text:
Natural Antibiotics and Antivirals

"An informative and invaluable book that explores the application of natural antimicrobial and antiviral plant-based remedies to combat and stave off infection, _Natural Antibiotics and Antivirals_ provides a significant source of reference for the layperson and health care professional alike."

HEATHER DAWN GODFREY, AUTHOR OF _ESSENTIAL OILS FOR MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION_

"Christopher Vasey's fascinating book explores in detail the powerful world of natural antibiotics (essential oils and herbs) and the role they play in addressing the countless pathological germs we encounter every day. His book is well organized, allowing you to easily reference treatments for common infections, and provides detailed information on creating a symbiotic relationship with our intestinal flora, ultimately leading to radiant health."

CANDICE COVINGTON, AUTHOR OF _ESSENTIAL OILS IN SPIRITUAL PRACTICE_

## Contents

  1. Cover Image
  2. Title Page
  3. Epigraph
  4. Introduction
  5. Chapter 1. The History of Natural Antibiotics: Rediscovering the Power of Plant-Based Remedies
  6. Chapter 2. Germs: What They Are and How They Interact with Humans
    1. Tiny Beings
    2. The Role of Microbes
    3. The Microbe–Human Relationship
    4. The History of the Discovery of Germs
    5. Pathological Germs
    6. The Multiplication of Microbes
  7. Chapter 3. Infectious Diseases: Their Forms and Sources
    1. Lesions of the Tissue
    2. Poisoning
    3. The Three forms of Infection
    4. The Progression of Infectious Illness
    5. The Sources of Infections
    6. The Terrain
  8. Chapter 4. Our Immune System: The Five Lines of Defense
    1. The First Line of Defense: The Skin and the Mucous Membranes
    2. The Second Line of Defense: Phagocytes
    3. The Third Line of Defense: Close Combat by the Lymphocytes
    4. The Fourth Line of Defense: Long-Distance Combat by B Cells
    5. The Fifth Line of Defense: Interferon Released by the Cells
  9. Chapter 5. Pharmaceutical Antibiotics: Their History and Effects
    1. The History of Antibiotics
    2. The Resistance of Germs to Antibiotics
    3. The Causes of Resistance
    4. The Harmful Effects of Resistance
    5. The Harmful Effects of Antibiotics
    6. Reversibility
  10. Chapter 6. Natural Antibiotics: 18 Remedy Profiles
    1. The Essential Oils
      1.  Basil ( _Ocimum basilicum_ )
      2.  English Lavender ( _Lavandula angustifolia_ )
      3.  Eucalyptus ( _Eucalyptus globulus_ )
      4.  Niaouli ( _Melaleuca quinquenervia_ )
      5.  Oregano ( _Origanum heracleoticum_ )
      6.  Palmarosa ( _Cymbopogon martinii_ )
      7.  Ravintsara ( _Cinnamomum camphora_ )
      8.  Savory ( _Satureja montana, S. hortensis_ )
      9.  Tea Tree ( _Melaleuca alternifolia_ )
      10.  Thyme ( _Thymus vulgaris_ )
    2. The Mother Tinctures
      1.  Bearberry ( _Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_ )
      2.  Burdock ( _Arctium lappa_ )
      3.  Common Barberry ( _Berberis vulgaris_ )
      4.  Mouse-Ear Hawkweed ( _Hieracium pilosella_ )
      5.  Purple Coneflower ( _Echinacea purpurea_ )
    3. Other Natural Antibiotics
      1.  Grapefruit Seed Extract
      2.  Lapacho ( _Tabebuia impetiginosa_ )
      3.  Propolis
  11. Chapter 7. Treatments for 50 Common Infections: Using Natural Antibiotics
    1. The Treatment Structure
    2. Using Natural Antibiotics Orally
    3. Using Natural Antibiotics Topically
    4. Natural Antibiotic Dosages
    5. Infections of The Digestive Tract
      1.  Abscess of a Tooth
      2.  Amebiasis
      3.  Canker Sore
      4.  Colibacillosis (Intestinal)
      5.  Colitis, Enteritis, and Gastroenteritis
      6.  Gingivitis
      7.  Infectious Diarrhea
      8.  Intestinal Parasites
      9.  Stomach Ulcer
      10.  Viral Hepatitis
    6. Infections of the Respiratory Tract and the Ear, Nose, and Throat Region
      1.  Bronchitis (Bacterial)
      2.  Bronchitis (Viral)
      3.  Cold (Rhinitis, Rhinopharyngitis)
      4.  Otitis (Earache)
      5.  Pharyngitis (Bacterial)
      6.  Pharyngitis (Viral)
      7.  Sinusitis
    7. Infections of the Urinary Tract
      1.  Cystitis
      2.  Nephritis (Pyelonephritis)
      3.  Urethritis
      4.  Urinary Colibacillosis
    8. Genital Infections in Women
      1.  Cervicitis, Metritis, Salpingitis, Vulvitis, and Vaginitis
      2.  Genital Herpes
      3.  Genital Mycosis
    9. Genital infections in Men
      1.  Genital Herpes
      2.  Genital Mycosis
      3.  Orchiepididymitis (Acute)
      4.  Prostatitis
    10. Skin Infections
      1.  Acne
      2.  Boil
      3.  Facial Herpes (Mouth and Nose)
      4.  Impetigo (Cradle Cap)
      5.  Shingles
      6.  Skin Fungus
      7.  Superficial Wounds
      8.  Varicose Ulcer
      9.  Wart
      10.  Whitlow
    11. General Infections
      1.  Adenitis
      2.  Candidiasis
      3.  Flu
      4.  Infectious Mononucleosis
  12. Chapter 8. Maintaining Balance in the Body's Cellular Terrain: Detoxification and Supplementation
    1. Stimulating Elimination
    2. Restrictive Diets
    3. Addressing Deficiencies
  13. Chapter 9. Intestinal Flora and Infectious Diseases: Understanding the Relationship
    1. The Intestinal Flora
    2. Imbalances in the Intestinal Flora
    3. The Harmful Effects of an Imbalanced Intestinal Flora
    4. The Protective Role of the Intestinal Flora
    5. Intestinal Flora as a Source of Infection
    6. How to Build a Strong and Balanced Intestinal Flora
    7. Prebiotics
    8. Probiotics
    9. Repair of the Intestinal Mucous Membranes
  14. Conclusion
  15. Footnotes
  16. About the Author
  17. About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
  18. Books of Related Interest
  19. Copyright & Permissions
  20. Index

Introduction

Nature offers us many natural antibiotics from the plant kingdom that work powerfully against germs while being gentle on the body. The question thus arises: Why are these natural antibiotics no longer known as well as they once were, and why don't we rely on them as we once did?

For much of human history, the true cause of infectious diseases remained a mystery. In the absence of rational treatment, many patients succumbed to their illnesses. It was not until the nineteenth century that evidence for the existence of germs was revealed. The discovery of penicillin in 1929, and then that of many other pharmaceutical antibiotics, finally permitted the specific treatment of infectious diseases. The mortality and suffering connected to these illnesses dropped so spectacularly that the plants we had used empirically until then in the fight against germs were abandoned.

However, over the last few decades, an increasing number of studies have brought these plants back into the spotlight. Extensive research has made it possible to gain a deeper understanding of their antibiotic properties. Not only have they been shown to have a greater therapeutic effectiveness than was once believed, but they have been revealed to have a much greater spectrum of action. Indeed, many of them are also effective against viruses, which is not the case for pharmaceutical antibiotics. In addition, their side effects—if they even have any—tend to be benign, and the plants do not prompt germs to develop resistance against them.

Today, we also benefit from better preparation methods for plant-based remedies, which has made it possible to obtain products that are more powerful and more reliable than those of centuries past.

The purpose of this book is to introduce the reader to the world of natural antibiotics by presenting eighteen of the most important ones and explaining how to use them. To do this, I shall first explain the role played by germs in infectious diseases as well as that of the body's cellular terrain and immune system on the possible development of infections. I will also examine the manner in which standard antibiotics work, as well as the question of their side effects and the development of resistance in germs when they are used, as the use of natural antibiotics provides a solution to both these growing problems.

The fact that modern pharmaceutical antibiotics have side effects and elicit resistance in the bacteria they are meant to treat does not mean that we have to reject them. They provide an enormous service to humankind, and we can only be happy that they exist. In some cases they are indispensable. Rather, the question is how to act with discernment in choosing the most effective remedy for the patient being treated, with "effectiveness" here meaning the ability to halt the infection without harming the body. As it happens, for mild infections or chronic diseases whose intensity and development are well known to the patient, natural antibiotics are often preferable because of the absence of noxious side effects.

Whatever your personal situation may be, if you have concerns about your health or are dealing with a serious condition, it is essential to seek the informed opinion of a health care professional.

I would like to clarify one vocabulary issue. Throughout this book, I use the term _natural antibiotic_. _Antibiotic_ is used here in its broad sense. Strictly speaking, that term designates only the substances produced by microorganisms that possess the property of killing pathogenic germs or of inhibiting their growth. But because the molecules of certain plants possess the same properties, and because the term _antibiotic_ has broad public recognition, I will use it in reference to those plants, although plants are hardly microorganisms. I add the adjective _natural_ to the term _antibiotics_ to clearly establish the difference between plant antibiotics and standard pharmaceutical antibiotics.
1

The History of Natural Antibiotics

Rediscovering the Power of Plant-Based Remedies

Human beings have inhabited the earth for tens of thousands of years, but antibiotics—in the form we know them today—were discovered and perfected a mere hundred years ago. How were our remote ancestors able to muddle through without them? Were methods of fighting infection completely unknown to them?

Since the dawn of time, human beings have turned to plants that possess antibiotic properties. Of course they did not use the term _antibiotic,_ nor did they speak of germs, but they knew that the use of these medicinal plants to treat certain specific illnesses was very effective.

The oldest evidence for the use of plants with antibiotic properties by human beings dates back more than fifty thousand years. Archaeologists have discovered in northern Iraq the skeleton of a man who was buried with a number of different objects, including medicinal plants that are effective against infections—and that are used by the populace of that region even today.

Studies have also provided evidence that around forty thousand years ago, the aboriginal natives of Australia used numerous plants for healing purposes, particularly the leaves of the tea tree ( _Melaleuca alternifolia_ ), which has powerful anti-infective properties with a wide spectrum of activity.

Ancient texts reveal that in India more than seven thousand years ago, "aromatic waters" were used to heal the sick. They were produced from anti-infective plants such as cinnamon, coriander, ginger, and myrrh.

The oldest alembic known to human being was discovered in Pakistan and dates back to around 5000 BCE. Other alembics dating back to 3500 BCE have been found in China. We can assume that in these remote eras, people knew that the active principles of certain plants could be found primarily in their essential oils, and they consequently manufactured objects that would allow them to extract those oils.

Mesopotamian inscriptions dating back almost four thousand years have shown that medicinal plants were used during that time to combat epidemics. The famous epic of Gilgamesh tells how the Chaldeans (3000 BCE) treated themselves almost exclusively with plants. This was also the case at almost the exact same time on the other side of the ocean in America, with the pre-Columbian peoples. For example, the latter used the bark of the cinchona tree (which contains quinine) to fight against fevers in general and those caused by malaria in particular.

In fact, our ancient ancestors not only knew a few good plants but used a large number of them. The Sumerian-Akkadian pharmacopeia (2300 BCE) contained more than 250 plant species. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who lived around 400 BCE, mentions close to 350 medicinal plants in his writings. The Greek scholar Theophrastus, who lived around 300 BCE, and who is considered to be the father of botany, describes more than 450 species in his treatise on plants. He was not satisfied with merely providing descriptions of them but also indicates which of their parts (leaves, root, et cetera) have more or less potent therapeutic properties depending on the time of day when they are picked.

Greek physician Dioscorides (146 BCE) drew up a list of 500 plants in his _De Materia Medica,_ which would go on to serve as the basis for all the manuals of medicine created in the Middle Ages. Cato the Elder, meanwhile, described only 120 medicinal plants, but they were the ones that he grew in his garden. Pliny the Elder, who died in 79 AD during the eruption of Vesuvius, wrote the monumental _Natural History_ in thirty-seven volumes; volume 13 describes the plants that produce essential oils whose principal property is antimicrobial.

How did the ancients use the plants that they knew had antibiotic effects to treat infections? They did not simply turn to herbal teas, as we might easily imagine, given that teas are the most common and simplest method of employing plants. Instead, they perfected a vast variety of methods to help the antibiotic principles enter the body via every possible entryway, from the digestive tract to the respiratory tract and the skin.

For the digestive tract, for example, they prepared teas and decoctions, but also wines and vinegars in which they let the plant material macerate. While the vinegar formulas of ancient Egypt and Greece have not made their way down to us, we cannot say the same about the vinegars of sixteenth-century France. First and foremost of these is the Vinegar of the Four Thieves, which corpse looters would rub on their bodies during plague epidemics. According to historical sources, this vinegar contained cloves, cinnamon, lavender, and mint.

Anti-infective plants were also regularly ingested with food. It is no accident that the diet of the bulk of the earth's people—especially those in hot climates—includes numerous herbs and spices. Whether they include hot, strong spices like chiles, pepper, turmeric, ginger, and so forth or milder ones like parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram, these common culinary herbs and spices do more than enhance the flavor of food and stimulate digestion. They also have strong disinfectant properties, killing harmful microorganisms in foods and in the person who eats them.

The bottom end of the digestive tract was also a way that was used to get the active substances of plants into the body. The Chaldeans were using plant-based suppositories in 3000 BCE. The Egyptians performed enemas using medicinal plants in this same era. According to one legend, the idea for this practice came to the Egyptians through their observation of ibis, birds that inhabit the banks of the Nile and administer enemas to themselves with their beaks.

To permit the active properties of plants to enter the body by means of the respiratory tract, the plants were burned. Patients would breathe in the vapors, along with the disinfectant properties they carried, in the same way they would breathe air. In fact, this method was sometimes practiced on a mass scale. In ancient Babylon, for example, in the event of an infectious epidemic, large fires of cypress and other aromatic plants were lit in the streets. Hippocrates recommended the same thing during the great plague that raged in ancient Athens, but he called for savory, hyssop, lavender, and sage. During the Middle Ages, the famous medical school in Salerno, Italy, also recommended "public fumigations" using myrrh, cloves, and so forth during smallpox and plague epidemics. Such procedures are the ancestors of the therapeutic inhalations people perform today in the comfort of their home—for example, breathing in the fragrance of thyme or eucalyptus during a case of the flu or bronchitis.

Thanks to its absorbent qualities, the skin is another excellent route for introducing the antibiotic properties from plants into the body. Plant poultices would be applied to infected wounds, for example, or the plant material could be mixed with bathwater so that the patient could "steep" in it. Recipes for healing bath preparations using cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, ginger, and myrrh can be found in the Rig Veda, a work that appeared in India at least three thousand years ago.

But the most common procedure for using herbs was in ointments and medicinal massage oils. The antibiotic properties of plants are located primarily in oily compounds in plant tissue that are called essential oils. When plants are macerated in olive oil, for example, the essential oil leaves the fibrous plant threads and moves into the olive oil. This oil thus becomes charged with the antibiotic properties. When the oil is rubbed onto the skin, its disinfectant action will manifest not only on the surface of the skin but in the very depths of the tissues because of the ease with which essential oils can penetrate the body. In a matter of minutes after application, these essential oils can be found circulating in the bloodstream!

While ointments using aromatic oils were common in the Greek and Roman world for general hygiene as well as therapeutic remedies, they had already been in use some one to two thousand years earlier in China and Mesopotamia.

If additional proof is required of the great knowledge and mastery of plants with antibiotic effects by our ancient ancestors, all we need mention is the practice of embalming by the ancient Egyptians. The reason a corpse decomposes is because it is attacked by a large number of germs. Egyptian embalmers not only knew which plants would neutralize these germs and prevent this decomposition but they also knew how to introduce large quantities of the plants' active agents into the body's tissues so that they would permeate them completely. The marvelously preserved state of many mummies is proof of those ancient embalmers' knowledge and expertise.

Even with the technology available to us today, we have not discovered many new plants with antibiotic properties that were not already known to our ancient ancestors. Most often, studies today have only confirmed their knowledge and demonstrated the soundness of their practices.

The antibiotic plants featured in this book are therefore the very same plants that were used by our remote ancestors. Our modern contribution to their application is primarily the fact that science now allows us to acquire a more exact knowledge of the properties of each plant and which illnesses they treat most effectively, so that we can choose more judiciously among them.

