□ ULCERS IN THE MOUTH
• Local application of glycerine on ulcers causes intense salivation and gives relief from pain.
• Gargles with alum water (2-3 grams to a cup of water) removes soreness.
• Catechu or katha powder found in Indian homes as an ingredient for paan or betel leaf preparation — a paste made with a few drops of water and applied locally soothes the ulcer.
• If there is a banyan tree in your garden, grind a little piece of the bark with few drops of water or break a leaf/stem and apply a drop of the sap and then gargle with fresh water. It relieves the pain.
• A few drops of raw papaya juice applied on the ulcer surface digests the inflamed mucous membrane and heals, just a drop or two mixed with a little milk should be used twice or thrice a day for a maximum of two days.
• A paste of fresh guava leaves can be applied on the ulcer for two to three minutes and then gargling, leaves a soothe coat on the ulcer which masks pain. If a few fresh, tender guava leaves are chewed before taking your meal these coat the ulcer and eating food does not cause pain or burning of the ulcer.
□ FEVER
The following remedies may be tried for a fever.
• Tulsi (basil) tea with cardamom, milk and sugar to taste.
• Tamarind extract made into a sherbet with dates, cardamom and sugar. Can be had 3-4 times a day.
• Black pepper, tulsi leaves and dried ginger can be brewed as a wea/ctea. Sweeten with sugar. Useful in seasonal fevers.
• A tea made with methi (fenugreek) seeds.
• Lemon grass tea.
• Bael fruit sherbet.
• Neem, cinnamon and clove tea.
• Conjee — rice water with lime juice and sugar.
• A teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder in a cup of hot milk thrice a day for 5-7 days in case of seasonal cold with fever.
• A teaspoon of turmeric powder in a cup of hot milk taken thrice a day brings down fever due to seasonal colds and changes of weather.
• Fever due to exertion, heavy manual labour or heat can be brought down by drinking water prepared by soaking four to five Hibiscus flowers in a glass of cold water (only the five petal shoe flower variety). It is soothing and cooling.
• Application of cool sandalwood paste on the forehead is soothing and helps bring down fever.
□ Coughs, Colds, Sore Throat, Asthma And Bronchitis
• All the herbal teas mentioned earlier are helpful in chest conditions especially ajwain tea.
• Tulsi tea with or without pepper, or with a pinch of ground cloves and a stick of cinnamon.
• Tea made with methi seeds and amla leaves.
• Liquorice can be used as a lozenge.
• Fresh juice
— red cabbage
— grape fruit
— Carrot juice
• Raw cabbage, its juice, or even cooked is excellent for asthma. As soon as a chronic asthmatic feels the asthma coming up, he should eat raw cabbage or have its juice.
• Fresh garlic eaten raw or in food.
• Make a decoction with barley, honey and lemon and grind to a paste.
• Steam inhalations thrice a day.
• Apply eucalyptus oil with normal bath massage oil on chest.
• Large dried grapes called munakha (the seedless variety) — one or two slowly chewed relieves a coughing bout and chronic asthmatic wheeze. In the case of chronic asthmatics this remedy should be continued for 2-3 months. The raisins are slowly chewed throughout the day. It gets a bit irritating to do it 3-4 times a day.
• Hot milk with some pure ground turmeric. One glass milk, with one level teaspoon of turmeric powder and sugar added to taste is a soothing cough relieving drink specially at night.
• Black pepper, cloves, and dried ginger all can be ground separately and a pinch of each mixed with honey can be had thrice a day for 3-4 days with warm water.
• One teaspoon of fresh ginger juice with one teaspoon of honey can be had thrice a day for a week with warm water.
• Soak a teaspoon of grated dried pomegranate peel in a cup of hot boiling water for a few minutes. Cool till it comes down to a warm comfortable temperature. Use this for gargling. Relieves an unpleasant sore throat.
• Boil 5-6 eucalyptus leaves and 5-6 cloves in a glass of water for 5-6 minutes. Add a little lemon juice, sweeten with honey and drink. Helps in giving relief to a bronchial cough.
• For asthma and respiratory tract disorders, eliminating or reducing the intake of white starches — white flour or maida, macaroni, noodles, sweets, pastries, cakes, white sugar — helps.