Garlic

If garlic wasn't so cheap we would treasure it as if it were pure gold. If you haven't tried a fresh mashed garlic bud in your luncheon and evening salad, this is the time to start. For this herb adds valuable natural cleansing, infection fighting chemicals to the daily diet. Garlic can be made into a vinegar tincture, a several centuries old antiepidemic body wash; into a syrup to control asthma; into a garlic oil for internal and external use; an anti rheumatic and anti infection cider garlichorseradish drink and poultice; into a restorative garlic soup. Garlic draws out pain, helps in resisting a cold, is an aid in combating hypertension, is a remarkable vermifuge (releases worms from the system), quiets the body, tranquilness can be put directly on. warts to whittle them down, can be used (diluted in lots of water) to irrigate the colon to control amoebic dysentery, and can help treat mild cases of mononucleosis. In other words, plain old garlic is nothing short of fantastic and its use can be traced to centuries of use among many cultures.

Bacterial Infection While garlic has only I percent of the impact of penicillin, it is nevertheless more effective with gram negative bacteria than is penicillin. Besides, it sweeps through the body in a tonic and cleansing fashion that has no side effects and doesn't destroy all the body's good intestinal flora.

Onions, lemon, and garlic are three marvelous foods, and all will help you resist most bacterial infections. When you feel a cold coming, why not combine them as I do into a mouth-watering salad? Dice lots of large beefsteak tomatoes and onions (red are actually the best for this), then add many cloves of mashed garlic plus fresh lemon juice and a vegetable oil. Add a dash of cayenne, and you will unclog a stuffed nose and chase away a cold (and possibly some friends that evening).

As for colds, researchers have discovered they are sometimes self induced; you subconsciously or consciously think you need a vacation. How much better off you will be when you truly work against the cold with baths, herbal drinks, herb foods, herb cleansers and willpower. Then take off the day if you wish, do something you really want to do. When you discover you have this power, you will also find that you have a lot of energy, too.

Garlic Soup Mash and simmer 3 clusters of peeled garlic buds (about 30), and add them to any clear chicken soup or chicken bouillon. Simmer the quart of soup for about ten minutes. Strain out the garlic buds, and add two thoroughly beaten egg yolks. Simmer again to a high heat, and serve immediately.

This is a nourishing, anti infection soup.

Antibiotic Garlic is so strong an antibiotic that the British purchased it by the ton in World War I to control wounds. They pressed the cloves, diluted the juice with water, and placed the preparation on fresh spaghnum moss, which was applied to the wound. Journals of that period note that this procedure permitted no cases of sepsis. The Russians used garlic on wounds during World War 11, in the absence of other general antibiotics. It is also used as an antiflu remedy in Russia.

To draw out pain from joints, toothaches, and earaches, place the crushed raw bulb on a piece of gauze (otherwise some of these strong herbs can cause blisters on delicate skin) and place the gauze over the area of pain. For the joints, use a garlic paste. For the ear, use slivers, in gauze. I recall how when I was a young child my father cured my friend's terrible and persistent earache with this simple cure. This ear cure took about a week. An infection in the lobe will often take three days to a week. Naturally, garlic cures take longer than swiftacting antibiotics which, however, your physician may consider preferable.

Abscess We lived in the country every summer and had some interesting connections with some "hill folk." One spring Billy Bob came down to see "Doc" (my father), and showed him his inflamed and dangerously abscessed leg.

"They tell me they can't help me with this in the hospital, Doc, and they say it might have to come off. Can you help me?" Dad took down two whole clusters of garlic (we always had them hanging on a string in the kitchen) and mashed about thirty buds into a paste. He placed the paste on a gauze right over the infection and covered the paste with a warm flannel bandage.

Two days later Dad took off the bandage (it had an incredible smell). He washed the wound with calenclula lotion and sage tea and then replaced a fresh, clean garlic paste poultice. This was allowed to stay for several days, and when this came off, the wound was ready for another series of washings with diluted calendula tincture and some peach pit tea. Then Dad made a fresh goldenseal, plantain, and comfrey ointment and packed the wound. Billy Bob never ever had trouble with that infection and was forever grateful.

Cider Anti Infection Wash, Rheumatism Liniment

1 quart apple cider 4 ounces garlic juice 1/2 ounce grated horseradish root

Add garlic and horseradish to the cider. Place the cider in a warm place for twelve hours. Shake the container often. Then remove it to a cool place. Let is stand another twelve hours. Strain the liquid and place it in a labeled jar. Keep it in a cool place or refrigerator.

To fight infection, use this preparation, a teaspoon at a time, internally, one to three times a day between meals, or externally on a cloth for a wound or painful joints. This is stimulating wash for rheumatic, sciatic, or arthritic pain, an can be used to encourage circulation in some paralyzed parts For sensitive skin first apply an oil such as castor oil.

Teeth Because garlic acts almost like an antibiotic, friends have used it to draw the infection from abscessed teeth. However, mouth abscesses are dangerous and can cause complications. See a physician as soon as possible.

Pain Garlic, like other sharp juice roots and bulbs onions, masterwort, and new potatoes draws out pain. Mashed garlic, garlic oil, or garlic tincture can be used with excellent effect on wounds, abscesses, or pus forming infections. However, it is strong, and may cause a blister on surrounding tissue.

Enema The garlic enema is one of the many remarkable ,cleansers in the herbal world. We have traveled in Mexico where there is a great deal of amoebic dysentery, and we once lived with a group of people who came down with it. Those who used blended fresh garlic and water enemas felt fine in a few days. Some friends who live on a commune had an epidemic of mononucleosis. Those who were willing to take water and garlic enemas restored their energy in a comparatively short. time. Others took months to recover. Only a few garlic buds are needed. Crush, blend with a quart of water.

Vermifuge Almost every folk medicine notes the use of garlic juice, garlic in salads, garlic pearls, garlic oil, or garlic sandwiches to cleanse the entire system internally and help make the blood healthy while eliminating any poisonous bacteria, toxins, or worms. Garlic oil, in particular, is very successful folk medicine in eliminating pin worms and thread worms from the body. To find out if you have worms (rectal itching is frequently one sign), attach Scotch tape in the rectal fissure it will "catch" the worms like fly paper. This does not cure the condition however; it is only a diagnostic tool. There are many herbal worm cures; check them all out.

Garlic Oil To make garlic oil, which can be used in small amounts on salads or saved for medicinal purposes, blend one cup of peeled garlic buds and one cup of olive oil in a labeled jar, and then add a cup of olive oil. Let the garlic be absorbed into the oil for a week, but shake the jar several times a day. Strain out the garlic, and keep the liquid cold in the refrigera¬tor. We have used this oil externally on wounds for adults, internally, or in salads, especially when swift cleansing action and antibacterial action is needed. A few drops of the oil can often help with low grade body infections.

Hypertension According to folk medicine, as well as many recent laboratory experiments, garlic has the unique ability to bring down high blood pressure. As a preventive use garlic tea, or garlic oil in drops, throughout the day or, if fresh garlic is offensive, use garlic capsules. Hypertension is a serious health problem. Be sure to consult your family physician for diagnosis and control.

Hypoglycemia Experiments in India were reported in Lancet, the British medical journal. There is some indication that onions and garlic may have a positive effect in diabetes.

Arteriosclerosis The same issue of Lancet reported other Indian experiments. The indications are that garlic may have "significant protective action" and could be used for long term preventive use without danger of toxicity if there is a family history of this disease.

Adult Colic For adult spasms, combine three cloves of garlic with five tablespoons of caraway seed, and simmer that for about fifteen minutes in milk. Strain the liquid, add some boiled water, and drink it.