The problem with trying to get rid of certain ("bad") bacteria is that one usually also wipes out the good bacteria which are necessary for certain biological processes to be able to work properly...

A couple of decades ago I read the following description of how to "cure a cold"; of course, there isn't really a cure for the cold and definitely none for influenza, but it's amazing how well the following procedure works to knock out the worst symptoms, especially congestion:

1.  In the evening, about half an hour before going to bed, pour boiling water into a cup, add the juice of 1 lemon, and sweeten with honey.

2.  If the ill person has an electric blanket, turn it on to the highest setting.

3.  Sip the hot lemonade (as hot as one can tolerate) while taking a bath in hot water, again as hot as the person can stand (the idea is to raise the body's temperature from both the inside and the outside).  It is also a good idea to warm up the towels the person will use to dry off, and also to warm the nightclothes (preferably flannel) that they will be wearing.

4.  Make sure that the bathroom itself is very warm, and to get out of the bath before the water cools.

5.  Dry oneself with the warm towels, and immediately put on the warmed nightclothes; make sure to put on slippers if the patient has to walk on a cold floor to get to their bed.

6.  Immediately go to bed, making sure to cover oneself completely with the electric blanket set to "High"; if one doesn't have an electric blanket, then use at least two blankets.

7.  Be warned, this routine WILL result in a fairly uncomfortable feeling, as the whole idea is to cause the body to sweat; this is being done to help augment the body's own natural fever response, which is the body's own natural defense against infection.


Every time I've done this for myself when I've been ill, I've always been amazed at how much better I felt the next morning; while the cold or flu may not have been completely eliminated, the worst of the symptoms have always been gone when I awoke.  Others I know who have followed this routine have reported the same results.

I would caution that anyone who already is running a high fever (over 101) NOT follow this procedure; I would also caution against anyone with high blood pressure and/or heart disease doing it before checking with one's doctor...


June


-----Original Message-----
From: scott gallant <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: May 20, 2004 4:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: new to list - questions, recipes

I'm new too. My name is Susan Gallant. I'm wondering if someone can share
some information abput natural remedies. My husband caught that nasty flu
bug going around and ended up being very congested even after his fever
broke. He ended up going to the emergency room. Thankfully that doctor
didn't want to give him any antibiotics as a first answer. We used a
humidifier to help break up the congestion. Tuesday night he was so
congested and dizzy, so I decided to make a paste with charcoal, corn starch
and water to spread on his chest and cover with a warm cloth and then a
heating pad that you heat in the microwave wrapped in a towel to keep on his
chest all night. The next morning he was coughing up a lot of mucous but
wasn't really feeling much better. He went to see his M.D., who I have to
say has a better sense of ballance in his knowledge on both sides of the
fence, natural and medical. He said the charcoal paste was a good try but to
be careful because it pulls out the mucous which actually protects your
lungs from the bacteria. If the bacteria is still there then it can cause a
lot of pain and more sickness. Since this is the case, can someone tell me
what natural remedies to use to get rid of the bacteria so the charcoal
remedy would be more affective, or perhaps another remedy that would be
asffective or better?
   Susan Gallant