The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1,000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments. C. Shealy Norman

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СКАЧАТЬ and fear of ghosts and of going outside. Basically, it helps keep a person feeling sane and calm.

      PROPERTIES Sour, Warm

      CHANNELS Heart, Kidney, Lung

       FUNCTIONS AND USES

       Absorbs the leakage of Lung Qi and stops attacks of coughing.

       Firms the Kidneys, binds up Jing-essence and stops bouts of diarrhea.

       Absorbs sweating and generates fluids.

       Quietens the Spirit and calms the Heart.

       CAUTION

       Contraindicated for external conditions, and the early stages of coughs and rashes—it will keep the “exterior pathogenic factor” inside.

       SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS

       Huang Qin SKULLCAP ROOT

      This herb is one that clears Heat: this includes febrile conditions and any illnesses with Heat signs. It is one of the “Three Yellows,” which are often used together for severe infections.

      HOW TO USE

       Huang Qin mainly clears Heat in the chest and abdominal areas, so it is used for virulent diseases with high fever, irritability, thirst, cough, and expectoration (coughing up) of thick, yellow sputum. It can also be used topically on a dressing to clear red, hot swellings. It is used for dysentery and smelly diarrhea; also for febrile diseases which have a Damp element—symptoms such as a feeling of heaviness on the chest, and thirst with no desire to drink. It may be used for Damp Heat jaundice. It is one of the main herbs used in pregnancy to prevent miscarriage, and if toasted can stop Hot Bleeding from the nose, uterus, chest area, or in stools.

      PROPERTIES Bitter, Cold

      CHANNELS Heart, Lung, Gall Bladder, Large Intestine

       FUNCTIONS AND USES

       Clears Heat, particularly in the Upper Burner (the upper third of the body, chest area).

       Clears Damp Heat: especially in the Stomach or Intestines. It is also used for Damp Heat in the Lower Burner, with symptoms such as cystitis.

       Clears Heat and calms the fetus.

       CAUTION

       Contraindicated for tuberculosis, which is a Heat Deficiency of the lungs, not a full heat, Cold diarrhea or any Cold in the abdomen, threatened miscarriage from a Cold condition.

       STEPHANIA TETRANDRA

       Han Fang Ji STEPHANIA ROOT

      Like Wu Jia Pi, this herb dispels Wind Dampness from the muscles, joints, and bones. Whereas Wu Jia Pi is a Warm herb, however, Han Fang Ji is Cold. Wind Damp causes rheumatic and arthritic ailments.

      HOW TO USE

       As a Cold herb, Han Fang Ji treats hot, painful swollen joints, such as in an acute attack of rheumatoid arthritis. It has an analgesic (pain-relieving) and anti-inflammatory effect. It is very good in treating edema, especially of the lower body and legs, gurgling or ascites in the abdomen. It may also treat acute edema of the upper body (water on the lung).

      PROPERTIES Bitter, Acrid, Cold

      CHANNELS Bladder, Spleen, Kidney

       FUNCTIONS AND USES

       Expels Wind Dampness and alleviates pain: use for Wind-Damp-Heat in the channels, causing painful hot joints.

       Promotes urination; very effective at reducing edema—use Han Fang Ji whenever Damp collects.

       CAUTION

       Caution should be exercised in cases of severe diarrhea or Heat excess.

       ZIZIPHUS SPINOSA

       Suan Zao Ren SOUR JUJUBE SEED

      This herb nourishes the Heart and calms the Spirit, which is said to reside in the Heart. Laboratory tests have proved that Suan Zao Ren has a sedative effect. It is used to treat emotional problems.

      HOW TO USE

       Suan Zao Ren is one of the main herbs used for calming the Heart by nourishing the Blood, treating symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, palpitations, and anxiety. It is also very good for both spontaneous and night sweating, and is used both in menopausal syndromes and withdrawal from addictive drugs, as well as many kinds of emotional problems.

      PROPERTIES Sweet, Sour, Neutral

      CHANNELS Liver, Gall Bladder, Heart, Spleen

       FUNCTIONS AND USES

       Nourishes the Heart yin and the Liver Blood, and calms the Spirit.

       Prevents occurrence of abnormal sweating.

       CAUTION

       Use with caution in cases of Yin Deficiency, as it is very drying.

TRADITIONAL HOME AND FOLK REMEDIES

      EVERY CULTURE, ACROSS THE CENTURIES, has had its own understanding and ways of healing. Local plants, customs, and beliefs determined the form it took, which varied not only across countries but also between villages. Even today, away from the convenience of conventional physicians, local communities around the world practice their own form of medicinal healing using plants, age-old wisdom, and an instinctive and learned knowledge of their bodies as the tools.

      A RETURN TO OLD WAYS

      With the advent of technology and the growing dependence upon the miracles of modern medicine, most of us have lost the art of looking after ourselves. We have become dependent upon physicians, prescription drugs, store-bought preparations, and, through that, have lost an understanding of our bodies and how they work. Somewhere along the line we have put not only our faith but our independence in the hands of others. When we have a cold, a rash, even painful joints, we go straight to the medicine cabinet, or call to arrange an appointment at the doctor’s office. The use of natural preparations, and the number of people addressing minor complaints in their own homes, hit an all-time low over the past decades, and only now are we experiencing a renaissance of natural healing and СКАЧАТЬ