If an American shows an unusual interest and concern for his health, and especially if he dares go so far as to exercise regularly and eat health foods, he is looked upon as an odd-ball and a health-nut. In the United States, health-conscious individuals are often ridiculed and sneered at. In Europe it is the other way around. Those who try to improve their mode of living, adhere to health-promoting habits, control their eating, exercise, visit health spas, etc., are considered very smart. They are looked upon as enlightened individuals with character, conviction and wisdom. For several years now I have been living half of the year in the United States and the other half in Europe, so I speak of this from first-hand experience.

We are basically cure-minded. We don’t worry about our health until we get sick. Then we go to our doctor and expect him to fix us up. Europeans are, vice versa, prevention minded—they are concerned about preserving their health and preventing disease by their own effort.

This difference in attitude is reflected also in the official policies and actions of respective governments and medical organizations. American medical research is basically directed at finding a cure, preferably with a drug, vaccine or surgery. European medical research is to a large degree directed towards the discovery of the causes of diseases, finding ways of preventing them, and then teaching these preventive ways to the public.

For example, in Germany and Russia there are over 3,000 cardiac reconditioning health centers where a person can have his health rebuilt or his heart condition corrected, and where he is instructed to follow a special regimen and diet upon his return home in order to prevent recurrence. In Russia alone it is estimated that about five million people visit such health reconditioning centers each year. In Russia, of course, all this is financed by the government, but in Germany the private industry and insurance companies have spent lavish amounts of money in setting up such centers. Dr. Peter Beckman, director of Ohlstadt Cardiac Reconditioning Center in Bavaria, tells that his program of exercise, diet and mental relaxation helps the heart patient to rebuild his health. Most of his patients are likely candidates for heart attacks, executives in their early 40′s, sent there by their business or insurance companies for free preventive care.

*3\58\2*

Hops make an excellent poultice for stomach disorders, kidney pains, and trouble in the lower abdomen. Trouble in the kidneys is often associated with high blood pressure, and so it can quite often help this problem, although not always.

Hops tend to produce a soothing, restful response, contributing to sounder sleep.

To make the poultice, steep a good handful of dried hops in 2-3 cups of hot water (i.e., water that has been brought to the boiling point and then removed from the source of heat) for about 20 minutes. Immerse a small towel in the solution, wring out lightly, and lay over the affected area. Cover this with plastic to prevent drying out, and then wrap a warm towel around it to keep it in place.

Another method which can be used is to place dry hops in a pillowcase or small cloth bag. Sprinkle this with water so that it becomes damp. Place this over the affected area and add a hot water bottle on the top. The hot fomentation-type heat penetrating through the damp hops pack will combine with the natural soothing properties from this herb, producing a sedative effect.

Cases Nos. 1 & 2.

A woman with severe pain in the side of her abdomen and back used the second type of hops poultice described above with hot, wet cloths over the bag of hops. After continuing this treatment for an hour or so, the severe pain finally abated.

Another elderly woman with severe cramps in her legs for which no remedy in tablet form could be found, was soon comforted by a treatment using hops steeped in hot water for 30 minutes. Cloths were dipped in the hot hops water and placed over the cramping muscles. Finally the cramps eased and she was free from pain. In this case, the patient also had green drinks made by putting green leaves of different vegetables into the vitamizer with a glass of water or carrot juice. The roughage was strained out and the liquid drunk, which internally nourished the affected muscles with the minerals in which they were deficient.

*33\62\2*

In the case of sinus problems, the application of heat to the hands is very beneficial. This is because the hands provide a reflex area through which the head may be reached.

In the case of neuralgia (pain radiating along nerves), hot and cold to the area may be tried, but we usually use only heat in this case. Cold here tends to set up a chill reaction through the body. However, if the patient does not experience this effect, the stimulation to the circulation accomplished by the cold will be very good.

Awakening one morning with severe neuralgia of the face, I remembered the two principles just outlined above. So, I drew the vanity stool in front of the hand basin and sat down, a very miserable spectacle. Running hot water into the basin, I placed my hands in it and Oh! the reaction to my face! It certainly was intense. But as it abated, it brought relief. I continued to make the water hotter and hotter until finally, there was no more reaction, but only a relaxation of pressure in the sinuses and a freeing of the nasal passages. Soon, I was able to breathe freely again.

Others suffering with the same problem who have employed this suggestion have also found relief. One young woman repeated the treatment off and on throughout the day, and by night she found that the cold that had been threatening was now practically non-existent. Being a piano teacher, she much appreciated this quick relief. No drugs were needed. Since the body was rid of its congestion, her head was clear, and the lesson periods went smoothly.

