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Herbal Healing
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Tuesday, 08 December 2009 |
This is the recipe for an onion poultice as suggested by Michael Tierra, who is one of the great herbal teachers that we have here in the United States. An onion poultice is particulatly useful for coughs that just won't go away. Check out his website at: http://www.planetherbs.com/
1. Finely chop two or three onions (you may also add a few cloves of chopped garlic for increased antibiotic effect).
2. Steam these for a short while in a steamer.
3. Remove from steamer, place in a large bowl, and add a half cup of corn flour and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to help hold the poultice together. Mix well.
4. Place the entire mash in a natural fiber cloth, large enough to wrap and keep the entire mash over an area roughly the size of your patient's chest.
5. Apply the wrapped mash to your supine patient, as hot as can be tolerated without burning, over the chest, from the base of the neck down as far as you wish. If the cough seems more on the back then apply it over the upper back. (If you are putting the poultice on yourself, you might need assistance from a friend or family member.)
6. Place a hot water bottle or heating pad over the top of the poultice to maintain heat for greater penetration.
7. Rest with the poultice on for at least 20 or 30 minutes.
This treatment can be repeated once or twice a day until relief is obtained. Applying the hot onion poultice before bed will help allay the cough enough to produce a more restful sleep. If you want to accompany it with a simple homemade antibacterial internal medicine, you can blend several cloves of garlic in olive oil and take a teaspoon to a tablespoon at least every hour. You can also make a tasty instant cough syrup by grating raw ginger and mixing it in warm liquid honey with the juice of a lemon.
The antibiotic and antiviral sulfur compounds of onion and garlic, when applied directly over the lungs, will ease inflammation, loosen and break up hardened mucus, and help expectoration. You may experience immediate benefit from even one application, but for some this may be accompanied with shorter bouts of somewhat more aggressive coughing fits as the hardened phlegm is loosened and gradually works its way out.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 December 2009 )
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