What do all these poisons in our food and environment do to our health? This whole book could be filled with reputable scientific evidence, facts, results of research, and actual cases to prove that poisons in our food and our environment do, indeed, harm us, make us sick, and may even kill us. Many excellent books are written on this subject; Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, for example.

But let me give you just a very short illustration of this point. Here is a case which is so typical in our poisoned way of life that it is happening every day—without our suspecting the real cause of the problem: In Chicago, a nine-year-old girl died after doctors could not diagnose her illness. They treated her for hypoglycemia, acidosis, and other things, without success. Finally her parents remembered that just before her acute illness the girl’s bedroom was sprayed with insecticide containing chlordane and organic phosphates!

Pesticides are suspected of being one of the causes of the sharp increase in birth defects.2 Measurable amounts of pesticides have been found in the tissues of stillborn babies. Lengthy exposure to pesticides in homes and farms can cause the fatal blood diseases, leukemia and aplastic anemia, reported a Mayo Clinic consultant Dr. M. M. Hargraves. The sharp increase in hepatitis in the U.S. may be due to wide use of insecticides.

Analysis of samples of foods served in restaurants showed that each food was contaminated with DDT. There are dozens of various pesticides in use in food production, and although little is known of the effect of one pesticide in combination with another, it is known that the toxic effect due to combination can be increased from 10 to 50 times!

*2\58\2*

Jethro Kloss in his book, Back to Eden, p. 375, states that the slippery elm poultice has no superior. It may be used alone, or it may be combined with other materials, as follows:

Combine charcoal and slippery elm in equal quantities. Both should be in a dry powder form so they can be mixed with warm water to form a paste. Use this for gangrenous-type sores or inflamed areas of the body, especially glands. It is also very effective when used internally.

Case Histories

Case No. 1.

On rising early one morning a professional woman found that she had great pain in her lower abdomen. It was a pain that affected the whole body through the nervous system. Later, blood was noticed in the urine indicating that the kidneys and bladder were involved. Some lobelia (an herb) was steeped in two cups of boiling water about 20 minutes. After straining the herb out, we placed the solution over the fire and mixed in 2 ozs. of slippery elm and enough wheat-meal flour to make a spreadable mixture. This was then spread over a thin cloth and applied to the abdomen. The poultice was applied warm and kept warm with a hot water bottle for two hours. It was not long till the pain eased, the nerves became calm, and a good rest was acquired. A new poultice was put on when the two hours were up. After four hours of treatment the woman was feeling a little weak, but there was no more blood and no more pain. She had also taken a cup of hot tea made from Golden Seal followed by a glass or two of pure water. She was able to continue her work quite normally the next day.

Case No. 2.

There was a gentleman whose whole body seemed to be sick. He did not know what was bothering him, but he did know that he was suffering a lot of pain and that his food was not helping him. He was given a cleansing treatment including steam baths and massage, etc. His diet for one week was as follows. In the morning upon rising he took 1 cup of warm slippery elm gruel. This was made by mixing together one teaspoon of powdered slippery elm with half an ounce of honey. When this is well mixed so that no powder is left, add very hot water. (Not boiling, but very hot.) This makes a very palatable drink which has the effect of coating the inflamed membrane of the digestive tract. For breakfast he ate apple mush (whole apples cooked and put through a sieve), bread that had been dried out in the oven until very crisp, and another cup of slippery elm gruel. The same menu was eaten at every meal. By the end of the week his health had recovered to the point where he was able to eat normally and live a reasonably comfortable life again.

Internally or externally, separately or in combination with other ingredients, the slippery elm poultice brings wonderful healing to inflammations found in all parts of the body.

Slippery elm combined with baker’s yeast forms a poultice which will draw boils and abscesses to a head and prevent the onset of infection. Just make a paste with the yeast and powder by adding a little water.

The role of charcoal in poultices is worthy of mention. Charcoal for medicinal purposes is more effective when made from particular types of trees. In Australia, the eucalyptus trees are the best, while in the United States, boxwood, willow, pine, and other soft woods are excellent. Charcoal is an absorbent material. It will absorb many times its own weight in gases and impurities. Commercial acetylene bottles are filled with charcoal to enable the storage within the container of much greater amounts of the gas. It is also used for the purification of water and is the filter substance used in gas masks.

This makes it very useful as an antiseptic, due to its absorbent and oxidizing qualities. It is excellent taken internally for acid dyspepsia, gas, fermentation, indigestion and heartburn. For these internal applications, either as a cure or as a preventative, place the charcoal in a cup; mix with warm water into a paste; then, dilute with hot water or milk and drink immediately. This may be repeated as often as necessary. No injury can result provided that reasonable care has been taken to keep the charcoal from other contamination.

