224 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
mallow root, licorice root, and peppermint leaves.)(^) - Take acidophilus capsules to help repopulate benefi cial bowel fl ora.
f When you are able to keep things down, take echinacea root tincture
diluted in water.
f Take cayenne pepper to rebuild the mucous membrane lining, and
drink meadowsweet leaf tea daily.
german measles — rubella
Rubella is a viral infection, which, if you are lucky, can be very mild.
Starting with a sore throat and swollen lymph glands, often accompanied
by a reddening of the eyelids, rubella will graduate to a reddish rash of
small pink spots starting on the face and spreading down over the body.
The itching is diffi cult for about three days but afterward things generally
improve.
Anyone with German measles should keep away from pregnant women.
- Follow the diet recommendations for mumps and chicken pox.
f Internally use immune-boosting herbs like echinacea root, barberry
root, and garlic.
~ Treatment of the skin is very much the same as for chicken pox.
~ For swollen glands, treat in the same way as mumps.
gout
Gout is really a variation on the theme of arthritis and rheumatism. Uric
acid builds up to high levels in the joints, causing infl ammation and pain.
The condition can be exacerbated by excessive intake of alcohol or acid-
forming food.
- Moving body fl uids via the kidneys will help; use homemade barley
water to help (see chapter 4).
f Yarrow leaf, milk thistle seed, dandelion root, burdock root, and cel-
ery seed are all useful herbs.
~ Cooling and clearing the liver and making sure the bowel is cleansed
will be important.
~ Castor-oil packs will relieve pain.
~ Hot and cold showers will encourage healing and relieve stiffness.
hay fever
Poor digestion and a weakened immune system can lead to hay fever, a
pollen allergy. Itchy, streaming eyes and nose along with sneezing are the
unpleasant symptoms, which can progress to asthma. This allergy is
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