Atchoo!! You sneeze and everyone around you thinks you have a cold. "Are you 'catching' cold?" they ask. The reply is usually, "Oh yes, I feel awful," or "everyone in the room got a cold yesterday from so-and-so." Well, a sneeze is the body's reaction to foreign matter in the nose. If you can't sneeze once in a while in order to discharge the foreign matter from the nasal passage, then you might as well forget having a nose as a safety valve.
You might wonder when we are going to get to the formulas to cure the cold. Well, dear friends, there is no cure for the common cold, according to current medical beliefs. Of course, they are absolutely right. There is no cure for the average elimination, either. These must take place to clean the body.

You see, when you are following the program of the three-day cleanse (once a month, at least) and the mucusless diet, there is no doubt that what you are experiencing as a "cold" is no more or no less than an elimination of toxins from the human body.

If the Good Lord has left the plans and specifications around for the regeneration of many organs, (and we have case histories proving this) then why not the plans and specifications for relief from the symptoms of the common cold?

Some people believe that there are only around 20 years left until we get to the millennium, and we want to make the best of those years by keeping the temple of the spirit as free from disease as possible.

Types of Colds

We believe that all "colds" stem from the basic cause that all other diseases stem from: malnutrition.

The People's Desk Reference (Quest for Truth, Publications, Lake Oswego, Oregon, F. Joseph Montagna, 1978), refers to the common cold as "a general inflammation of the mucus membranes of the respiratory passages caused by a variety of viruses." The publication goes on to say that most people contact the cold "virus" about 2 or 3 times in one year.

The main reason for a cold is toxic waste matter in the body which cannot readily be eliminated. You have all heard of the Nobel Prize Winner, Linus Pauling's, cure for the common cold, ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is one of the great cell cleansers of the body. Of course it will clear the toxins from the body just as fast as you can say "Jack Toxic," but it is by no means the cure itself. If you ever need to take an inorganic form of Vitamin C, take it with rose hips, acerola, fresh orange juice, or some other source of fresh Vitamin C, to raise the vibration of the straight ascorbic acid.

Causes of Colds in Winter

1. Heavier food--equals more waste in body (more grains that people will eat in cold weather).
2. Less exercise--(skiers and winter runners exempt) more waste retention because of less circulation in body.
3. Stuffy house air--less O2, less waste carried away by cells in body.
4. Cold causes pores of bodies to close thus eliminating free flow of toxins out through the pores.

Cough and Sore Throat

Sore throat is by no means pleasant. The causes are varied. The tonsils may be swollen from a clogged lymphatic system, or the throat can be sore and irritated from coughing. What we need here is instant relief from pain and something to soothe and heal the throat. For the serious sufferer who wants very quick relief, cayenne pepper taken in juice or water will bring great results. The stimulating effects of the cayenne will increase the circulation in the throat area, minimizing the pain. Jethro Kloss, the self-educated healer and author of Back to Eden, states that pain results from poor circulation in an area of the body. Warm ginger tea is an excellent remedy for pain of sore throat. A hot fomentation of mullein and lobelia over the throat can also speed healing. It, too, increases circulation. The soothing demulcent such as slippery elm and marshmallow root tea can lessen throat irritation. Mullein is another valuable remedy. Sage tea has been used for centuries for colds and sore throats. A few drops of the liquid antiseptic formula, consisting of oak bark, golden seal, capsicum, comfrey, garlic, and myrrh, can be dropped into the throat. This is one of our most wonderful formulas for the use on cuts and wounds. We have found that it also obliterates the irritation of sore throat for several hours. Because it is such a powerful remedy the taste is also very powerful. It needs to be used very sparingly.

Maurice Messegue, a second generation French Herbalist, suggests winter prevention of tonsillitis by taking a nightly infusion of two pinches of thyme to a cupful of water. Thyme contains the powerful antiseptic thymol as the active ingredient.

Licorice root has been used in commercial preparations for several centuries. The 18th century herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper, mentions it as a soothing tea for hoarseness and cough. It also helps loosen bronchial and pulmonary congestion. The mild laxative effect that licorice root possesses makes it a wonderful remedy for colds and flu because it keeps the bowels open and satisfies the appetite for food. Eating should be discontinued during the period of healing from a cold or flu. The extra taxation on the digestive system during an illness slows the healing process considerably. This theory is more fully explained in our little booklet The Cold Sheet Treatment and Aids for the Common Cold. In it we recommend going off all food and drinking plenty of red raspberry leaf tea at the first sign of cold or flu. My son, David, did this one time and after one day, he started feeling much better, so he and his wife went out to dinner to celebrate by having a regular meal. Well, this overworked his digestive system and his influenza symptoms came back. The second time wasn't so easy to feel better soon. It took several days and several courses of our Anti-Plague remedy to cure him. The curious thing about Anti-Plague remedy is this; some people can't stand the taste of it while others maintain that it tastes as good as high quality salad dressing. David is one of those people in the first category.

