el iminaattioonn aaanndd ddiiapphhoorreettiiccss · digestion), and we will now discuss the - out...

HHEERRBBOOLLOOGGYY II EElliimmiinnaattiioonn aanndd DDiiaapphhoorreettiiccss LLeessssoonn 55

Wild Rose College of Natural Healing ©2010 Terry Willard Cl.H PhD. v.2010.01

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LLeessssoonn 55 EElliimmiinnaattiioonn aanndd DDiiaapphhoorreettiiccss

IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN One of our initial concepts, IN-DO-OUT, comes to the forefront in this lesson again. We have already discussed the - IN (in the lesson on digestion), and we will now discuss the - OUT (elimination). DO (metabolism) – will be left for later. In fact, many practitioners feel if you deal with the IN and the OUT principle properly, the DO

will take care of itself.

EELLIIMMIINNAATTIIOONN The stages of digestion become completed by the processes of elimination. However, the body produces byproducts as an end product of digestion and metabolism. Often these byproducts are unusable and in fact, some can be toxic in large enough quantities.

FFiigg 55..00 -- AAmmeerriinnddiiaann,, FFiirrsstt NNaattiioonn SSwweeaatt LLooddggee:: hhoott rroocckkss aarree ppllaacceedd iinn aa ppiitt iinn tthhee

mmiiddddllee ooff aa ddoommee ssttrruuccttuurree.. TThhee ssttrruuccttuurree iiss ccoovveerreedd wwiitthh hhiiddeess,, ttaarrppss oorr ootthheerr

mmaatteerriiaall.. WWaatteerr iiss tthhrroowwnn oonn tthhee rroocckkss,, ccrreeaattiinngg ssttrreeaamm.. SSoonnggss,, rriittuuaallss aanndd mmeetthhooddss

vvaarryy ccoonnssiiddeerraabbllyy bbeettwweeeenn bbaannddss ooff FFiirrsstt NNaattiioonn PPeeoopplleess..



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We need to eliminate them. This means having strong, well functioning elimination channels. Western allopathic medicine (Bio-medicine) takes a dim view of complementary medicine's ideas of elimination. Allopaths are so concerned with the DO part that they haven't yet focused on the IN and OUT processes. They have given us great insight and detail into how the body works with such dedication in the DO phase that it makes me want to celebrate their depth of study. However, you will often see the mainstream allopathic physiology books discredit elimination theories, considering them like some form of fanatical cult or sect. These theories they say should not be taken the least bit seriously. At best, they feel it is an outdated superstitious form of folk medicine. If we think of each new cell in your body like a new building or home, we have to tear down the old building, remove these old parts, and start from new ground to build the new building on the old site. In the same way, our body is continuously rebuilding old parts. Our bodies are extremely good at recycling, but often there are often byproducts and toxins that the body cannot reuse. We have to eliminate these byproducts. These days with an ever increasing number of pesticides, additives, hormones and genetically modified ingredients; we end up with a much heavier toxic load than our ancestors. Therefore elimination is even more important now than it was for the original natural healing movement of past centuries. Elimination and cleansing has always been the cornerstone of the health movement. Some of the toxins we come in contact with in the industrial world are so strong that we need to take great care in their elimination. We often have to begin cleanses slowly. The purpose of having our elimination channels clean is so we do not overburden the DO systems. If our IN and OUT are working properly, we will have lots of vitality for the DO process.

* * *

Let‟s take a look at the four elimination channels:

• Colon • Kidneys • Lungs • Skin

We could easily add two more: the mucous membranes (which are included in at least three of the above systems) and the vagina/uterus for menstrual flow. Yes, women have the advantage