Before moving on into the description of natural antibiotics and the best way to use them—which is the subject of the latter part of this book—let's first take a look at what these plants will have to deal with and related topics: germs, infections, the immune system, and standard antibiotics.
2

Germs

What They Are and How They Interact with Humans

Germs are microbes—living creatures of extremely small size that, like all living organisms, eat, breathe, excrete, and multiply. When we speak of "germs," we generally are referring to unicellular microbes that cause disease in humans and other creatures. There is one exception to this: the virus, which is only a portion of a cell and, as such, is technically not considered a living organism at all.

Germs can be broken down into four basic categories:

  * Parasites
  * Bacteria
  * Fungi and yeasts
  * Viruses

We'll talk about each of them in turn later in this chapter. For now, let's look at the way in which germs interact with the world and, most particularly, with human beings.

TINY BEINGS

Germs are so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. We need a microscope with great magnifying power to see them. To give an approximate idea of their size, let's compare them to a hair. Parasites (the largest germs) are on average ten times smaller than the thickness of a hair, bacteria and molds are one hundred times smaller, and viruses are between one thousand and ten thousand times smaller. In other words, on a field that is 1 millimeter in size, you can lay out, side by side, ten hairs, one hundred parasites, one thousand bacteria or molds, and between ten thousand and one hundred thousand viruses.

Human cells on average have a diameter similar to that of parasites. Our cell wall thickness is smaller than any germ except for the smallest viruses. Even smaller in size are organic molecules like sucrose, for example (which is ten times smaller than the thickness of our cell walls and the smallest viruses), and atoms, of course. The hydrogen atom is ten times smaller than the sucrose molecule.

 _Figure 1. Germ dimensions (from largest to smallest)_

When we talk of "germs," we mean those microbes that negatively affect us. However, these represent only a very small minority of all microbes. For example, there are thousands of different kinds of bacteria, but only fifty-five kinds are known to make us sick. The same holds true for parasites, fungi, and viruses: thousands of different kinds exist, but only a small proportion of them have a pathogenic effect on human beings.

Microbes inhabit our entire environment. They live in the earth of the fields, meadows, and forest undergrowth. They are in the water of the streams, rivers, lakes, and swamps. They have even been discovered in the ice of the ice pack and in the depths of the sea. They are in the air we breathe. They can be found everywhere; no place seems to be spared their presence. They live even inside plants and animals. We ourselves, as human beings, have numerous nonpathogenic microbes on our skin and in our intestines (our intestinal flora), mouth, nasal passages, respiratory tract, and more.

THE ROLE OF MICROBES

Why are microorganisms so numerous and omnipresent in nature? The reason is that these microbes play a fundamental role in the manufacture and decomposition of living material.

All matter is constructed from the fundamental elements of the universe, as depicted on Mendeleev's periodic table of elements. These basic substances have characteristics that are too crude to form plant and animal tissues, however. A dynamizing and vivifying labor must first be performed so that they can combine with other elements in order to acquire the qualities necessary to make the transition into constructing living matter. In other words, they must go from the inorganic state to the organic state. This labor is performed by germs.

The bacteria that produce nitrates (azotobacter), for example, transform the nitrogen in the air into a more sophisticated substance that plants can assimilate. These bacteria can be found in a free state in the soil (which the nitrogen penetrates when it rains), but some plants offer them a haven. The bumpy nodes on the roots of leguminous plants like alfalfa and beans are full of these nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Similar processes take place for the preparation and manufacture of all the other mineral substances necessary for organic life. In addition to the nitrogen cycle, there is one for sulfur, one for phosphorus, and so on. For each of these cycles, other bacteria—or specialized microorganisms—are active. In this respect, microbes could be compared to tiny, almost invisible workers whose activity is essential for preparing inert matter so that plant and animal bodies can take form from it. These bodies in fact entirely depend on the microbial world for their existence.

In natural cycles, the manufacture, formation, and multiplication of matter is followed by the stage of decomposition. Dead plants and animals contain in their tissues a host of substances that can be reutilized if they are freed from the organic structures that hold them. Here again, it is the job of microbes to break down the plant and animal tissues so they can be brought down to their basic elements.

The transformational powers of microorganisms are well known to human beings, who use some of them to make certain food products. It is, in fact, bacteria and fungi that transform milk into yogurt or cheese, grape juice into wine, wine into vinegar, flour into bread dough, malt and hops into beer, and so forth.

There are thousands of different kinds of microbes that can be divided into subcategories, each containing a countless number of individuals. This enormous populace inhabits the entire surface of the earth and everything that is found on it. Stepping in at different stages of the manufacturing and decomposing processes of matter, extremely different types of germs are close neighbors in a single environment.

For example, there are more than four hundred different kinds of microbes in the intestinal environment of the human being. Their relations with one another are most often harmonious, especially when they form crews of "workers" on the same line of work. There are times, though, when this harmony is broken. The struggle for territory and food—the same kind of struggle that can be seen among plants and animals—also takes place among these infinitely tiny creatures. At such times some microbial populations will be decimated by other ones, which will then take their place.

At other times a change in external conditions—humidity, temperature, and so forth—can have an adverse impact on the living environment of one kind of germ, and another kind can then take advantage of this and move in.

THE MICROBE–HUMAN RELATIONSHIP

The relationship between microbes and higher life-forms—animals and human beings, for example—can be beneficial or harmful.

The relationship is beneficial when the microbes and the organism that houses them can help each other mutually. This is the case with resident microbes, which colonize a body for the long term, as opposed to those that enter it by accident. The microbes of the intestinal flora are permanent residents. In this association, they provide a service to the body by participating in various physiological processes: digestion of cellulose, synthesis of various vitamins and amino acids, and so on. And the body offers microbes an environment that is favorable for their development, as the hot, moist intestinal milieu has a wealth of nutritious substances that they can eat. This relationship is described as symbiotic, and the microbes that participate in it are called saprophytes.

In a harmful relationship, there are no exchanges, support, or aid between the microbes and the body that houses them. To the contrary, the microbes colonize the organism and exploit the resources it offers them without giving it anything in return. In addition, the body suffers from all the negative consequences of their presence: injury to the tissues they inhabit and poisoning of the body from the toxins the microbes secrete.

This kind of relationship, in which one of the protagonists lives entirely at the expense of the other, is a parasitical relationship. A parasitical relationship cannot last long without endangering the survival of the host. The microbes involved therefore do not take up permanent residence and are present only temporarily. All the germs that make us sick fall into this category.

THE HISTORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF GERMS

Today, even children know that a germ is an extremely tiny pathological organism that makes us sick when it enters our body. But this knowledge is quite recent. For most of history, humans knew nothing about the existence of germs. Of course, they noted the contagious nature of some diseases and suspected that a "something" was being transmitted, but as they were unable to see this "something" with the naked eye, they had no idea what it could be.

The notions our ancestors had of this "something" were vague and sometimes far-fetched, but when put back in the context of their times, they reveal concepts that are surprisingly close to reality. In antiquity, infectious diseases and epidemics were sometimes attributed to miasma, meaning impurities (dirty things) that came from putrefying plant and animal wastes or from stagnant water—in which there are teeming populations of many kinds of germs, actually. People also spoke of putrid gases emanating from this putrefaction, or of "corrupted air," to explain the contagious nature of certain diseases—which is actually a fair description of airborne microbes.

"Little winged worms" were mentioned as a probable cause of infections by Ulrich von Hutten around 1519, whereas the Swiss doctor Paracelsus (1493–1441) mentioned "little living germs." Other physicians hypothesized about animalcules ("tiny animals") or "vermicular germs." But these concepts were too novel and revolutionary for the times and were therefore rejected by the majority of physicians.

With the invention of the microscope in the seventeenth century, what had been until then only a vague hypothesis, though adhering fairly closely to reality, would be confirmed. The first direct observation of a germ most likely took place in 1680, which is to say a little more than 330 years ago. Using a microscope with several lenses, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek saw protozoa (the largest germs) as well as bacteria, which he described as "very little living animalcules, very prettily a-moving" and called _infusoria._

The manner in which germs reproduce would be discovered forty years later. In 1720 Italian scientist Lazzaro Spallanzani isolated a germ in a drop of water and watched it divide in its environment to give birth to new germs.

The construction of increasingly sophisticated microscopes and the perfection of techniques for cultivating germs in a liquid environment would make it possible to obtain many more precise observations. Proof that certain germs were the source of different diseases was established in 1865 by two researchers pursuing their efforts separately: the Frenchman Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) and the German Robert Koch (1843–1910). They extracted germs from the blood of diseased animals and cultivated them in the laboratory. Once they had isolated several specimens, they used them to inoculate healthy animals. These animals then contracted the disease. These studies demonstrated the causeand-effect relationship between the presence of germs and the infection.

Systematic studies of the germs responsible for infectious diseases were then performed. In this manner staphylococci were discovered in 1878, streptococci in 1879, and the tuberculosis and cholera bacilli in 1882, followed by the diphtheria bacterium, the rabies virus, and so on.

PATHOLOGICAL GERMS

What are the germs responsible for illnesses in humans beings, and how are they different from other microbes? To explore these questions, we will successively examine the four major groups they form: the parasites, the bacteria, the fungi, and the viruses.

Parasites

When we speak of parasites in this book, we are referring primarily to protozoans, unicellular organisms of the protist family (they should not be confused with the multicellular creatures like ticks, fleas, and intestinal worms that are also called parasites). They form the largest group of the germs that attack human beings. They consist of a protective envelope (cellular membrane) containing a fluid (cytoplasm) in which all the organs (organelles) responsible for breathing, digestion, energy production, and so on are immersed, as well as a command center (the nucleus of the cell).

 _Figure 2. The protozoan cell_

To develop and, more importantly, multiply, some protozoans temporarily or permanently need a higher organism to house them; hence the name _parasites._ These higher organisms offer them a favorable environment and a generous source of food. Unfortunately for the host organism, "food" for a protozoan is not just the food its host consumes but also the host's own tissues and secretions.

Parasites will not colonize just any animal. Each variety attacks a specific host species that offers the specific living conditions the invader requires. This means that a parasite that is extremely dangerous for one animal species will not be dangerous for another species, or it might attack human beings but not animals. Similarly, parasites will colonize not all the tissues in the organs of the host body but only a select few (known as target organs).

The protozoan _Trichomonas vaginalis,_ for example, lives in vaginal secretions and causes vaginitis. Trypanosomes, which are transmitted by the tsetse fly, poison the human nervous system with their metabolic wastes and cause sleeping sickness.

Among the protozoans that are implicated in human disorders we also find the plasmodia and certain amoebas. Plasmodium, the agent responsible for malaria, is a parasite of red blood cells. It multiplies a thousandfold within each blood cell, causing them to explode. When this phenomenon takes place in many red blood cells at the same time, the bloodstream is suddenly overtaken by their decomposing cadavers and wastes. This causes fever, characterized by spikes of extremely high temperatures that correspond to the parasites' reproductive cycle. The parasites that are freed during the crisis state then colonize more red blood cells, which explode in turn, starting the entire process over again. Moreover, the destruction of a large number of red blood cells is not inconsequential for the composition of the blood: the sharp drop in the proportion of red blood cells will cause serious anemia.

Amoebas are protozoans that live in both fresh and salt water. The majority are harmless to humans, but one kind, _Entamoeba histolytica,_ is responsible for a form of dysentery characterized by painful and bloody diarrhea. _E. histolytica_ is primarily found in the world's hotter regions.

 **PARASITICAL DISEASES**
---
 **PROTOZOAN** | **DISEASE**
 _Entamoeba histolytica_ amoeba|  Amebiasis (amebic dysentery)
Plasmodium|  Malaria
Trichomonad|  Vaginitis, urethritis
Trypanosome|  Sleeping sickness

Bacteria

In structure, bacteria are even less complex than protozoans. While they are constructed on the same basic model as all cells, bacteria still do not possess as many organelles as the parasites. In addition, the nucleus of the bacterial cell is not surrounded by a protective membrane, and its genetic code consists of only one DNA chromosome.

 _Figure 3. The bacterial cell_

The thousands of various kinds of bacteria in existence can be divided into major families depending on their shape. The bacteria with a long rod shape are called bacilli, those that are spherical are called cocci, and those that have a spiral, or helical, shape are called spiral. Within the bacillus group we find bacilli arranged in pairs and in chains as well as bacteria that are curved and have tails. The coccus group appears in the shape of a single seed or as pairs, strings, or clusters. Spiral bacteria can be subclassified by the number of twists, cell flexibility, and motility.

**BACTERIA SHAPES**
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**COCCI (SPHERICAL SHAPE)**|  **BACILLI (ELONGATED ROD SHAPE)**|  **SPIRAL (HELICAL SHAPE)**
Micrococci (in seeds)

Pneumococci (in pairs)

Streptococci (in strings)

Staphylococci (in clusters)|  Filamentous bacteria (with a tail)

Vibrio (curved)|  Spirilla (thick, rigid spirals)

Spirochetes (thin, flexible spirals)

Another classification is based on the degree to which bacteria are receptive to a violet dye known as a Gram stain (named for the inventor of the test, Danish scientist Hans Gram). Some bacteria take on an intense violet color when exposed to the stain; they are called Gram positive. Other bacteria turn pink; they are called Gram negative. Which reaction a bacterium has provides useful information about the structure of its outer membrane and, therefore, whether it will have more or less receptivity to various kinds of antibiotics.

A bacterial cell's membrane has the distinctive feature of being extremely extensive in proportion to its volume. In fact, the membrane is nine million times larger than the cell's volume. In comparison, the skin surface of a human being is only twenty times larger than the volume of the body. This large expanse is both to the advantage and to the detriment of bacteria. The advantage comes from the fact that bacteria root themselves into the environment they intend to exploit by surface contact, and with a greater surface area, they have a greater ability to take root. The drawback is that having a larger surface area makes it harder to defend themselves from attack—from antibiotics, for example.

As was the case for the protozoans, different bacteria have a preference for certain species, tissues, and organs. Consequently it is these organs and tissues that they will colonize and damage. But many bacteria produce toxins that are transported through the body by the bloodstream or the lymph flow, and these toxins can poison tissue that is quite distant from the area the bacteria have colonized.

The bacillus _Bordetella pertussis,_ for example, colonizes the lungs and triggers violent coughing fits and whooping cough. The _Helicobacter pylori_ bacterium establishes itself in the stomach and causes gastritis and gastroduodenal ulcers. _Escherichia coli_ is a regular inhabitant of the lower intestine; it becomes virulent when it moves out of this organ and is responsible for 80 percent of all urinary tract infections. _Vibrio cholerae_ is not a regular inhabitant of the intestine; however, when it gains entrance it will cause copious watery diarrhea that can lead to dangerous levels of dehydration and mineral deficiencies. _Brucella melitensis,_ which is responsible for Malta fever (also known as brucellosis, Bang's disease, or Gibraltar fever), does not develop within an organ cavity but inside the very cells themselves, which makes it harder to attack and eradicate with antibiotics.

The bacillus for botulism, _Clostridium botulinum,_ poses a threat because of the toxins it produces. The starting point for this disease is the digestive tract, but the poisoning rapidly spreads into the central nervous system, causing paralysis. The same holds true for the bacillus for tetanus, _Clostridium tetani._ It multiplies over the surface of the body, but when it enters the body through wounds, the toxins it manufactures attack the central nervous system and then the muscles, causing them to contract painfully. In the same way, the damage that betahemolytic streptococci cause to the kidneys and heart valves (also known as hemolysis) is due not to the presence of the bacteria in these organs but to the toxins they secrete, which are transported to the organs by the bloodstream.

While some bacteria are responsible for only one disease—for example, Koch's bacillus, _Mycobacterium tuberculosis,_ is responsible for tuberculosis—others can be the source of a wide variety of diseases depending on which part of the body they attack, either by their direct presence or with their toxins. This is why staphylococci and streptococci are responsible not only for skin disorders (boils, abscesses, impetigo) and throat problems (angina/throat inflammation, rhinopharyngitis) but also ear problems (otitis) and disorders affecting the small intestine (enteritis), lungs (pneumonia), bladder (cystitis), kidneys (pyelitis), and brain (encephalitis), among other things.

