Herbal Medicine

[Don Genaro]

I've been wanting to post on herbal medicine for some time since I realized that the topic is "missing" from the forum. I don't mean it's missing completely - there are references here and there but no thread that's dedicated specifically to the subject. To be honest, I began to sense the same "lack of faith" in herbs here on the forum that I experience from most people in everyday life. It's hard to explain in a way since there is a huge database of information on health, diet, supplements etc. here, but my studies over the last couple of years has led me to believe that a more direct relationship with plants would be of benefit to many people here. I began to get a sense that something was being overlooked on the forum by a comment made by the C's not so long ago, namely that "garlic was overrated". I don't disagree. But I've been reading a lot about herbs, making my own medicines and would like to put the information out here for your consideration. My feeling is that many people here are wasting a lot of money on supplements when a simple regimen of a few herbs would render most supplements unnecessary.

I've been interested in plant medicine for over 25 years but never really felt the need to use them until a couple of years ago, being generally resistant to colds, flus and infections. My "need" for herbs started a year and a half ago when I went through several month of non stop anxiety with constant tachycardia, where I couldn't even run or move fast because I was afraid I would get a heart attack. Several times I drove as far as the emergency room but couldn't bring myself to go in. I knew they would tell me that I was "okay" and that partly that would be true, because I was in the best place to be if I was in danger of a heart attack! There's the Placebo effect in action.

So I started to enquire around as to where I might find Hawthorn berries and discovered that there had been trees growing practically under my nose at work for years waiting for me to ask! I went and found some trees and came home with my first berries. The anxiety disappeared after my first infusion and I have suffered hardly any anxiety until recently. Placebo? Of course, but that doesn't preclude science. Sometimes anxiety is necessary to motivate us to act so I don't want to focus too much on just that aspect. My thinking on Hawthorn or other herbs is not necessarily just about "removing anxiety" (the "treat the symptom" model, but about making us stronger and therefore more resistant to unnecessary anxiety. There is a cruel study which I can't seem to find now, which took place in China. They placed valves around the arteries supplying blood to the dogs' hearts and proceeded to gradually cut off the blood supply thereby inducing heart attack. In summary, it was found that dogs who had been fed Hawthorn supplements were slower to get a heart attack and faster in their recovery.

Anyway, I got a big jar full of Hawthorn berries and a bottle of brandy and made my first tincture. I bought lots of books and watched loads of videos. I bought other herbs and started making more tinctures. I realized that it was easy and a home made bottle of tincture was sometimes up to 20 times cheaper than store bought tinctures! Not just that, but the whole process of mixing the herbs and putting your energy and healing intentions into them is a healing event and not unlike what we do with crystals. In fact, in one book I read on crystals, I read that the only difference between herbs and crystals was that crystals exerted a continuous effect whereas plants had to be ingested regularly in order to work. I thought of it as working with the Placebo effect but the science also said that it was more than just wishful thinking. I progressed to buying seeds and growing some of them. I learned that some of the most powerful plants are literally dirt cheap. Rosemary and Thyme come to mind. Nettles are another one. A common saying amongst herbalists is "if in doubt, use Nettles!" There are documented cases of people who have recovered kidney function using Nettle seeds!

I started to observe a general attitude amongst people that herbs were as effective a medicine as green tea. There even seemed to be a subconscious supposition that they were exclusively made in the same manner. Not just that, but I could see people were afraid of them with the constant warnings I got from colleagues about "taking care not to poison myself". People were telling me unknowingly how herbs are perceived in our mindset. Regardless, I was by now drinking copious amounts of very strong Nettle tea everyday and even managed to gain 5 kilos, (this being one of those who finds it hard to put on weight). Was that Placebo? I doubt it - I wasn't thinking of gaining weight. I'm skinny but not underweight. I sensed that part of the problem was that; people wonder how a cup of Nettle tea can be beneficial? Well try making it with a tablespoon or two per cup instead of your typical green tea, teaspoon dose and drink it regularly! Read about the herbs, try to understand what they're doing and then take them consistently. The thing is, with all the supplements available, sometimes even that's a bit expensive for many people. That's certainly the case with me. I couldn't afford all the supplements that I felt I needed so that I ended up "affirming lack" and feeling even worse. I haven't bought any supplements since I've been taking herbs. It's a very empowering experience to grow your own medicinal herbs and make your own medicine and I would encourage others to try it, regardless of your economic situation

My fear is that here on the forum, the general focus has gone too far in the direction of seeing herbs as variants of drugs, only necessary to fight disease, rather than their value in prevention and protection. As many herbalists have said, the Chinese take herbs every day, not just when they get sick. I've also been wondering if there aren't some "esoteric" benefits to be obtained here; clues in some of the mythological or folklore plant names? I've been wondering for some time about the C's comments on parasites and how they become more virulent when a quantum leap in awareness is imminent. I became fascinated by the possibility of finding a solution in herbs. It occurred to me that maybe there's more to this business than we might think. I feel that in general, we tend to think of parasites in a very specific manner, i.e. with certain symptoms, you take a few nasty pills and voila. I thought of how we deworm our pets every couple of months yet only deworm ourselves when there are obvious signs. I thought, with all the medical "discoveries" we hear about constantly, what if there are parasites as yet unidentified? What's more, what if such parasites are known about by certain individuals who do not want us to know about them? Do you think the pharmaceutical companies would tell us about a parasite that causes anxiety, which feeds on sugar and whose effects are amplified by certain emf's? Maybe there are certain parasites which they consider "better left undiscovered"?