Respiratory Nasal Congestion

Mucus in the body usually takes the nearest route to the outside. The stuffiness in the head, nose and chest area is the result of mucus plugging up the nasal passages in an effort to be eliminated quickly. If you are uncomfortable in this area, the nose ointment, made from peppermint and spearmint oils in a base of petroleum jelly to prevent burning, can allow you to breathe easier. The Respiratory formula (marshmallow, comfrey, mullein, chickweed, and lobelia) or the Hay Fever and Asthma formula (Brigham tea, marshmallow root, golden seal root, chaparral, burdock root, parsley root, lobelia and cayenne) are two formulas which provide relief in breathing.

When these formulas are not on hand, you can make a tea of golden seal root (1/4 teaspoon to a cup of water) which can be inhaled into the nose to disinfect and cleanse the area. We have even used the old formula of sea salt water inhaled into the nose to cleanse this area. This may be slightly uncomfortable at first but is not harmful and will do the job of "housecleaning" within a few minutes.

A simple powdered herbal snuff can be prepared by combining a few simple ingredients. Since the middle ages, bayberry has been used as a traditional snuff.

Other ingredients can be added to this base. Garlic, a pinch of cayenne, golden seal, or lobelia may be some that you would like to experiment with. When you have combined the desired powders, take a small pinch of snuff and inhale it into the nostril, holding the other nostril shut. In some persons we have seen a wave of sneezing with accompanying nasal discharge. At one of our recent seminars we demonstrated to the class the preparation and use of herbal snuffs. One gentleman tried it and was so excited at the results that he loudly exclaimed, "Hey, I can breathe easily again after ten years of nasal blockage!"

During the time of a cold, an electric vaporizer or a simple vaporizer made by letting a pan of water steam on the stove should be used to introduce moisture into the air. Some oil of eucalyptus or eucalyptus tea leaves in the water puts eucalyptus fumes in the air and aid in opening up stopped nasal passages.

The headache that often accompanies a cold will be greatly relieved by keeping the nasal passages and the bowels open. The migraine-type headache that people often experience is due to the impaction of the transverse colon. Headache can often be alleviated by taking some tincture of wild lettuce and valerian or nervine herbs for pain.
One of my teachers, Dr. Knowles, used an old reliable formula called Herbal Composition powder consisting of bayberry bark, cloves, ginger root, cayenne and white pine bark. He had used it for 40 years with great success. It is good for flu, hoarseness, sluggish circulation, cramps, colds, fevers, and the like. The remedy had been used by Dr. Knowles for canker, pains in the stomach and bowels, to equalize circulation and remove congestion. Take a cup of very warm tea every hour until the patient perspires freely; usually after 4 or 5 hours colds have considerably improved.

Another of my teachers, the great herbal pharmacist, Dr. Shook, gave us a time-tested remedy for colds, influenza and fevers: This is equal parts of elder flowers and peppermint combined as a tea and taken very warm. This formula should never be forgotten because it will work wonders. Dr. Shook has stated that more lives are lost for want of a simple remedy through influenza. Elder flowers and peppermint will break a fever so a person could sweat out toxins within about one hour. Children are especially responsive to this remedy.

We have several herbal formulas that are blessings during cold or flu. The Anti-Infection formula (composed of plantain, black walnut, golden seal root, bugle weed, marshmallow root, and lobelia) is great for the cleansing of the lymph system as well as purifying the blood and fighting infection.

There is a specific formula for colds and infection. It includes garlic (often called Russian penicillin) as an antibiotic, watercress (which is extremely high in Vitamin A), rosemary (to clear the head of headache) and rosehips (one of nature's highest sources of Vitamin C).

Winter is known as the cold and flu season. It needn't be. The dangers of the flu shots such as swine flu shots and other insipid immunizations are great. Some of the older folks received these and serious consequences resulted.

Rafinesque, an early botanic physician, once said: "There are several modes of effecting cures by equivalent remedies; but vegetable substances afford the mildest, most efficacious and most congenial to the human frame."

HERBAL NEWS

Health Food Retailing reports there is a new trade association in the herb industry called the American Herbal Products Association, composed primarily of herb manufacturers. Some of the purposes of the trade group are to provide a unified voice to respond to questions and criticisms, to respond to the government and the press, and to compile information pertinent to the herb industry. The Herb Research Foundation is a proposed research organization planned as a spinoff from the AHPA to conduct studies to provide evidence that herbs have proof of aiding and curing certain health problems. This organization would pool resources and provide funding for laboratory tests on herbs and provide results to the press, the public, and the herb industry, the article states.