RReeaadd ppaaggeess 113399--114433 ttoo tthhee

sseeccttiioonn ""TThhee SSwweeaatt GGllaannddss""

iinn tthhee TTeexxttbbooookk ooff MMooddeerrnn

HHeerrbboollooggyy 22nndd

RReevviisseedd

EEddiittiioonn



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of going through an extra cleansing stage, approximately once a month in childbearing years. One of the most important factors to strive for in regard to elimination is balance. We don't want to rob Peter, to pay Paul. If possible, we want all of the elimination organs to be sharing the job equally. Of course, there are times when we need to channel some of the elimination through one of the other channels, in order to give weak channels a rest and a chance to recuperate. In the past, it was considered best to go on long, strong cleanses to eliminate toxins. Sometimes this is necessary, but it should definitely be done under practitioner supervision. In general, it is good to do gentle cleanses (Detoxify) for 6 -14 days, twice a year. (Further discussion on detoxing will be in Lesson 10 - Alteratives). Suffice it to say here that “cleanse a little, build a little”, is a very good guideline. If you cleanse too hard and fast, you often end up producing a healing crisis. Healing crises are similar to shifting gears without a clutch and can be avoided. The gears grind when we „shift‟ or cleanse improperly. If we cleanse slowly, the gears don't grind and our health improves gradually and safely. These days, because of the heavy toxins in our environment, cleansing crises are often more severe. There have been several people over the last few years that have gone into critical condition fasting or cleansing too quickly, and some even dying. So remember, “cleanse a little, build a little”. We will be discussing this area more in future lessons. Let‟s turn our attention to the skin or integumentary system to see how it works as an elimination organ.

TTHHEE SSWWEEAATT GGLLAANNDDSS The sweat glands are like miniature kidneys and collectively are even considered the third kidney. Their function is to balance heat and eliminate toxins. Many people don't realize this and therefore put all kinds of things on the skin for the sake of vanity. This is not to say that people should not use cosmetics or makeup. They should be sure of the ingredients, using as pure and natural a form as possible. A simple rule I have seen that makes sense is; “If you can't eat it, why put it on your skin?” I have had many

RReeaadd ppaaggeess114433-- 114488 ddoowwnn

ttoo DDiiaapphhoorreettiiccss

Fig 5.1



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women come in over the years with skin problems, just to discover that their makeup was the cause. Because the skin eliminates toxins, sometimes the clothing you wear can cause problems. In sensitive people, synthetic fabrics will often cause irritation. They need to wear natural fibre cloth next to their skin. Often I will have people come in with a few pimples and they say “... Doc my skin is horrible. Can you make it healthy again?” On examination, we find that their skin is actually the only healthy system of the four eliminatory organs.

They are constipated, with weak kidneys and lungs full of mucus. The skin is getting an excess load from the other three, as it is the healthiest of the lot. In these cases it is a slow process to improve their skin. We have to first clean out and strengthen the other elimination channels, before they start performing their rightful work load. Pimples, psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions are usually caused by factors deeper in the body. The job of the sebaceous glands is to produce thin oil for lubricating and protecting our skin. If you take a piece of leather and soak it in a bucket of water for a few days, it will develop cracks when you take it out of the water. Our skin is no different; it requires oil to stay healthy. If you put expensive mink oil on the leather before putting it in the water, it will come out unwrinkled and supple. The skin is lubricated by fine oils of the omega 3 & omega 6 series. These oils help protect our skin from environmental wear and tear. We will learn more about these oils in more advanced courses and in the Textbook of Advanced Herbology. If the oil is lubricating the skin properly, it usually stays healthy. Sometimes the oils coming out of the sebaceous glands become thick and waxy in nature, and the pores get plugged. This

Fig 5.2



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leads to a backup of material in the gland, resulting in stagnation and then along come the garbage men, - bacteria. This is the first stage of inflammation and the start of the zits, psoriasis and eczema. Usually the problems here are from liver malfunction. The liver is not producing the right type of oils. They are too waxy. Of course this might be due to a temporary or short term reason such as bad diet; more chronic reasons such as internal chemistry can also cause skin problems. Dramatic changes in the hormones during puberty or faulty Delta-6-Desaturease are examples. The main thing is, skin problems are usually more than skin deep. The skin is one of the sexiest parts of our body. It makes sense to keep it clean and healthy. “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” This of course can be overdone. If the skin is cleaned too often with strong soaps, this can dry out the oils. Often dry skin brushing is as functional and healthier then overdoing the shower and soap routine. Sweat that is produced by our skin and glands is full of pheromones. These are scents that act like external hormone messengers, telling ourselves and others what mood we are in. Pheromones are a major communication system of most „higher mammals‟. Because these pheromones are competing with other 'loud' forms of communication in humans, we rarely 'hear' them. They are still there influencing us, at least at a subconscious level. Natural sweat can be a strong form of aphrodisiac. The bacteria on our skin is what often changes the scent. Some of these bacteria are quite natural and extremely beneficial. The ecology of the bacteria