At the same time as the charcoal and water is given internally, a charcoal poultice can be laid with great advantage over the stomach area to relieve trouble in this area.

Thoroughly pulverize the dry charcoal. Make a cloth bag large enough to cover the stomach. Pour a goodly quantity of charcoal powder into the bag, lay it flat on the table, and sprinkle water over it to moisten it. This is a simple and clean way to prepare a charcoal poultice when only using water. If only a small area is to be poulticed, mix the charcoal with water to form a paste, spread on a cloth, fold over, and lay over the affected area. The use of charcoal in healing is a very old remedy as the following experience will show.

Case No. 3.

A gentleman “was taken sick with inflammation of the bowels and bloody dysentery. The man was not a careful health reformer, but indulged his appetite. Fears were entertained that mortification had set in. Then the thought came to me like a communication from the Lord to take pulverized charcoal, put water upon it, and give this water to the sick man to drink, putting bandages of the charcoal over the bowels and stomach. We were about one mile from the city of Denison, but the sick man’s son went to a blacksmith’s shop, secured the charcoal, and pulverized it, and then used it according to the directions given. The result was that in half an hour there was a change for the better. We had to go on our journey and leave the family behind, but what was our surprise the following day to see their wagon over-take us. The sick man was lying in a bed in the wagon. The blessing of God had worked with the simple means used.” Selected Messages, Volume 2:299, Ellen G. White, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958. The original letter from which this report was taken was written in 1899.

The use of charcoal includes applications for inflamed eyes, bruises, infections, old ulcers, sores and poisonous bites from insects or spiders. Charcoal may be combined with water, olive oil, flaxseed (linseed) porridge, corn mush, or wheat mush. The first two of these may be used cold permitting the body heat to warm the poultice.

Linseed (flaxseed) and charcoal poultices can also be of great advantage in the treatment of chest colds. Make a porridge out of linseed and stir in the charcoal. Spread this on a cloth, apply to the chest, protect with plastic and wrap flannel around to keep warm. If linseed (flaxseed) is not available, use cornmeal or just thickened wheatmeal with charcoal added.

Case No. 4.

Here is another example of the effectiveness of this form of poultice. “On Thursday Sara McEnterfer was called to see if she could do anything for B’s little son, who is eighteen months old. For several days he has had a painful swelling on the knee supposed to be from the bite of some poisonous insect. Pulverized charcoal, mixed with flaxseed, was placed upon the swelling, and this poultice gave relief at once. The child had screamed with pain all night, but when this was applied, he slept. Today she has been to see the little one twice. She opened the swelling in two places, and a large amount of yellow matter and blood was discharged freely. The child was relieved of its great suffering. We thank the Lord that we may become intelligent in using the simple things within our reach to alleviate pain, and successfully remove its cause.”

Case No. 5.

A child of four was suffering from bronchitis but was allowed to play in the rain and become wet. This did not help the condition of his chest and by nightfall, he found it difficult to breathe. He also began to run an elevated temperature. A flaxseed and charcoal poultice was fixed for his chest and he was carefully watched over until, almost two hours later, he had vomited up the contents of his stomach along with a lot of phlegm. The warmth of the flaxseed and charcoal poultice gave him ease in breathing and loosened the mucous in the lung area so that his body was able to throw it off. Although there was no problem in this case, it is necessary to watch over young patients carefully while giving them this treatment because they may have a difficult time getting rid of the mucous that will be thrown off.

Case No. 6.

In our district one year there was a man afflicted by a virus of a certain strain that was affecting many people in the area. Its symptoms seemed similar to those of meningitis, i.e., a stiffening of the neck and back muscles. A flaxseed and charcoal poultice made by pouring a mixture about the thickness of porridge into a bag was placed under the neck like a cushion and left overnight. In the morning, the man was able to go out to work in his pineapple patch. It is not always that such a quick response will be realized, but any relief obtained will show that you are working in the right direction.

*32\62\2*

Last, but not least, we will talk about the hot foot bath and hot sitz bath.

The materials used in this simple remedy will depend upon your patient’s size and his physical condition. You will need a container for hot and cold water to place the feet in. If the patient is a child, an ordinary bucket will do. But if he is an adult with big feet, then you will have to look around for something bigger. A plastic garbage bin is often just the thing, and it would be well to set one aside for this purpose. This is one of the simplest and easiest remedies to carry out and a very effective one, too, if done properly. The secret lies in the heat of the water.

