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The human body need never know sickness if proper health laws are observed. However, when they are not followed, the toxic condition of the system increases, causing infection to begin. Over 90 percent of all diseases, according to some of the most prominent physicians, are caused by constipation. One of these many diseases is infection. This could never be if there was a good, clean bowel and an uncontaminated bloodstream.

A free running mountain stream clears itself of pollution quickly and does not suffer with the problems of stagnation.

The same principle is demonstrated in the human body. A free flowing bloodstream, an uncongested bowel, and easy elimination of urine are all three examples of free flowing streams in the body of man. If we encourage this condition we will assure ourselves of no stagnation (infection disease) of any kind with the resulting sluggish life.

By keeping our bodies in a clean free flowing automatic cleaning condition, the stagnation problem will be no worry to us. The sluggish, poor circulating system leaves the stagnant condition in the lymph system with toxic poisons accumulating and plugging the flow toward the liver. If the liver is allowed to do its job properly, it can save our lives. It is the largest gland in the body, acting like a magnet, drawing toxins and poisons to it, neutralizing them as they are turned into beneficial bile, which in turn acts as a laxative. As the liver draws toxins and poisons to it, it must have the help of the lymphatic system to speed the delivery of these materials to the liver and gallbladder area.

Following are some interesting points brought to light by the staff of Prevention magazine in The Encyclopedia of Common Disease (Rodale Press, 1976):

Lymphoid tissue, which appears in the appendix, is also present in the thymus, the spleen and the tonsils. These tissues are recognized as interceptors of infectious organisms. Lymphoid tissues collect in the appendix where the number of lymph follicles reaches a peak in people between the ages of 10 and 20. After 30 there is an abrupt reduction to less than half the number of follicles, and it tapers off to only a trace after age 60. This phenomenon is also repeated in the tonsils, presumably because the body’s major threats from infectious diseases occur early in life.

The tonsils, and often the adenoids, have fallen victim to unnecessary surgery. For years swollen tonsils, and often healthy ones, have been removed for the mistaken purpose of preventing future throat infections and even colds. The operation is usually of no value.

The body’s lymphatic system, of which these organs are a part, is relatively unknown. One thing that is known about it, however, is that it plays a decisive role in the body’s defense against invading organisms.

When infection attacks the lymph system—whether the lymph glands, tonsils, adenoids, and/or appendix—this is evidence that the body has a high toxic level, and infection in these parts is our control sign to clean up the body or later face more severe conditions.

When the lymph system is showing signs of being overloaded with toxic wastes, the intelligent thing to do is to start cleaning up this condition immediately. Beat this criminal to the draw by eliminating mucus-making materials (oft times it’s hard to label some of the merchandise we eat as “food”), and use fresh fruit and vegetables, juices, and plenty of distilled water. During the cleaning up period, it is good to use a special herbal food for the cleansing and feeding of the lymph system—a combination of mullein herb and a small part of lobelia herb (such as three parts mullein and one part lobelia). For instance, the adult dose for tonsillitis is a cup of the tea three or more times in a day; for younger people twelve years and older it is a full adult dose, one half dose eight to twelve years, one fourth dose four to eight years, and under age four in careful proportion.

In addition to the oral use of the tea (infusion of one ounce of the combined herbs to a pint of boiling water, poured over the herbs, covered, and allowed to steep approximately 20 minutes), it is also to be used externally. After straining the herbal tea, soak flannel cloth (never man-made synthetic cloth) in the remaining tea and apply over the swollen gland areas. Cover the fomentation cloth with plastic to keep the moisture in. It is good to do this procedure in the evening, leaving the fomentation on all night. Some cases take more than one application, but many see the finest results with the overnight program.

One time, after coming home from a lecture series, it was good to see the grandchildren from the family of one of our daughters, who were visiting with us (Dr. Christopher and his wife). That evening one of the little granddaughters, then about seven years old, came to me crying because the glands in her throat area and behind the ears had swollen up and it was very difficult for her to swallow. I mixed up three parts of mullein and one part of lobelia, made a fomentation, and pinned it around her throat. The next morning she came downstairs, all smiles and no pain, and paid me well for my services with a big kiss.

This formula is excellent, not only in aiding the healing in a glandular area, but also to counterattack infection in the glandular system.