determines the quality of the scent. Some bacteria produce smelly excretions, while others produce beneficial ones. Consider the bacteria produced on our skin while we are exposed to the sun or sunbathing. These bacteria produce Vitamin D3 for us. It takes them about 30 - 90 minutes to do this. If you want the benefit of being in the sun, you should not shower for this amount of time after exposure. A shower and soap will inhibit the vitamin D3 production.

Fig 5.3



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SSUUNN EEXXPPOOSSUURREE AANNDD SSKKIINN DDAAMMAAGGEE Sun bathing - almost a scary thought these days. How can something that seems so natural and look so healthy be harmful? Modern industrial society has made some dangerous and irreversible changes to nature. With the depletion of the ozone layer, the sun‟s rays are not beneficial as they used to be. Even though sunblock may slow down the sunburn time, it has never been proven to decrease the incidence of skin cancer. Some of the research at the time of this writing indicates that sunblock only block the rays that cause sunburn and may even enhance the rays that increase the risk of cancer.

SSuunn SSccrreeeenn

We all know we should put on our sun screen when we are exposed to the sun for any length of time. If it is so effective why has there been more than a 100% increase in skin cancer over the 20 years of sun screen use, with 600,000 - 900,000 cases reported in North America every year? This increase has been averaging 4% per year since 1973. You presently have a more than 1 in 100 chance of getting some form of skin cancer from the sun. The sun initially oxidizes the cell membranes in the skin causing Actinic Keratoses lesions. These in turn can progress to a cancerous stage known as Basal (300 - 400,000 case a year) or Squamous cell (80 - 100,000 cases a year) carcinoma. Another less treatable and more deadly form is malignant melanoma (100 - 200,000 case a year). Most experts feel that the majority of the damage done by sun exposure occurs before the age of 18 and between 11 am and 3 pm daily. These are the ages and times that we have to be most concerned about. Skin cancer doesn‟t usually show up until a person is over 45, but this age of onset has been steadily decreasing. Most people presently being diagnosed with skin cancer experienced too much sun exposure back in the 1950‟s and 60‟s, when tanning was considered a healthy and attractive thing to do. It is believed that the part of sunlight that causes the problem is the ultraviolet (UV) light. With the thinning of the earth‟s ozone layers, we now have much higher UV exposure than we had prior to 1970‟s. Despite warnings from environmental groups, we have moved slowly on this issue and may expect the problem to worsen in the future. There are three basic ranges of UV; • UVA (the longest light wave)



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• UVB (medium length, which causes burning, DNA damage and immune suppression)

• UVC (the shortest UV ray, almost completely blocked by the ozone)

Most of the earliest sun screens only blocked the UVB, thus stopping burning. We now know that UVA can also cause some damage

related to skin cancer. In fact, we now have people spending more time in the sun, because they don‟t burn as easily (with the use of sun screen) but are exposing themselves to more of the non-burning and potentially more dangerous UV light. We strongly suggest a person use Sun screen with a SPF of 15 or higher when out in the sun, but don‟t think it will create a „safe tan‟. From a health perspective, there may not be any such thing as a „safe tan‟. SPF refers to the amount of time a person can be exposed to the sun before burning and is only specific for UVB sunlight.

Theoretically, SPF 15 means you can spend 15 times as long in the sun before burning. The rating system has nothing to do with exposure for skin cancer. This system starts to fall down after 15, so SPF 30 is only a bit better than SPF 15, not twice as strong. Some of the new sun screens or sun blocks screen both UVA and UVB, so of course these would be preferred. If you are exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time, sunblock that contains Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide is best as they create a complete barrier. All that said, there are many benefits to the sun. Many healing systems of the past used helio-therapy (sunbathing) as a form of health tonic. This was done in small doses, slowly increased over time and at the cooler times of the day. Some societies worshipped the Sun as a God. I work a lot outside in the summer on my herb farm and personally rarely use sunblock unless out in the sun during the hottest times of the day. I do use it if I go south during the winter, to help my lily white northern skin adjust to the strong tropical sun. The strategy I use is to take plenty of anti-oxidants.