In a head cold, for instance, the head is all congested, you are sneezing your head off, and are generally miserable. You will have no problem in believing that your head is congested! What better way to relieve this congestion than to draw it down to the feet! It seems that every time the body is weary, exhausted, injured, or infected, a spontaneous congestion takes place. To equalize circulation again and stimulate it into doing its restorative work with all haste, there is no better booster than good, clean, healing water. Fill the bucket or bin with enough hot water to reach just below the knee. The water should be comfortably hot. Beside this place a bucket of cold water. The contrasting of the hot and cold will enable you to raise the temperature of the hot one to quite a degree without burning and will give a powerful stimulant to the circulation and nervous system. (It will warm the “cockles” of your heart!) Rest the feet in the hot water for a few minutes, then take them out and place in the cold for a shorter period, just enough to feel the cold penetrating. While the patient is doing this, add more boiling water to the hot bucket. This will be noticed by the patient when he puts his feet back in, but he will be able to bear it because of the effect of the cold. For the first few minutes when the reaction takes place, he will feel his whole body tingle. Continue treatment until the congestion has been relieved, the sneezing arrested, and the patient feels warm all over. Finish with a quick cold bath or shower, and dry the feet well.

Another method that can be used to relieve congestion in the head or chest, regardless of what the cause might be, is to use a cold cloth covering the area of congestion and heating an opposite area. For instance, in mumps, where there is congestion in the glands around the neck, place a cool cloth here and wrap the legs up in a warm blanket after placing hot water bottles between the legs and at the feet. Wrap well and be careful not to have the bottles too hot. The object is to create a warming effect. This can also be done to relieve the chest congestion in bronchitis or asthma. This will draw the blood that is congesting around the head or chest into the large blood vessels of the legs where it is warmed. As it circulates back through the body, it brings warmth and healing. It quiets the nerves and promotes good sleep.

When one part of the body is suffering, it is good to enlist the help of another part that is strong and healthy. A lady suffering from a very painful arm, too sore for us to touch, was relieved by massage of the feet. The body is full of reflex areas which respond to stimuli because all the nerves in the body are in touch with each other. When one suffers, the others are in sympathy with it. Knowing this, we can help the ones in sympathy to do something constructive. Thus, though it may at first seem strange, hot foot baths or heating pads to the legs can help head and chest complaints.

*23\62\2*

The fevers described previously are those in which the entire body becomes feverish, and, therefore, requires application of the cold to the entire body. However, in some instances fevers may be quite localized. Invariably, this will be a case of an infected gland—salivary glands in the case of mumps, mammary glands in milk fever, and lymphatic glands of the groin in the case of infected foot or leg. The rest of the body may be at a normal or a slightly raised temperature. The area around the gland involved will be extremely hot. When this is the case, effort must be concentrated on the affected spot. Once again the application of cold is the means used to control the fire, this time in the form of an ice bag.

Materials Required:

Ice bag (or any waterproof bag)

Light flannel or woolen cloth to protect the skin from direct contact with the surface of the ice bag.

Procedure: Simply hold the ice bag in contact with the swollen gland keeping only the light protective flannel in between. There is little chance of damaging the skin by freezing because of the intense heat of the gland. However, it would not hurt to be alert to this possibility and to periodically inspect the surface of the skin, perhaps at three to five minute intervals, or as the situation indicates. Simply continue the treatment until all pain and heat have disappeared from the gland. It is possible that the gland will reheat and again become painful. This is quite usual and only calls for further treatment. No quicker or better relief can be obtained from this kind of problem than with this treatment. The reasons for this are exactly the same as for fevers of a general nature.

*12\62\2*

There are certain things to be considered when attempting to decide the best course of treatment for a patient. First of all, the problem must be looked upon from the viewpoint of age. Whether the patient is a young baby, an adolescent, a youth in the prime of life, a middle-aged mother, or a person in their golden years, this information should be kept in mind because it will influence the amount of vigor that should be put into the treatments. Severe water treatments (those using very cold water—50° F.—and very hot water—110° F.) are not suitable for use on the very young or the very elderly patient. At all times the problems of patients in these age brackets should be approached with great care and should begin with gentle measures, gradually increasing in intensity as the patient’s body can tolerate. In all cases, the patient’s age should be kept in mind, as this will serve as an aid to a better understanding of the patient’s condition.

In cases dealing with problems of internal organs, mild stimulating measures applied to the skin can assist the body as a whole to rise up and fight the intruders. Sometimes an internal wash in the form of water taken through the mouth, or administered by way of the colon is the quickest way to rid the body of poisons. Sometimes the greatest benefit may be had from applying steam or a poultice to an affected area. These are thoughts that you will learn to keep in mind as you gain more and more experience in working with these methods. Keep the underlying principles uppermost in mind and this, together with the trial-and-error experiences you will have, will do much to develop your skills in applying the simple remedies in the right ways.

Remember: disease is a disordered state of the body in which one or more functions cease to be performed in a normal manner. Rational treatment of disease rests upon three essentials:

The removal of the cause.

The treatment of the existing conditions.

The relief of such symptoms before they, by their

severity, in turn, become causes.

The intelligent application of these basic principles constitutes rational medicine.

