diseases 203
The worst thing a child can do is pick the spots. Get the child to wear
gloves to prevent scratching and picking, especially at night; regular
application of herbal powders to the affected areas will often dispel any
itching.
- Keep the child on light foods^ —^ fruit, juices, vegetable juices, soups,
and the like. As Dr. Christopher always said, chicken pox thrives in a
medium of excessive mucus — remove this, and the virus fi nds it hard
to survive.
f Use echinacea root tincture with red raspberry leaf, yarrow leaf, or
bone set leaf tea, sweetened with honey.
f Use equal parts of chamomile fl ower and skullcap leaf to calm and
soothe the child. Take as a tincture with honey added, or as a tea.
f Three parts dandelion root, two parts burdock root, and one part
echinacea root will help fl ush the skin through. A composite, sweet-
ened tincture of these three herbs is probably the easiest method of
administration, given fi ve or six times daily — seek advice on dosage.
~ Two warm baths a day, with a few drops of lavender essential oil added
to the water, will relax the mind and cool the skin.
~ After the bath, dust down with lavender fl ower and marigold fl ower
powder. If available, use neem leaf powder.
~ Use only cotton next to the skin and only breathable clothing or bed-
ding over it, if necessary.
cold sores (herpes simplex)
The cold sore virus is a very common problem and a sister to herpes
zoster and chicken pox. It can remain latent in the body for years, but
stress, other infections, strong sunshine, hormone swings, bad diet,
constipation, and many other conditions can trigger it.
- Vitamins B complex, C, and A and zinc must be included in your food
program. Use equal parts of carrot juice and lemon juice, including
its white pith. Eat whole-grain rice with spirulina, chlorella, and
other algal seaweeds or superfood and Engevita for B vitamins. - Avoid arginine-rich foods; examples are wheat products, carob, choc-
olate, animal gelatin, coconut, oats, peanuts, and soybeans. - Avoid coffee, alcohol, sugar, fried foods, and hot cooked spices, as
they will worsen the attack. - The chemical lysine helps and is found in all fruits and vegetables,
especially beans and bean sprouts.
203 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition