Pneumonia
Definition:

A swelling of the lungs. Parts of the lungs become plugged with a fiberlike fluid.

Herbal Aids:

Garlic Syrup: Where there is spasm, give 1 teaspoonful of the syrup with or without water every 15 minutes until the spasm is controlled, then give 1 teaspoonful every 2-3 hours for the rest of the day; thereafter give 1 teaspoonful of the syrup 3-4 times daily. Use the foot poultice; also, mix the freshly expressed juice with leaf lard and rub on the chest, throat, and between the shoulder blades. [SNH p.100] Tincture-syrup of Garlic. See formula using garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar and yellow D sugar. [SNH p.101]

Pleurisy Root: Give hot infusion while the patient is closely-covered in bed; repeat the dosage every 30 minutes until free perspiration is produced; apply hot cloths externally, wrung out in the infusion. [SNH p.222]

Garden Sage: Clear the bowels, give 3-5 cupfuls of hot infusion 1/2 hour apart. Keep well covered in bed. [SNH p.234]

See formula using pennyroyal and elder flowers. [SNH p.285]

See formula using comfrey root, pleurisy, horehound and cayenne. [SNH p.313]

Mullein: Rub mullein oil in well, or apply on saturated cotton and cover. [SNH p.317]

Lobelia: Add lobelia to a catnip enema. [SNH p.362]

Plaster: Make a compress or plaster of lobelia, of hops, bran, or lard. [SNH p.363]

Hot and Cold Bath: The best procedure in either retaining or restoring skin vitality is to take a good hot bath, then a cold one to close the pores. "What's one man's meat is another man's poison," as far as how much bathing a person should do. There are some who feel that to wash their hair once a week, or to take a bath on Saturday night, is adequate. There are many like me, however, who do not feel the day has started off right without the early morning bath and meditation. As far as the hair is concerned, a woman with long tresses will have a more difficult time washing hair every day as a man with short hair does, but I personally wash my hair every day, and it always feels good and clean, and lends to clear thinking. The water acts as a good tonic to the skin, because it goes in, flushes and cleanses the skin, and in the process, much of this water will go right on into the blood stream. It is relaxing to have the right temperature of water, which would be tepid to slightly warmer, but water that is too hot is not relaxing. The heat expands the body tissue and brings toxic poisons to the surface, and after that is discharged and eliminated, then the cold water will contract the tissue, close the pores and cause the skin to be sealed again where it will not allow a cold, exposure, flu or pneumonia to set in. Our advice (where one is just starting to take cold baths) is to sponge the body with cold wash cloth, then go into a quick, cold shower, and eventually a longer one; then, if you want to really enjoy the bath properly, try lying in a cold tub of water after the hot bath. This will be very beneficial to the body if done gradually, but if done too soon, it will cause a shock to the heart. [SNH p.498]

Steam Baths: One of the most important procedures of water therapy are the steam or sweat baths, and these will bring the poisons out of the body wonderfully. There are various types of steam baths, and these are all very valuable, very invigorating and health giving. This therapeutic procedure is recommended for arthritis, asthma, bursitis, colds, flu, hay fever, neuritis, pneumonia, rheumatism, sinusitis, stiff joints, etc. Someday, I hope to see a steam cabinet in every home (not a chicken on every plate and a car in every garage). In sweat therapy, we also have the Cold Sheet Treatment--a positive remedy for colds, flu, and pneumonia--which can be effectively used even in advanced and chronic cases. [SNH p.502]

Henry Box Pneumonia Cure: The great herbalist, Henry Box of Plymouth, England, says: For colds, influenza, fevers, inflammation of the brain, pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs), stomach, bowels or any part, this is a certain cure. I have never known it to fail, even when given up, and at the point of death. It will not only save at the eleventh hour, but at the last minute of that hour. Besides, it is so safe and harmless that you cannot use it amiss. This wonderful, wise old man had been a physician of herbs for over sixty years and was known as one of the great doctors of all times.

The infusion for the tea is made as follows:

2 ounces elder flowers
2 ounces peppermint leaves (crushed)
1 1/2 pints boiling distilled water

Pour boiling water over herbs, cover and allow to steep (not boil) in a hot place 20 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey, then drink the whole amount of tea as hot as possible while closely covered in bed. Cover a hot water bottle with a cloth or towel dipped in apple cider vinegar and place on the feet. In a few minutes there will be copious perspiration, and the pulse will slow down and the patient will sleep peacefully for hours...When taken alone, elder flowers are inclined to be emetic, and somewhat nauseous to some people. This effect can be prevented by combining them with peppermint (Mentha piperita). Peppermint is stimulant, nervine, calmative, and antiemetic, which helps offset the undesirable effects of the elder flower. This combination is world-famous as a great fever and cold remedy. [HHH p.53]

Onions: Roasted onions can be crushed for the same purpose (as a plaster); they have been used in pneumonia. Raw grated onions will also work but you must coat the skin with olive oil beforehand and check for blistering consistently. [EWH p.190]

Testimonials:

1. Water Cure - Cold Sheet Treatment: An old story of the first written instances of the water cure is as follows: Many years ago a peasant was heading home on foot, with miles to go. He was racked with fever, colds, and lumbago. While crossing a stream, over a log for a bridge, he slipped and fell into the icy cold water and was drenched to the skin. It was a bitterly cold day and the man had to walk home in the cold in sloppy wet clothes. By the time he had arrived home, his clothes were nearly dried out. The fevers and heat in his body had been raised, while hurrying miles home, to a point of healing climax and was down to nearly normal at the end of his journey. The lumbago and fever were gone and he rejoiced! The next time he got lumbago and fevers he knew the cure--he would return to the stream, fall in and walk home again.