It is also possible for one disease to be caused by different bacteria. Cystitis, for example, can originate in an infection caused by enterococci, streptococci, _Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis,_ klebsiella, or _Pseudomonas aeruginosa._

BACTERIAL DISEASES
---
**BACTERIA**|  **DISEASE**
_Bacillus anthracis_|  Anthrax
_Bordetella pertussis_|  Whooping cough
_Brucella melitensis_|  Malta fever (brucellosis)
_Campylobacter jejuni_|  Various forms of gastroenteritis
_Clostridium botulinum_|  Botulism
_Clostridium perfringens_|  Gas gangrene
_Clostridium tetani_|  Tetanus
_Corynebacterium diphtheriae_|  Diphtheria
_Escherichia coli_|  Cystitis
_Haemophilus ducreyi_|  Chancroid
_Haemophilus influenzae_|  Meningitis, otitis
_Helicobacter pylori_|  Gastroduodenal ulcer
_Legionella pneumophila_|  Legionnaire's disease
_Listeria monocytogenes_|  Listeriosis
_Mycobacterium leprae_|  Leprosy
_Mycobacterium tuberculosis_|  Tuberculosis
_Neisseria gonorrhoeae_|  Gonorrhea
_Neisseria meningitidis_|  Meningitis
_Pseudomonas aeruginosa_|  Pneumonia, septicemia
_Salmonella typhi_|  Typhoid fever
_Shigella dysenteriae_|  Dysentery
_Staphyloccus and Streptococcus_|  Boils, abscess, impetigo, sinusitis, angina/throat inflammation, rhinopharyngitis, otitis, septicemia, enteritis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, arthritis, endocarditis, meningitis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, whitlow, breast abscess
_Streptococcus_ (beta-hemolytic group A)|  Scarlet fever
_Treponema palladum_|  Syphilis
_Vibrio cholerae_|  Cholera
_Yersinia pestis_|  Plague

Fungal and Yeast Infections

The agents for these infections are microscopic fungi. Like bacteria, they are formed from a single cell, and they feed primarily on sugars and starches. However, they also require proteins, vitamins, and minerals. They can be found everywhere the environment makes such nutrients available and in which a certain degree of moistness can be found: the ground, caves, cellars, dairy products, and, in human beings, the digestive tract. The most favorable environment for the development of yeasts and fungi is an acidic milieu (one with a pH of around 4). Heat is generally favorable for their growth, but there are those that live in ice. They are extremely adaptable life-forms.

The best-known yeast is most likely brewer's yeast. As suggested by its name, it is used for crafting beer. It multiplies in a blend of water, malt (germinated barley), and hops—a milieu that is moist and sweet.

Among the 350 known species of yeasts and fungi, two are especially pathogenic for human beings. The first, for which the infection is serious but luckily rare, is _Cryptococcus neoformans._ Transmitted primarily by the guano of pigeons and other birds, it causes fungal meningitis. The second is _Candida albicans,_ whose rate of infection has grown exponentially since the appearance of conventional antibiotics—and especially since the increase in their inappropriate use.

 _Candida albicans_ is a normal inhabitant of the human intestines. Working with the hundreds of other microbial species that make up the intestinal flora, it helps the body break down nutrients and other materials.

Occasionally this fungus can develop in another region of the human body, outside the intestines, such as the corner of the lips (causing perleche or angular cheilitis), in the mouth (thrush), on the toes (athlete's foot), in the nails (ingrown toenails), in the skin creases of the groin, the armpits, or the back of the knees (intertrigo), and in the genital organs (vulvovaginitis and balanitis).

In all these afflictions, white deposits can be found on the affected tissues. These white areas are colonies of _Candida albicans_ ( _albicans_ means "white").

Fungal infections tend to be more tenacious than those caused by other germs because fungi are quite undemanding when it comes to living conditions. They establish themselves easily, and it is difficult to get rid of them once they have settled in.

FUNGAL INFECTIONS
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**YEAST OR FUNGUS**|  **DISEASE**
_Candida albicans_|  Athlete's foot (toe fungus), balanitis, chronic candidiasis, intertrigo (skin rash), ingrown toenail, perionyxis, perleche, thrush, various fungal infections, vulvovaginitis
_Cryptococcus neoformans_|  Meningitis

Viruses

Viruses form their own separate category among germs. They are not cellular organisms—they have no cellular membrane, cytoplasm, or organelles but only genetic material. This may consist of either DNA or RNA rather than the two together, as is generally the case in a cell.

The genetic material of a virus is surrounded by a protective membrane, called the capsid, on which appendages (or tails) can be found. Those appendages permit a virus to attach itself and perforate the cell that it will inhabit as a parasite.

A virus is therefore nothing more than a piece of genetic information surrounded by a protective shell. It would be more accurately described as a molecule rather than a living organism. This makes it easy to grasp why viruses are the smallest germs. The viral molecule is most often spherical in shape, but some are elongated. Every kind of virus—there are at least a good thousand different types—possesses its own unique genetic material.

Once viruses were called "filterable viruses." When scientists first begin to conduct studies on bacteria, they realized that the filters they were using allowed the passage of something that was smaller than bacteria—something that was invisible to the microscope (of that era) but still had the ability to cause disease. This mysterious entity was given the name _filterable_ (can travel through a filter) _virus_ (poison). As time passed, only the term _virus_ was retained.

 _Figure 4. The virus_

Because they lack organelles and enzymes, viruses are not capable of metabolizing substances. They do not breathe, nor do they eat. As long as they are not dwelling inside a cellular host, they remain inert. To multiply, they are entirely dependent on the metabolic activity of the cells they have invaded. They are therefore unavoidably cellular parasites.

To penetrate the cell with which it has come into contact, the virus bores a hole in the cell's membrane with its appendage. Its genetic material is then injected into the cell, where it replaces the genetic material of the cell. The virus will then use the organs of the host cell, not to manufacture the substances it needs to survive but to produce up to several hundred new viruses. When the number of these newly created viruses exceeds the capacity of the cell, the cell explodes and loses its cytoplasm, causing it to die. The viruses freed by the death of the cell now spread and infect other cells.

A virus cannot enter any cell it chooses but only those with which it shares an affinity. It is necessary for the cell to offer it suitable living conditions; this cell is known as a target cell. This is why, for example, the mumps virus finds its target cells in the salivary glands, the herpes virus targets the skin, the rabies virus targets certain cells of the brain, and the polio virus targets the front cells of the spinal cord. The targets sought by flu virus (for which there are several hundred varieties) are the cells of the upper respiratory tract: the nose, pharynx, and larynx. The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, targets the white blood cells of the immune system.

VIRAL DISEASES
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**VIRUS FAMILY**|  **DISEASE**
Arbovirus|  Yellow fever, encephalitis
Arenavirus, Coxsackie virus|  Meningitis
Echovirus, adenovirus|  Respiratory infections
Enterovirus|  Poliomyelitis
Herpesvirus|  Herpes, chickenpox, shingles
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)|  AIDS
Myxovirus|  Flu, measles, mumps
Poxvirus|  Smallpox
Rhabdovirus|  Rabies

THE MULTIPLICATION OF MICROBES

Because of its tiny size, a single germ is incapable of causing harm to the human organism. If physical damage is present, it is because an entire colony of germs is present.

Even if we accept the fact of a single germ entering the human body—which is never the case, as it is always accompanied by cohorts—it will not remain alone for long. Germs are able to multiply with great speed. After a very short period of time, an entire population will be found at the spot where only a few had been present.

The rapidity with which unicellular germs are able to multiply comes from their specific fashion of reproduction. A mother cell will divide into two identical cells, each possessing all the attributes of the mother cell: cellular membrane, cytoplasm, organelles, and a nucleus. The two cells that have been created this way are the daughter cells. The mother cell ceases to exist at the "birth" of its descendants.

When the two daughter cells divide in turn, they also vanish, but only after creating two daughter cells each, for a total of four separate cells. In other words, the number of descendants doubles with each succeeding generation. And contrary to human beings, for whom a new generation appears every twenty years, a new generation of germs can come into being every fifteen minutes to an hour. Consequently, the speed with which a population of germs increases is extremely quick.

Let's take as an example the bacteria _Escherichia coli_ (called a _colibacillus,_ or colon bacillus), which is a habitual and harmless inhabitant of the intestine but can become virulent under certain circumstances. This bacteria gives birth to a new generation every twenty minutes. Because it doubles in number every time it divides, it will have eight descendants after one hour and sixty-four one hour after that. One hour and twenty minutes after this, it will have attained a population of one thousand descendants. The growth rate accelerates with each new generation: one hour and thirty minutes after this, there will be ten thousand descendants. A million individuals will be reached a little over two hours after this stage, and one billion after three hours and thirty minutes.

So, in one night of eleven hours, we can go from one individual to a population of ten billion. All of this from just one single microbe!

Is there anything that could put a stop to the dizzying pace of such growth? Wouldn't the body be irremediably condemned to succumb to an invasion like this and find itself completely overrun every time it is infected? No! On the one hand, the body does not remain passive when confronted by invasion but defends itself by killing some of the invaders with the help of its immune system. On the other hand, living conditions in the target cells become more or less quickly unfavorable to the germs because of their number. The lack of space, oxygen, and food makes itself felt; additionally, the metabolic wastes excreted by the germs damage the environment and make it toxic. The microbial growth rate inevitably slows and then stagnates after a certain time because each tissue and organ has limits to just how many microbes it can "welcome."

However, the number of germs is not the only factor in the severity of an infection. We cannot say that the greater the number of germs, the more dangerous the disease. The virulence of germs—that is, their ability to sicken the organism—varies from one species to the next. A small number of extremely virulent germs can cause more damage than a large number of mildly aggressive germs. The level of damage they can cause therefore depends more on their intrinsic nature than on the size of their population.

Among the factors that restrict the growth of germ populations, temperature plays an important role. Like all other living things, germs require a favorable temperature within a certain range. The ideal temperature for the germs that infect human beings is generally around 37° Celsius/98.6° Fahrenheit. While low temperatures slow their metabolisms and eventually paralyze them, high temperatures will kill them. At 45° Celsius/113° Fahrenheit the majority of germs will die. It so happens that during an infection, the body accelerates all its metabolisms (oxygenation, blood circulation, and so on), which results in a rise in the body's temperature—that is, fever—of up to 40° Celsius/104° Fahrenheit. If this warming does not kill the germs, it does make their living conditions extremely adverse and thereby contributes to arresting their multiplication. This is why it is therapeutically valuable to not indiscriminately bring fevers down.*1
3

Infectious Diseases

Their Forms and Sources

There are an enormous number of diseases, but not all of them are infectious—indeed, far from it. Germs are not responsible for functional diseases or those that are hereditary, caused by deficiencies, unique to the civilized lifestyle, psychosomatic, and so on. The defining characteristic of infectious diseases is that they are caused by germs whose presence is essential for the pathological condition to form and develop.

Everyone has been struck at one time or another by an infectious illness. They are common enough that when they happen to us, we think we understand why we are sick. But what exactly is happening when germs have invaded our body? In what ways is their activity harmful? How do they make us sick?

Germs affect us in two principal ways: On the one hand, they attack our cells and destroy them to a more or less severe degree. On the other hand, they secrete toxins that poison us. In short, they make lesions in our tissue and poison us.

LESIONS OF THE TISSUE

Like all living things, germs need a suitable environment in order to survive. Some pathological germs find this environment in the cavities of our organs—for example, inside the intestines, the bladder, the nose, or the throat. Others find their perfect habitat inside the very cells of the organs themselves. These cells are called the "target cells" for this or that germ.

But before they can take advantage of the favorable conditions that target cells offer them, germs first must find a way to enter them. They do this by secreting enzymes that attack the cells' protective membrane. The destruction of a portion of this membrane, even a very tiny portion, will allow them to gain entry. Once they are inside, they will secrete other enzymes that carve up the large molecules surrounding them into particles that are small enough for them to assimilate. The germs will use cytoplasm, some organelles, and the nucleus for food. In the event of an infection, we find not one but thousands of germs consuming the cells that form a given tissue or organ. The result of this damage to the cells is a lesion, which in turn will cause disruptions in the functioning of the organ itself.

A well-known example of the destruction of tissue in this manner is that of tuberculosis. As the disease progresses, the Koch bacilli penetrate certain zones of the lungs. As they destroy the cells located in these regions, the bacteria transform them into a white or yellowish doughy substance called caseum. Piles of caseum accumulate, even in uncontaminated tissue, and continue to grow as the bacilli continue their destructive work. As the disease progresses, the caseum can liquefy and flow into the bronchia, leaving behind multiple cavities or abscesses.

The target cells of _Helicobacter pylori_ are those that form the mucous membranes of the stomach and the duodenum. When it attacks them, the virus first creates small superficial lesions (gastritis), then deeper ones (ulcers).

Noma is a rapidly progressive, polymicrobial infection. It attacks the facial tissue, causing serious lesions and deformations on the face and is often fatal.

It should be noted that, by definition, a viral infection will always create a lesion of the tissues insofar as the virus can only survive when inside the cells. These lesions are most often confined to very small locations and are therefore most often temporary and easy to reverse.

POISONING

As living entities, germs (except for viruses) produce wastes and metabolic residues that they expel from their bodies. Some of these substances are toxic to human beings, even in the miniscule quantities in which they are produced. When transported by the bloodstream, they can be responsible for damage in regions of the body that are quite distant from the site of the infection.

The degree of toxicity of these microbial wastes is not uniform. The most dangerous toxin for human beings is the one that is produced by the bacillus responsible for botulism. It is three million times stronger than strychnine, an alkaloid that is very well known as a dangerous poison.

Some germs secrete only one kind of toxin that is dangerous for humans; the bacillus that causes anthrax is one example. Others can release several; the _Clostridium_ bacilli, for example, releases a dozen toxins, while _Candida albicans_ can release eighty or so.

Distinctions are made between the various kinds of microbial toxins based on their target organs: neurotoxins attack the nerves, enterotoxins attack the intestines, cardiotoxins target the heart, dermatoxins affect the skin, and so forth.

In cholera, the site of the infection and the site where the enterotoxins of the bacillus responsible have an effect are the same: the intestines. These toxins disrupt the secretion mechanisms of the intestinal walls. The activity of these mechanisms is intensified so strongly that large quantities of water are released from the tissues and end up in the intestines. As this phenomenon is continuous, an intense form of diarrhea is established, with a rate of fifty to one hundred stools a day. This diarrhea is painless, but it will cause the dehydration of the entire body.

The starting point of tetanus is an infected wound. The toxins secreted by the tetanus bacilli take effect on a region far from the site of the infection: they work on the central nervous system and cause a generalized spastic paralysis of the muscles.

The attack on the cells by the germs themselves and by their toxins engenders an irritation of the tissues. This in turn leads to an inflammatory reaction on the part of the body. Inflammation therefore accompanies all infections. In most cases, this inflammation is painful and needs to be remedied. People can soothe and reduce inflammation with the help of anti-inflammatory substances at the same time that they are fighting germs with antibiotics.*2

THE THREE FORMS OF INFECTION

Depending on the way in which they manifest, infections can be classified into three distinct categories: local, general, and a combination of the two.

Local Infections

In a local infection, the germs act within a clearly circumscribed area of the body. For example, they attack the wound that has given them access to the body or the organ to which they have attached themselves (the target organ): the bladder in the case of cystitis, or the ears in the event of otitis, for example.

 _Figure 5. Localized infection: otitis_

General Infections

As opposed to local infections, general infections affect the entire organism. In these instances the germs have entered the bloodstream and spread throughout the entire body. Because it is being attacked globally, the body's response to the invaders is global as well, and the symptoms of the disease will manifest not in a single area but throughout the body. These symptoms include fever and fatigue, aches and pains in all the limbs, and a feeling of discomfort that is both physical and mental.

Malaria and Malta fever (brucellosis) are examples of general infections. A high fever inflames the whole body, all the limbs are aching and painful, and the body's overall vitality has dropped off substantially.

Local Infections with General Effects

This kind of infection is the defining characteristic of diseases that are caused by toxin-producing bacteria. The germs remain in the infected area, but the toxins they produce are disseminated throughout the entire organism. Tissues that are far from the site of the infection can consequently suffer serious lesions, without any trace of the germs being detectable there. These tissues are not infected themselves but are experiencing damage because of an infection.

This is the case with infection by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci in some cases of scarlet fever. Toxins produced by the bacteria spread far and wide and can affect the joints, heart valves, and kidneys, and the disease can degenerate into acute articular rheumatism or acute rheumatoid endocarditis. A similar scenario can evolve from infection with the bacillus that causes anthrax; though the bacillus infects the skin, its toxins can cause paralysis of the bulbar respiratory center.

A viral illness like the flu is also a local infection (of the upper respiratory tract) whose effects are general (fever and a general sense of feeling run down).

THE PROGRESSION OF INFECTIOUS ILLNESS

Infectious diseases travel through different stages. The first three take place before we are even aware that we have caught anything.

1. Contamination

The germ enters into contact with the body by means of the skin or a mucous membrane (the respiratory mucous membranes, for example). This stage—the encounter of two players—is superficial, but it is essential in order for stage 2 of the infection to have any possibility of taking place.

