Flu
Definition:

Any viral infection of the intestinal or breathing system.

Symptoms:

An epidemic affliction, characterized by catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membranes of the throat and bronchi, accompanied by mucopurulent discharge, fever, vascular prostration, and severe neuralgia pains. Complications of pleurisy and neuritis may appear. This condition is characterized by chilling, stuffy head, dizziness, sneezing, loss of appetite, fever, coughing sore throat, etc. [SNH p.24]

Cause:

Flu is an advanced cold condition. A body catches flu when it is full of waste matter and toxins through lowered vitality and by body exposure to cold and dampness. This is due to mucus in a weak spot in the body--in this case, the respiratory tract. The contributing factors to this weakness are shallow breathing and a lack of oxygen to that particular area. [SNH p.24]

Herbal Aids:

General Instructions: The fastest way in eliminating this body condition is by proper diet and rest, and by flushing the body system with diaphoretics. Take a ginger bath (using up to a pound of ginger to a tub of water), or a mustard-cayenne bath with cold sheeting. The antispasmodic agents help relax the constringed cell structure, loosen and discharge the mucoid matter. Fruit juices (especially hot lemon juice) should be taken alternately with the herbal teas. After the cleansing crisis, the body system should be built up with tonic herbs and with nutritious, non-mucus forming foods. [SNH p.24]

Colds, Pneumonia, Flu: See formula using pennyroyal and elder flowers. [SNH p.285]

Peppermint and Elder Flowers: For one of the greatest flu remedies there is, see formula using peppermint and elder flowers. [SNH p.419]

When You Feel the Flu Coming On: Another simple procedure for if you feel a cold or flu coming on in the evening, use boneset tea. This herb is a nervine stimulant, tonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, and in large doses, emetic, aperient. Here is another wonderful formula to help the body break a chill in intermittent fever (so-called break-bone fever), muscular rheumatism, bronchitis, influenza, dyspepsia, sore throat, etc. [HHH p.53]

Chest Comfort: Dr. Christopher's Herbal Composition Power:  As Dr. Nowell, our instructor at the Dominion Herbal College, Let. of Vancouver, British Columbia gave in our textbook, quote: "We have made and used composition powder for over forty years. When we state we regularly mixed it in batches of sixty pounds the student will readily see that we have had at least some experience with it. As a helpful formula for colds, beginning of fevers, flu, hoarseness, sluggish circulation, colic, cramps, etc. We believe it has done more good than any other single preparation ever known to man." [HHH p.189]

Lymphatic Formula: Dr. Christopher's Anti-Infection formula:  Composed of plantain, black walnut, golden seal root, bugle weed, marshmallow root, and lobelia is great for the cleansing of the lymph system as well as purifying the blood and fighting infection. [NL 4-1]

Lemon Juice: The symptoms of flu may be relieved by drinking lemon juice in warm water several times daily. [NL 5-1]

Ginger: Ginger tea is often given in cases of colds and flu. It will help produce perspiration and increase circulation, thus helping to speed the removal of toxins from the body. A favorite treatment in colds, flu and bronchitis is the Ginger bath. Simply add three tablespoonfuls of the grated root powder to a tubful of hot water. Let the person soak in the tub, adding hot water occasionally to keep the tubful good and hot. Give sips of diaphoretic teas during this soak (camomile is pleasant and well-accepted by most sick people). Be sure to coat the genitals which will be immersed with Vaseline or any other non-penetrating coating so that the herbs will not irritate them. You can add cayenne, mustard or other rubefacient herbs to this soak. It helps relax the body as well as opening the pores and stimulating elimination. By all means keep the patient warm after this soak. Put him into warm, clean cotton under clothes and bedclothes and put him to bed. Ginger baths are well-accepted even by children. [NL 7-3]

Testimonials:

1. Overnight Recovery for Flu: If the array of so-called remedies of orthodox medicine were any good, there would be no sick left. How different is this to the simple methods of the old-time herbalist. He saw a patient who was fevered. He did not even take the temperature. Often he did not know what a clinical thermometer was. But he knew there was fever. He placed a handful of yarrows in a jug, poured a pint of boiling water over it, and after allowing it to stand a few minutes, gave the tea to the patient as warm as it could be drunk. The result was a free perspiration. Congestions were removed; the circulation was equalized. The patient-treatment was easy, the results were sure and the remedy was safe, simple and natural. We know as we write this that yarrows is just the same today as it was a thousand years ago. [SNH p.216]

2. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Helps the Entire Family: A lady called Dr. Christopher when he was in Great Falls, Montana. A patient of his, she was really worried because a couple of their children had come home from school with the stomach flu. This particular flu was spreading very rapidly; when people get it, the whole family gets it.