But there's no need for the above thoughts to be true in order to make that case. I've read about certain herbs which normalize blood sugar. Some of the best herbs in this case are the bitter herbs. I take tincture of Gentian root regularly and infusions of Elecampane and Centaury. My diet has not been ideal by the standards of the forum. I've even been eating bread for a few months now. I don't suggest that everyone start eating bread again but, of all the dietary recommendations I came across on the forum, I knew I had some gluten intolerance and subsequently ditched it for many years. My main symptoms for gluten intolerance had been indigestion. Since I started eating bread again, I haven't noticed a return of this - my digestion seems to be improved and apart from a recent major anxiety attack, which I don't attribute directly to diet, I see no major ill effects. Bear in mind that I haven't been eating any "special" organic breads. I do avoid soya and corn however. In any case, I tend not to crave sugar and rarely buy chocolate for example. I attribute this to be due to creating an unpleasant environment for the "sugar eaters".

I think one of the main reasons that taking herbs, particularly bitters, is that it creates an environment that is inhospitable to parasites. I think certain herbs "normalize" blood sugar possibly by killing off the sugar critters that send constant cravings to our brains. That's why I think that it's a mixture of science, placebo and positive affirmations. Anyway, these are just a few thoughts I wanted to get out here. I did think it might be worth asking the C's if there is merit in the idea, particularly in relation to the parasite idea but also because, if you read for example, Matthew Wood you might be surprised to see what herbs could do for us if used consistently and wisely. If you decide to ask the C's, another related question might be if this has anything to do with the demonization of Absinthe? I don't know all the ingredients of Absinthe but Elecampane, one of the "parasite" herbs is an ingredient. The fact that one of its common names is Elfwort, since it was said to protect against the darts of elves, seems interesting to me considering that "elves" is probably another name for 4d sts beings Maybe Absinthe didn't "blind" people. In a world where black is white, maybe it had the opposite effect if used wisely?

 

[Don Genaro]

A thought that occurred to me is that some people might be a little concerned with say, Nettles, on account of their high iron content. I have no direct or scientifically knowledgable answer to that question, just the feeling that since it works, like all herbal medicines, synergistically, it may be that it improves the body's ability to use iron and perhaps eliminate excess by improving other bodily functions.

Just to elaborate on what I said earlier about allopathic medicine. This is not to say that there is no value to some of our modern medicines - I think that with "western" medicine, we have become experts in identifying diseases and understanding them and I'm not trying to say there's no value to that. What I am seeing though also, is that we're seeing "new" diseases and plenty of questionable drug treatments which lead to more disease, when in many cases, a few herbs would cure the disease without having to name it. In other words, I feel the balance has swung a bit too far in the direction of identifying (with) diseases at the cost of supporting our bodies. I believe herbs can bring many people back to health and be of great benefit to the "healthy". The following part of this article on Fibromyalgia by RJ Whelan might make my point a bit better:

Finding a good herbalist

Much of what's written in this article is entirely suitable for a person to work through themselves but, especially if things are quite bad, or you just know that you need further help, then there may be a great deal of benefit to you to go to whatever lengths necessary to find a good herbalist to guide you on to a safe and strong treatment program. There's a short write-up to suggest how you might go about finding such a person here

Thoughts on Fibromyalgia

Since being in full-time practice in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 1989, I have had a lot of experience in treating Fibromyalgia, much of it very positive. Although pain is the dominant symptom, I have always understood fibromyalgia to have a lot in common with CFS, the chronic fatigue syndrome, and many of the strategies that have been seen to best help the great many people that have come to the clinic with CFS over the years are usually able to help with fibromyalgia too.

In both conditions, there seems to most often be a deep imbalance and a profoundly disturbed function of either the nervous system, the immune system, or both. Fortunately, the old ways of herbal medicine, including diet and other lifestyle interventions, can give much help to people who have lost that balance and function.

Whatever labels we give to people, no two cases are exactly the same and it is imperative to do your utmost to reach down in the causes of things if you will see a lasting change and a true healing process.

However, one of the hardest areas to navigate in fibromyalgia can be the expectation that it will be a chronic and life-long condition.

I understand that people who have been sick with chronic pain and fatigue can feel much relief when they are finally given the diagnosis of fibromyalgia to explain what has gone wrong. They have been profoundly unwell but have not had any physical signs or abnormal tests to prove it and, at last, there is a strong sense of validation because, with the official diagnosis, there is proof that they really are sick, and it was never just 'all in their minds'.

I accept the value of this, and I recognise its importance, but it is what happens next that gives me a twofold concern;

1) in identifying with having fibromyalgia, most people will then go online to learn more about it and will soon find that there are many sources of information, individuals and communities of people with fibromyalgia who maintain a great deal of emphasis on the message that it is a chronic condition that cannot be cured. The rationale is to set the expectation low so that people will accept the need for 'managing' their condition, and I understand this too but...

2) consequent to the last point, there is then a common theme to use some very powerful, and dependency-creating medications to manage the pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. The patient who was often only previously offered anti-depressants is now suddenly eligible for all kinds of pain-killers, anti-inflammatories, muscle-relaxants, opioids etc.