We are going to explain a procedure that will do the job at home without "falling into the stream" and this is a life saver, when pneumonia, colds, flu and fevers hit. It is called: The Cold Sheet Treatment. [HHH p.70]

For detailed information on the Cold Sheet Treatment: [HHH p.70]

2. Onion Syrup Cures Dr. Christopher's Pneumonia: Here is the way you make the syrup. Dice up big dried onions, whatever amount you want, and put them into a stainless steel, unchipped enamel, or Pyrex pan. Don't use aluminum. When you have about the amount you want, pour liquid honey over them until they are covered. Add nothing else. The honey extracts the Onion power, which is the greatest antihistamine known. This goes into the honey solution and provides a wonderfully effective cough syrup.

At one time he couldn't fly out of upper New York, but he had to be in Boston the next day to lecture for a three-day series. No planes were available, so he had to go on a train. He joked that he thought it must have been the same train that George Washington rode on. It was so drafty that by the time he got to Boston, he had pneumonia, and was all choked up. It was close to midnight, and the hotel kitchen was closed. He asked, "Can you fix me something for an emergency?" They would. He had them chop up a big dried onion and pour honey over it, and he ate the whole thing. In fact, he said, he had an audience. All the hotel staff there--the clean-up people, cooks, waitresses and all--came to watch him eat that onion down. But the next day he lectured in Boston. [UW-Onion]

3. Oil of Garlic Saves Two Year Old with Double Pneumonia: I remember one time we were called out to a house in the wee hours of the morning. This call was to see a little boy, under the age of two years, that had double pneumonia. The physician on the case had informed the parents that nothing more could be done and he would come back in the morning to sign the child's death certificate. Seeing as it was well under forty degrees below zero and nearly fifty miles from ambulance service, the parents were told that the boy, if taken by car to a hospital, would surely die. These parents tried to get other doctors, but at that time of night, and in such a remote area, no one would offer help. A friend told them about us, then living in Evanston, Wyoming, and to try to call us. Having been told of the boy's condition we went expecting to give him the cold-sheet treatment. Upon arriving there we found that the plumbing was frozen and there was not running water in the house. We found enough in the toilet tank above the bowl to give the little chap an enema. We were not able to give the Cold Sheet Treatment (no water) so only the garlic paste was made up and applied. This was done after a complete massage of the body and the feet. After oiling the feet up to the ankles, thoroughly, and massaging the olive oil in well, a half-inch thickness of the garlic paste was applied to the soles of his feet. (This is put on only the soles and not up onto the sides). Then gauze was placed over to cover the paste, bandages to hold it into place, and a loose white cotton sock was pulled over the bandages to hold them securely.

Garlic paste is made by taking freshly peeled buttons of garlic and garlic about half and half with Vaseline. This amount can vary, according to the toughness of the feet, more Vaseline for tender feet, less for thicker skin. Many of the health minded readers will be shocked by our using a low-vibration ointment like Vaseline instead of using anhydrous lanolin or some lighter more organic type. The reasoning for this is that the lighter type ointments will penetrate more quickly into the skin, but the Vaseline will hold the garlic on the ointment form. This will also keep the garlic from blistering as easily. (A garlic blister looks bad, but does not hurt and heals back quickly.) The little boy was running an extremely high fever and was delirious when he was covered and put back into bed. (This was well after 2:00 a.m.). We assured the parents the child would be all right and would get well. A few days later we were called again by these parents. They told us that the doctor came back to sign the death certificate that next morning, but the little boy was sitting in his high chair, drinking some juice and breathing normally as if nothing had happened the night before. The doctor became so angry and demanded to know the name of the other doctor who had taken over the case before it had been released by him. He wanted a hearing by "the board" to have the other doctor thrown out of practice for going "against procedure" by taking over a case without written release. The parents asked if his "release" was the death of their child? He probably changed his mind because we were not brought before a hearing.

I had forgotten this case until nearly twenty years had passed. One evening, after a lecture in another state, a fine-looking young fellow in his early twenties came up to the podium and shook my hand vigorously, saying he had always wanted to meet me. His mother had told him of our long trip in sub-zero weather at night to their house, of using the natural methods on, and saving his life. He stated that he enjoyed living so much he had been looking forward to meeting me.

That paid off for a cold night out on a house call by far more than the small fee that was charged. [NL 2-9]

"Natural Healing with Herbs for a Healthier You"