Antibiotics

Nothing is more distressing than a sick child, especially a baby. So when little Melissa was brought in to us suffering severe coughing fits lasting up to ten minutes, and which were literally making her go blue in the face, we were mortified.

Already, at the delicate age of eleven weeks, this little angel was fighting off complications from bronchial infections. Normal medical procedures for such conditions were antibiotics, and she had been given many different ones. Unfortunately, as is too often the case, the medication was not helping and she had been sent home from hospital because there was nothing more that they could do for her. Her mother, who also had three other children, had decided that she had had enough drugs! Even with no training in any field of healing, she could see her baby was getting worse.

When her mother brought her to us, our first reaction as herbalists was to concentrate on getting the phlegm out of the child's system, and then restore her appetite, as she was losing weight fast without nourishment.

The medicine prepared for her was a blend of herbals, which included expectorants, immune stimulators, bronchodilators, lymphatic drainage, lung tonics and natural antibiotics. The dose was 5 ml, to be given hourly until there was some response, then reduced according to the severity of the symptoms.

That afternoon the mother rang to advise us that the child had vomited up lots of thick mucus, and was for the first time in days sleeping peacefully. Needless to say, she kept on improving as she got rid of the cause of the problem.

Which immediately leaves us with two questions, why didn't the child respond to the medical antibiotics, and why was the immune system not coping in the first place?

Are we breeding children that are resistant to drugs, or could it be that modern man has put too much emphasis on the use of antibiotics as the answer to all infections?

In an article in The Courier-Mail (4.7.95) by Terry O'Connor, he stated that: Health Department researchers found that seventeen of the forty-one children studied were infected with strains of the bacteria Streptococcus pneumonia which had become resistant to antibiotics, and antibiotic treatment helped the drug-resistant bacteria to spread by killing off other bacteria.

Another statement Mr O'Connor made was that antibiotics had recently been linked with the spread of ear infections in Aboriginal children in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

So maybe the time has come when commonsense must prevail. These so-called wonder drugs should be used with more discrimination, or in conjunction with health-promoting old fashioned natural remedies. Like hot foods to encourage the body temperature to rise, which in turn helps to dissolve built-up mucus, and expectorants or gentle laxatives to help the body remove waste products.

In short, we must start taking responsibility for our own health. Instead of demanding that our medic or therapist provides something to instantly cure, we should take care of our bodies. We have been brainwashed to believe that if the antibiotics don't work, a vaccination will be found to solve the problem.

For decades natural therapists and dietitians have been warning of the dangers of antibiotics to the internal flora of the stomach and bowel, and most people now take yoghurt and acidophilus automatically as a preventative to thrush when taking the drugs. Everyone now understands that the drugs kill the good and the bad bacteria, so maybe all is not lost; perhaps we can return to the old ways and blend the herbals and other natural methods with modern medicines.

If we are breeding children that are resistant to modern drugs - and research seems to be proving this - then it is very important that we find an answer quickly. All I can say is that it is particularly interesting that my husband and I, who were using only herbs and other natural methods of healing, were still getting the desired results, even when the problems were drug-induced.

The reason can only be that the body responds to herbs because they are absorbed like a food, and as such carry the nutritional property, be it vitamin, mineral, alkaloid or other active constituent, to every cell without any fear of rejection - thus aiding the body to overcome the disease and promote a permanent resistance by strengthening the immune reaction to the cause of the original problem.

Tle human body has incredible powers of healing, all it needs is a little help by way of good food that is free of chemical additives, clean water, and fresh air.

To prevent winter coughs, colds, and flu, herbs like thyme, irish moss, echinacea, nasturtium, garlic etc. could be taken in capsule or liquid form, with hot drinks made from fruit like lemons and oranges, sweetened with honey, just like when we were kids.

Remember, however, that it is when we are stressed that we are vulnerable to attack from bacteria and viruses. So try to stay out of the fast lane and enjoy the sunsets!

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