The mind is a very powerful thing. If we expect that we will always have a problem, then we will probably be right. Likewise, if we accept that we will need to be on medication for life and we then take classes of drugs that have been shown to be of no lasting benefit to fibromyalgia but that are given to people regardless and that create a lot of dependency, and toxicity, then we can soon be doing more harm than good.

I do not accept that fibromyalgia is incurable, or that a person must take drugs to dull the pain that it brings in order to manage it. A person who was previously healthy who falls into the kind of deep imbalance that is called fibromyalgia was not born this way. It is not in their genes any more than it is in their fate. The loss of health has a good cause, always, and it is finding and treating that cause that is the key to success.

Commonly, there is a breakdown of immune health that precedes the fibromyalgia, this is described first, in the section below called 'post-viral syndrome'. Often, a breakdown of the nervous system is what is at the roots of it, and this is what happens when there has been too much anxiety or too much actual depression for too long. Anxiety and depression* are treatable, curable conditions, they do not need to be life-long. People can get better. This is all talked about below in some practical depth, along with some other key areas that may need attention in order to see, and treat, the cause.

Ideally, as mentioned at the beginning, you will be able to find a good herbalist who has plenty of experience in treating fibromyalgia and will know how to cast the net wide and to keep an open mind to best see what needs attention. But not everyone can find such a person and these notes are written to give as much practical support as possible to those who need to use Nature and the old ways of healing to help themselves. It will need some careful thought and study to bring this work into use but let no-one be under any doubt that herbs are the people's medicine. You do not need to have a special qualification to use them, they cannot be patented because they belong to us all and they are there for all of us to use, safely and wisely, when needed.

One more comment before we get into the practical, try to 'treat the cause' stuff. You may have noted my comments above about pharmaceutical medication and, especially if you are using them, felt alienated by my comments, or thought 'easy for him to say'. No-one wants to have to experience pain and fibromyalgia, by definition, means pain is present as a primary symptom. No-one should be blamed or judged for taking medication to reduce their pain. I accept this, I truly do.

I make these comments from meeting with and working with many people who have chronic pain, and from listening to their stories, and from my own journey too, and seeing consistently, across the board, that medications to reduce or dull pain are never a successful long-term strategy.

There are better ways, not only to treat the cause of the problem but also to rewire the brain to perceive the pain in a different light. To stop being afraid of it and to actually and practically stop being afraid of it by consciously choosing to go 'into it' rather than trying to escape it.

This is a big subject in its own right and, rather than talk about it more here, the reader who finds something to resonate with in these last comments can find some further discussion and then a demonstration of what it means to 'go into it' in the commentaries called 'going in' and 'relaxation with pain' that are put up near the top of the page here

I suggest, whenever you are ready, to read through the following page with a view to see which area is the one you need to direct your attention to first. Fibromyalgia, and its potential treatments, is a huge subject, To write everything that may be relevant to its treatment here would make this page unreadably long.

The following material seeks to introduce the key themes, to give some suggestions as to where you will need to focus your work to get well. The further pages that are linked in each of the sections below contain much practical information that may be put to good use when you know that this is where you need to be. Good luck, I hope it helps!

Post-viral Syndrome

Many people who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, when telling the story of their health problems, have an extremely important answer to the vital question of 'how did it all begin?'

They describe having had an infectious illness, and this may have been a long time ago, after which their health never really came right. Such a person may in fact have the post-viral syndrome, which illuminates an entirely different way forwards to regain their health.

The classic picture of the post-viral syndrome starts with a severe infection followed by a cycle of relapsing symptoms since that time including high levels of fatigue and deep aches and pains in their body. The pains either move around somewhat randomly or happen in working muscles far in excess of what should be reasonably expected.

A person with the post-viral syndrome also typically experiences recurrent sore throats and/or swollen glands. They may also suffer from other signs of an embattled immune system such as recurrent urinary tract infections or increasing allergies to foods or other substances that they used to tolerate without any trouble.

If they can remember back to when it all started, they can usually recall feelings of being chilled or suffering from night-sweats in the first few weeks or months of becoming sick. These last symptoms are sure signs that their body was trying to mount a fever to rid itself of what it clearly recognised as an infection and this brings us to one of the most important steps for healing the post-viral syndrome....

* Bitter herbs are commonly used to treat depression. It makes sense since in TCM the bitter flavour is used to treat the heart.

The rest of the article goes into topics that are already largely covered here on the forum, diet, sweat therapy and rest. I'll continue to post other bits over the next days.

 

[Don Genaro]

I thought I'd post a bit about a herb I've been taking both in tincture form and infusion for several months now. Many of you will know about St. John's Wort, as well as the fact that it's come under a lot of attack from the FDA and other "concerned" government agents. Indeed, they are probably concerned that it would take business away from Big Pharma. As far back as 1998 I was asked in a health food shop in Ireland to sign a petition to prevent the EU government from banning it. They eventually got control of it anyway. At the time, the reason given had been that "some guy many years before who had been self treating for depression, had killed himself". I don't know if that was true but it's what the shop owner told me. Richard Whelan explains that the main reason it's been banned in many countries is because it's so effective in expelling toxic drugs from the body that when they had been testing it along with AIDS drugs, "the damned John's Wort was cleansing the body of the drugs before they could work". Solution?