2. The Infection

If the germ finds a wound by which it can enter the tissues or an organ (the intestines, bladder, etc.) that possesses conditions that are favorable to its survival, it will establish itself there and begin to multiply. This is the onset stage of the infection. If it fails to find a favorable environment, it dies. In reality, the majority of contaminations do not lead to an infection. The organism is constantly in contact with a countless number of different germs, but only the conjunction of very specific factors will allow the infection to get started.

3. The Incubation Period

When it does find itself a favorable environment, the germ multiplies exponentially. This is the incubation period. The germ population is growing enormously at this time—and silently. The illness hatches ( _incubation_ means "to hatch"), but no symptoms have manifested yet. Symptoms will appear only during the next stage, once the germ population has reached a threshold of critical mass. The duration of the incubation period depends upon the speed at which the germs multiply and what size population is necessary to cause damage. It therefore varies from one germ species to another. For example, it is one to three days for the flu, two to eight days for scarlet fever, and three to six weeks for amebic dysentery _._

At the end of the incubation period, the germ population has grown from the few germs that were present at the moment of contamination to billions of individuals.

INCUBATION PERIOD FOR DIFFERENT DISEASES
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**INCUBATION DURATION**|  **DISEASE**
1 to 3 days|  Flu
1 to 7 days|  Bacillary dysentery
2 to 8 days|  Scarlet fever
2 to 7 days|  Diphtheria
2 to 4 days|  Cerebral spinal meningitis and meningococcal meningitis
5 to 15 days|  Whooping cough
5 to 30 days|  Brucellosis (Malta fever)
7 to 14 days|  Measles
8 to 21 days|  Smallpox
7 to 14 days on average|  Poliomyelitis
15 days on average|  Typhoid (and paratyphoid)
2 to 3 weeks|  Mumps
2 to 3 weeks|  Rubella (German measles)
2 to 3 weeks|  Chickenpox
2 to 4 weeks|  Syphilis
3 to 6 weeks|  Amebic dysentery
3 to 6 weeks|  Hepatitis A
8 to 16 weeks|  Hepatitis B

4. The Acute Phase

Tissue lesions and inflammation, as well as the poisoning caused by germ toxins, have assumed proportions that now make their presence visible. What had been taking place discreetly in the depths of the body now appears blatantly in plain sight: aches and pains, fever, a general feeling of discomfort, skin rashes, expectorations, abscesses, and so on, depending on the disease. These symptoms continue to forcefully unfold during a period of varying duration, based on the nature of the infectious germs and the speed and strength with which the body's defense system reacts.

The body, of course, does not remain passive when confronted by a germ attack. The immune system produces lymphocytes, antibodies, and various other substances that it uses to oppose the infection. The acute phase of the infection will come to an end once the body has either destroyed enough of the germ population to halt its growth or succumbed to the microbial assault.

5. Convalescence

The victory of the body's forces over the germs does not bring about an instantaneous cure. The lesions must be repaired, the tissues rebuilt, the toxins and the germ corpses expelled from the body, the inflammation soothed, and so forth. All these various jobs of cleansing and renewal are the defining features of convalescence. The body will keep working until it has recovered its full health. This can take anywhere from several days to several weeks.

It is extremely important for the patient to respect the convalescence period. Cutting it short can leave the body in a weakened state that leaves it open to relapses or other infections.

THE SOURCES OF INFECTIONS

The sources of the infections that afflict human beings are sometimes external: water, foods, and the animal world surrounding us. This latter source is an important cause of contagion: onethird of all infectious diseases come from animals or are transmitted by them (primarily by insects). The human being is itself another source of infection for its fellow human beings. Some diseases are very contagious between humans, in fact, including colds, flu, measles, smallpox, typhoid, leprosy, and so on.

But there is another source of infection that comes not from the outside but from the inside. It is the native microbes of the human being—saprophytes—that suddenly become virulent.

The Saprophytic Germs of the Human Being

Numerous germs live in a commensal relationship with our bodies. They perform useful tasks there. They can be found in the intestines, the throat, and the lungs and on the skin. By breaking down organic wastes through fermentation or putrefaction and feeding on them, they eliminate these wastes from the body. Their cleansing activity contributes to maintaining the cleanliness and integrity of the organs and tissues.

Although they are beneficial for human beings, saprophytic germs can become virulent and aggressive under certain circumstances. The best-known saprophytic germ is _Escherichia coli,_ or colibacillus, which lives in our intestines. When it becomes aggressive, it causes urinary tract infections. In fact, 80 percent of cystitis cases are due to its activity. It can also trigger infectious diarrhea or intestinal colibacillosis, especially in children.

The staphylococci and streptococci are also known for their ability to become virulent and can cause numerous infections. Contrary to many germs that have a preferred target organ, these two bacteria live almost everywhere in the organism: on the skin, in the intestines, in the respiratory tract, in the auditory canals, in the urinary tract, and so on. Consequently, the infections they can trigger when they become pathological are many: rhinopharyngitis, angina/throat inflammation, sinusitis, pneumonia, otitis, boils, anthrax, abscesses, impetigo, breast abscesses, whitlow, enteritis, osteitis, arthritis, meningitis, endocarditis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, septicemia, and so forth.

Among the other saprophytic germs that are capable of becoming dangerous is Pfeiffer's bacillus ( _Haemophilus influenzae_ ), which lives in the facial cavities (nose, throat, ears, and eyes). It is responsible for sinusitis, otitis, conjunctivitis, and, sometimes, meningitis. Then there is the _Pseudomonas aeruginosa,_ a bacillus of the respiratory tract that can cause pneumonia or septicemia.

How is it possible for normally helpful germs to become virulent? What causes them to transform from one state to the other? Doesn't our body contain billions of germs that could potentially become dangerous following such mutations? This seems like an essential point to understand so that we are able to prevent the occurrence of such dangerous mutations. Furthermore:

  * Why are some people able to resist all infections while other people seem to catch everything that comes their way?
  * Why are certain people extremely receptive to a given type of infection—to streptococci or fungal infections, for example—while others, despite repeated contact with these germs, never contract the disease?

The answer to these questions can be found, on the one hand, in the body's immune system (see chapter ) and, on the other hand, in the organic cellular terrain, our inner milieu that forms an environment that can be more or less favorable to germs, depending on its condition and on circumstances.

THE TERRAIN

Our cellular terrain is made up of all the fluids in our body, such as blood, lymph, and the extracellular and intracellular fluids in which all our cells are immersed. Our cells are, in fact, filled with fluids (cytoplasm or intracellular fluid), supplied with nutritive substances by fluids (blood, extracellular fluids), and cleansed of their wastes by fluids (lymph, blood).

Water, therefore, forms the foundational environment of our cells. They are entirely dependent on it and cannot go without it; lack of fluid will cause immediate damage.

When each type of fluid in our cellular terrain manifests its ideal composition, it offers cells optimal conditions for survival and performance and ensures that the body enjoys full health and vitality. If pathological germs enter the cell at a time when the terrain provides these ideal conditions for cell health, they will not find conditions that are favorable for their existence. A healthy cellular terrain is an environment that is adverse to all pathological germs, which means that they are unable to establish themselves there, survive there, or, most importantly, multiply there. I must stress the fact that this resistance exists within us independently of all defensive activities that the immune system is able to set into motion. A germ in a healthy cellular terrain is equivalent to a fish in the air or a human being underwater: when an organism is not in its right place, it will rapidly perish.

The composition of the terrain, however, is malleable, not fixed. It can be negatively impacted by many factors, including poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, medications or drugs, smoking, and so forth. These unhealthy activities cause a deterioration of the terrain. The appeal of the living conditions it offers to microbes diminishes more or less powerfully in accordance with how far the terrain has strayed from its ideal composition.

Deterioration of the terrain can take two forms: either the terrain suffers from a deficiency of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritives, or it has become overloaded with poisons and metabolic wastes (urea, uric acid, cholesterol, and so on). These two types of deterioration can coexist; the terrain in this case will be both deficient and overloaded, something that is fairly common these days.

When the terrain has deteriorated—whatever the reason may be—it no longer offers an ideal living environment for the cells of the body. The blood, which now is forced to transport numerous toxins, has become thicker and circulates poorly. The cellular fluids have become overburdened with wastes and are causing the organs to become congested. The organs in turn become weaker and cease to function properly, a situation made even worse by the fact that they are no longer getting sufficient supplies of oxygen and nutrients.

Instead of being pure and nutritive, supplying vitality and energy to the cells, the bodily fluids transform the cellular terrain into a kind of dirty, stagnant swamp. These conditions are not favorable for cells—but they are conducive for germs, which find this damaged terrain an ideal spot for development. Indeed this terrain is encumbered with the metabolic residues and wastes that the germs will break down to use as energy sources.

When a bacterium, parasite, or some other form of germ enters a body with a weakened cellular terrain, it will find ideal conditions for its growth and development. An infectious disease can then easily and rapidly appear. We can see evidence of this process simply by observing how people who overeat, do not get enough exercise, and/or consume large amounts of tobacco and alcohol are generally more prone to infections than those whose lifestyles and hygiene habits respect the laws of nature.

The deterioration of the terrain is favorable not just for foreign microbes but also for the organism's saprophytic bacteria. Changes in the cellular terrain can make the internal environment ideal for their growth. If these bacteria experience dramatic growth at the expense of other saprophytic germs, the organism's flora become imbalanced, and illness can result.

This is the case with _Candida albicans,_ for example, which plays an essential role in its native environment of our intestines, where it works in balance with a range of other saprophytic bacteria. When the conditions of the terrain change and become more favorable for this bacteria (and therefore hostile for the other bacteria with which it is in competition), candida multiplies disproportionately. It can invade the entire digestive tract and even spill over into other organs that are unable to tolerate its presence. If left unchecked, the contamination continues to spread. Eventually the entire body may end up colonized, as is the case with chronic candidiasis.

Invasion by saprophytic microbes that have become virulent is rarely as extensive as it is in chronic candidiasis. Microbial overgrowth generally affects only one or two organs. However, because these organs are not equipped to house these microbes, they are attacked by them just as they would be in an infection caused by external germs.

 _In sum, saprophytic microbes become dangerous when their growth is disproportionate and they are present in organs they are not intended to inhabit._

The state of the body's cellular terrain is therefore fundamental from every perspective. An infection never depends on one single factor. There are always two elements in play: a germ and a receptive terrain. And the terrain is the decisive factor. As Louis Pasteur is rumored to have said,

The germ is nothing.
The terrain is all!
4

Our Immune System

The Five Lines of Defense

Human beings come into contact with countless pathological germs every day. So why don't people fall victim to infection more often?

The first reason is that their cellular terrain normally does not offer favorable living conditions for these germs; the second is that the human body will not allow itself to be invaded without reacting. A germ may be quite aggressive, but that does not mean that it can enter the body and begin colonizing it unhampered. In the body, a pathogen will be opposed by a very strong resistance; obstacles will be set in its path and ferocious combats waged against it. It is therefore often neutralized before it is able to multiply sufficiently to unleash an infection.

The body's various defenses against pathogens make up its immune system. To facilitate an understanding of its function, I am going to divide it into five parts, each of which is equivalent to one of its lines of defense. However, presenting them one at a time may give the erroneous impression that each of them acts alone; keep in mind that their activities are closely linked and they work synergistically.

THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE: THE SKIN AND THE MUCOUS MEMBRANES

In order to enter our bodies, germs must first cross through our skin and the mucous membranes that carpet the inner surfaces of our hollow organs.

The skin and the mucous membranes constitute a protective barrier that removes our cells from direct contact with the outside world. Normally, germs are unable to cross through them unless these tissues are injured.

Active simply by their presence, the skin and mucous membranes form a passive line of defense. It is nonetheless extremely effective, with various factors contributing to strengthening the protection it offers.

The Skin

The germs that reach the surface of our skin are entering an acidic milieu. Now, like all living beings, germs can only develop in an environment with a very specific pH balance. The pH balance of healthy skin is too acidic for them and opposes their survival and multiplication. This germicidal effect is more or less potent depending on the sensitivity of the germs. However, those that survive this first test will have to confront other obstacles.

Skin secretes an oily coating that covers its entire surface: sebum. It consists primarily of wastes and dead cells, but it also contains toxic substances that attack and kill any germs that come into contact with it.

Another obstacle is the saprophytic microbial flora of the skin. These native microbes inhibit the development of invading microbes by their sheer presence and number, preventing the pathogens from finding the space or food they need. The competition for survival can be quite brutal. The saprophytic microbes also secrete substances that are toxic to the invaders.

The Mucous Membranes

No matter which mucous membranes they come into contact with, germs are directly confronted by two obstacles. First, the membranes secrete a protective mucus in which the germs become stuck; the pH balance and germicidal substances contained in this protective mucus pose a direct threat to their survival. Second, the mucous membranes produce lysosomes, enzymes that attack the germs by means of lysis. Lysis is a kind of digestive process that destroys the microbes by breaking them down into smaller particles.

Other dangers are waiting for germs that reach the digestive tract. They will first suffer from the attack of the corrosive power of the hydrochloric acid secreted by the stomach. If they manage to escape this acid, they will then be confronted by other digestive juices (hepatic, pancreatic, and intestinal) whose role is to dissolve the organic matter, whether it be food or germs. Numerous germs are therefore digested at the same time as food. Those who survive beyond this point must then compete with the intestinal microbial flora, which does not leave them much chance of survival.

In addition to the secretions of mucus and lysosomes, the respiratory tract has two means of getting rid of germs. First, it pushes germs as well as the dust that burdens the bronchial tubes outward with the help of the vibratory cilia that carpet their walls and are equipped with a back-and-forth movement. The strong air movements caused by sneezing and coughing will also expel germs from the respiratory tract.

THE SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE: PHAGOCYTES

Those germs that do succeed in getting through the skin and mucous membranes are quickly confronted by the immune system's second line of defense: phagocytes. These specialized cells "swallow" germs and break them down. The term _phagocyte_ in fact derives from the Greek words _phagein,_ "to eat," and _kutos,_ "cell."

The body continuously releases large numbers of phagocytes into general circulation. Posted throughout the entire body like sentinels, they vigilantly keep guard and intercept everything that is foreign or poses a danger to the body. Most often these are dead cells, wastes, or toxins coming from the body itself, but phagocytes are also on the lookout for germs.

Generally speaking, the phagocytes are motionless and distributed among strategic sites. Germs that have entered the body do not necessarily run across them right away. But when they do meet, the phagocytes sound an alarm signal and alert the immune system to the presence of the invader. Phagocytes from other regions of the body then make their way toward the germs with the help of pseudopods, which are a kind of retractile projection that can perform the duties of arms or legs.

When a phagocyte encounters a germ, it adheres and attaches itself to the germ's surface. Its outer envelope dilates on each side of the germ and gradually surrounds it in a circular movement. The germ then finds itself a prisoner inside the phagocyte, inside a special pouch called a vacuole. There it will be neutralized and broken down by enzymes (see figure ).

Based on their size, phagocytes can be divided into two categories: macrophages (large phagocytes) and microphages (small phagocytes).

 _Figure 6. Phagocytosis_

Because of their size, macrophages are less mobile than microphages. On the other hand, they are capable of absorbing more germs than their smaller counterparts. The work of the phagocytes consists of swallowing a great many germs and then digesting them once and for all. Each macrophage can kill hundreds of germs. Sometimes several macrophages will combine to form one giant entity, capable of absorbing and destroying even more germs.

When the macrophages have been overrun, they call the microphages to the rescue. These smaller entities live in the bloodstream, whereas the large ones dwell primarily in the tissues. Because they are small and carried by the blood, microphages can travel quite rapidly from one part of the body to another in order to reach the site of an infection. Once there, they leave the blood vessels and enter the stricken tissues in order to phagocytose the germs that are present. Because they are smaller, their absorption capacity is less.

The macrophages and microphages are both white blood cells or _leukocytes_ ( _leuko_ means "white"). There is only one kind of macrophage, but there are three kinds of microphages: neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils. The first are the most numerous and they reach the infected tissues the most quickly; the other two groups are more active at the end stage of the infection.

When the body has been informed that an attack has taken place, it reacts by producing substantially more phagocytes, including macrophages but primarily microphages. Normally the blood contains between 4,300 and 10,000 white blood cells per cubic millimeter. In the event of infection, their number soars upward to tens of thousands, which clearly illustrates the intensity of the battle waged by the body against the invaders.

The field of action for phagocytes is primarily located on the exterior of cells. A germ that is hidden inside a cell is difficult for them to detect. If they do manage to detect its presence, they do not enter the cell but absorb it along with all the germs it contains. This process takes place especially with cells that have been infected by viruses.