Infection does not need any encouragement, especially when there is a sluggish unclean lymphatic system. Dr. Christopher noted: A man came to my office in Olympia, Washington, with an arm that was held away from the body proper because he could not bear to drop the arm down to his side. The reason for this was a painful lump in the armpit, the lump being the size of a baseball. A red streak was also running up the length of the arm starting at the point of infection in the hand. A few days prior to this, the man had cut the palm of his hand with a chisel. He felt he could not take off time to go to the doctor, so he wrapped a rag around the wound to stop the bleeding and went on with his work. In a day or two he noticed swelling and fever in his damaged hand and, naturally, became concerned because a friend of his had had a similar experience and because the infection had gotten so bad his friend’s arm had been amputated. The patient informed me he didn’t want to lose his arm and was willing to try some other unorthodox procedure to clear the condition, so he came to me to see if herbs could save the arm.

I took him out onto the lawn in front of my office and showed him some plantain growing there. He was familiar with the plant, as he had been trying to dig it up at his home to keep this weed from taking over. I instructed him to have his wife or someone get a number of the plants, rinse off the dirt, and bruise the plants with a mortar and pestle, a hammer, a blender, a food or meat grinder, or something else, and put the bruised plantain herb, root, leaves, seed, stem and all right over the cut area. The plantain was then to be covered with gauze and bandaged to hold it in place. He was also told that as the plantain would start to dry he should continue adding more fresh bruised herb to it. The gentleman asked what else to do besides the bandaging, and we instructed him to drink some of the plantain tea, three or more cups a day. He asked if he should come to see us the next day. He was told that the procedure he had just been given, as simple as it was, was a do-it-yourself kit and he would heal if he followed instructions. The man left the office but was back in several days. He had come in to pay for the office call and to gratefully show me a hand that was healing rapidly, with no evidence of scarring. He also said that right after using the poultice, things started to happen rapidly. He said the excruciatingly painful and throbbing hand and arm was eased of pain within one-half hour and the red streak faded away, and the lump in the armpit started getting smaller within hours. By the time of his visit, the streak and lump were entirely gone, and he had full use of the hand and arm again at work—good as ever, he concluded.

Over the years we have had many cases of infection that have been cleared up quickly, as in this case. Some infections come on feet, legs, and various parts of the body, but all can be handled if you act as quickly as possible.

Plantain is an herb that cannot be gathered all year in areas where cold winter kills vegetation. It is good to have concentrates, tinctures and/or ointments to use in emergencies.

I remember early one morning a lady was on the phone and asked me to make a house call, as her son, age about ten, had been stung by a wasp. His hand was swollen, and he had passed out from the pain.

Before getting my bag ready to go, I stepped out onto the lawn to get some fresh plantain leaves to poultice the sting with, but it was too early in the year and the plantain had not yet “leafed out.” With no fresh herb to take, I went into the office and got a small jar of plantain ointment and put it into the bag and left.

When I arrived, the boy was unconscious on the floor; his hand was swollen to nearly twice its normal size. The wasp had stung him on the top of the hand. Using a spatula, I put right over the sting area enough plantain ointment to cover the size of about a silver dollar and about a quarter to half inch thick, placed a gauze patch over the ointment, and then with additional gauze put a bandage on the hand to hold the ointment in place.

The boy had regained consciousness and was sitting up, by the time I was ready to leave. The mother said, “Is that all you are going to do?” I told her yes; it would take care of the sting and give relief from the pain in a short time. Within the half hour, after applying the ointment, the boy said the pain was not as severe as it had been.

The next day I was told that the boy was out playing baseball that afternoon, with no discomfort; the swelling was gone, and the hand was its normal size.

One of the finest teachers Dr. Christopher said he had ever known was a man by the name of Dr. H. Nowell, the founder of Dominion Herbal College, Ltd., of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In the lesson manual from his school is the following story:

Dr. H. Nowell’s baby, two years of age, was severely stung by a hornet on the neck while away on holiday. The neck swelled so much that it caused real alarm, as no help of a professional nature was within 20 miles. The doctor’s daughter, aged 16, remembered hearing of the healing power of plantain, gathered four leaves growing near the camp and bound them on the baby’s neck. Upon removing the bandage one hour later no trace of the trouble could be found.

When individuals get infection from a small cut, a sliver, or most any little injury, it means the bloodstream and body as a whole is loaded with mucus and waste materials. This is the open door to invite the germs of infection into the system. Germs cannot live on healthy tissue, because germs are scavengers and can only live on filth and waste materials.

It would be better for each of us to work on the cause by keeping the waste out of the body. This is far better than working on the effect after trouble has been established.

An ounce of prevention is far better than a pound of cure.

Excerpts from Dr. John R. Christopher, Newsletters, Volume One, Issue 9.