AAnnttii--OOxxiiddaannttss aanndd SSkkiinn DDaammaaggee

Anti-oxidants have been shown to be the most effective supplement to prevent skin cancer. The best anti-oxidants shown to reduce the negative effects of the sun are the carotenoids and to some degree flavonoids. Beta Carotene is the most commonly found carotenoid,

Fig 5.4



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but a mixture of carotenoids has also been found beneficial. The carotenoids, as well as other anti-oxidants like vitamin E, C and selenium (especially selenomethionine (SEMet), can help prevent the first stages of oxidation - the precursor to skin cancer. We suggest that a person take at least 30,000 IU of Beta Carotene, twice daily, when spending more than 1 hour a day in the sun. Other natural ingredients that will aid in protecting the skin from the environment are Echinacea, Zinc, and Vitamin C.

We use these in a product called BEVC, which has the following formula:

BBEEVVCC

Beta Carotene 10,000 IU Echinacea 150 mg Vitamin C 500 mg B6 50 mg Zinc 15 mg

This formula, besides being good for sun protection, is excellent as an immune booster and a cold/flu prevention agent. The normal dosage is 2 tablets - two times daily. There is more explanation of Echinacea in the Lesson 10: Alteratives.

DDeeooddoorraannttss aanndd SSkkiinn HHeeaalltthh

Besides the arnica ointment that we have listed for a deodorant, you might have seen Thai deodorant crystals. For some people they are excellent. What they do is change the alkalinity of the sweat environment (with basically salt and alum), so that the bacteria cannot live there anymore. It works as a good anti-bacterial agent. The questions here are: “Are these antibacterial agents healthy or not for us?” “If the bacteria are the garbage men, should we not keep the bacteria present?” These are hard questions to answer, at this time. Most of us have to live and work within social norms, and patients don't want to visit a health practitioner who has strong body odor, whether he/she is an herbalist or not! Some form of deodorant often needs to be used. The herbal and “crystal” ideas seem to be as good an alternative as any other. At present they are used over such a small area, and have not presented any risks, so they do make sense to use (no pun intended).



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TThhee ppHH SSttoorryy Prepared by Blaine Andrusek

(…as excerpted from Aroma-therapy course)

Although organic chemistry will be covered in far more depth in Herb II, it will serve use well to have a brief look at something called pH. This will help us further understand the skin‟s role as part of our immune system, and also just how little respect we give our skin in western culture. The pH scale is a commonly used method for acknowledging whether a water-based solution is acidic, neutral or alkaline. These words are based on the Latin term acidus, which meant sour, and the Arabic al kalai for plant ashes. Alkaline solutions are also known as

bases. Because the concentration of these solutions can vary widely, a logarithmic scale was established to measure the type and abundance of hydrogen ions.

The number 7, at the middle of the scale indicates a neutral charge, as found in distilled water. As we move below 7, the solution is becoming more positively charged, and more acidic. Moving above 7 on the scale indicates an increasingly negative charge, and more alkalinity. Because this is a logarithmic scale, not a linear one, each point on the scale represents a factor of 10. A pH of 9 then, is 100 times more alkaline than distilled water with a pH of 7. An acid with a pH of 3 is 10 times stronger than an acid with a pH of 4, and so on. Inside our bodies we are modestly alkaline. Our internal pH is about 7.4 and as we saw earlier, no matter what we eat, drink or do, homeostasis will struggle to keep it there. Anything higher than 7.8 and you‟ll be having a seizure - much below 7, and you‟ll fall into a coma. This is why a healthy diet will include more alkaline forming

