Health News

Dr Miiller asserts that potential carriers of the diphtheria bacillus can render themselves much less dangerous to other people by the systematic consumption of honey. ‘Carriers’ are those who harbour the micro-organism of a disease but are not necessarily affected by it themselves, although they constitute a potential source of infection for others. Any remedy that eliminates this danger is most welcome.

The effectiveness of honey places it on the list of tried and proven remedial foods and our confidence in it is fully justified, even though there may be some people who cannot take it and have to forgo its goodness.

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According to the time of the year, clay poultices may be used either hot or cold. Those who are sensitive to the cold may prefer a hot poultice; a bag of hot herbs can be placed on top of the clay to help retain its heat. With a cold clay pack you can reduce the feeling of cold by a hot herb bag used in the same way.

For a small clay poultice, a tablespoon of clay, mixed with a herbal infusion to make a thin paste, will suffice. Spread the paste evenly, about 3-5 mm (Vs-Vs inch) thick, onto a piece of gauze or linen and place on the affected part. In cases of inflammation, especially inflammation of a nerve (neuritis), St John’s wort oil mixed with clay can work wonders and has the added advantage of keeping the poultice soft and easy to remove. Otherwise its removal can be unpleasant for those with sensitive skin as clay becomes hard and brittle as it dries. It is recommended that the poultice be applied at night and left on until the morning.

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As soon as the warm rays of the sun hit the windows in the spring conscientious housewives are usually gripped by a peculiar restlessness that urges them to declare war on every trace of dust, dirt and disorder in the home. Similarly, such a challenge to spring-clean confronts each and everyone of us and we get the overpowering feeling that our bodies need cleansing, in order to rid them of all accumulated wastes. Then a certain ’spring fever’ or fatigue seems to gradually reduce, or slow down, our enthusiasm. Even though we may have had enough exercise during the winter to keep our bodies in trim through movement and deep-breathing, we still feel that somehow our reserves of energy are at a low ebb. Of course that is quite true since the food that was stored in the autumn will have been losing more and more of its vitamins and other vital substances. Another problem are the many days without any sunshine, so that our body is even less able to utilise the vitamins properly. Heavy winter clothing, especially thick waterproof coats, hinders the normal breathing and perspiration of the skin and in this way contributes to impaired body functions.

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The last muddy streaks of snow are still lying on the upland meadows and under the rhododendrons when the bright red blossoms of the daphne already catch our eye. The homoeopathic remedy Mezereum is prepared from the bark of this attractive but poisonous plant.

It is a wonderful remedy for shingles, facial erysipelas and vesicular eruptions, those itching little blisters on a red background that become worse when scratched.

For deep-seated varicose ulcers this remedy is second to none.

Mezereum is indicated for dry mucous membranes accompanied by dry and irritating cough and a feeling of constriction across the chest, which occurs especially during the night, as well as intense thirst with burning pains in the throat and a raw nasal discharge. Even in acute cases the remedy must not be given in potencies

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Today, the pimpernel’s main attribute is the wonderful effect it has on the vocal cords in cases of catarrh and sore throats. Pimpernel roots, chewed throughout the day, will have a much better effect than all the expensive patent medicines with their fancy packaging and labels that promise miracles. There is only one drawback, pimpernel roots are far from palatable, even though they are not so bad that one would want to reject them altogether. In the wintertime, when catarrh is so prevalent, one can come to appreciate the pimpernel’s great benefits.

If hoarseness is allied to the catarrh, chew pimpernel roots with rowan berries; both remedies can usually be bought in a dry state at a pharmacy or herbalist. For extremely bad cases, fresh pine bud syrup (Santasapina Cough Syrup) is another excellent remedy.

Formerly, pimpernel root was recommended in cases of calculus and skin eruptions. That our forefathers prized pimpernel as one of the means of protecting themselves against contagious diseases can be seen from the old saying:

To be healthy and fit, eat garlic and pimpernel, You can then hope to live to an old age as well!

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