In addition to the ones already mentioned, other specialized phagocytes can be found in various organs. They are part of the tissue of an organ and are tasked with phagocytosing germs that attack the tissues to which they belong. These are the Kupffer cells of the liver, the microglia of the brain and nervous system, and the histiocytes and polyblasts of the skin, which form part of the reticuloendothelial system. We can also find macrophages in the tissues of the spleen, the bone marrow, the pulmonary alveoli, the lymphatic ganglia, and the peritoneum and pleura. In the case of powerful infections, these cells can gain the exceptional freedom to leave their resident tissue and become mobile.

The various kinds of phagocytes that are distributed throughout the body and are waiting for the germs that have succeeded in getting past the immune system's first line of defense will envelope them, break them down, and thus eliminate them from the body. In the majority of cases, they succeed perfectly well: the infection is neutralized right at the start and not allowed to spread.

 _Figure 7. White blood cells or leukocytes_

Sometimes, however, the phagocytes do not manage to stamp out the budding infection, which then goes on to fully evolve. Why does this happen?

One reason is that germs can defend themselves against the attacks that threaten them. They have a variety of ingenious means to protect themselves from the phagocytes attempting to swallow them. For example, they can make their envelopes smooth and slippery to prevent the phagocytes from attaching themselves to it and surrounding them. They also secrete toxins that can drive phagocytes away or kill them.

However, the primary reason for these failures is that the germs can overtake the macrophages with their speed. Macrophages attack and slay germs only after they have made contact with them, identified them as enemies, immobilized them, and surrounded them. All of these processes take time, and while they are under way, the germs that have not yet been trapped will multiply and spread in the tissues.

Among lower forms of animal life, failure of the second line of immune defense would mean infection and death. These organisms will succumb to the microbial assault because their immune system has only two lines of defense and no others. Higher forms of animal life, on the other hand, have additional defensive measures that are very specialized, targeted, and precise.

THE THIRD LINE OF DEFENSE: CLOSE COMBAT BY THE LYMPHOCYTES

In order to protect itself against microbial invaders, the organism turns to specialist defenders, the lymphocytes, which are one of the major categories of white blood cells produced by the lymphatic system. They are divided into subgroups: T cells, NK cells, and B cells, to name just the principal ones.

The body holds a great number of T cells—more than a million, according to some estimates—in a variety of forms. All together, they are capable of responding to every possible type of infection. Consequently, the fundamental work performed by the body during an infection is to find the T cell that will be effective against a given germ, then multiply that particular form of T cell into millions of individuals in order to fight the invader. A race is then established between the body and the germs.

As they are produced, these specialized T cells are sent into the body. They are "programmed" to destroy a specific germ; they hold the information necessary not only to easily detect the enemy but also to kill it quickly. The T cells have receptors on their external membrane that lock on to the germs they are seeking out. The T cells do not swallow germs like the phagocytes but immobilize them and then destroy them with poisons; in fact, these specialized T cells are known as _cytotoxic T lymphocytes_ (CTLs).

When necessary, NK cells—NK stands for "natural killer"—are produced in vast numbers and programmed to rapidly detect the invaders responsible for the infections, attach themselves to them, and destroy them. They do this by lysis, and not by poisoning.

The T and NK cells need to move to the germs in order to subject them to the effect of their poisons and enzymes. The close combat that results is not the only possible manner of fighting them, though. The body's fourth line of defense rests upon other lymphocytes that have the capability of poisoning germs from a distance.

THE FOURTH LINE OF DEFENSE: LONG-DISTANCE COMBAT BY B CELLS

B cells—which are the actors on this line of defense—produce antibodies that are transported by the bloodstream and the cellular fluids to the germs in order to eliminate them. This destruction, or neutralization, takes place in various ways. In some cases the enzymes contained by the antibodies will break down the germ cells by lysis; in other cases, toxins from the antibodies kill the germs by poisoning them. Sometimes the antibodies cause the precipitation of the organelles; they fall to the bottom of the cell, their activity is arrested, and the cell—the germ—dies. At other times, the antibodies cluster: they glue themselves closely to the germs, neutralizing them and paralyzing their functioning. Sometimes they do not kill the germs directly but mark them with a distinctive sign that makes it easier for other lymphocytes (T or NK cells) or phagocytes to detect the germs.

In contrast to the immune system's third line of defense, the B cells do not need to be transported to the germs they are attacking but drop their defensive antibodies into general circulation, which carries them to the germs.

Each B cell—and there are a great number of different kinds—produces antibodies that are specific to a certain kind of microbial pathogen. Those antibodies will target that germ and no other. During an infection, only the B cells that produce the specific antibody that is needed to protect the body from a specific germ will be called into action. The selection of the B cell is made on the basis of the information transmitted by the T cells. Every kind of germ has proteins on its exterior membrane that are unique to it and distinguish it from all other germs. This distinctive sign is called an antigen.

Antibodies are also called immunoglobulins (Ig) because they are large proteins (globulins) that are active in the body's immune system. We have three major classes of immunoglobulins:

  * IgM immunoglobulins are the first to go into action during an infection. They neutralize the germs by clumping them together.
  * IgA immunoglobulins primarily protect the mucous membranes of the entries into the body (the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and eyes). They clump together with the germs to form a compound that cannot travel through the mucous membranes.
  * IgG immunoglobulins are capable of penetrating the tissues. They come into play during the advanced stages of an infection, when germs have already invaded the tissues.

Antibodies attack not just one but several microbes at a time, and they neutralize not only the germs but also their toxins. This is of primary importance, as in some infectious diseases it is primarily the germs' toxins that are responsible for organ disorders and lesions.

Antibodies produced in reaction to an infection remain present in the body. A large number of them are therefore always ready to kill the germs if they reappear. A new infection by these germs therefore becomes impossible; the organism has been "immunized."

THE FIFTH LINE OF DEFENSE: INTERFERON RELEASED BY THE CELLS

The various methods of defense described to this point all come from cells that are not under attack. This might seem a little surprising; it is easier to imagine that the threatened cells would defend themselves. Yet this is normal. Unlike a single-celled organism, which must concern itself with all the functions necessary for its survival, in multicellular organisms—like the human body—cells are specialized. Some are particularly concerned with the digestive processes, others with breathing, and yet others with the defense of the body.

Nevertheless, every cell does have its own defenses. In the event of an attack, a cell releases a poison called interferon, which inhibits the multiplication of the germs by creating an environment that is hostile to their development. Though this process was initially believed to apply only to viral attacks, studies have shown that it can also be active against other germs, protozoans of malaria, in particular.

This is clearly a defensive system, because only the infected cells release interferon, and they only do this once the infection has begun.

The immune system's five lines of defense do not function independently but in synergy. Alarm signals are passed along from one line to another, the information received is shared, certain defenders mark the pathogens to facilitate the work of the others, and the defensive measures put into operation by some are supported by others. In this way, a full set of sophisticated and specific methods are linked together and complete one another.

Despite this, germs do manage to get themselves established. The reason is rarely that the germs are too powerful; instead, it is because the terrain is too damaged. When overladen with toxins and suffering from a deficit of nutritive substances, the terrain is receptive to infections. And these deficiencies also have an impact on the immune system. All the players that take part in the defense of the body—the skin, mucous membranes, phagocytes, lymphocytes, and organs—are located in the same terrain, and their proper functioning is dependent on it.

While the immune system of a healthy body is able to defend itself against any infection, this is no longer the case when the terrain is deficient. The production of phagocytes, lymphocytes, and other defenders is more difficult, slower, and lesser in quantity and quality.

In the event that the terrain is deficient and the immune system weakened, an artificial defense system must be brought into play as a substitute for the organic defenses: antibiotics.
5

Pharmaceutical Antibiotics

Their History and Effects

Antibiotics, the medications that are used to kill germs, are actually produced by the germs themselves. How is this possible?

A germ is never by itself; it is always surrounded by a crowd of its fellow germs, which, like it, are trying to occupy a specific place from which they can take nourishment. Consequently, the countless germs that live on the earth and everything on it inevitably enter into competition with other types of germs. In this struggle for survival, they secrete poisons to kill their rivals. These substances are harmless to them but toxic to their neighbors. Because they work against ( _anti_ ) something that is living ( _bio_ = "life"), we call them _antibiotics_.

The antibiotic substances that are released by germs act either by preventing the multiplication of their neighbors—which prevents them from being overwhelmed by neighboring microbes—or by killing them—which frees up living space and resources. Harvested in large quantity from cultures that are specially prepared for this purpose, they can then be used as medications.

Several thousand different antibiotic substances are known today, though a vastly greater number could exist given the number of germs that exist. However, only a hundred of these antibiotics are used in medicine, and only around fifty are used on human beings.

To be of any use in therapy, antibiotics must possess precise characteristics. For example, they must have an effect on the germs that attack human beings. They must be distributed easily in the body in order to reach the site of the infection; once there, they must be able to make contact with the microbial cell, if not gain entrance to it. Antibiotic substances must also retain their composition when they come into contact with bodily fluids or enzymes, or else they will lose their therapeutic properties.

When the antibiotic reaches the germ, it takes action against it in several ways. One of the antibiotic's primary targets is the outer membrane of the germ cell; if the antibiotic wounds the membrane, the cell loses its cytoplasm and organelles and dies. Another target is the organelle responsible for breathing; by destroying it, the antibiotic causes the germ to asphyxiate. Another organelle that the antibiotic sets its sights on is the ribosome, which is responsible for the production of proteins. Its neutralization will cause fatal deficiencies for the germ.

The germ's genetic code is yet another target of antibiotics. Like all cells, each germ cell holds its genetic coding in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) found in its nucleus. That information is transmitted to the various organelles by the cell's ribonucleic acid (RNA). Taking action against one of these two molecules—which a variety of antibiotics do—is a sure way to hamper the growth of germ populations.

Because they act against the various parts of a microbial cell, antibiotics are effective against bacteria and, to a lesser degree, protozoans and fungi, as they are all single-celled organisms. To the contrary, they have absolutely no effect against viruses, which are only molecules and not cells.

Antibiotics also do not work against toxins, which are just molecules and not cells. They are certainly effective at killing germs that emit toxins—for example, the bacilli responsible for cholera, anthrax, and typhoid—but they do not combat the toxins that these bacilli produce.

In nature, the various germs manufacture antibiotic substances that are tailored to the threats each germ must face. These antibiotic substances, therefore, can vary depending upon the species that produces them and the other species that that species competes against. A distinction is made between _narrow-spectrum antibiotics,_ which are given that name because they are only effective against a single species or small number of germs, and _broad-spectrum antibiotics,_ which kill a large variety of germs.

While all antibiotics work against one or more bacteria, few among them have any effect on protozoans, and an even smaller number have shown any effectiveness when dealing with fungi. And, let me repeat, they are completely useless against viruses.

THE HISTORY OF ANTIBIOTICS

When the existence of germs and the role they play in the incubation of infectious diseases was discovered in the nineteenth century, researchers began looking for methods to kill them. For this purpose, researchers perfected procedures for creating germ cultures so that they could have a large number of specimens at their disposal. They would place these microbial cultures in contact with all kinds of substances to learn which would destroy them. During one of these tests in 1877, two French researchers, Louis Pasteur and Jules Francois Joubert, put harmless bacteria in contact with the bacilli responsible for anthrax. They had the immense satisfaction of observing that these bacilli did not survive this contact. A first step was made!

Pursuing their research, they observed that the inoculation of fatal doses of anthrax bacilli would not trigger any kind of disorder when those bacilli were combined with the same harmless bacteria. Something in this mixture had an inhibitory effect on the anthrax germs. What could it be? No one knew, but similar experiments strengthened researchers' conviction that germs could be defeated and that infectious diseases were not an inescapable fatal occurrence.

In 1890 the first antibiotic substance was isolated from a bacteria culture: pyocyanase. This product demonstrated effectiveness against diphtheria and other diseases, but it proved to be highly toxic and its use was abandoned.

In 1929 Alexander Fleming, an English bacteriologist, discovered that the staphylococcus he was cultivating would break down in a particular nutritive culture. Seeking to learn why, he discovered that a mold ( _Penicillium notatum_ ) that had accidentally contaminated his culture was responsible. The antibiotic substance he extracted from this mold is called penicillin. Although Fleming suggested in the records of his discovery that this substance be used against all infectious diseases, it would not be attempted for another seventeen years.

In 1939 two English researchers, H. Florey and E. Chain, tested the therapeutic value of Fleming's penicillin in experiments using mice as test subjects. These experiments were crowned with success, and the first use of penicillin on a human being was attempted in 1941. The person selected was a policeman stricken with septicemia and at death's door. Every three hours for a period of three days, he received an intramuscular injection of penicillin. After twenty-four hours, sure signs of improvement were visible. On the fourth day, the patient's fever dropped and he could eat again. The researchers were ecstatic; no remedy had ever had such a profound effect on an infection. Unfortunately, the penicillin supply ran out on the fifth day and the infection roared back to life. The patient's state deteriorated and he died.

However, the therapeutic effect of penicillin had been proven. The problem of supplying a sufficient amount of this product was resolved thanks to the development of processes for producing cultures.

In later experiments, penicillin was shown to be effective against many infections: pneumonia, diphtheria, gonorrhea, acute articular rheumatism, scarlet fever, angina, and so forth.

The world was then gripped by euphoria. A miracle remedy had been found, one that could cure everything! Infectious diseases—which had claimed so many victims, without anyone ever being able to do anything about them—had become easy to cure thanks to penicillin. Its use spread rapidly. In addition to its medical use, throat lozenges, toothpaste, cosmetic creams, and more were made from it. For years, products with a penicillin base, which could be bought directly by anyone, without a doctor's prescription, flooded the market.

This free trade was brought to an end, though, in 1955, after which time its use became tightly monitored. Penicillin now could only be purchased with a prescription. The number of germs that had become resistant to this antibiotic—as well as an entire series of antibiotics that had been discovered in the meantime—had risen to dangerous levels.

THE RESISTANCE OF GERMS TO ANTIBIOTICS

Like all living entities that are confronted with mortal danger, the germs under attack by antibiotics sought a means of survival. To protect themselves against antibiotics, they had to develop specific properties or defense mechanisms to counter them.

Germs that are able to survive an assault by antibiotics are said to have developed a resistance to them. What this means is that the antibiotic in question no longer has any destructive effect on the germ. This resistance is called simple resistance when it only concerns one antibiotic and multiple resistance when it concerns several different kinds. When a microbe becomes resistant to more than one type of antibiotic, it is said to have multiple drug resistance, or multi-drug resistance.

Microbes may have a natural resistance to certain kinds of antibiotics, or they may acquire resistance through genetic mutation or through sharing genetic material with other microbes. They may also show cross resistance, in which they manifest resistance to a drug that they have never faced before because they have been exposed to a similar drug with similar action, and therefore have developed the mechanisms to resist that type of action.

A germ will resort to various strategies to protect itself from the destructive activity of antibiotics. The bulk of its efforts are directed at the protection of its outer membrane, as it is often the target of antibiotics. That membrane is also the protective layer that an antibiotic substance must pass through to enter the germ cell. So the germ's defense here consists of reinforcing its outer membrane to make it resistant to the destructive attempts of antibiotics and/or making it impermeable so that antibiotics are unable to travel through it. Another strategy is the development of enzymes that neutralize the aggressive properties of antibiotics. In this latter case, when the antibiotics make direct contact with the germ, they are deactivated by its enzymes.

Of course, developing resistance to antibiotics is nothing new for germs. They do it all the time in nature to ensure their survival in the face of the vast number of other germs they encounter that secrete antibiotic substances in order to eliminate them.

There are three physiological phenomena that come into play when germs make the transformations necessary to acquire antibiotic resistance: plasmid mutations, transposon mutations, and spontaneous mutations.

Plasmid Mutations

Plasmids are little rings of DNA that appear in the cytoplasm of microbial cells. In contrast to the genetic information of the cell's nucleus, which is fixed and will change only under exceptional circumstances, the genetic coding of the plasmids changes often and in reaction to the environment in which the cell finds itself. Informed of all changes affecting the living conditions of the germ, the plasmid expels genes that have become unusable or acquires new genes in order to direct the adaptation process accordingly.

Thanks to the plasmids and their ability to encode the adaptations that are necessary for the cell to survive an assault by antibiotics, germs rapidly develop antibiotic resistance. Because the information carried by the plasmids is transmitted to the daughter cells during cellular multiplication, the resistance developed by the mother cell becomes those of its thousands of descendants.

Plasmids also have the peculiar ability to leave their home germ and make their way into another kind of germ. The consequence of plasmid transfer is that the resistance developed by one germ can be transmitted to another without the latter germ having any contact with the antibiotic in question!