*3\62\2*

Most people know what psoriasis is from viewing the ABC’s Singing Detective series. It is a scaly skin disease which one in 50 people experience in a mild form on the scalp, elbows, knees or lower back. It can be severely aggravated by taking anti-malarial medications or blood pressure tablets. Stress can add to the problem. It is not a contagious disease.

Psoriasis can be controlled by using a tar based shampoo or white paraffin ointment after a shower. Mild doses of sunlight will improve the condition. Do not overdo the sun as burning will make it much worse.

Externally and internally cold pressed oils such as linseed, sunflower and wheatgerm oils can be applied to the area or take 2 teaspoons daily. Supplement your diet with Vitamins A, E and the mineral zinc. Tea made from red clover or sarsaparilla will help the circulation to the affected areas.

Diet should be changed to a vegetarian one. You may find the psoriasis is caused by an allergy (although most cases are thought to be genetic). Avoid alcohol in the diet as it may be aggravating the condition.

*39\69\2*

Jake is a 29 year-old freelance writer and health food shop owner, who is currently trying to write and sell screenplays. He has suffered from feelings of sadness, fatigue and anxiety off and on since the age of three when his parents got divorced. He remembers being sick a lot as a child and getting into many fights at school. He was the class clown and was often in trouble with teachers.

Jake’s depressions went undiagnosed until age 22, by which point he felt extremely sad and dejected. He had recently completed his university course but didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. He was working as a fund-raiser for disadvantaged children, but was tired much of the time and had a hard time performing his tasks. When he consulted me that autumn, he had quit work and was home sleeping for most of the time.

Jake had previously been treated with Prozac, but it didn’t help his lack of energy, which was one of his main symptoms, and made him feel ‘spacey’. I then treated him with another SSRI in high dosages. Although the drug made him feel more energetic and less down-in-the-dumps, it also made him angry and irritable and he developed a nasty edge in his dealings with other people that was quite uncharacteristic for him. To combat these unwelcome effects, I added a second mood-regulating drug, lithium carbonate. In addition, he also received psychotherapy and light therapy. This combination of treatments was quite effective and by the new year Jake had enough energy to acquire two part-time jobs and felt about as good as he could remember ever feeling. He was bothered, however, by medication side-effects such as sleep disturbance and continued aggressive feelings despite the placating effects of lithium.

After several years on this combination, Jake stopped his medications because he wanted to see how he would do without them. He felt fine until he moved to a new city with his girlfriend. He had always had difficulties with transitions and he felt the old familiar fatigue and anxiety coming back to him and consulted a GP, who restarted Jake on anti-depressants. Once again, he began to feel unpleasantly edgy. At Jake’s request, the GP prescribed a different anti-depressant, Lustral, which helped his mood somewhat but decreased his sex drive a great deal. Not only was he less interested in sex, but also had difficulty with erections and orgasms. He began to avoid sex because it was uncomfortable for him not to be able to perform and affected his self-esteem.

Jake read about St John’s Wort in the popular press and coinci-dentally, I had just begun to treat his mother with the herbal extract with excellent results. Since he is interested in alternative medicines, he put himself on St John’s Wort, 300 mg three times a day, and gradually phased out the Lustral. His sex drive, mood and energy improved markedly following the introduction of St John’s Wort. The only side-effect was mild indigestion, which responded readily to antacids and was in any case short-lived.

Jake’s mood and energy levels are as good as they have ever been and he finally feels ‘like a normal person’. He is grateful to the herbal remedy for helping him so much, even though he recognizes that he has also worked very hard to feel better about himself and his life. This work has involved therapy and self-reflection, regular exercise and actively avoiding toxic influences and negative attitudes. He plans to move to Los Angeles where he is more likely to succeed as a screenwriter, and feels optimistic even though his chosen course is a difficult and risky one and he has recently broken up with his girlfriend, with whom he was deeply in love.

Although Jake shifted from Lustral to St John’s Wort on his own, it is certainly better to make such changes under a doctor’s supervision. But Jake had clearly learned some of the key principles of anti-depressant management during his years of psychiatric care and did a good job with juggling his own medications. He recalled, for example, that you should try not to stop an antidepressant abruptly if at all possible. To do so is to court withdrawal side-effects, such as dizziness, sleep disruption and flu-like symptoms, to name just a few. Also there can be a rapid decline back into depression again. So Jake was wise to taper his Lustral gradually. In addition, Jake recognized that finding the right antidepressant is only one aspect of the treatment of depression. He is combining the herbal remedy with other healthy activities, such as therapy, self-reflection, exercise and the avoidance of negative influences. His move to Los Angeles also promises to be a healthy choice for him as it is more likely to offer him the career opportunities he needs in order to feel professionally fulfilled.

*16\75\2*