I was curious about the fact that it can cause photo sensitivity and that it was traditionally used to protect against "evil spirits". Depression and other mental disorders? In any case, I hope to grow my own this year. Meanwhile, I managed to find some at a local market that was recently harvested (I feel this is one herb that it's better to use as freshly dried as possible - other herbs age better). In most health food shops they're pretty clueless about such details as everything is becoming more and more mass produced. I use the health food shop herb to make tea and the fresher one to make the tincture.

Anyway, here's the chapter from Matthew Wood's book The Book of Herbal Wisdom - Using Plants as Medicine.

Hypericum perforatum

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s Wort is native to Europe, but widely naturalized throughout North America. There are several native American members of the family, but none of them have the exceptional healing properties of this particular species. They are in the Hyperaceae family.

Dr. Charles Millspaugh noted in 1892, “this European immigrant has become so thoroughly naturalized with us as to become a very troublesome weed upon our farm-lands.” It indicates poor soils, so most of these fields have been fertilized, abandoned, or turned into pasture. It is for the stockman that St. John’s Wort has proved most troublesome. Cattle grazed on land infested with it can become photo-sensitive and die of sunburn. However, this pest for the farmer is a healing balm in the hand of the herbalist.

The Greek name for this plant was hypericon. This seems to indicate that it was placed “above the icon,” or possibly that it had power “over the image,” or specter. Such ideas only gained momentum with the centuries. During the Middle Ages, St. John’s Wort was used to protect people against demons, witchcraft, and lightning. “Among the more superstitious peasantry of Middle Europe the most astonishing virtues were assigned to the herb,” adds Millspaugh.

The name St. John’s Wort refers to the fact that the plant begins flowering on St. John’s Day, just before the summer solstice. This is considered the best day to pick it—though fortunately for us lazy, ill-timed people, St. John’s Wort remains in flower until the end of summer. The fact that it flowered at such an auspicious time was not lost on medieval Catholic peasants. They also noticed that the branches, when viewed from above (not from the side) fall perfectly into the shape of a cross. This must have furthered the idea that it was a holy herb which would protect them. This might also suggest protection from above, from lightning, a piece of lore distinctive to this plant.

These are not, however, the most important signatures presented by the St. John’s Wort. The leaves, when held up to the sunlight, seem to have little perforations in them—hence the name perforatum. These are actually little glands, so these little “holes” are actually windows. This suggested the use of St. John’s Wort in wounds, or perforations of the skin.* It also added to the magical associations. The use of pins to poke holes in dolls representing victims is an ancient practice, and it was thought that St. John’s Wort would protect against insidious occult invasion of people. The bright yellow flowers, when placed in water, oil, or alcohol, give up a dark, red, somber tincture which looks like blood. This also indicated the use of St. John’s Wort in wounds as well as some special connection to that most magical of substances, the blood. Hypericum has been used since the most ancient times as a wound medicine.

Paracelsus drew on these traditions for his understanding of the properties of St. John’s Wort. “The hypericum is almost a universal medicine,” he says. “The veins upon its leaves are a signatum, and being perforated they signify that this plant drives away all phantasmata existing in the sphere of man. The phantasmata produce spectra, in consequence of which a man may see and hear ghosts and spooks, and from these are induced disease by which men are induced to kill themselves, or to fall into epilepsy, madness, insanity, etc.” This is quoted by Dr. Franz Hartman, who adds the comment: “Have those who ridicule this statement ever employed the hypericum in cases of hallucination?”

Samuel Hahnemann applied the law of similars in a different fashion. He gave Hypericum a homeopathic proving and introduced it into his materia medica. He fine tuned the traditional use of the plant as a woundwort. Homeopathy has shown that Hypericum is specific for wounds to parts rich in nerves, attended with sharp, shooting pains, inflammation along the course of a nerve, pinched nerves, injuries from sharp, penetrating instruments, etc. These experiences actually confirm the ancient association with needles in a strange way.

Hypericum was largely ignored by the eclectic and physio-medical doctors of nineteenth-century America. They seem to have identified it closely with “the enemy,” i.e., homeopathy. However, it slowly crept into American usage, probably from European immigrants. It is often used in homeopathy in the mother tincture, salve, cream or oil, so the jump to herbalism may easily have come from this direction as well.

It is hard to imagine that this herb could ever have been abandoned by herbalists. It has the most beautiful, warm, balsamic, healing taste. I sometimes think of it as the archetypal medicinal herb. Father Sebastian Kneipp called it the “perfume of God” and the “flower of the Fairies.”

Despite such precious traditions, the FDA has toyed with the idea of outlawing the sale of Hypericum because of the problem with sunburn in cattle. (Any excuse would seem to do them). There are no well-documented cases of this difficulty in people, who consume minute quantities, by comparison to cattle. However, as we know, the motto of the FDA is: “This motto has not been approved for medical use!” But more about those Fairies.

St. John’s Wort and the Little People

This is one of those plants about which the mantle of European folk culture hangs heavy with curious lore. Hypericum blooms around the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. Just as Christmas Day is the official church holiday associated with the winter solstice, St. John’s Day is the holiday near the summer solstice. In the Biblical account, St. John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, born six months before him, so naturally his feast day fell at the summer solstice. Just as Jesus took over the functions of the dying and resurrecting pagan god of winter, St. John was associated with the pagan god of summer vegetation and life. The Bible recounts that St. John went off to live by himself in the wilderness, dressed like a “wild man,” feeding on wild plants. The medieval Catholics recognized a resemblance to the “Wild Man” or “Green Man” associated with the blooming fertility of summer.

