Treating Infections

With infections it is particularly important is to treat the underlying cause and not to suppress the symptoms. Fever should not be viewed simply as a manifestation of disease that needs to be 'cured" no matter what. The fever may be a symptom of the healing process itself, which should be supported, not suppressed. A basic mixture that helps the body to work through the lever is as follows.

Boneset       2 parts

Yarrow            2 parts

Echinacea      2 parts

 

Drink half a cup as hot as possible every two hours. Echinacea is included to help the body deal with any microbes, but the simple use of diaphoretics like Boneset or Yarrow will often suffice. If the diaphoretic strength needs to be increased, add a pinch of Cayenne. If the glands are swollen, indicating lymphatic involvement, then Marigold or Cleavers can be included. And if the mucous membranes are involved, Golden Seal can be added as a useful general tonic and a specific help to the membranes. If there is much restlessness, nervine relaxants like Chamomile or Skullcap can be included. These mixtures can be used not only in fevers where the cause is not clear, but also in diseases such as chicken-pox, measles, scarlet fever or the like. This is because herbs do not merely halt the named disease, they also bring balanced healing to a pattern of imbalance. Thus the same herbs and actions may suit a range of people with a range of infectious diseases. Where there is catarrhal involvement, as in measles, refer to the advice given in the section on ear, nose, throat and eyes. If the skin is itching, sponging the body with diluted distilled Witch Hazel may ease the irritation. In more intransigent viral infections such as glandular fever, a most beneficial mixture that can help even if the problem has turned into a low level, debilitating weakness that might go on for months, is as follows.

Echinacea     2 parts

Poke Root     2 parts

Wild Indigo     2 parts

Wormwood    2 parts

Myrrh              1 part

 

The mixture should be drunk three times a day. If you do not like its unpleasant taste, you can mask it by the use of Licorice. In any infection, the intake of vitamin C should be raised to at least 2g daily, vitamin B-complex should be taken and Garlic should be considered as an additional remedy, preferably eaten raw. A cleansing diet based on fruit and fruit juices should be the basis of nutrition.   Sometimes   fasting   is advisable during an infection. It is   best   to   continue   with   the medication for a short while after recovery. For specific  infections refer to the sections on the body system in which the infections occur.

Treating Infestations

We live in a very close and ecological relationship with numerous organisms. They not only live around but also inside us. and our interaction with them is for the most part symbiotic and mutually beneficial; we exist in homeostatic harmony. Many species of bacteria, for instance, defend our body against the invasion of unfriendly microbes or parasites, such as certain bacteria on the skin or in the intestines. However, this ecological harmony can easily be disrupted, thus opening the gates for the invasion of parasites. The best prevention of such an invasion lies in the maintenance of a natural and healthy outer and inner environment, in the main­tenance of health  and well-being and in appropriate hygiene.

intestinal worms

A number of animal  species can become parasites in the human intestine. Each area on this planet with its own unique ecology has its local variety of parasites, and as we are truly part of   our   own   environment,   we sometimes   harbor   them.    The most important intestinal para­sites   in   Western   societies   are worms: roundworm, tapeworm and threadworm. Roundworm and tapeworm can be treated in basically the same fashion. The famous American herbalist, Dr Shook, advises that, rather than fasting, we should eat foods that the worms do not like for a couple of days, thus weakening them before taking anthelmintics. Such foods are onions, garlic, pickles and salty things. After eating these (together with your normal food) for some days, drink a strong cup of Wormwood tea in the morning and at night for three days. On the fourth day take a cup of Senna tea to cleanse the bowels of the dead parasites. Licorice can be added to the Senna tea to prevent griping pains that might occur and

instead of taking Wormwood any other anthelmintic may be used if it seems to be more appropriate. If tapeworm proves to be more tenacious, Wormwood might have to be used for a longer period or might have to be exchanged for the stronger Pomegranate Seeds or even Male Fern (keeping in mind the limitations on its use). As thread­worms inhabit the rectum, a different approach is needed and enemas have to be used. The best herb to use is Quassia. Pour 1pt of boiling water onto 1oz of Quassia chips and let it infuse until it reaches body temperature, -when it will be ready for use. Besides using this infusion for en­emas, two teaspoonfuls of it, flavored with Licorice if necessary, should be taken before meals three times a day. Another traditional remedy is to insert a peeled clove of Garlic into the rectum at night, but make sure the first skin under the peel is unbroken, otherwise it might be too strong and be irritating.

lice and fleas

It is possible to rid the body of lice and fleas by using herbal remedies, but only when we maintain a good diet and scrupulous hygiene at the same time. The whole environ­ment of the parasite has to be taken care of, and the treatment has to be an ecological approach. If life­style is not attended to, herbs by themselves will not be powerful enough and the only effective way of ridding the body of the parasite will lie in the use of drugs.

Lice can be treated through the use of oils of Aniseed, Sassafras or Quassia, with Sassafras oil being the most effective. For external use, mix one part of Sassafras oil with two parts of Olive oil, rub it into the scalp and hair and comb with a fine tooth comb to remove the dead lice and eggs. This process has to be repeated daily until the hair is completely cleared of lice and eggs.

 

Scabies

This little animal can be very intransigent and must be treated with the greatest respect - and with rigorous hygiene. Bedding linen must be boiled after every use and in extreme cases has to be burned.

 

As an external remedy, a strong decoction of Tansy should be applied liberally, either in the bath or sponged over the body often. Bitters and nervines should be taken internally for a few days and after the last scabies appear to have gone. This helps the body to return to a state of ease with itself. Gentian and Skullcap are ideal nervines, but select the ones that are most appropriate to the individual involved.