This new trade group differs from the old Herb Trade Association which was disbanded, by being a more specific group instead of being open to membership from anyone who cares to join, such as retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, etc. The members of the AHPA are divided into two categories--manufacturers and raw material providers. There is also an associate membership for similar companies, such as encapsulators, which denies the member voting privileges, but allows a smaller membership fee. One reason for the division is some subjects may apply to the one group and not the other, or visa versa. Peter Landes is president of AHPA and is from KHL Flavors and Lauren Israelsen is vice-president from Nature's Way.

Alfalfa has been found to have eight essential enzymes and is proclaimed by Frank Bouer, author and biologist, as "the great healer." In the November issue of Health Express it tells how alfalfa has also been found to have Vitamins U, K, E, A, etc., and shown to aid stomach disorders, urine retention, constipation, and help develop strong bones and teeth in children. It is believed to be excellent in protecting against hemorrhaging and assisting in blood clotting.

Cellular efficiency and strength are improved through the use of tonic herbs, as well as the ability to absorb nutrients and expel toxins, according to a recent article by Neva Jensen in Health Express, November 1982. The bitter, astringent attributes of these herbs help the cells to open and close and thus better fulfill their functions, she claims. She notes how dandelion, for instance, helps increase activity in the liver and kidneys. Yellow dock, she adds, helps aid the digestive and absorption functions of the body. Other tonic herbs mentioned as helpful in improving cellular tone are; vervain, chamomile, wood betony, gentian root, and golden seal root.

HEALTH NEWS

"The American public is exposed to far more radiation from the smoking of tobacco than they are from any other source or indeed from any other sources combined," according to the New England Journal of Medicine. This radioactive material is now not only linked to lung cancer but is considered by researchers to also be a source of malignant tumors elsewhere in the body of a smoker.

Radioactivity is reported to cause body deterioration, aging and early death. Researchers also claim the radioactive particles from cigarette smoke pass from the lungs to the bloodstream and go to every cell of the body.

Caffeine is still making news--the November issue of Health Express tells how more and more Americans are realizing the detrimental effects of caffeine and are switching from coffee and colas, etc., to alternatives such as herb teas and decaffeinated drinks.

Caffeine intoxication, or caffeinism, is such a gradual development over a period of years it is sometimes diagnosed as something else. Symptoms include, among others, irritability, rapid breathing, jitters, poor sleeping, depression, rapid heartbeat, and diarrhea. It has withdrawal symptoms, the article states, such as drowsiness, nervousness, lack of concentration and nausea.

The article points out health problems associated with caffeine include ulcers, birth defects, pancreas cancer, bladder cancer, nerve and brain damage to young children, and physical and psychological addiction. Caffeine has also been feared by physicians and others as interfering with other drugs and antibiotics, causing dangerous reversal of desired effects.

TESTIMONIALS

"A friend has given me a complimentary copy of your Newsletter--it was so full of helpful information I should like to be a subscriber myself.

"I should also like to mention I have had exceptional success with each of Dr. Christopher's herbal formulas that I have tried. It is very exciting to be able to improve one's health in this harmless way. I am very grateful to Dr. Christopher and his work."
--M.S.

"I'm writing to tell you thank you for my mother and myself. I'm a registered nurse that has tried all the normally prescribed remedies for constipation (chronic) to no avail. More water, exercise, bulk, plenty of fresh fruits, and vegetables, etc., simply did not help.

"In discussing the problems with my friend who works in a health food store, she suggested I try Naturalax 2, explaining that it was not primarily a laxative and would help break the cycle of enemas and laxatives to which I'd become dependent--it worked!

"I can't find words to tell you what a miracle it is for me, and my mother who has had the problem 30 years or longer than I, to again have normal bowel function. We are both awed and amazed that a simple herbal remedy could be so miraculous. I had feared all sorts of maladies from aganglionic colon, to cancer. We both consider it an absolute miracle that our bodies are functioning normally for so long. The response was immediate, whereas my friend had said it might take awhile since the problem was long standing. She was drawing on information she had forgotten from a tape of one of your seminars. Needless to say, I am quite impressed.

"The medical field is so lacking in some areas, primarily nutrition and chronic degenerative diseases. I believe progress is being made, but painfully slow. I'm in a position to help so many, but have had little to offer in some areas until I became interested more in natural healing methods and began to explore them myself. I feel that today, I am able to blend the best of both and formulate care plans that are really effective in many cases."
-A. W.