These associations transferred to St. John’s plant, which not only blooms at Midsummer, but had long been used as a fumigant to remove diabolic and dangerous influences from the home. The little holes in the leaves suggested protection against “spectra” or “phantasms” which might penetrate the psyche or body. And not to forget, St. John’s Wort looks like a cross when the branches are viewed from above. The moral wing of the church deduced that St. John’s Wort must protect one against the dangerous witchcraft and pagan influences which flourished at the Midsummer festivals. At any rate, there was a time when almost every door and window was crowned with St. John’s Wort on St. John’s Eve.

One of the most charming stories I have heard about St. John’s Wort is that it is the plant of the “Little People.” In ancient tradition, the Little People were acknowledged to be very powerful beings (not necessarily little) who exist in the Underworld. They sometimes kidnap mortals and take them to their kingdom. They teach them secrets, sometimes releasing them after a period, but other times holding them captive forever. There are certain “holes” in the countryside, where it is easier to pass over into their world, intentionally or unintentionally. Often these places are situated where water and stone are found in proximity, or where the Elder or the Hawthorn grow.

The medieval Catholic church understood that the Fairy Folk were not the same as the Fallen Angels, or demons, but a different kind of people. Because of this, the church adopted a doctrine which agreed with the traditional admonitions of folk lore. People were warned not to dance with the Little People because, although immortal while this world lasts, the Fair Folk have no souls. On the Judgment Day they will cease to exist, along with their guests. Their fabulous celebrations therefore have a sad, hollow quality beneath the surface. Their home is not the true abode of the human race.

Despite such dangers, we can learn from the Little People about the secrets of the natural world, dreamtime, and seership. They speak to people through dreams and visions, and in some measure even direct these activities. Unlike the demons, whose main interest is to turn people onto a crooked path, the Little People are interested in human companionship. They are willing to trade this for knowledge, but they can become terribly possessive. They sometimes act as companions for children who live and play by themselves in the woods, but they also can steal people away.

The Indian people noticed this other race as well. In the Great Lakes region they are called the maemaegewaehnssiwuk. One of my friends showed me a rock by the edge of a lake in central Minnesota. “That’s the rock where the Little People used to come out and play, before the white man came.” There are Little People who are native, and ones that came over from Europe. The former have long black hair down to their toes and live in the forest. The latter dress in clothing and live more in the fields. The way I heard it, the European Little People taught the Native American Little People about St. John’s Wort and they taught the Indian people about it.

Stories about the Little People are always colorful. Like St. John’s Wort, they can help heal people who have “holes” in them. One of my close friends was dying from a serious disease. A “New Age shaman” who knew a thing or two “stuck a patch” on her side and “had the Little People hold it on.” She felt them jump up on the her bed that night and come over to her side. A year later, when she was well, she saw them leave. During that time she went to a sweat lodge with some Indian people on a sacred mountain. “The Little People are here,” one of the spiritual leaders commented. “I’ve never seen them on the mountain before.” I know all the parties involved in this case and can attest what happened.

Herbalists need to know that the Little People can cause them to get lost in the woods. If a person is out in a familiar place in the woods and suddenly he or she gets turned around and lost, the Little People are trying to get some attention. Put out an offering and things will straighten out. This happened to one of my friends. She was out in a field picking St. John’s Wort. She put the flowers in a wide mouth bottle as she went along. After an hour she put the bottle down by a tree and wandered off to look for other plants. When she came back she couldn’t find it. She circled the tree three times, then circled all the trees in the field and finally walked around the perimeter of the whole area. Then she thought about the Little People. She walked to a nearby truck stop and bought a bag of jelly beans. “I figured an hour’s worth of work was worth a $1.39.” She put some out, but she was pretty mad at the Little People. She threatened, “If you want the rest of these you’ll have to show me that bottle or I’ll eat them all.” Just then she looked at the tree: from a hundred feet away she could see the bottle. When she got to it she found it between two trails where she had trampled down the grass. She couldn’t imagine how she avoided kicking it as she walked by!

Wounds to the Nerves

Hypericum is widely used in homeopathy for nerve-trauma. It is especially beneficial when there is inflammation irritating the nerves, so that there are sharp-shooting pains along the course of the nerves. It is also beneficial for injuries to places rich in nerves, where the pains are considerable. It is used for blows to the coccyx, from falling on the ice, down stairs, or delivering a baby. It is especially indicated for pinched nerves or injuries which occur as a result of sudden movements, as when people catch at something to stop themselves from falling. Boericke comments that the judicious use of Hypericum in surgery can make morphine unnecessary. I have talked to homeopathic patients who testified that this level of pain-control is possible. “Every homoeopathic physician of at least three month’s practice can attest to its merits,” writes Millspaugh.

Back there in my early days of practice I saw the following case. A young woman stuck an awl up under her finger-nail, resulting in great pain. Within twenty-four hours, a red streak was shooting up the arm. She asked what she should do. I said, “Why don’t you go to the emergency room?” She said she wasn’t going to do that and I knew she wouldn’t. I thought about it a little while and realized she and her husband had a homeopathic home remedy kit. Hypericum 30x had the streak and the pain diminished greatly by morning and she recovered without difficulty.

