In addition to this internal help, pleurisy is a condition where a poultice or a compress is called for. A poultice made from Flaxseed is excellent in chest complaints:
Take a handful of Flaxseed and stir thoroughly with boiling water, until it reaches the consistency of thick paste. Spread the paste about 1 centimetre (1/2 inch) thick on linen, leaving the sides of the linen free from Flaxseed and avoiding lumps forming. Apply it as hot as possible, covering the whole chest, and leave it on for two hours. Renew it some hours later or the next day. After removing the poultice, sponge the area with warm water, then dry well. To increase its power, sprinkle some Mustard powder on the poultice, but do not use Mustard for young children or those with sensitive skin.
Alternatively, a compress using an infusion of Cayenne may be of value. See section on Preparation of Herbs.
Whooping cough
As this condition can lead to unfortunate complications and to a constitutional weakness in later life, it should be treated thoroughly. The herbs Sundew (it may make the urine darker than usual) and Mouse Ear can be regarded as specific remedies and should be included in a mixture:
| Mouse Ear | 2 parts |
| Sundew | 1 part |
| Coltsfoot | 1 part |
| Thyme | 1 part |
| White Horehound |
1 part  |
This should be drunk three times a day.
The mixture may be flavoured with Aniseed or Liquorice. If vomiting is accompanying the coughing attacks, it is best to give the drink after a spasm to ensure that it stays down. A Flaxseed poultice may be helpful.
In cases of more serious or chronic respiratory conditions—such as emphysema or bronchiectasis—herbal therapy can play a major part in the treatment. Particularly remedies that clear sputum—like Elecampane or Comfrey Root—should be considered. The herbs recommended for asthma will be useful to regain tissue tone, but above all there is the need for breathing exercises.
Spasm
Besides congestion, the other important kind of respiratory problem is characterised by spasms of the bronchial tube and the most common ‘disease’ showing this pattern is asthma. The spasms are not the cause of the problem, they are always the result of complex bodily processes—the tip of an iceberg—and treatment has to consider the condition of the whole body.
Asthma
Asthma can stem from a combination of causes. There is often an allergic component that triggers asthmatic attacks. In some cases the cause is purely genetic whilst in others it may be an aquired reaction due to exposure to an irritant. The state of the nervous tone of the body can also lead to bronchial spasms. In predisposed people, tension, anxiety, hyperactivity or exhaustion can cause so much stress that an asthma attack is triggered off. Similarly, spasms or difficulty in breathing could be caused by osteopathic problems that happen to affect the spot where the thoracic nerve comes out of the spine.
The body is usually able to compensate for and balance a lot of influences, but our life style, diet, posture and attitude to life are all powerful contributing factors and have to be taken into account in a treatment.
Asthma will respond well to herbal treatment, but it is impossible to give a prescription that is appropriate in all cases as the various factors involved must be identified and the remedies chosen accordingly. Herbs that help reduce spasm and ease breathing include Grindelia, Lobelia, Mouse Ear, Pill Bearing Spurge, Sundew and Wild Cherry.
If there is production of sputum—which of course must be got rid of—expectorants like Aniseed, Blood Root, Coltsfood, Comfrey Root, Liquorice and Senega will help.
Where there is an allergic component, it is good to remember the use of the Chinese herb Ephedra.
If the attacks tax the strength of the heart—which they often do—Motherwort will be invaluable with its gentle strengthening action.
If any hypertension is involved, Hawthorn and Lime Blossom will be useful. Anxiety and tension are best treated with Hops, Skullcap or Valerian.
Occasionally one finds that asthma will respond well to the use of nervines alone, as fear is one of the most potent triggers for an asthma attack. It can even be fear of the attack itself. As such, anything that will augment the person’s inner strength and self-image is called for. The nervines will help this process, but a psychotherapeutic approach can be invaluable in addition. Relaxation techniques can help, and some are described in the section on Relaxation in the Nervous System chapter.
A word about dairy products: in many cases of childhood asthma and eczema, milk has been shown to be a trigger for allergic reactions. Such causes may lie at the heart of many adult problems as well. It is vital that our children are breast-fed for as long as possible. When they are weaned, they should not be put on a diet of cow’s milk with its various additions. Instead, dairy products should be kept from the diet, as well as over-refined foods, especially sugar. Red meat is inadvisable. The milk and cheese from goats cause none of the problems that cow’s milk does and can be used as a substitute.
The senses have often been mistrusted by disciples on the path; it is the world of sense that must be transcended. And in our modern cities these precious qualities are daily assaulted by garish images, noxious air, a cacophony of inharmonious sound. Yet through the gentle use of the senses we can experience joy on the earth plane, encounter beauty, develop sensitivity and discrimination. With right use of the senses we know the immanence of spirit in matter.
Heinrich S. Ripszam
All the organs considered in this section share an anatomical closeness and a functional relationship, and are a major interface between the inner and outer environments. This interface is physical in that there is an exchange of gas in respiration and an input of food in eating for instance, but there is also the interface of awareness and communication. With our ears we hear the sounds of our world, a sense that reflects the spiritual quality of comprehension. With our nose we smell, an outer reflection of spiritual discernment and idealism.