She had eight children--and only one bathroom!

He answered, "The last time I was over at your house, I noticed you had a large patch of red raspberries"

"Yes, but what has that got to do with the stomach flu?'

"Go out and gather several bushels of leaves of the red raspberry bushes; don't rob any of them, but just take a little off each bush. Make it up into a tea. Take a big handful and pour a pint of boiling water over that portion and let it steep for twenty minutes. Make up gallons of it. For the children that have already come home with the flu, give them some as well, and you and your husband, too. If they're hungry, give them this tea. Give them lots and lots of it."

The lady was willing to try anything. And the next time he saw her, she was very happy. She said the two children that had come home sick, just like the rest of the children, might have been out of school for days, maybe weeks. Yet they went to school the next day, along with the rest of the children. She and her husband didn't catch flu, either. Red raspberry tea cleared the sick ones and kept the others from getting sick.

This lady was so enthused about herbs that she decided to study more about herbs. She continued to study, but continued to have her family as well, so that by the time the last one was weaned, she had sixteen children. She then went back to school, to Brigham Young University in Utah, where she got her degree as a registered nurse. She served as a nurse, helping other people.

Once, one of Dr. Christopher's students had broken his leg and was lying in the hospital, in a great deal of pain. The curtain opened, and a little lady put her head through; she had a white nurse's cap on. She said, "You broke your leg? If you want to get healed fast, use lots of comfrey tea." [EWH p.122]

3. Dr. Christopher's Son: David used the raspberry leaf tea and cleared an impending case of flu in just one day. He was so delighted that he took his wife out to dinner--and they ate the wrong things. His flu came back strong as ever the next morning. He tried the raspberry tea again, but it didn't work. So he had to use the Super Garlic Immune formula which, he said, tastes so nasty that any self-respecting germ will leave just because of the unpleasantness. [EWH p.122]

4.  Super Garlic Immune: Dr. Christopher's Immune System Support Formula:  While lecturing in Snowflake, Arizona one night, one of the group asked if we had an Super Garlic Immune formula, and I was prompted to give them a "certain combination" of herbs to use.

The people there were very impressed to go right to work and prepare this liquid, having it read for use. We had told them that plagues come at unexpected times and it could be tomorrow or maybe even years away, but expect the unexpected and be ready now. If the formula was still unused, from "no need" years later, we could all be happy but "TIS BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY".

These good people made it up in gallon lots and had it on hand. Months later while speaking in Tucson, Arizona, someone asked for the "Super Garlic Immune remedy." I was surprised and asked where they had heard of it, as we had only given it out once. We were informed that a plague-like condition or flu had hit the Snowflake area and when other aids failed, this combination of herbs in liquid form performed its job with amazing speed. [NL 2-9]

Dr. Christopher's Program for Colds/Flu

Herbal Combinations:

* Cold Season Immune
* Chest Comfort
* Throat & Lung Syrup (Cough Syrup)
* Super Garlic Immune

Recommendations:

Cold Season Immune; take 2 or more capsules 6 or more times a day.

Chest Comfort; take 2-3 capsules between meals.

Cough Syrup; take 1 teaspoon or more, as much as needed.

Super Garlic Immune; as a tonic, 1 tablespoon a day; if there is infection, 1 tablespoon every hour.

Super Garlic Immune extract; 15 drops or more as much as needed.

Single Herbs:

Garlic, Red Raspberry Leaves, Parsley Leaves, White Willow Bark.

Diet:

No food during the period or a juice fast using only apple juice or lemon and water. Drink Red Raspberry tea.

See Also:

Super Garlic Immune: Dr. Christopher's Immune System Support Formula
Chest Comfort: Dr. Christopher's Herbal Composition Power
Throat & Lung Syrup
Lymphatic Formula: Dr. Christopher's Anti-Infection formula
Fever
Cold Sheet Treatment [HHH p.70]
Entire newsletter COLDS, FLU, and RELATED NUISANCES [NL 4-1]

"Natural Healing with Herbs for a Healthier You"