RReeaadd ppaaggeess 114488 –– 115566 iinn

tthhee tteexxtt

Fig 5.5



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foods. An abundance of acid forming foods will challenge homeostasis and lead to imbalance in the body. Many common pathogens, such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus

have evolved along with us, and thrive in a pH of 7.4. Our bloodstream, lymphatic vessels and interstitial fluids provide the perfect environment. Although our skin provides a physical barrier to keep them out, sometimes the skin is injured or cut, and these opportunistic invaders rush in. „Mother Ocean‟ becomes infected. To minimize the risk of such infection, our skin maintains an acid mantle. The aqueous excretions of the sudoriferous glands contain uric and lactic acid, and mixed with the lipids from the sebaceous glands, the homogenized mixture is referred to as the „acid mantle‟. This coating serves to keep our skin moist, and minimize internal dehydration, but also provides an inhospitable environment for bacterium. References are sometimes made to the pH of skin and hair when marketing cosmetics and personal hygiene products. It‟s important to understand that skin and hair don‟t have a pH value, but their protective coatings certainly do. Our acid mantle has been found to vary in the range of 4.5 to 5.5 and is usually more acidic around the face and head, where we are more easily invaded. Eyes, ears, nose and throat all offer holes in the skin‟s protective layer. Indeed, this is why the digestive tract as well as renal, reproductive and respiratory systems all utilize acidified mucus secretions to minimize the threat of infection. They all have holes in the „skin bag‟! A significant threat to this design comes from the evolution of personal cleansing products – soap and shampoos. Many common household soaps have a pH as high as 9 or 10. Considering the skin wants to be around 5, this means we are stripping off the acid mantle with products that are as much as 10,000 times more alkaline than they should be! This is a contributing factor towards common skin and scalp conditions. Some of the most popular baby shampoos for example, are pH balanced to 9.2. This happens to be the pH of the eyes, and offers the advantage of not irritating them if a little soap gets in there. The problem here is that we‟re stripping away baby‟s acid mantle and leaving an alkaline residue instead. Anything this alkaline combined

Fig 5.6



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with a little nitrogen, as found in baby‟s urine, and we‟ve made a fairly efficient bleach! Diaper rash is the common result. This is also why many people have found tap water alone to be sufficient for cleansing their face. Here in Calgary, our tap water is about 8.2, already at least 1000 times more alkaline than average facial skin, and a pretty efficient cleanser! There are many other threats and concerns that involve ingredients commonly found in cosmetics and cleansing products – a topic far too vast to cover here. The pH story is only the beginning. As a start though, be aware that „pH balanced‟ means very little on a label if we don‟t know what it was balanced to…. „Acid balanced‟ or an actual pH factor would be more comforting.

HHEEAALLIINNGG PPRRAACCTTIICCEESS FFOORR EELLIIMMIINNAATTIINNGG TTOOXXIINNSS

FFeevveerrss

Fevers are an important part of a practitioner's remedies, not usually considered a “problem”. It is important to remember the rule between wet and dry fevers. Sauna, steam rooms and sweats have been used for probably millennia as a form of healing, often in conjunction with fevers. It is useful to know when to employ them and when not to. In the next reading assignment, we will be reading about diaphoretics and the wet sheet treatment, a dramatic form of cure to say the least.

DDiiaapphhoorreettiiccss

Diaphoretics are all „outward moving‟ herbs. They pull toxins and heat from the central body and move them to the exterior part of the body. Hot water itself is a good diaphoretic. The body wants to send the hot water out to the surface to cool it down. This, of course, makes a person sweat. The sweat evaporates, cooling down the body (working on a principle similar to refrigeration). This is why, in many countries of the world, hot tea is given to cool someone down instead of a cold liquid. Green teas, chamomile or chrysthemum are particularly cooling in nature. If you drink a high quality green tea, let's say Black Dragon Spring or West Lake Dragon Tea, you can feel the body cooling down almost immediately. Diaphoretics make the heat (fever) wet



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and therefore it cools itself down. If a diaphoretic herb is used in hot water, it will be even more outward moving. Some diaphoretics, if taken cold, are diuretics, while the opposite is often true. But some herbs are so diaphoretic, it doesn't matter if they are taken cold, in tincture form, or even as dried and encapsulated, they will still be diaphoretic.

WWeett SShheeeett TTrreeaattmmeenntt

In the “wet sheet treatment” it is good to rub garlic oil or even garlic paste on the sole of the patient‟s feet once they are in bed. This will speed up the healing process and draw out or eliminate toxins.