Many of the old homeopaths said that St. John’s Wort will prevent or cure tetanus, even after it has set in. Dr. Guernsey gave a dramatic history about a young boy who was cured after the tetanus had locked his jaw and neck entirely. Dorothy Shepherd also attests to this, pointing out that she dressed wounds of children and adults injured during the bombing of London with Hypericum and never once had tetanus set in, although many cases were admitted in the conventional hospitals nearby.

Dr. Shepherd gives a good account of the wound-healing properties of Hypericum in A Physician’s Posy (1969), including many case histories. The one I like the best, however, is her own. While in an isolated resort in the mountains of Switzerland she was bitten by a horsefly. The wound turned septic very quickly, with a rapidly spreading cellulitis of the foot and leg and swollen lymphatics further up the leg. “Septicemia sprang to mind. I remembered seeing cases dying within two or three days of neglected sepsis of the foot.” A friend went out to collect a local variety of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum androsaemum). They made a decoction of the whole plant, soaked a clean handkerchief and dressed the wound with it. In twenty-four hours she was able to put her foot to the ground again and walk about.

Hypericum has been used in homeopathy and herbalism externally as a soothing anti-inflammatory for fresh, bleeding wounds, sores, burns (in all degrees), bed-sores, chaps, folliculitis, abrasions and injuries from work or cleaning agents, bumps, boils, furuncles, dry and wet eczemas and insect-stings. It is also useful as a cosmetic skin-care cream for scaly, dry, or unclean skin and very effective as a massage oil for muscle spasm (remember the tetanus), cramps, stiffness, ache, overuse, sprains, bruises, articular ache and back ache, rheumatism, gout, sciatica, neuralgia, and poor circulation to the extremities. The oil can also be massaged into the gums for inflammation and atrophy.

Very often, when we have a medicine which acts this strongly on nerve trauma, we find that it will also act on the nervous system. St. John’s Wort has a particular affinity to the solar plexus and the nerves of digestion. It has been especially popular among the herbalists of central Europe, and it is to them that we turn for the best accounts of its use in internal conditions affecting the organs and viscera of the body.

Soothes the Solar Plexus, Stomach, and Digestion

A Greek herbalist, Stefan Doll, gives several specific indications. He says St. John’s Wort is beneficial during developmental periods in youth and aging. This includes bed-wetting in the young, menstrual problems (cramping, irregularities, and pain), and menopause. He also notes that it is good for people who are sensitive to changes in the weather. He uses it for “recuperation and invigoration after long diseases and operations.”

Another source on the Middle European tradition is my friend Fred Siciliano, an herbalist in Ventura, California. He learned about St. John’s Wort from his teacher, Sidney Yudin, who studied herbal medicine in the Soviet Union. Fred says that St. John’s Wort helps co-ordinate the functions of the different organs of digestion. (In otherwords, it strengthens the action of the solar plexus, which oversees these functions.) “St. John’s Wort gets people on the high road to health by improving assimilation of food, and this promotes tissue cleansing. It is more a tonic than a cleanser, but it is the appropriate cleanser when the patient is too weak to bear stronger medicines. It decongests the liver and removes mild tension that accompanies this. It harmonizes the stomach, spleen, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder, so that weak digestive organs are not pushed over by a too-strong action of the liver.”

St. John’s Wort is indicated in chronic illness associated with chronic pain, nervous exhaustion, emotional depression, mental and physical weakness. It can be used when there is anxiety, stress, or fear. It is used as a subtle strengthening agent for the nervous system, especially through the solar plexus, so that the stomach is soothed and healed, improving the digestive function. Dr. Yudin used it for both hypo- and hyperacidity of the stomach—for ulcers, heartburn, and bloating. It goes further into the system, helping the small intestine to absorb food better, bringing nutriment to the lymphatics for distribution in the interior of the organism. It is also beneficial for intestinal inflammation, cramps, and colic. It promotes increased cleansing from the lymphatics and tissues generally. By removing catarrh from the stomach and small intestine, digestion and assimilation are improved. The gallbladder is mildly influenced and strengthened through the nerve reflexes from the solar plexus, gently decongesting the liver as well.

Hypericum relieves tension in various parts of the body by relieving liver tension and improving blood circulation and cardiovascular tone. It has also been used to treat kidney and sacral pain, kidneystones, bedwetting, urinary incontinence and irritation, irregular and variable menstruation, pre-menstrual depression, catarrhal bronchitis, and intermittent fever or influenza.

Flower Essence practitioner Yolanda LaCombe of Los Angeles wrote to me, “St. John’s Wort has a strong relationship to the solar plexus and aids in digestion. I use it to bring emotions and thoughts into synchronicity. It is a good remedy for overload and for processing information. It is also an excellent protective remedy. The golden-yellow color of the flowers indicates that it has great applications for most forms of depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder in particular.”