When hay fever is irritating the fine membranes of the sinuses, ears, throat, and mouth, place the hands in very hot water. In a few minutes, a reaction will set in, and you will feel relief. If done several times in a day, by evening the condition is often much improved.

A hot foot bath (leaving out the cold) can be used for congestion in the pelvic area causing menstrual cramps, etc. Put the feet into hot water for fifteen minutes or more. This will help draw the blood away and relieve tension. Headache caused by complications of the female organs can often be relieved by placing the legs in a hot water bath. In this case the legs must be covered with hot water up to the knees. (Here again, your garbage bin will stand you in good stead.) In this kind of headache resulting from pelvic congestion, more of a relieving action and a relaxing effect is wanted rather than the more stimulating effect that comes from alternating hot and cold water, so only the use of hot is indicated.

Should anyone suffer with a husky, tired throat from prolonged speaking, giving lectures (speaker’s throat), etc., a hot foot bath with a cold rag around the neck will benefit and restore energy to the tired muscles of the voice box. It goes without saying, however, that the person must take care of .ill other angles of health. He must supply himself with the necessary nourishment and rest to maintain the organ of speech. A little help with hot water will hasten the repair work and keep him going till the program is complete.

When the whole body is tense and sleep is evasive, run a warm bath and lay the whole body in it with only the nose above water. A gentleman of my acquaintance found himself In hospital owing to an accident. At night he refused the sleeping drugs. Instead, he ran himself a warm bath and lay In it as described above to bring relaxation and healing to his body. After that, he was able to sleep comfortably. Warm or hot water is very relaxing and comforting to a tired, tense body.

We previously mentioned the sitz bath. This is harder to accomplish in an ordinary home but there are times when some form of sitz bath will help to silence an irritated spine. Often after a long trip in a car, the bottom of the spine, being vibrated upon all day with the movements of the car, will give rise to a very irritable nervous system. Congestion in the pelvic area and irritation of the bladder are also helped by this treatment. Run a hot bath, not too deep. Step in and sit down. Do not lie down. Do not splash the water over you. Just sit in the hot water with your legs bent up and feet in the water up to the ankles. Only the feet and pelvis should be in the water. After ten to fifteen minutes get out and sponge yourself over with a tepid cloth and go to bed. The concentration of heat in this area will help restore a normal balance between the nervous system and your body.

*24\62\2*

1. Milk Fever.

I became aware of the value of this treatment after the birth of my third child. After bringing the baby home, I developed a fever accompanied by shivering. In those days these treatments were not understood, and I turned to the hospital for help. There was a strong suspicion of malaria because I had been raised in the islands of the Pacific, and so I was isolated in the infectious diseases section. Later, however, it was diagnosed as milk fever, or mastitis. I was then treated with penicillin, the milk was dried up, and all in all, it was an unpleasant experience.

After the birth of the next child the problem reoccurred. The memory of the painful treatments received previously at the hospital made me very anxious not to go back. This time my husband and I turned to a medical handbook which directed us to use an ice pack treatment. We were incredulous! The idea was extremely foreign to anything we had ever learned, but, despite our skepticism, we decided to try it.

In those days we had no refrigerator and had to obtain ice from a neighbour. Treatment was begun in the evening by placing the ice bag on the hard, inflamed breast. Within three hours of continuous treatment, the shivering had gone, body temperature had returned to normal, and the heat and hardness of the affected breast had been replaced by softness and coolness. A good sleep followed. The next morning everything was perfectly normal. To do it the first time took courage, but confidence was inspired by the amazing results obtained, and we have since used this method on many others with equal success.

2. Mumps.

While paying us a visit, the little daughter of a good friend began to complain of swollen and painful salivary glands. We were strongly suspicious that it was mumps because she had been in recent contact with children who had succumbed to the disease. The ice pack treatment was begun at once. In addition, we added one tablespoon of Epsom salts to the ice water (this makes it colder and opens the pores of the skin) and gave the girl large doses of vitamin C and cell salts—Ferr Phos, Nat Mur, and Kali Mur. Not only did the child obtain relief from the pain, but all further development of the mumps was halted, and she had a speedy recovery. In this case, a great advantage was gained by getting onto the sickness so quickly. Always in natural treatments, the earlier in the illness the treatment is begun, the quicker and more satisfactory will be the results.

For instance, we had previously treated some other children in whom the swelling had already become well established. The salivary glands were so painful that they could not eat breakfast. Half an hour after the ice pack with added Epsom salts was applied, they could eat with pleasure and comfort. At this time, we did not understand the value of vitamin C and Ferr Phos, so we gave them none. Because the sickness had obtained a better hold and also because they did not have the extra medication, it took a couple of days for the swelling to fully disappear. However, the pain was completely relieved and the temperature had returned to normal long before that. Even so, these children enjoyed a great advantage over other children who spent two painful weeks recovering and also experienced unpleasant side effects such as sore ears, etc.

