I was made aware of the importance of gratitude in our life some years ago when a good friend who was an instructor at a missionary school in the State of New York asked me whether I had expressed thanks for the air I had inhaled that day. In a way, this unexpected question startled me, because I had never before thought of expressing gratitude for this indispensable gift, but had for years taken for granted its being there to receive daily. Of course, I am sure that I am not alone in having been thoughtless in this respect. At the same time, I realised that I had reason to be grateful for many other precious gifts. Moreover, I became conscious of the fact that everyday life with its hectic demands and its various joys, but also its many obstacles, often crowded out the invaluable precious things we receive from the Giver of all good and perfect gifts at no cost to us whatsoever. Once we have begun to realise that, in spite of many difficulties, we have reason to be grateful for all the indispensable things that we cannot produce ourselves, then the awakening gratitude will permeate our being with a warm feeling, and this inner warmth is a gift of which we can always avail ourselves without cost.

*1230/28/1*

Patients who are unable to go for walks should have their sickroom aired regularly in order to allow oxygen-laden fresh air to replace the stale air and so accelerate their recuperation. Lack of oxygen will retard their progress.

Those who practise winter sports will benefit more healthwise if they climb uphill with their skis for an hour rather than using the ski-lift. The lazy or convenient way does not benefit them as much as they would like it to. Modern means of transport have a similar effect, hindering us from using our legs. We appreciate our legs when we use them vigorously, letting them benefit our health. Walking briskly makes us breathe more thoroughly and this, in turn, supplies the body with plenty of oxygen. Our daily activities and work deprive the body of oxygen, yet it needs this vital element to keep it fit and healthy and to recuperate from illnesses. How good it would be if we resolved not to fill up with more petrol but, instead, with more oxygen! Better health would surely follow.

*1161/28/1*

When travelling abroad, any useful experiences and observations in connection with food should be recorded and utilised, if necessary adapting them to suit our own circumstances. I have tried to put this suggestion into practice by experimenting at home with new blends of herbs and spices according to specific rules and principles. The combination of fresh herbs, fresh vegetables and sea salt, as in Trocomare, and partly also in Herbamare, is an example of my efforts.

Years ago, herbs were dried and powdered before use, but today we know and appreciate that fresh herbs are much more active and effective for seasoning. A fresh herbal seasoning is therefore more savoury and full-tasting. Herbamare and Trocomare seasoning salts are available in convenient shakers and offer you the goodness contained in the fresh vegetables and herbs from which they are made. The plants are organically grown, gathered from the garden and used immediately in the manufacturing process, while still fresh. A wonderfully green mush is made first, to which pure sun-dried sea salt is added. The salt dissolves and absorbs the juices, while the mush is dehydrated without heating. When ready, the seasoning is packed into the shakers. Modern nature-oriented families appreciate having these seasonings on their tables every day.

*1092/28/1*

You can guarantee healthy nutrition if you always supplement a dish of preserved vegetables or fruit with some fresh produce. Not everything you eat need have a high vitamin content; it suffices when part of the meal meets this criterion. The important thing is to make sure that you do not leave out anything essential when planning your menu. Let us suppose that, for lunch in winter, you have yogurt, which contains vitamins, and some fresh carrot or beet salad. In addition you may have some of your preserved vegetables, as well as potatoes or natural brown rice. The body will then obtain its vitamins from the fresh vegetables, and other nutrients from the preserved or bottled food. All in all, you will be adequately and correctly fed.

Preserve and bottle all surplus from your garden produce, but do not make the mistake of depriving the children of fresh fruits and berries just because you want to keep them. I remember as a child having to watch the blackcurrants and raspberries I longed to eat being made into jam. Parents, in their eagerness to preserve them, forget about the value of fresh fruit.

*1022/28/1*

Although it should be sufficiently well known that fattening-up diets are anything but sensible, and contrary to the findings of modern nutritional research, they are still occasionally recommended. Lymphatic children with swollen glands and shadows on their lungs are overfed during their stay in Swiss mountain resorts to such an extent that they return home quite plump. It is not surprising that when they are back home in the lowlands and complain of excessive tiredness, show signs of some liver trouble, or even succumb to jaundice. The weight increase achieved by stuffing butter, milk and rich foods into them is no longer the accepted procedure of the nature-oriented, progressive doctor, since it has been found that there are other factors of even greater importance.

The fattening-up diet produces something like an optical illusion. Fat, heavy-bodied children somehow create the impression of being in the best of health, but that this is not always true is borne out by past experience and common knowledge. Excessive feeding usually affects the liver because the diet contains too much fat. This, in turn, leads to other metabolic disturbances which eventually have to be corrected. So forget fattening-up diets. They are not sensible. The resistance to infection is nearly always lowered after such an extreme feeding programme and, all in all, nothing good is ever gained by it.