One of my students had a good experience with Hypericum which illustrates the affinities to the digestive tract. Her father had cancer of the intestine, parts of which were surgically removed. At the same time, chemotherapy had been given. After a time he became exhausted from the nausea and pains in the guts and depressed from the whole affair. His daughter came over with the bottle of St. John’s Wort tincture. After the first dose he broke out with a rash over his body. Fortunately, he understood that this was a good sign. The next day the rash passed and from that time on his strength and spirits improved. He took the medicine for several months—one drop, one to three times a day. He still takes it from time to time, when he feels the need.

Within the last decade, research on animals showed that Hypericum possesses anti-retro-viral properties. It was introduced to HIV+ patients with good result. The first HIV positive person I talked to who got good results from St. John’s Wort was a man who was infected through intravenous drug use. Now there’s a literal application of the pin-prick signature!

Remedies which act on the solar plexus are often psychological in their influence because they improve the gut level instincts, and this helps people to deal with unconscious phenomena in their lives. Thus, we come back to St. John’s Wort as a remedy for demons, witchcraft, hallucination, and insanity. But the Little People may have something to say about this as well.

Preparation, Toxicity, and Dosage

In herbal medicine the bulk herb is used as a tea or tincture. The oil does not catch the best ingredients, and is not always as effective as a remedy—though it is well-suited to external application. I prefer to use the tincture. In homeopathy, the potencies are used. I often have better success with the tincture and this should never be overlooked, even by the most inveterate high potency homeopathic prescribers.

In its internal and external applications, Hypericum is similar to Xanthoxylum. The former works better when the person feels worse from moving, due to the inflammed, swollen tissue around the nerves, and the resulting nerve irritation. The latter works best when a person is writhing in agony; one cannot sit still from the pain.

Hypericum causes serious sunburn in animals grazing on pastures over-run with the plant. White animals are more sensitive to its effects. Animals have even been killed from the burns. Cases of serious burn caused by St. John’s Wort in human beings are not well documented, but people who are photo-sensitive should use this medicine with care.

*The author talks more about its use for wounds in his other books. He emphasizes that it's more effective for puncture wounds than those with more severe bleeding (Yarrow is the go-to herb for severe bleeding). One experience I did have whilst taking it, and it's hardly Placebo as I wasn't thinking about this but one day I was doing a garden clean-up as an extra and I had to spend the day pruning Bougainvillea. Anyone who prunes this plant will know that you need to cover up well. Anyway, I had forgotten to take gloves with me and just went carefully. Even with gloves I always come home with scratches and sores after a day of pruning Bougainvillea but on this particular day, I felt almost no pain. It was only later that I made the connection. Next up: Yarrow

 

[JLynne]

I've been wanting to post on herbal medicine for some time since I realized that the topic is "missing" from the forum. I don't mean it's missing completely - there are references here and there but no thread that's dedicated specifically to the subject. To be honest, I began to sense the same "lack of faith" in herbs here on the forum that I experience from most people in everyday life. It's hard to explain in a way since there is a huge database of information on health, diet, supplements etc. here, but my studies over the last couple of years has led me to believe that a more direct relationship with plants would be of benefit to many people here. I began to get a sense that something was being overlooked on the forum by a comment made by the C's not so long ago, namely that "garlic was overrated". I don't disagree. But I've been reading a lot about herbs, making my own medicines and would like to put the information out here for your consideration. My feeling is that many people here are wasting a lot of money on supplements when a simple regimen of a few herbs would render most supplements unnecessary.

I've been interested in plant medicine for over 25 years but never really felt the need to use them until a couple of years ago, being generally resistant to colds, flus and infections. My "need" for herbs started a year and a half ago when I went through several month of non stop anxiety with constant tachycardia, where I couldn't even run or move fast because I was afraid I would get a heart attack. Several times I drove as far as the emergency room but couldn't bring myself to go in. I knew they would tell me that I was "okay" and that partly that would be true, because I was in the best place to be if I was in danger of a heart attack! There's the Placebo effect in action.

So I started to enquire around as to where I might find Hawthorn berries and discovered that there had been trees growing practically under my nose at work for years waiting for me to ask! I went and found some trees and came home with my first berries. The anxiety disappeared after my first infusion and I have suffered hardly any anxiety until recently. Placebo? Of course, but that doesn't preclude science. Sometimes anxiety is necessary to motivate us to act so I don't want to focus too much on just that aspect. My thinking on Hawthorn or other herbs is not necessarily just about "removing anxiety" (the "treat the symptom" model, but about making us stronger and therefore more resistant to unnecessary anxiety. There is a cruel study which I can't seem to find now, which took place in China. They placed valves around the arteries supplying blood to the dogs' hearts and proceeded to gradually cut off the blood supply thereby inducing heart attack. In summary, it was found that dogs who had been fed Hawthorn supplements were slower to get a heart attack and faster in their recovery.

Anyway, I got a big jar full of Hawthorn berries and a bottle of brandy and made my first tincture. I bought lots of books and watched loads of videos. I bought other herbs and started making more tinctures. I realized that it was easy and a home made bottle of tincture was sometimes up to 20 times cheaper than store bought tinctures! Not just that, but the whole process of mixing the herbs and putting your energy and healing intentions into them is a healing event and not unlike what we do with crystals. In fact, in one book I read on crystals, I read that the only difference between herbs and crystals was that crystals exerted a continuous effect whereas plants had to be ingested regularly in order to work. I thought of it as working with the Placebo effect but the science also said that it was more than just wishful thinking. I progressed to buying seeds and growing some of them. I learned that some of the most powerful plants are literally dirt cheap. Rosemary and Thyme come to mind. Nettles are another one. A common saying amongst herbalists is "if in doubt, use Nettles!" There are documented cases of people who have recovered kidney function using Nettle seeds!

