Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies. David Hoffmann
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This should be drunk three times a day.
When there is a local inflammation with pain, a lotion or compress of Witch Hazel will often ease the discomfort, otherwise Marigold, Comfrey or Hawthorn Berries can be used.
Varicose ulcers
There is a very close connection between the development of varicose ulcers and the condition of the veins, their activity and tone, which is also reflected in varicose veins. When the legs are not sufficiently drained of blood and tissue fluid—due to the factors described for varicose veins—the water-logging leads to the tissue breaking down and ulcers developing. They are notoriously difficult to heal. Here it is even more important that adequate exercise be taken and that the feet are elevated, to counteract the effect of gravity on the legs.
The herbs to be used here are the same as for varicose veins, but a higher proportion of diuretics and alteratives have to be used. External treatment is vital here. If there is any secondary infection, it can be treated by a compress made from Marigold, Marshmallow and Echinacea, which has to be changed often. When the infection has subsided, change the compress for a poultice of powdered Comfrey, Marigold and Marshmallow made into a thick paste and applied to the surrounding tissue of the ulcer and kept in place with the aid of an elastic bandage.
Bad circulation and chilblains
When the circulation of the extremities is not adequate, leading to cold hands and feet, the following mixture can be very helpful:
| Prickly Ash Bark (or Berries) | 3 parts |
| Hawthorn Berries | 3 parts |
| Ginger |
1 part |
This should be drunk three times a day.
When there are any unbroken chilblains, they can be treated successfully by the application of a thin layer of Cayenne ointment, applied very sparingly.
The lymphatic system is a series of vessels whose job it is to return inter- and intra-cellular fluid back to the blood stream from whence it came. However, in the process of this apparently passive job of transport, much vital work goes on. It is through the lymphatic drainage of the cells, tissues and organs that cleansing largely occurs. The proper flow and coherence of the lymphatic system is thus vital to the body function and must be considered when approaching the body from a holistic point of view. A second major function of this system occurs in the lymphatic glands, as the anti-microbial activity of the body is partially located there. This function has been considered in various parts of the book, but especially in the chapter on ears, nose, throat and eyes. Swollen glands may occur wherever there are lymph glands, common sites being the throat, under the arms, the breasts and the tops of the legs in the groin. Herbs like Cleavers, Echinacea, Golden Seal, Marigold and Poke Root may be considered to be lymphatic cleansers and may be used as such wherever they are needed.
Golden Seal
A cleansing diet is called for wherever there is any suspicion of lymphatic trouble. A fruit-based cleansing diet would be best. In such a diet, the following sources of food should be avoided or kept to a minimum. This will give the lymphatic system a rest from overload with inappropriate foods:
—Red meats
—Greasy, fatty foods and fried foods
—Cheese, butter, cream, milk
—Vinegar and pickles
—Alcohol
—Sugar and sugar-based products
—Artificial additives, preservatives, colourings, flavourings.
Avoidance of these foods will help the body, but with the use of the right foods, an active cleansing through the diet can take place. Fresh fruit and vegetables provide the basis here. For a thorough cleansing, it is best to go on a fruit diet for a while and then reintroduce other foods. The following is a short list of appropriate foods:
—Fresh fruits, especially oranges, grapes and apples
—Fresh green vegetables
—White meat and white fish if desired
A herbal mixture that will aid the lymphatic system wherever the problem arises is the following:
| Echinacea | 2 parts |
| Cleavers | 1 part |
| Golden Seal | 1 part |
| Poke Root |
1 part  |
This should be drunk three times a day.
This sort of mixture could be used in other conditions wherever it is thought that the lymphatic drainage needs support.
* For an explanation of this symbol see here
The breath of life becomes the cause of death to one who lives within a shell.
Alice Bailey
The air we breathe is spiritual ecology in action. When we draw in the breath of life, we share that air with all other human beings, all life on our planet. It is through respiration that our oneness with the trees becomes a manifest fact, and our communion with the oceans has immediate impact. Through the circulation of the gases and energy of the atmosphere, the reality of the planetary whole reveals itself, with implications for all human life. This vision underlies holistic healing as much as it does ecology—the science of the whole. From the perspective of spiritual ecology we can repeat the question of the mystics: “Who is breathing?”
Every minute, usually unconsciously, we breathe in and out between ten and fifteen times. We move enough air to and fro every day to blow up several thousand balloons. In this way the body can extract the oxygen it needs from the air and discharge waste carbon dioxide from the blood.
Whilst only one-fifth of the air is oxygen, this is the part our body needs for our survival,