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Garlic, again

April 15, 2004

Dear Beka,
Last NGJ you told us to use garlic for earaches? How? You also mentioned poultices. What’s that? Where do we learn how to treat our children with herbs? I need something simple and basic.
Sue
Ahhh... garlic, that Italian cure-all. You can hardly go wrong any way you try it. Here’s one special way I use it:
First, go to the garden (or the grocery store) and bring home a couple bulbs of garlic. A bulb is the golf-ball size pod of the plant, which can be separated into many cloves—shaped like the individual wedges taken from an orange. Break off two or three large cloves, and lay them on your counter. Set some water on the stove to warm, and then spread out a clean washcloth or double-thick paper towel. Smack the garlic cloves with the bottom of a heavy glass to lightly bruise or crush them. Now the papery skin will come off easily. Take the bruised cloves and dice them up, or smash them in a garlic press so that the juice billows out the familiar aroma that makes you hungry for Lasagna.
Lay the 2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic in the center of your washcloth or paper towel, and fold in the edges of the cloth, creating what I call a “poultice” or “plaster.” Place this garlic pad in a bowl or plate and pour warm (not hot) water over it. Let it sit for 5 seconds or so, then drain and squeeze the excess water out with your hands. Apply the warm (not hot!) poultice to the chest, back, and soles of the feet (alternately) for about 60 seconds each for treatment of any virus, cold, flu, infection, etc...
Garlic poultices can also be used for earaches—placing crushed garlic or a garlic poultice against the infected ear. Also, a clove of garlic wedged in the ear like an old fashioned hearing aid works great for earaches (but be careful not to leave too long, or you will burn the skin!)
For flesh wound infections, hold against the wound lightly for about two minutes. Repeat several times a day.
To treat eye infections, hold poultice over the tightly closed eye for about two minutes. Careful! This burns really bad if it gets in the eye.
Warm garlic oil is also healing and comforting in an ear when there is an infection. The oil is made by adding a few drops of olive oil to a tiny bit of fresh crushed garlic, let sit for a few minutes, then strain out all the garlic and discard. The oil that goes in the ear must be free of any visible particles. You will have enough for one application of warm garlic oil for an earache. I always make mine fresh. Do not make it too strong, because it can burn the skin. Experiment on the inside of your arm to see how strong or how long you can leave the garlic on your skin without it burning. It can literally blister your skin (chemical heat.)
A very weak or mild, warm garlic water douche is helpful for female infections. Douche recipe – pour very warm water over crushed garlic in a sieve. Dilute with cold water until tepid. Check by tasting it, so that the garlic flavor is very light.
Warm water poured over crushed garlic in a strainer, with added vinegar and honey will make a “tea” or “gargle water” that will knock out the worst sore throat or mouth infection.
Tips to Live By:
Don’t wait until you are miserable before taking action! As soon as you feel that sore throat coming on, sip some hot garlic water, and you will NEVER get sick. If you are tough, and your love-life is secure, you can just eat a garlic clove raw. Treat your children as soon as they get cranky; don’t wait until they get an infection.
Garlic is very strong. If the patient’s nose starts running with clear mucus like a dripping faucet, then it’s time to ease off on the garlic treatment. It will open every pore and detox you so quickly and thoroughly, you may be miserable if you over-do it. So, be watchful.
Grow your own garlic! Once you learn how to use it, you will quickly become dependent on it. If you have your own little garlic plot in the backyard, you won’t have to make midnight runs to the grocery store when junior gets a cold.
Read the following book. It will give you many more practical tips and home-care knowledge that will keep you from going to the doctor.
The ABC Herbal by Steven H. Horne is written to help moms learn how to treat their children with herbs. It is short, simple and would be a help for all moms.
For more information and a price list on herbs, visit www.bulkherbstore.com or write to The Bulk Herb Store, 1010 Pearl RD, Pleasantville, TN 37033.
DO NOT send herbal questions to No Greater Joy, and do not mix your herbal orders with No Greater Joy's. The two are not related and have different addresses.

NOTE: This is how I use garlic, but I am not a licensed medical doctor, and do not intend this as advice on how you should use it. Consult your physician.

Rebekah Joy Anast

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