*951/28/1*

A case of jaundice must not be taken lightly. There are two types of jaundice: one is caused by an obstruction or blockage of the bile duct and the other is a result of infection. Both are serious. As part of the treatment the patient must abstain from fats and fried foods for quite some time. The bowels must be thoroughly cleansed and the bile must be liquified by taking the following remedies: Chelidonium 4x and Podophyllum 4x, or Boldocynara, as well as Biocarottin, condensed carrot juice. Moreover, take plenty of fresh carrot juice daily, at least 100 ml (ÇÓ2 fl. oz), but preferably more. Warm water treatments will help considerably and should always be given, either by placing a hot herbal compress over the liver or directing a shower of warm water onto the liver area. Afterwards, apply cabbage leaf poultices, alternating daily with clay poultices. At the same time the kidneys should be stimulated by drinking kidney tea and taking Solidago or Nephrosolid. Besides goldenrod, other suitable herbs to stimulate the kidneys are horsetail, couch grass root, birch leaves and the mildly acting rose hips. Even when the doctor pronounces the patient well, the treatment should on no account be stopped. The special diet must be continued for some time, likewise the use of poultices and warm water treatments.

*485/28/1*

Make a herbal infusion. For sensitive people use cassia stick (Cassia fistula, also known as purging cassia) tea; for those less sensitive, use senna leaf, senna pod or some other herbal tea to stimulate the bowel movement. Brew and strain the tea, then for each person add one small raw potato, diced, with the skin. Mix in a teaspoon of bran and one of linseed. Simmer for fifteen minutes. Eat this herbal soup in the morning and also at night, if necessary. If it does not appeal to you, put it through a sieve and drink the liquid. You may eventually become used to eating it without it being strained. The effect of this soup on the bowels is astounding and it works when no other laxative does.

It is noteworthy that people who normally do not tolerate senna leaf tea respond well to this rather strong mixture if it is prepared in the way I have just described. The alkaline substances in the raw potato bind certain acids and resins which sometimes cause griping pains when senna tea is taken. I should add that horsetail (shave grass) tea is also easier to take if it is made in this way. Horsetail tea has a strong effect and it is not recommended to drink it on its own. Anyone who intends to take it regularly should remember to avoid excessive doses because of its possible side effects, which are equivalent to the symptoms of poisoning.

*429/28/1*

Some years ago, when I still had my clinic, I had to deal with a very interesting case. A friend of mine, whose 24-year-old daughter suffered from hysterical fits that caused her to bury her head in a pillow and cry for hours at a time, asked me to treat her. I might add that her doctor’s diagnosis was schizophrenia and that her sister, who was herself a doctor, could only stand helplessly by her bedside.

I took on this patient and my initial approach was to ensure the proper functioning of the ovaries by means of a Baunscheidt treatment to stimulate the weak menstrual flow. When this began to take effect, the patient at first became unruly, but as soon as the elimination of the leucocytes had started, a most extraordinary change occurred. The girl, now completely in her right mind, said herself that it was just as if a veil had been lifted from before her eyes. One single treatment had sufficed to bring about a complete cure and even later, after she got married, there was no relapse.

I remember another instance of such an illness, where the patient was not having any periods at all. I prescribed mustard hip baths, and Ovarium 3x for internal use. The periods were soon re-established and the emotional crisis completely disappeared.

*371/28/1*

Treatment is to be repeated, in alternation, for half an hour each time. As soon as the stone begins to move toward the bladder the pain will move from the back to the front and then slowly diminish. The moment the stone enters the bladder the patient will be more or less free from pain. It may take several hours to accomplish this, but once achieved, the patient can then lie quietly and rest without any further danger. If he is thirsty, give him diluted Molkosan (concentrated whey) to sip as this reduces the internal heat and replaces the liquids lost by perspiration in the bath. It will also provide the liquid essential to eliminate any further toxins that are still in the system. Additionally, give the patient plenty of knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare) tea because this too helps to dissolve the stones.

However, this is not yet the end of treatment. A thorough follow-up cure, including sitz baths and massage is necessary, as the stone must not be allowed to remain in the bladder where it could give rise to irritation and bleeding.

*315/28/1*

Of great benefit also are Millefolium, a fresh plant extract from yarrow, Hamamelis virginiana and Calcarea fluorica (calcium fluoride). In cases of heavy bleeding, treat with Bursa pastoris (shepherd’s purse) or Tormentavena. For local treatment and to ease pain, use haemorrhoid suppositories containing cocoa butter and Hamamelis. Teas made from bloodwort and stinging nettles are also beneficial. Spurge applied externally also helps to ease the pain. Although this plant is poisonous when taken internally, when crushed and applied to the anus as a poultice, it will soon help to make the pain subside.

A good way to prevent haemorrhoids is to bathe the anus with cold water every morning. The same water treatment should be given when piles have already formed.

*258/28/1*