Transposon Mutations

The second method relies on the transposons, free DNA strands that float in the microbial cell's cytoplasm. Transposons act in the same way as plasmids, but they are even more effective and rapid, accelerating the adaptation and manufacturing processes at work in creating resistance.

Spontaneous Mutations

The third method by which microbes develop antibiotic resistance is passive and results from natural selection. From time to time, germs will experience spontaneous mutations in their genetic coding as they multiply. This is how an individual germ can appear whose genetic heritage is different from that of its mother cell. When that germ multiplies, it transmits this new characteristic to all of its descendants and creates a new strain. This is a natural phenomenon that takes place in all plant and animal organisms. But in germs, these mutations occur frequently because the germs multiply so rapidly. Out of the naturally high number of mutations that occur, it can happen that one of them will cause the appearance of a strain of germs that are resistant to an antibiotic.

Normally cellular mutants vanish quickly, as they are in the minority among cells carrying the exact genetic coding of their forebears, with whom they are competing. Now, let's imagine that these germs were the source of an infection, that the infection was treated with antibiotics, and that the mutant germs were the only ones able to resist the antibiotics. The cells carrying the nonresistant coding would be destroyed, but the mutants would survive, as would their descendants. When these surviving mutant germs multiplied, this new strain would spread through the body, and the antibiotics would be powerless to stop it. Later, when these germs left the organism to infect another one, they would carry antibiotic resistance with them.

The same process takes place with saprophytic microbes during an antibiotic treatment. Although these microbes may not be the antibiotic's intended targets, it will kill some of them and leave behind those that are resistant to it. That resistant strain will multiply. If, for some reason or other, that saprophytic microbe becomes virulent and triggers an infection, the antibiotic in question will not be able to contain it.

When resistance appears by mutation, it is only transmitted to the descendants of the mutant germ; it remains within the strain. When the plasmids and transposons intervene, the resistance overflows and spreads to other strains and kinds of germs.

THE CAUSES OF RESISTANCE

The reason for the current epidemic of numerous resistances on the part of germs and growing difficulty in finding effective antibiotics is not to be found in the reasonable use of antibiotics but in their improper and exorbitant use.

Like all medications, antibiotics need to be used correctly to ensure that all their effectiveness comes into play and to limit their negative side effects. They should only be used against germs on which they have an effect, and only at the dosage and duration of time that is needed to kill them. They should only be prescribed in cases of absolute necessity, when all other less dangerous therapeutic methods have been proven insufficient. Alas, these criteria for proper use are often not respected.

Every antibiotic is effective against specific germs and has absolutely no effect on others. We should therefore always be certain that the antibiotic we select clearly matches the germs we want to attack. The antibiogram, a laboratory test, makes it possible to verify which antibiotics will work against the germ in question. The germ responsible for the infection is extracted from the secretions of the patient, allowed to multiply in an appropriate germ culture, and then tested against different antibiotics. This test can clearly show which antibiotics are effective, and out of these, which one has the most potent effect.

Another way of proceeding is to identify the germ responsible for the infection in the patient's secretions (urine, phlegm, or stools, according to the case). An antibiotic that is known to be effective against that germ can then be prescribed.

However, these two methodologies are not always practiced. And when the prescribed antibiotic is not the right one, the infection will not be arrested, or it will be only partially arrested. The pathological germs that survive will thereby be given the chance to develop a resistance to the antibiotic that has been used against them.

In some cases a broad-spectrum antibiotic is prescribed. This will certainly increase the chances that the infection will be eradicated, but the number of germs this antibiotic attacks will also be higher. This will compel them to develop resistance, and consequently the risk that a larger number of germs will now be resistant to this antibiotic will be greater.

The prescription of antibiotics to fight viral diseases like the flu is another cause for the development of these resistances. The characteristics of these products make them entirely useless against viruses. The saprophytic germs are therefore needlessly confronted by an antibiotic and will work to develop resistance against it.

The use of antibiotics as a preventive measure is another cause of resistance. The intention of this practice is to head off the arrival of an infection and kill germs as soon as they appear. This procedure is to help people suffering from a viral infection from contracting a bacterial infection because of their weakened state. But in this case, the antibiotic is chosen without knowing which germ the patient might come into contact with—or even whether the patient really would develop a secondary infection. Again, here saprophytic microbes are needlessly placed in contact with antibiotics.

A lack of respect for dosage is another case for resistance. Sometimes patients take it upon themselves to reduce their antibiotic dosages in order to reduce the negative side effects. However, antibiotic dosages are calculated quite precisely in order to supply a sufficient quantity of poison to kill the germs. When patients take less than the prescribed dosage, some of these germs will survive and could then develop resistance. The same thing occurs when an antibiotic treatment is not followed for its full course.

As we've discussed, a saprophytic microbe is a beneficial member of our intestinal flora. At first glance, antibiotic resistance in a saprophytic microbe might seem to matter little. But a saprophytic microbe can become virulent and pathological if the terrain is altered or if, for one reason or another, it makes its way into another part of the body. In addition, even if the microbe in question never becomes virulent itself, its resistance can be transmitted by its plasmids or transposons to pathological germs traveling through the body.

THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF RESISTANCE

The development of resistance by germs is the source of two serious problems:

  * A reduction in the effectiveness of antibiotics and, consequently, increasing difficulty in eradicating serious infections
  * The need to increase the dosage and duration of antibiotic treatment in order to achieve therapeutic success, or to prescribe several different antibiotics to be taken simultaneously or successively

Although antibiotics can provide invaluable help in dealing with serious infections, they still also possess a number of harmful side effects. Now, while it is worth the trouble of putting up with these harmful effects for severe disorders, this is not the case for simple infections.

The loss of effectiveness in antibiotics can be shown by the fact that as time has passed, the dosage we require for a therapeutic effect has had to be increased. In his book _Aromathérapie,_ Dr. Jean Valnet describes how in the middle of the twentieth century, the dosage of penicillin necessary for a therapeutic treatment totaled between 100,000 and 200,000 units. Thirty years later it was several million units, and what's more, that was the _daily_ dosage.

In concrete terms, the loss of antibiotic effectiveness means, for example, that a woman suffering from cystitis or a child with rhinopharangytis would not be completely and definitively healed after a first session of antibiotic therapy. In the absence of a clear cure, the treatment will need to be repeated at an elevated dosage or with a different antibiotic. In fact, it is common for patients today to ingest several different antibiotics during the same year, and for simple infections!

When antibiotics are taken this way, they affect not just the germ responsible for the infection but also a host of other species. Those latter species will develop resistance—unless they simply receive them ready-made from plasmids and transposons. When several germs have become resistant to a given antibiotic, it becomes useless. It must therefore be replaced by another antibiotic, which in its own turn can be outstripped in short order because of the improper usage of these kinds of remedies.

How many antibiotics do we have at our disposal to carry out these ongoing treatments and continuous replacements? Very few! Several dozen, at most. And only a few of these will be effective against the particular germ we are trying to destroy. The possibilities for replacement are therefore limited . . . and diminishing.

Of course the search for new antibiotics is always taking place. But the rhythm of discoveries is slower than that of the development of resistance. The alarm bell is regularly sounded by many figures of the medical world and international health organizations. Many experts fear that one day antibiotic resistance will have developed to such an extent that we will have no effective means left to us to treat some infectious diseases.

A variety of events give us the impression that this day may not be far off. In 1980 an epidemic of _Staphylococcus aureus_ erupted in several hospitals in the city of Melbourne, Australia. An increasing number of patients were affected by it. The problem continued growing in size and the death toll kept growing. The antibiotics used until then to curb this infection had no result. Others were tried, but each proved to be equally ineffective. A great fear began spreading among the nursing staff: When would this epidemic be stopped? Even more importantly, what would stop it? Finally, an effective antibiotic was found: vancomycin. Although fairly toxic and quite taxing to humans, it had to be used, as it was the only remedy found to be effective.

Vancomycin remained the antibiotic of last resort until 2002. That was the year when the first case of vancomycin resistance was detected. If this resistance spreads, how will we contend with this problem?

Since the 1960s research has been oriented toward the production of altered antibiotics—that is, antibiotics whose molecular structure has been modified in order to bypass the obstacle of resistance. These new kinds of antibiotics include molecules produced artificially in the laboratory, and so they are sometimes called semisynthetic antibiotics. They are also called second-generation antibiotics, as opposed to the firstgeneration antibiotics whose origins are entirely microbial.

These second-generation antibiotics were effective at first, but germs' abilities to adapt soon came into play against them. New resistances appeared that in turn caused these antibiotics to lose their effectiveness.

To get around these deficiencies, a third generation of entirely synthetic antibiotics, on a base consisting solely of laboratory-crafted molecules, was created starting around 1980. Because these new forms of antibiotics were entirely new to the germs, they should have been able to disarm the germs' counterattack. It has been seen, however, that the adaptive capabilities of germs also apply to these new kinds of molecules, and they are developing resistance to combat them.

To contend with this resistance, a new strategy has been crafted: instead of using only one antibiotic at a time, as in the past, two or three are given at the same time.

In addition to the problems connected to the development of germ resistance, antibiotics—which are among the most heavily prescribed remedies today—possess numerous side effects that also contraindicate their overuse.

THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS

Thousands of antibiotics have been discovered, but only a minority—around eighty—are used for therapeutic purposes. This simple fact speaks volumes about the toxicity of these kinds of remedies. This does not mean, though, that they should never be used.

In certain cases antibiotics are absolutely necessary, despite their harmful side effects, and we can only be grateful that they exist. But these cases are rare and much less numerous than those cases for which antibiotics are often prescribed even though they could be treated by simpler, nonharmful methods.

The best-known side effect of antibiotics is the destruction of a portion of the saprophytic microbes of the intestinal flora. Generally only some of these microbes will be sensitive to any particular antibiotic. When those microbes (which have nothing to do with the infection) are killed but other microbes that are less sensitive to the antibiotic survive, the microbial populations are thrown out of balance. Microbes that might normally make up only a small proportion of the intestinal flora witness a sharp increase in their population, while others, with whom they are in competition, are decimated.

Our normal digestive processes rely on a balanced microbial population. When our intestinal flora are imbalanced or insufficient, we experience abnormal fermentation and putrefaction processes that cause bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, colic, and abdominal pain, conditions that are sometimes difficult to get rid of.

This is a well-known fact, and many people who are prescribed antibiotics try to counter it by consuming yogurt, lactofermented foods, or brewer's yeast to encourage regeneration of their intestinal flora. What is less well known, however, is that the rest of the body's microbial flora—that of the lungs, skin, genital organs, and urinary tract—is thrown out of balance by antibiotic treatment in the same way. The disorders that result are harder to connect with their cause, but the sharp increase in the incidence of infections with _Candida albicans_ —whether it is confined to this or that organ or in the entire body—shows that they can be severe and extremely bothersome.

Depending on the type used, antibiotics can cause headaches, vomiting, balance problems, anemia, and kidney problems. They can also cause allergic reactions, such as respiratory problems, bronchospasms, skin rashes, hives, edemas, states of shock, fevers, malaise, lethargy, and so forth.

The most harmful side effect of antibiotics, however, is the negative effect they have on the immune system. In fact, because of the way they work, antibiotics have an inhibitory effect on one or another part of the body's defenses. In addition to disrupting the intestinal and cutaneous flora that form part of the immune system's first line of defense, antibiotics also have the following effects:

  * Macrophages are weakened, rendering them less active and less effective at phagocytosing germs.
  * Various white blood cells are no longer produced, or are produced only in a limited number. Consequently, they have greater difficulty detecting and marking germs, and their ability to destroy them is equally reduced.
  * The information exchange between coworkers is slowed.
  * The production of antibodies drops.
  * There are thus fewer antibodies to remain in the body as guards against future attacks by the germs.

With the immune state weakened, the organism's receptivity to future infections is heightened.

Instead of adding their effects to those of the immune system, antibiotics merely substitute themselves for them. The many ways in which the immune system can parry the attacks of germs are then replaced, in short, by the fairly unilateral and incomplete properties of antibiotics. This kind of therapy should only be chosen with the greatest caution!

REVERSIBILITY

The development of antibiotic resistances, with all the negative side effects that result, is not an insoluble problem, fortunately.

If the selective pressure exerted on germs by antibiotics pushes them to develop resistance, a total and prolonged elimination of these remedies will cause the germs to lose them. No longer having to defend themselves against antibiotics, the germs will no longer need the defenses they created for this purpose. Those properties will atrophy and then vanish, bringing the germs back to their initial sensitivity. The acquisition of resistance is therefore not definitive!

This reversibility has already been observed. For example, doctors in a South African hospital had noted that the bacteria _Klebsiella pneumoniae,_ which is responsible for pulmonary infections, had become resistant to the antibiotic that up until then had been successfully used against them. Because it was now useless, that antibiotic was abandoned completely, and the use of other antibiotics was reduced as a cautionary measure. After a period of around five years, the klebsiella bacteria had regained their sensitivity to the antibiotic whose use had been eliminated earlier. Because they no longer needed to defend themselves against it, they had lost the ability to do so.

Similar observations were recorded in Iceland. In a desire to counter the alarming growth of the number and variety of resistances, authorities there imposed a draconian reduction on the use of antibiotics in all but the most serious cases. Less virulent infections were treated by other means or simply left to the defensive devices of the immune system. The result was that the number of antibiotic-resistant germ strains fell and the number of germs that regained sensitivity to them rose.

To curb the development of new resistances and to reduce or eliminate those that already exist, a long period of antibiotics abolition should take place. Is this possible? What would then become of the people stricken by infections? Would they be left with no treatment options?

This would be the case if there was no alternative to the use of antibiotics. But it so happens that one exists. As we have already seen, infections arise due to the presence of pathological germs and the susceptibility of the terrain. Prescribing antibiotics takes action against just one single cause of the infection. Addressing the second cause—that is, strengthening the terrain to make it less susceptible to infection—is not generally a consideration. Nevertheless, correction of the terrain, by itself, is capable of dealing successfully with a number of simple infections, and all the more because it will also reinforce the body's defenses! (See chapter .)

Furthermore, nature offers us an entire range of natural antibiotics that do not have the drawbacks of conventional antibiotics. They are highly effective, have no side effects, and do not spur germs into developing resistances.
6

Natural Antibiotics

18 Remedy Profiles

What we call "natural antibiotics" are products of the plant world. They are produced not by germs but by medicinal plants. As we have discussed, the term _antibiotic,_ in its broadest sense, means "a substance capable of killing pathological germs or curbing their growth." The adjective _natural_ denotes the fact that these plant-sourced antibiotics are among the remedies at the disposal of holistic natural medicine and are used in accordance with the precepts of that approach. Because, if you really think about it, standard antibiotics are also natural (with the exception of those of the second and third generations) insofar as they are produced by players in the natural world: germs!

Natural antibiotics are chemical substances produced by plants ranging from the most common weeds of our local surroundings to exotic, rare species. Several hundred plants possess antibiotic properties, so our reserve of these remedies is quite extensive. People have been benefiting from their healing properties for thousands of years.

Natural antibiotics have a twofold action: a direct effect against the germ and an indirect effect by means of making the terrain inhospitable to the germ.

A plant's direct action comes from the toxicity and caustic nature of the antibiotic substances that make contact with the germs. They have a variety of effects:

  *  **A bactericidal effect** —the antibiotic substance initiates lysis, or dissolution, which is a process of enzymatic breakdown similar to the breakdown that takes place when the foods we eat come into contact with our digestive juices. The antibiotic destroys one or more of the germ's vital organs, which brings about the death of the entire microbial cell. The target organ could be the outer membrane, which would cause the cytoplasm and organelles to burst out of the cell. It could involve the ribosome, which would prevent the synthesis of new proteins and starve the cell, or the organelle responsible for breathing, which would lead to the germ's asphyxiation. Attacks on the germ's genetic code, another possible target, would make multiplication impossible.
  *  **A bacteriostatic effect** —the germs are not killed but are prevented from multiplying. When attacked by the toxic substances of the antibiotic, the microbial cell defends itself by thickening its outer membrane. This means that the exchanges between the cell and its environment are severely compromised. The syntheses necessary for cellular multiplication are interrupted. Blocked and rendered inert, the cell can no longer divide itself in order to reproduce; consequently, the germ population stops increasing and the infection process is arrested.

While these actions are specifically against _bacteria,_ the same kind of defensive processes are also active against fungi and protozoans.

The indirect action of natural antibiotics (which conventional antibiotics do not possess) on the terrain is equally dangerous for germs. Although they are not attacked directly, germs still suffer serious damage because, by altering the characteristics of the terrain, natural antibiotics make it unfit for their survival. This process is similar to the one that takes place when a human being is placed in an oxygen-poor environment. He will wither and eventually die there without having been attacked, simply because the living conditions are not suitable for sustaining human life.

