this gland. It can enlarge and cause the retention of urine or so impede
its excretion as to cause many complications from the presence of this toxic
waste for too long in the bladder.
If only the virtues of Saw Palmetto were better known in this respect it is
certain there would be a lot fewer prostate sufferers. Most Herbalists know
of its wonderful effect on all glandular tissues but it has a special affinity
for the prostate. It is best obtained from your Herbalist as a liquid extract
and a dose of 10-25 minims taken three or four times daily between meals.
It is not generally known, but this herb will also help to build up fresh
young healthy tissue in underweight individuals. It is, in fact, a wonderful
nutrient of the body. Certainly anyone suffering from disorders of the prostate
can expect to obtain really remarkable results by taking this herb; 15 grains
of the powdered berries may be taken as an alternative to the liquid extract.
In cases where this trouble is accompanied by sexual impotency it can be combined
with Damiana and Kola nut; 1 oz. of each of the dried herbs simmered in two
pints of water until one pint is left. Cool, strain and take a wineglassful
of the mixture after meals.
Another herb which can be used in this respect is Sarsaparilla. It is not
generally known but this herb contains the equivalent of the male hormone
testosterone. Together with Sassafras it can be made into a pleasant tea and
will maintain vitality and prevent all kinds of middle-age complaints such
as rheumatism.
Rheumatic Complaints
We all know that the orthodox profession use the drug cortisone for the treatment
of arthritis and this is made from the testes of the bull containing the hormone.
How much better and safer to use a plant remedy which contains the male hormone
testosterone in these ailments where the vital ingredients are maintained
by nature in correct proportion to one another. Certainly no shocking side
effects will ever be experienced by taking Sarsaparilla Root.
A word about Sarsaparilla. This grows mainly in America, India and Jamaica.
Although from whatever origin they all have similar properties, by far the
best variety is that grown in Jamaica. Herbalists use this root with Sassafras
and other famous herbs such as Blue flag, Burdock and Queen's delight with
immense success in all types of rheumatic disease. Here is one of the best
combinations of these herbs to make up for yourself:
Take of the following dried herbs 1 oz. of each Jamaican Sarsaparilla, Queen's
delight, Burdock, Poke root and Blue flag and simmer them in 3 pints of water
until 2 pints are left. Cool and strain for use. Take a wineglassful after
every meal and enjoy a good anti-rheumatic tonic. Far better than the artificial
stimulants so readily taken in huge quantities these days.
The Hair
Many people suffer with disorders of the hair; falling hair, premature greyness,
etc. This is often an indication that the general health is at fault. Hair
is an excretion of the body and consists of almost pure protein. First look
to the diet in all these conditions and make sure than an adequate amount
of good protein food is included. Make sure this reaches the scalp by regular
daily moving of the scalp on the skull. NOT just rubbing the hair; this is
useless.
A wonderful herbal help to the health of the hair is to mix an ounce of oil
of rosemary with an ounce of oil of sage and gently massage this into the
roots of the hair about an hour before washing the hair. It should then be
washed with a rosemary shampoo which can be obtained from any Health Food
Store. When thoroughly dry use a lotion of Rosemary Hair Tonic, (also obtainable
from any Health Food Store) every day to encourage growth and health.
A Healthy Skin
There are so many skin foods and other preparations on the market that it
may seem superfluous to mention any more but among the wonderful herbals we
have is one which can be relied on to keep the skin in good condition and
to preserve its youthfulness and stave off that time when wrinkles arrive
round the eyes, etc.
A cream made from Calendula is the ideal. It can be used also as a lotion
and this can be made at home by boiling 2 oz. of dried cut Calendula in 1
pint of water for 20 minutes. Cool and strain and keep in a cool place for
nightly application as a lotion for the face. Allow to dry on the skin. Calendula
skin cream is obtainable from all the well known Herbalists.
Care of the Eyes
This is something which is often ignored until sight is impaired or the eye
muscles become weak and glasses have to be resorted to. Daily use of the well
known herbal Eyebright as an eye bath will often avoid this and assist in
the maintenance of good sight throughout life. Eyebright or Euphrasia as it
is known by its Latin name can be prepared at home. It is useful as an internal
medicine as well as an eye lotion.
The juice of the Eyebright can be used as eye drops. It can be combined with
that wonderful remedy of which we spoke earlier in this book to make a really
excellent lotion for strengthening the eyesight. It can be obtained ready
made for use with an eye bath from most Health Food
Stores and Herbalists.
Spongy or Bleeding Gums, Pyorrhoea
This seems to be a very common ailment in these days. Before any lasting cure
can be obtained the diet must be modified to include adequate amounts of Vitamin
C and this means plenty of fresh fruit.
Eating apples is one of the finest helps to healthy teeth and gums. The finest
way to clean the teeth and stimulate the gums is to eat at least one apple
after every meal. For a good herbal treatment we turn again to Calendula which
can have a wonderful effect on the most chronic cases of bleeding gums. For
this the tincture is required and this should be held in the mouth for two
or three minutes every morning on rising and again on retiring. Just a teaspoonful
is enough and it can be put into a small quantity of water for this purpose.
Conclusion
Although in recent years many new, so-called wonder drugs, have been foisted
on to the public as great advances in the treatment and cure of many classes
of disease there is no doubt at all that the old herbal remedies are still
the most useful and efficacious. When used with proper knowledge and if persevered
with they can do nothing but good and the range of application and action
of these plants ensures that all chronic sufferers can turn to nature's dispensary
with renewed hope.
Many a chronic sufferer near to despair has found relief and cure among this
wide range of nature's products which are there for the collecting. It must
be remembered that man in his original state was completely herbivorous, and
it logically follows that even now after so many hundreds of years drifting
away from this once ideal diet he could do worse than seek among these wonderful
weeds the things that will help in times of illness and distress.