There are other instances that could be cited, but these are sufficient to illustrate the point. When the fire of fever is controlled by the application of cold, the body is aided in its work of eliminating toxins through an invigorated blood stream. As far as we are concerned, this is the only treatment we would ever consider for this type of problem. It takes courage to do it the first time, but, if you persevere until the pain and heat are removed, you will see how completely successful and quick the treatment really is, and you will become, like us, a confirmed believer.

*13\62\2*

How well the patient responds to natural treatment will depend very heavily upon his past history. There will be a considerable difference in response between the person who has had a healthful way of living and the person who has lived unhealthfully.

Just as vegetation depends upon sap for its life, so the human body depends upon the circulatory system for bringing life to it. The term ‘circulatory system’ is meant here to include also the lymphatic system, which, together with the blood stream, supplies nourishment to the tissues and carries off waste products. This area, along with the eliminatory system and the digestive system, is one of the areas in which we can most effectively work to assist the body in the healing process.

We will first consider the person who has been nourishing his body with a balanced diet of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains. He has been drinking pure water, taking adequate exercise and rest, and keeping himself clean inside and out. This patient will, as a result, have a healthy blood stream fresh with vital oxygen and as a result, it will have tremendous healing power. If this kind of patient is injured in some way, or is taken with sudden illness or infection, his body’s response to natural treatments will be quite swift and dramatic. The same amount of recovery that might demand days or even weeks to achieve in a person who has not lived so healthfully will be achieved in far less time with a person who has lived according to health laws.

On the other hand, a patient who has not respected nature’s laws will be a different case altogether. He has eaten at irregular hours, loaded his system with flesh foods, eaten devitalized products such as white flour and sugar, poisoned his system with alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco, stayed up late into the night, and has not obtained adequate exercise. The blood stream of such a person is in a diseased condition, the extent of which depends upon how far and how long he has persisted in this abusive course of living. Such a blood stream has a seriously weakened potential for healing. Therefore, it must be understood and borne in mind that this person will respond far more slowly to home treatments than will the healthy person. For best results, this patient should have cleansing treatments included in his regime, whereas this would not be necessary for the person who has been living healthfully.

*4\62\2*

A trace mineral that acts as an antioxidant in combination with glutathione peroxidase and Vitamin E, selenium inhibits platelet aggregation and in turn protects against stroke and heart disease. It is a free radical scavenger and is thought to delay the division of cancer cells, giving the body time to repair before the division of more malignant cells.

In countries where the soil content of selenium is low, there is higher incidence of certain diseases. In the United States the south-western stroke belt of Georgia and Carolina has the lowest level of selenium in the soil in the country. In China selenium in the soil varies widely over the vast distances but rates of cancer of the oesophagus, stomach and liver are higher where the selenium soil content is lowest. New Zealand soils are selenium deficient and research has found rates of asthma increase where blood selenium is below a certain level. A Finnish study showed people with a selenium deficiency had three times the chance of having a stroke.

The maximum daily dose of selenium is 200 mcg a day. More than this amount may be toxic. Normally 100 mcg is enough. There is a risk that more than 100 mcg could exacerbate an iodine deficiency.

Selenium is found naturally in whole grain wheat. Garlic is an important source, also onions, red meat, chicken, shellfish, fish, broccoli, Brazil nuts and brewer’s yeast.

*46\69\2*

While depression is in itself a common condition – according to one estimate it affects about one in ten people in any given year -many others are affected by depressive symptoms to a degree that would not qualify them for this more serious diagnosis. According to Dr Lewis Judd, former Director of the US National Institute of Mental Health, and colleagues, approximately one in five people interviewed reported suffering from one or more depressive symptom in the preceding month. Huge numbers of people are suffering from very distressing problems of mood, behaviour and bodily functions of the type that are associated with depression. Nor are these symptoms benign in terms of their impact on a person’s ability to function. Judd and his colleagues found that people with ‘subsyndromal depression’ reported more difficulties in their work and social relationships than were reported by a control group, and that significantly more people with these symptoms had been on disability. Given the reluctance that people have to seek medical attention even for full-blown cases of depression, and the ill-judged care they might receive once they make such a decision, it seems unlikely that a high percentage of people with subsyndromal depression will be properly treated through conventional medical channels. Such people are therefore excellent candidates for self-treatment with St John’s Wort and there is no reason to believe that it will not prove to be helpful for many of them, given its excellent track record in more severely depressed patients.

*21\75\2*