The quality of the body's cellular terrain is all the better when it is not suffering a deficiency of minerals, trace elements, vitamins, and so on, and when it contains few toxins, poisons, and metabolic wastes. A healthy terrain is naturally germ resistant because it offers living conditions that are unsuitable for the germ's survival. As it happens, natural antibiotics also work to fill deficiencies and eliminate toxins from the terrain.

Natural antibiotics primarily correct deficiencies of minerals and trace elements, which produces positive changes in the terrain's composition. Furthermore, because natural antibiotics are especially rich in trace elements, they vigorously reignite catalytic activity—that is, biochemical reactions stimulated by enzymes—because catalytic activity only takes place in the presence of trace elements. As a result, cells under attack by germs are greatly strengthened in their defensive actions and resistance.

In addition to their disinfectant action on the terrain, natural antibiotics also have a purifying and detoxifying effect. The toxins stagnating in the terrain are eliminated and expelled from the body. This cleansing removes the metabolic wastes that germs feed on. As a net effect, a natural antibiotic's disinfectant action severely challenges germs' ability to survive and multiply, while at the same time boosting the vitality of the body's cells.

One way to define the quality of a terrain is to use LouisClaude Vincent's bioelectronics studies to measure three electrochemical factors in the body: the terrain's oxidoreduction ability (the ability to stabilize and eliminate oxygen), its resistivity (its ability to conduct electrical currents), and its pH (its degree of alkalinity or acidity). Without going into the details, these factors are, chemically speaking, dependent on the capability of the terrain's molecular composition to exchange electrons. As it turns out, even extremely small alterations in these exchanges can quickly transform a terrain that is accommodating of germs to one that is hostile to them. A change in the terrain's pH of just a tenth of a pH unit (e.g., from 6.5 to 6.4) can effect such a transformation. Such variations are easy to achieve with natural antibiotics, which possess a great capacity for giving or capturing electrons. Here again, microbial expansion—and thus the infection—can be hampered by simple changes in the environment.

Natural antibiotics also demonstrate an indirect action against germs at the level of certain physiological functions. Some natural antibiotics, for example, stimulate the mucous glands of the respiratory and digestive tracts, which release mucins that contain enzymes that destroy germs through lysis. These antibiotics therefore do not act directly on the germ but stimulate another defensive agent to go into action. A similar effect takes place on the immune system, which is spurred to produce more phagocytes, lymphocytes, antibodies, and so on.

 _In sum, natural antibiotics combine direct and indirect actions against germs, while conventional antibiotics employ only direct actions against them._

While both kinds of antibiotics share points in common—a more or less powerful effect depending on the germ, a narrow or broad spectrum of action, and the ability to attack protozoans, bacteria, and fungi—the comparison stops there. Natural antibiotics possess, in fact, other characteristics that distinguish them fundamentally from conventional antibiotics.

The majority of natural antibiotics are, for example, antivirals, which is never the case with conventional antibiotics. Moreover, their antiviral properties are often quite powerful. They offer an effective and nontoxic treatment against numerous illnesses (flu, shingles, etc.) that are untreatable by conventional antibiotics. This is all the more valuable because, outside of natural antibiotics, the number of existing antivirals is quite limited.

The other advantage, mentioned earlier, is that natural antibiotics do not encourage germs to develop resistance to them. What are the reasons for this?

  *  **Molecular complexity.** Conventional antibiotics consist of a single molecule. This makes it easy for a germ to manufacture an enzyme capable of neutralizing them. Natural antibiotics, on the other hand, are composed of many different molecules. The essential oil of mountain savory, for example, owes its action to one ketone, four kinds of phenols, and seven kinds of monoterpenes, to mention only a few of its components. A germ that tries to develop a resistance to this natural antibiotic would have to produce either an enzyme capable of neutralizing all these molecules at once (which is impossible) or a dozen different enzymes (which is also impossible).
  *  **Indirect action.** Natural antibiotics kill germs by taking action on the terrain. As it happens, a terrain is not something against which a germ can develop a resistance.

Another difference is that the side effects that are so common with conventional antibiotic therapy—diarrhea, bloating, digestive disorders—do not manifest with natural antibiotics because they do not throw the intestinal flora out of balance. To the contrary, they support a healthy microbial balance by killing the virulent germs. If they do happen to trigger such symptoms, it would only be due to the laxative effect of certain plants.

I have divided the natural antibiotics I have chosen to introduce in this book into three groups. The plants in the first group have been extracted as essential oils (EO). In the second group, they have been prepared in the form of mother tinctures (MT). The third group offers a range of different preparations.

I present here only a limited number of natural antibiotics. My purpose is not to provide an exhaustive listing but to introduce the reader to the world of natural antibiotics and make him or her familiar with their use.

For each natural antibiotic, I will explain what it is, what it looks like, what its habitat is, which kinds of germs (protozoans, bacteria, fungi, viruses) it works best on, and the way to generally use it (specific examples are provided in chapter 7).

A good way to get to know them is to buy several—those that you are most likely to need, depending on the state of your health—and to begin using them. With practice, you will gain a more extensive knowledge of them, a knowledge that can then be extended to other natural antibiotics.

Here, now, are the eighteen natural antibiotics I have chosen to introduce to you.

THE ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils are the volatile aromatic oils that give plants their characteristic odors and contain their medicinal constituents. They are extracted from plants by distillation or expression. These oils are contained in the tiny droplets of aromatic substances that are released by crushing mint or thyme leaves, for example.

According to biologists, essential oils contain more compounds than all the chemists in the world could synthesize by working for one thousand years. Among these compounds are terpenes, phenols, aldehydes, and alcohols with antibiotic properties. They are among the most powerful of natural antibiotics.

Essential oils can be taken orally, as an ointment on the skin, or by suffumigation—that is, using fumes (from steams, vapors, smoke, etc.). Their distribution power in the tissues is enormous. Several minutes after they have been spread on the skin, they will have entered the bloodstream. Twenty minutes to two hours later, they are in the lungs, being exhaled with every breath.

Because essential oils are extremely concentrated—it requires pounds of plants to obtain several drops of essential oil—it is important to scrupulously respect the indicated dosages and the instructions on using them.

  Basil ( _Ocimum basilicum_ )

A native of Asia, basil is grown in temperate regions around the world for its culinary value. It is a small bush that can grow from 8 to 20 inches high, with intensely green leaves that give off a strong aroma. It was cultivated in the gardens of ancient Rome and was introduced to the Midi region of France in the twelfth century. It has long been valued for its use in soothing the digestive tract as an antispasmodic and for its ability to regulate nerve centers.

The antibiotic substances contained in the essential oil of basil are primarily methyl chavicol and linalool. While basil has long been considered to be primarily an antibacterial (whose effectiveness can vary), recent studies have shown it to be a very powerful antiviral. Basil is therefore recommended for all viral diseases, but especially for those belonging to its specific spheres of operation: the digestive tract (viral hepatitis, viral enteritis, intestinal flu) and the nervous system (neuritis). Another field of action encompasses the viral infections of the tropical zones (various fevers). It does not seem to have any effect on fungi and parasites.

Dosage

  *  ** _Oral:_** Take 2 to 5 drops of EO, three times a day, in honey or dispersant (see here).

  English Lavender ( _Lavandula angustifolia_ )

This medicinal plant with silvery green leaves and blue-violet flowers is well known in Europe. It grows in the arid and sundrenched lands of the Mediterranean regions. Many different varieties exist, all of which have medicinal properties.

In classical antiquity, the Romans added lavender to their bathwater. Since the Middle Ages, its use has spread as an eyewash and for keeping moths out of clothing.

The distillation of lavender began in the sixteenth century. Because of its pleasant aroma, its essential oil is used greatly in perfumery, but this does not mean that its medicinal properties are overlooked. Lavender is, in fact, one of the most useful medicinal plants because it can be used to treat a wide range of health problems, including burns, pains, cramps, insect stings, inflammations, congestion, anxieties, and so forth. It is also endowed with antivenin properties; hunters rub it on dogs who have been bitten by snakes in order to neutralize the poisons. Lavender's sphere of operation is not limited to one organ system of the body but extends to every organ. In this sense, it is one of the few medicinal plants that can be described as "universal."

The antibiotic properties of lavender are due to its linalyl acetate (comprising 42 to 52 percent of the essential oil) and linalool (comprising 32 to 42 percent of the essential oil). These substances are effective against bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi.

Lavender does not figure among the most powerful of antibiotic essential oils, but its properties are consistent and yield a broad spectrum of action. Its ease of use (it is exceptionally well tolerated by the skin and mucous membranes) makes it a "master key" of an antibiotic, and it is gentle enough that it can be used to treat children and sensitive individuals.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 2 to 5 drops, three to five times a day, in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Apply a dozen drops, undiluted or diluted in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, to use as an ointment.

  Eucalyptus ( _Eucalyptus globulus_ )

A tree native to Australia and Tasmania, eucalyptus has been planted all around the Mediterranean region and in places with similar climates, like California. There are more than five hundred different species in the genus. This is a hearty tree that grows rapidly and can reach heights of 150 feet or more. Because it is greedy for water, it is often planted in marshy regions to drain them. Eucalyptus gives off a powerful aromatic odor that repels insects.

It is the leaves of this tree that are medicinal. They are endowed with generous amounts of essential oil—200 pounds of eucalyptus leaves will produce 6 pounds of essential oil, whereas 200 pounds of thyme will yield less than a quarter of a pound of essential oil. The primary and very powerful antibiotic constituents of eucalyptus are 1,8-cineole and globulol. For example, one need only aromatize the air with an emulsion that is 2 percent eucalyptus essential oil to kill 70 percent of the staphylococci that are present. This can be quite valuable, considering that 1 cubic meter of air in the country contains five germs, but this figure rises to twenty thousand germs per cubic meter in an urban apartment, and nine million in a large department store.

The antibiotic action of eucalyptus extends to bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Its primary field of action is the respiratory and urinary tracts, and it can be effective against acute and chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, laryngitis, and so forth, as well as cystitis, pyelonephritis, and colibacillosis. Eucalyptus is also well known for its effectiveness against infectious fevers, both tropical and otherwise—hence its folk name _fever tree_.

Dosage

  *  ** _Oral_** : Take 2 to 5 drops, three or four times a day, in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Dilute 5 to 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, then rub it into the thorax (to treat bronchitis) or the lower belly (to treat cystitis).
  *  _ **Inhalation:**_ Place 15 drops in a bowl of boiling water and inhale the steam.

 **Note:** Another species of eucalyptus, _Eucalyptus radiata_ (syn. _E. officinalis_ ), has an antiviral action that is far more potent than that of _E. globulus._ However, it is not very effective against fungi or parasites. Its sphere of action is the respiratory tract.

  Niaouli ( _Melaleuca quinquenervia_ )

Niaouli essential oil is extracted from the leaves of the paperbark tree, which is widespread in New Caledonia and Madagascar. The antibiotic properties of this tree have been long known to the natives of these regions, who used them to disinfect water. The principal antibiotic substances of the paperbark tree are 1, 8-cineole (comprising 35 to 38 percent of the essential oil), viridiflorol (6 to 15 percent), and alpha-terpineol (9 to 14 percent).

Niaouli essential oil is a very powerful natural antibiotic against numerous bacteria (including _Staphylococcus aureus_ and the streptococci responsible for scarlet fever and acute articular rheumatism) and against most viruses and fungi. It is therefore an excellent antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. To a lesser extent it is also active against parasites like the plasmodium that is responsible for malaria.

This essential oil's spheres of activity are the respiratory tract, the digestive tract, and the genital and urinary domains. Diluted in a little sweet almond oil, it is effective against skin infections.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 2 to 4 drops, three to five times a day, diluted in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Dilute 5 to 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil for use as an ointment.

  Oregano ( _Origanum heracleoticum_ )

Oregano is perhaps the best-known culinary herb. In the wild it grows in rocky, sunny areas; its purplish-pink flowers bloom at the tip of a tree-like stalk that grows from 1 to 2 feet high.

Known to the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans for its tonic, antispasmodic, stomachic, and cough-suppressing properties, the essential oil of oregano is most often used today for its especially powerful antibiotic virtues. Various experiments have shown that this essential oil (along with that of thyme) is very effective for disinfecting a solution teeming with germs. In one instance, researchers found that 1 quart of meat broth mixed with sewer water could be sterilized by the addition of oregano essential oil at a dilution of merely 1 percent.

Of all the different varieties of oregano, the Greek version ( _Origanum heracleoticum_ ) has been shown to have the most active properties.

The primary components of oregano essential oil are carvacrol (comprising 50 to 75 percent of the essential oil) and para-cymene (comprising 7 to 10 percent of the essential oil). These antibiotic substances are quite effective not only against bacteria but also against viruses, fungi, and parasites. They also possess a very broad-spectrum effect against these four groups. Oregano essential oil is therefore a polyvalent natural antibiotic with multiple indications, and all the more so because it boosts immune system function.

Dosage

  *  ** _Oral:_** Take 2 to 4 drops, three to five times a day, in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Dilute 1 to 3 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil for use as an ointment.

 **Warning:** Oregano essential oil is irritating to the skin and absolutely needs to be diluted.

  Palmarosa ( _Cymbopogon martinii_ )

Palmarosa is a large, hardy herb that is a member of the grass family. It grows naturally in India, Africa, and Indonesia. The entire above-ground plant is medicinal and yields a fresh-smelling, sweet essential oil whose odor is reminiscent of rose or geranium. In fact, palmarosa essential oil was once used to replace or dilute the far more expensive essential oil of rose.

The essential oil of palmarosa is 70 to 80 percent geraniol, whose antibiotic action is especially powerful against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. However, it does not possess any antiparasitic properties. Because it does not have any specific sphere of activity, it can be used against all infectious disorders, whether they are found in the digestive, respiratory, or urinary tract or genital and skin disorders. Palmarosa is one of the most powerful essential oils with antibiotic properties.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 3 or 4 drops, three to five times a day, in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Apply to the skin undiluted or just slightly diluted in sweet almond oil.

 **Note:** Palmarosa is a wonderful topical remedy because of its pleasant odor, and it is not at all irritating to the skin.

  Ravintsara ( _Cinnamomum camphora_ )

Cinnamomum camphora, commonly known as the camphor tree, is native to China, Japan, and Taiwan, and has been introduced to many other countries. The oil extracted from the Cinnamomum camphora that grows in Madagascar is known as ravintsara. This is the medicine of the Malagasy, who have long known of the medicinal properties of the tree's leaves and have benefited from using them to treat a vast number of health problems.

Ravintsara essential oil is rich in 1,8-cineole and alphaterpineol. It is an extremely powerful antiviral with a broad spectrum of action. This spectrum is, in fact, so broad that ravintsara essential oil is recommended for all viral afflictions: herpes, hepatitis, viral enteritis, chickenpox, and more. It is especially effective against the flu virus (whether used to prevent it or heal it), shingles, and infectious mononucleosis. In addition to its antiviral activities, ravintsara essential oil is also an effective antibacterial and has both antifungal and antiparasitic effects. Its spheres of operation are primarily the respiratory tract, the digestive tract, and the skin.

Ravintsara essential oil has no caustic effects and so can be used neat (undiluted) on the skin.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 3 to 5 drops, three times a day, in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  ** _Topical:_** For massages or ointments, use 3 to 5 undiluted drops; for baths, add 10 to 15 drops to the bathwater.

 **Note:** Like lavender, ravintsara is an ideal gentle essential oil for treating children.
 **Note:** Don't confuse ravintsara with ravensara ( _Ravensara aromatica_ ), which has similar properties.

  Savory ( _Satureja montana, S. hortensis_ )

Wild savory ( _S. montana_ ) and cultivated savory ( _S. hortensis_ ) are small plants with a strong odor. Known since antiquity as a culinary herb, savory is one of the medicinal plants that appears in the eighth-century Capitulaire de villis, a text produced during the reign of Charlemagne that details which plants should be cultivated in the royal domains because of their usefulness for humans.

The essential oil obtained from the flowering tops of savory is rich in antibiotic substances, primarily carvacrol, which represents up to 50 percent of its components. This natural antibiotic has an extremely powerful broad-spectrum action against bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. The essential oil of savory can therefore be recommended against all infectious pathologies, but particularly those of the digestive tract (amebiasis, enterocolitis, diarrhea, etc.), the respiratory tract (bronchitis), and the urinary tract (gonorrheal or candida cystitis, prostatitis). It is also recommended in the event of adenitis (inflammation of the lymphatic system) and as a backup treatment for malaria. The essential oil of savory is one of the major natural anti-infection agents.