I started to observe a general attitude amongst people that herbs were as effective a medicine as green tea. There even seemed to be a subconscious supposition that they were exclusively made in the same manner. Not just that, but I could see people were afraid of them with the constant warnings I got from colleagues about "taking care not to poison myself". People were telling me unknowingly how herbs are perceived in our mindset. Regardless, I was by now drinking copious amounts of very strong Nettle tea everyday and even managed to gain 5 kilos, (this being one of those who finds it hard to put on weight). Was that Placebo? I doubt it - I wasn't thinking of gaining weight. I'm skinny but not underweight. I sensed that part of the problem was that; people wonder how a cup of Nettle tea can be beneficial? Well try making it with a tablespoon or two per cup instead of your typical green tea, teaspoon dose and drink it regularly! Read about the herbs, try to understand what they're doing and then take them consistently. The thing is, with all the supplements available, sometimes even that's a bit expensive for many people. That's certainly the case with me. I couldn't afford all the supplements that I felt I needed so that I ended up "affirming lack" and feeling even worse. I haven't bought any supplements since I've been taking herbs. It's a very empowering experience to grow your own medicinal herbs and make your own medicine and I would encourage others to try it, regardless of your economic situation

My fear is that here on the forum, the general focus has gone too far in the direction of seeing herbs as variants of drugs, only necessary to fight disease, rather than their value in prevention and protection. As many herbalists have said, the Chinese take herbs every day, not just when they get sick. I've also been wondering if there aren't some "esoteric" benefits to be obtained here; clues in some of the mythological or folklore plant names? I've been wondering for some time about the C's comments on parasites and how they become more virulent when a quantum leap in awareness is imminent. I became fascinated by the possibility of finding a solution in herbs. It occurred to me that maybe there's more to this business than we might think. I feel that in general, we tend to think of parasites in a very specific manner, i.e. with certain symptoms, you take a few nasty pills and voila. I thought of how we deworm our pets every couple of months yet only deworm ourselves when there are obvious signs. I thought, with all the medical "discoveries" we hear about constantly, what if there are parasites as yet unidentified? What's more, what if such parasites are known about by certain individuals who do not want us to know about them? Do you think the pharmaceutical companies would tell us about a parasite that causes anxiety, which feeds on sugar and whose effects are amplified by certain emf's? Maybe there are certain parasites which they consider "better left undiscovered"?

But there's no need for the above thoughts to be true in order to make that case. I've read about certain herbs which normalize blood sugar. Some of the best herbs in this case are the bitter herbs. I take tincture of Gentian root regularly and infusions of Elecampane and Centaury. My diet has not been ideal by the standards of the forum. I've even been eating bread for a few months now. I don't suggest that everyone start eating bread again but, of all the dietary recommendations I came across on the forum, I knew I had some gluten intolerance and subsequently ditched it for many years. My main symptoms for gluten intolerance had been indigestion. Since I started eating bread again, I haven't noticed a return of this - my digestion seems to be improved and apart from a recent major anxiety attack, which I don't attribute directly to diet, I see no major ill effects. Bear in mind that I haven't been eating any "special" organic breads. I do avoid soya and corn however. In any case, I tend not to crave sugar and rarely buy chocolate for example. I attribute this to be due to creating an unpleasant environment for the "sugar eaters".

I think one of the main reasons that taking herbs, particularly bitters, is that it creates an environment that is inhospitable to parasites. I think certain herbs "normalize" blood sugar possibly by killing off the sugar critters that send constant cravings to our brains. That's why I think that it's a mixture of science, placebo and positive affirmations. Anyway, these are just a few thoughts I wanted to get out here. I did think it might be worth asking the C's if there is merit in the idea, particularly in relation to the parasite idea but also because, if you read for example, Matthew Wood you might be surprised to see what herbs could do for us if used consistently and wisely. If you decide to ask the C's, another related question might be if this has anything to do with the demonization of Absinthe? I don't know all the ingredients of Absinthe but Elecampane, one of the "parasite" herbs is an ingredient. The fact that one of its common names is Elfwort, since it was said to protect against the darts of elves, seems interesting to me considering that "elves" is probably another name for 4d sts beings Maybe Absinthe didn't "blind" people. In a world where black is white, maybe it had the opposite effect if used wisely?

Thank you. I hope this thread/topic will flourish. The plant kingdom is a fascinating subject. Many "subjective" experiences personally. I look forward to sharing some experiences when the time is right.

 

[SevenFeathers]

Thanks for starting this topic.

I am fortunate to live in an area with many cedar trees and thus, juniper berries. They are described as being anti inflammatory, decongestant, diuretic, helps regulate blood sugar. I used them as a tea when I had lung congestion from a cold last year. An acquaintance made a fermented drink (as kombucha) from them. I've also read that you can eat one or two berries after dinner to act as a digestive aid. Here's a detailed article: Juniper Berries: 9 Health Benefits of These Unique Berries - Dr. Axe

There are many other edible plants in our area and I have tried a few. It's an interesting study. For any of you who may be in Texas, there's a great online guide with identification pictures at Foraging Texas