Bronchitis is the term used to indicate inflammation of the mucous membrane in the bronchial tubes and it is a most miserable ailment. It often starts with sneezing and the symptoms of the common cold: headache, sore throat, fever, and the chills. However, in many cases no relief can be obtained with over-the-counter medications. Unfortunately, only after several days of suffering does the average person realize that he has something more serious than a cold or the flu. It’s dangerous to allow bronchitis to go untreated due to the fact that it can lead to the development of pneumonia.
Most everyone believes there’s no natural remedy for this bronchitis. However, the author of this article is an eye witness to the power of elecampane in the treatment of bronchitis leading to full recovery. The patient consulted a medical doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis. She was also given a prescription of Sulfameth, an antibiotic commonly prescribed in cases of this inflammation. The label of the antibiotic warned against exposure to sunlight which caused the patient to inquire further of the doctor regarding the precaution. The physician explained that, “Sulfameth, like most all prescription medications is a form of poison.” He proceeded to say that it’s better to be exposed to the poison for a period of time than to remain with the sickness. The doctor of internal medicine with whom she spoke was an experienced physician and member of the American Medical Association.
Afraid to totally rely on natural medicine in the case of bronchitis, the patient took the Sulfameth as prescribed and recovered. Less than a year later, she was diagnosed again with bronchitis and again she was prescribed Sulfameth. This time she decided to put into practice what she had learned about the herb elecampane.
Elecampane is less commonly known under the names: scabwort, elfwort, horseheal, and horse-elder. The root is the part that’s used and that has important medicinal properties: diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, aromatic, stimulant, stomachic, astringent, and tonic (Jethro Kloss, Back To Eden[Loma Linda, CA: Back To Eden Publishing Co., 1988], 144-145).
A decoction of Elecampane root was prepared and consumed in the morning, afternoon and evening for 3 consecutive days before any signs of recovery were visible. A decoction of any herb is made by gently simmering a teaspoon of the plant material in water for at least twenty minutes. Decoctions are required to extract medicinal substances from hard plant material such as bark, roots, and seeds. Distilled water should not be used unless the quality of municipal water is extremely poor.
A decoction of elecampane may be sweetened with a natural sweetener such as honey or stevia extract. However, it is preferable to drink it without any additive and to drink it while it is still hot, sipping it while it is very hot. Although results may take as long as 3 days and 3 nights to be seen, the decoction should be drank for a full week before discontinuing use. The strong expectorant properties of elecampane will be the first to be manifested.
Smoking definitely should be discontinued during recovery. It’s also best to avoid dairy products, especially whole milk as they tend to aggravate any kind of respiratory problems. White sugar should be avoided as much as possible and the consumption of meat should be greatly reduced during the week of recovery, read this post here. Sickness and disease are usually the consequences of wrong diet and health destroying habits such as smoking which harms not only the smoker, but also those around him. There’s no prescription drug or all natural remedy that will cure health problems that continue to be invited by unhealthy life styles. Nature requires the patient’s cooperation.
Elecampane used in this manner has proven to be extremely effective and safe, producing no harmful or uncomfortable side effects. One of the most important lessons learned from this experience is the need to remember that ancient peoples lived well into old age eating wholesome all natural foods and depending on the powerful herbal remedies God abundantly provided.