BBOOTTAANNIICCAALLSS FFOORR EELLIIMMIINNAATTIIOONN

YYaarrrrooww ((AAcchhiilllleeaa mmiilllleeffoolliiuumm))

I have drank many a cup of yarrow tea in my day, especially in the days when I used to live in a tipi. We used to do First Nation type sweats on a very regular basis. Before going into the sweat we would drink a fair amount of strong Yarrow tea. One elderly lady in our camp, after drinking Yarrow tea for the first time, said it tasted like

refried porpoise piss. After a few months she thought it tasted more like humming bird piss and by the winter she was serving it as a social tea, forgetting that it tasted so bad to her at one time. If made 1 tsp/cup, it is not too strong tasting. It certainly grows on you after a while and is really not that distasteful, unless you brew it extra strong for ceremonial reasons. I still feel that Yarrow is one of the Northern Country's best herbs. As a diaphoretic it can't be beat. I have also used the roots of yarrow as tooth analgesic, when a buddy had a toothache while hiking. It worked pretty well. Yarrow has also been shown active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as being an anti-inflammatory in lab animals. Yarrow has a hypotensive property that can aid in lowering blood pressure, used in conjunction with other therapies. It has also been shown to reduce blood clotting.

YYaarrrrooww ((AAcchhiilllliiaa mmiilllleeffoolliiuumm))

Fig 5.7

Fig 5.8

YYaarrrrooww lliinnee ddrraawwiinngg



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CChhaammoommiillee ((AAnntthheemmiiss nnoobbiilliiss))

German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla syn. M. cutita) is often considered stronger than Roman Chamomile (Anthemis noblis syn. Chamaemelum nobile) but they do have similar function and often depends on ones preference. Chamomile is one of the more popular drinking teas, especially in Europe. It is excellent for calming down someone who is nervous and high strung. This is especially true of young blond girls for some reason, and is described as such in Homeopathic materia medica. Either as a tea, or as a homeopathic remedy in low potency, chamomile does wonders when a cranky child acts up or wakes up from a bad dream. I have often had nursing mothers drink chamomile tea as its beneficial effects are transferred to the breast milk. This is useful for calming down the child and for simple colic. Chamomile‟s antispasmodic action has been shown to be quite powerful in several lab studies. As an external remedy, Chamomile is good as a wash, but even more excellent in an ointment. Chamomile, especially German, is both anti bacterial and antifungal. The tea and more specifically the oil has strong action against Candida albicans. One of the major constituents (chamazulene) has been shown to have pain relieving, wound healing, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. There have been some rare cases of contact dermatis from both of the Chamomiles

HHyyssssoopp ((HHyyssssooppuussmm ooffffiicciinnaalliiss))

Hyssop has also been shown to have antiviral action, specifically combating Herpes simplex, internally and externally. This herb has a mild antioxidant effect, probably due to the volatile oil (rosmarinic acid)

CCaattnniipp ((NNeeppaattaa ccaattaarriiaa))

Catnip is good used as an enema to relax spastic colons. Besides this important aspect of catnip, it has also been shown to be a mild CNS stimulant and relaxant in humans. It also reduces atherosclerotic plaque in lab animals. My cats still think this is the most important herb around, rivalled only by valerian root! Some like to call it, Kitty marijuana, as cats get

CChhaammoommiillee ((AAnntthheemmiiss nnoobbiilliiss))

FFiigg 55..99

HHyyssssoopp ((HHyyssssooppuussmm ooffffiicciinnaalliiss))

Fig 5.10



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all excited when chewing on a cat nip 'toy' and then space out into never-never land for a while. It is great to give to a frisky cat an hour or so before having a party. They will go away as mellow as can be, not a concern in the world about all the people invading 'their space'. .

SSppeeaarrmmiinntt ((ssyynn.. MMeenntthhaa ssppiiccaattaa))

A milder, but often more effective remedy for children than peppermint, this mint is very pleasant to drink. The active ingredients are volatile oils, so it should not be boiled. Sometimes a formula calls for several herbs to be boiled. You would do this first, then add the mint at the steeping stage.

SSppeeaarrmmiinntt ((MMeenntthhaa vviirriiddeess))

CCaattnniipp ((NNeeppaattaa ccaattaarriiaa))

Fig 5.11

Fig 5.12

el iminaattioonn aaanndd ddiiapphhoorreettiiccss · digestion), and we will now discuss the - out...

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