If you do not find the idea of taking wood ash as described above appealing, pour hot water over them and brew in the same way you would make a pot of tea, straining through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. This liquid will also neutralise the gastric acid. Clay (white or yellow) dissolved in a little water is equally effective.

In the absence of any of these remedies, sipping fresh milk will give temporary relief. Uncooked oatflakes, eaten dry and well masticated, are known to serve the same purpose and should be preferred to the more harmful bicarbonate of soda. If, however, you want to normalise the secretion of the gastric juices permanently, you will have to modify your diet: keep off spicy food, abstain from white sugar and white flour products, and use less salt. Drinking tea made from centaury and Centaurium extract has also proved helpful.

If none of these remedies produces the desired effect, it may be that the heartburn is caused by dysfunction of the gallbladder or by intestinal worms. In these cases, the appropriate treatments would be required. Both of these complaints are dealt with in Part Two of this book.

*38/28/1*

The excessive need for, or preoccupation with, sexual activity can be quite a problem but it is possible to do something about it. Drink an infusion of wormwood one day and of hops the next, continuing to do this regularly over a period of time.

Vegetables cooked with soda are also helpful; this method is used in prisons and certain other institutions as a preventative measure. However, this treatment is detrimental to health if resorted to for any length of time, although the degree of harm inflicted will depend upon the individual’s susceptibility.

Instead, therefore, it would be better to restrict one’s diet to food that is sexually less stimulating, and include plenty of lemon juice. Be sure to avoid eating eggs, oysters and celery.

Take cold showers and Kuhne treatments (see pages 436-8) for a calming effect.

*28/28/1*

Elderly men who suddenly find themselves unable to pass water during the night will greatly benefit from a herbal steam bath. Make an infusion of camomile or any other herb, then add this to boiling water in a largish container. Place a narrow board over the container so that the patient can sit above the rising steam. Wrap a blanket or bath towel around the patient to retain the steam. This treatment will stimulate the flow of urine, bringing great relief, and the doctor will not have to be called out in the middle of the night to perform a catheterisation, a most unpleasant procedure. Should the retention of urine be caused by the prostate, further advice can be found under the entry on ‘Prostate Trouble’.

If you know someone who frequently suffers from heavy nose bleeds, or who is a ‘bleeder’, any advice will be welcome. What can you do if the bleeding will not stop because the normal clotting ability is impaired? This can be a serious problem unless you know that applying a piece of fresh raw chicken is the only natural remedy to stop the bleeding if it is caused by haemophilia. However, if it is only a temporary disturbance it can be effectively dealt with by means of a herb called tormentil.

Girls and women frequently suffer from venous congestions in the abdomen. Water treatment brings great relief, and it is recommended that a long sitz bath (hip bath) be taken once or twice a week to combat these disorders. For expectant mothers, this kind of treatment will also make confinement easier, thus benefiting the baby. Later on, it will help prevent difficulties arising during the menopause. The body responds to such regular care, and will give you far less trouble at these critical times than it would do otherwise.

A number of simple remedies exist for heartburn, a symptom of indigestion experienced as a burning sensation which may rise into the chest, even causing regurgitation of acid from the stomach into the gullet and mouth. All you need do first is to grate a potato as finely as possible, then put this in a cheesecloth and press out the juice. Dilute with warm water, one part juice to two or three parts water. Drink this juice every morning before breakfast, before lunch and at night before retiring. For the best results, prepare fresh each time.

If you still feel some discomfort, take a teaspoon of wood ash mixed in a little warm water after eating. This may produce the desired result. Just pour warm water over the ashes and drink them down. If you have no wood ash, common charcoal, preferably from limewood, can be crushed and mixed with a little water, porridge or other cereal. The charcoal is easier to swallow when prepared in this way and will serve to neutralise the stomach acid.

*10/28/1*