Dosage

  *  ** _Oral:_** Take 2 to 4 drops, three to five times a day, in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  ** _Topical:_** Dilute 3 to 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil before applying to the skin.

 **Warning:** Savory is an extremely caustic essential oil! It must be diluted before use.

  Tea Tree ( _Melaleuca alternifolia_ )

This is a tree native to Australia whose leaves and branch tips are used for medicinal purposes. Known for millennia by the Aborigines, tea tree is still an important part of this country's therapeutic arsenal. During the Second World War, for example, the Australian army distributed flasks of this tree's essential oil to its servicemen so they could treat their own skin infections (scratches, wounds, cuts, stings, boils, and fungal infections).

Tea tree is primarily used as a topical remedy for the skin, but its sphere of operation includes the digestive tract. Whether it concerns illnesses of the upper tract (canker sores, gingivitis, dental abscesses), middle tract (intestinal parasites), or lower tract (bacterial, parasitical, or candida-engendered enterocolitis), tea tree always performs great service. It is also effective in treating infections of the respiratory system and the genital region.

The active properties of tea tree are various kinds of terpenes that are found in its essential oil, a broad-spectrum antibacterial. It is also effective against viruses, parasites, and fungi. It stimulates the immune system, including, among other things, the production of IgA antibodies (which prevent germs from penetrating deeper into the body).

Tea tree oil is one of the major natural anti-infection agents.

Dosage

  *  ** _Oral:_** Take 2 to 4 drops, three to five times a day, in honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  ** _Topical (strongly recommended):_** Place 1 undiluted drop on any skin problem (including fungal infections, canker sores, insect bites, pimples, eczema, etc.), or dilute 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil and use it as an ointment on the region to be treated (for example, the lower belly in the case of infectious enteritis).

  Thyme ( _Thymus vulgaris_ )

Thyme is a small bush from the Mediterranean basin that is used heavily in the culinary traditions of that region. Its numerous medicinal properties have been well known since antiquity.

Thyme's essential oil is extracted from its flowering tops. More than 200 pounds of thyme are needed to obtain just 3½ ounces of essential oil! However, while thyme does not produce much essential oil, that oil has a very high therapeutic potency. Its principal constituents are thymol, para-cymene, and carvacrol. Thymol is thirty times more powerful against bacteria than phenol, a chemical substance that has long been used as a disinfectant in allopathic medicine and has long been considered to be the ideal antiseptic. Like that of oregano, thyme essential oil has proven to be more active in sterilizing germ breeding grounds. Diluted to just 0.1 percent, as found in some natural toothpastes, it kills all the harmful microbes found in the mouth.

Thyme is also one of the essential oils with the most powerful antibiotic properties. It acts with equal effectiveness against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. It can therefore be used to treat almost all infectious health problems, and all the more so because it stimulates the production of white blood cells.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 1 to 3 drops, three times a day, in 1 teaspoon of honey or dispersant (see here).
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Dilute 3 to 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil before applying to the skin.

 **Warning:** Thyme is an extremely caustic essential oil! It must be diluted before use.

THE MOTHER TINCTURES

These tinctures are liquid preparations that are created via the dissolution effect of alcohol on medicinal plants. The plant material is submerged in alcohol and left to macerate for twenty-one days. During this time, the alcohol pulls the chemical constituents from the plant matter, becoming charged with their active properties. The plant matter is then strained from the alcohol, and fresh alcohol is added to the tincture until it achieves a ratio of one-tenth plant extract to nine-tenths alcohol. Numerous tests (chromotherapy, capillary analysis, spectrometry, and so on) are then performed on the tincture to ensure that it contains active constituents in amounts that exactly match preestablished norms.

The therapeutic value of mother tinctures prepared in this way is therefore constant. It does not vary over time based on the provenance of the plants, the degree of sunlight they received, and other factors that sometimes make their dosage problematic.

Furthermore, the ready availability of tinctures as drops allows for simple and rapid use, which is not a negligible factor in our day, in which making an herbal tea or decoction is often seen as requiring too much time.

  Bearberry ( _Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_ )

A small bush with climbing stems that form dense beds or vast cushions, bearberry grows in dry, rocky, shady soils in fields and mountains. This plant is also known as bear's grape, a name that comes from the fact that bears are extremely fond of its red fruits.

The oldest references to the medicinal virtues of bearberry go back to the twelfth century. Its leaves possess therapeutic properties thanks to the presence of the antibiotic substance arbutin. Bearberry is used most often to treat infections of the urinary tract, its primary sphere of operation. It is moreover a standard treatment in this kind of affliction because in cases of cystitis, pyelonephritis, gonorrhea, urethritis, infections related to urinary tract stones, and so forth, its antibiotic properties combined with its diuretic and sedative properties provide valuable assistance. Bearberry is also recommended for intestinal infections such as colibacillosis, dysentery, enterocolitis, and so on.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 30 to 50 drops of the MT, with a little water, three times a day, before meals.

 **Note:** Bearberry is also effective as a tea: bring one handful of leaves (around 40 grams) to a boil in 1 quart of water, then remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for fifteen minutes. Strain and drink over the course of the day.

  Burdock ( _Arctium lappa_ )

Burdock is a vigorously growing plant that can reach heights of 4½ to 6 feet and extends its branches widely. Its purple flowers, when mature, transform into a prickly ball that sticks to the fur of animals and to clothing. It prefers to grow in heavy, disturbed soil, like areas of backfill, roadsides, and clearings. The part used in medicine is its extremely long root.

Known and used since the time of antiquity, burdock root contains polyacetylenes, which are responsible for its antibacterial effect. It is especially active against Gram-positive bacteria and _Staphylococcus aureus,_ streptococci, pneumococci, and so forth. Its sphere of action is primarily the skin, which is to say cutaneous infections like acne, boils, anthrax, abscesses (throat, teeth), wounds, and measles. Burdock also has antifungal properties and is effective against ringworms, microscopic fungi responsible for various afflictions of the scalp and other skin surfaces.

Drying the root renders many of its properties inactive, so burdock MT is primarily prepared from fresh roots.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 30 to 80 drops of the MT, with a little water, three times a day, before meals.
  *  _ **Topical (more common):**_ Use 100 drops or more of the undiluted MT on cotton padding as a compress.

  Common Barberry ( _Berberis vulgaris_ )

Common barberry is a small thorny bush that grows to a height of 6 to 10 feet in soil with lots of limestone. Its yellow flowers droop in clusters and produce small oblong red fruits. In the past, barberry was much more common and even used as a decorative plant in gardens.

Up to 6 percent of the root and bark is a very powerful antibiotic alkaloid: berberine. This substance has a very pronounced yellow color and was once used to dye wool. It is traditionally used for its antidiarrheal properties and as a vein and kidney tonic. Though commonly used during the Middle Ages, it had largely fallen into oblivion until modern studies offered evidence of its antibiotic properties. Berberine is in fact effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. It is therefore a broad-spectrum antibiotic, especially because it stimulates the production and activity of macrophages.

Its antibiotic and immune-stimulating properties have proven themselves to be highly useful during _Candida albicans_ infections, especially in the area of the digestive tract, which is common barberry's ideal sphere of operation. Diseases like salmonella poisoning, amebiasis, cholera, various forms of enteritis, and infectious diarrheas, among others, are therefore also prime targets for it.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 20 to 50 drops of the MT, with a little water, three times a day, before meals.

  Mouse-Ear Hawkweed ( _Hieracium pilosella_ )

Mouse-ear hawkweed is a medicinal plant with yellow flowers that resemble dandelions, but daintier and smaller. Its leaves are covered with fine downy hairs. The plant tends to grow on embankments, in prairie fields, and in the mountains.

It is not mentioned in any ancient text. We have to wait until the twelfth century for Hildegard von Bingen to speak about it. The plant possesses a coumarin-like antibiotic substance, umbelliferone, which is only active in the fresh plant, and not if the plant has been dried. This means that hawkweed is primarily used therapeutically in the form of a mother tincture that has been prepared with the fresh plant. Its antibiotic properties, which were only recently discovered, have been the subject of much study. Mouse-ear hawkweed is one of the most commonly used plant antibiotics for infections in the urinary system, which is its primary sphere of action.

This herb is very effective against bacteria, such as colibacillus, and is recommended for the treatment of cystitis, nephritis, and colibacillosis. It combines strong diuretic properties with its disinfectant properties in targeting the urinary tract. Mouse-ear hawkweed is also active against the microbial agents responsible for brucellosis (Malta fever).

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 30 to 50 drops of the MT, with a little water, three to five times a day, before meals.

  Purple Coneflower ( _Echinacea purpurea_ )

This medicinal plant is better known to the public by its Latin name, echinacea. Purple coneflower grows wild in the great prairies of North America but is increasingly cultivated in gardens in both North America and Europe. The stem, which is on average about 20 inches tall, is crowned by beautiful flowers that bear a passing resemblance to large daisies, with mauve-red petals. There are many varieties of echinacea, but the ones that are used for their medicinal properties are but two: _Echinacea purpurea_ and _Echinacea angustifolia._

Archaeological digs have revealed that the Native Americans of the Great Plains were using echinacea at least from the beginning of the seventeenth century to treat infections of all kinds: throat, teeth, wounds, snakebite, measles, mumps, and chickenpox. To benefit from its healing virtues, they would suck on the roots of the plant or make them into poultices. The use of echinacea—which is common in North America—has now spread to the rest of the world thanks to the many studies that have revealed its benefits.

Echinacea owes its effectiveness to its combination of antibiotic and immune-stimulating properties. Its enzymes destroy the enzymes that bacteria release to weaken the cellular membranes of their host cells. The bacteria must therefore remain outside the cells to carry out their harmful activities, and there they are destroyed by the macrophages whose production and activity are strongly increased by the immune-stimulating properties of echinacea.

As we have seen earlier, the activity of macrophages—which consists of swallowing and then destroying invaders—is a nonspecific defense system. It works against bacteria as well as viruses, fungi, and parasites. Echinacea therefore has an extremely broad spectrum of action, which makes it useful against all infections, wherever they may be located. Because of its completely innocuous nature, it is recommended for use by everyone, including children and the elderly.

Mother tincture of echinacea offers a simple and effective means of using this medicinal plant. Small doses ingested several times a day (five or six times, for example) have been shown to be more effective than a higher dose taken one time. In long-term treatments (to address chronic infection or flu prevention, for example), echinacea's immune-stimulating actions are more effective if it is taken in courses with a pause between them. For example, you might take echinacea for two weeks, then pause for one week, then repeat.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 20 to 30 drops of the MT, in a little water, three to five times a day. For acute disorders, take 20 drops every two hours during the first two days, and then start taking the normal dosage.
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Try gargling with echinacea MT to treat an infection of the throat, teeth, or mouth (canker sores); dilute 30 to 50 drops in a glass of lukewarm water and gargle. The same dosage can be applied to cotton padding for a compress to treat infections in wounds, bites, boils, abscesses, and so forth.

OTHER NATURAL ANTIBIOTICS

  Grapefruit Seed Extract

Unlike the other natural antibiotics mentioned in this book, grapefruit seed extract is a relatively new remedy. In fact, it was only in 1964 that Dr. Jacob Harich discovered its antibiotic substances. The story of its discovery is also fairly unique, as it occurred not in a laboratory but in a compost pile. Dr. Harich had become intrigued by the fact that, unlike all the other plant wastes in his compost pile that decomposed, the seeds from grapefruit did not decay. For some inexplicable reason they resisted the thousands of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and yeasts) that customarily teem in compost and ensure the decay of organic matter.

Wishing to know the reason for this, he analyzed the seeds. He discovered that an extract of the seeds (and pulp), when administered to patients suffering from infectious diseases, proved capable of healing them. Later tests and studies revealed that grapefruit seed extract not only possessed a very powerful antibiotic action but also covered a very broad spectrum, as it was effective against bacteria as well as viruses, fungi, and parasites. All the studies performed since this time have only confirmed that grapefruit seed extract is a powerful antibiotic, and—something that is not insignificant—it has no side effects.

The antibiotics contained in grapefruit seed extract are bioflavonoids, substances that possess a chemical structure quite close to that of vitamins. There are thousands of different kinds; those contained in grapefruit seed extract are primarily neohesperidin, hesperidin, nomilin, and naringin. In addition to their antibiotic properties, these bioflavonoids are also very powerful antioxidants (they are twenty times stronger than vitamin C and fifty times stronger than vitamin E).

The antibiotic properties of grapefruit seed extract penetrate the body rapidly; they are already active in the tissues twenty minutes after ingestion. Because of its broad spectrum of action, grapefruit seed extract is indicated for almost all infectious diseases.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ The average dose is 3 to 15 drops, diluted in some water, two to three times a day. (See the chart below for recommended daily dosage by body weight.) Most long-term treatments call for taking grapefruit seed extract internally rather than using it externally.

As you can see, the body's daily dosage equates to ¼ drop of grapefruit seed extract per pound of body weight. In the case of acute violent infections, the dosage can be adjusted (up to ½ drop per pound a day). In chronic and generalized infections, like chronic candidiasis, it is recommended to start with small doses and gradually increase them to avoid having the body become overwhelmed by germ cadavers.

GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT: RECOMMENDED INTERNAL DOSAGES BY BODY WEIGHT
---
**BODY WEIGHT**|  **GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT DAILY DOSAGE**
|  20 lbs|  |  5 drops
|  40 lbs|  |  10 drops
|  60 lbs|  |  15 drops
|  80 lbs|  |  20 drops
|  100 lbs|  |  25 drops
|  120 lbs|  |  30 drops
|  140 lbs|  |  35 drops
|  160 lbs|  |  40 drops
|  180 lbs|  |  45 drops
|  200 lbs|  |  50 drops

  *  _ **Topical:**_ For topical use, the dilution rate depends on the intended application.

Gargle (for sore throat): Dilute 10 drops in 8½ fluid ounces.

Compress (for wounds): Dilute 10 drops in 8½ fluid ounces.

Nasal irrigation (for colds, sinusitis): Dilute 1 to 3 drops in 3.4 fluid ounces.

Vaginal irrigation or colonics: Dilute 7 drops in 8½ fluid ounces.

Ointment (for herpes, canker sores, mycosis, warts): Dilute 2 to 8 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil.

 **Note:** Grapefruit seed extract comes in the form of an extremely concentrated, thick liquid. For commercial purposes, it is slightly diluted in vegetable glycerin and a little water, though it remains quite concentrated and caustic. To be used therapeutically it absolutely must be diluted again in water. This extract should never be used undiluted. If it accidentally comes into contact with the eyes, mucous membranes, or skin, quickly rinse it off with large quantities of lukewarm water. Grapefruit seed extract should not be confused with the grapefruit essential oil, which does not have the properties of the extract.

  Lapacho ( _Tabebuia impetiginosa_ )

Lapacho—also called pau d'arco—is a tree native to South America that is widespread in Brazil, Peru, and Argentina. Its medicinal properties have been known for centuries. The Incas made wide use of it, and today lapacho is a common folk remedy among the peoples of South America.

Lapacho grows in humid tropical forests at high altitudes (up to 5,000 feet). It can reach 130 feet in height. This tree belongs to the Bignoniaceae family. There are close to six hundred species of lapacho, but less than a dozen possess medicinal properties. _Tabebuia impetiginosa_ is the species most often used in therapy, though you will sometimes find it called _Tabebuia heptaphylla, Tabebuia avellanedae,_ Handroanthus impetiginosus, or _Tecoma curialis._

The active substances of lapacho are contained in the inner bark or sapwood—that is, the part that is found between the outer bark and the heart of the tree. To obtain it, the trunk of the tree is stripped of its bark and the sapwood is then manually separated from the outer bark. At this stage it looks like reddish-brown strips, which will be broken down into smaller pieces.

The first scientific studies performed on this tree date back to 1885. Since then numerous studies have been pursued in laboratories and universities all around the world. Extensive clinical studies have been conducted in Saõ Paulo, Brazil, where physicians have used lapacho to successfully treat a wide range of infectious ailments.

In Europe lapacho is known mainly as an anticancer plant, but it also possesses powerful antibiotic properties with a broad spectrum of action. In fact, in South America it has been used primarily to fight against fevers and microbial infections in general. Its effects are considered to be so wonderful that the rural populaces gave lapacho the nickname of "miracle tree" and "divine tree."

The antibiotic substances of lapacho are lapachol, xylidine, and quercetin, as well as eighteen kinds of quinones. These substances have been revealed as highly effective in neutralizing or destroying:

  * Bacteria, including those responsible for tuberculosis, dysentery, anthrax, Malta fever, cystitis, bronchitis, and pharyngitis
  * Viruses, including those responsible for herpes and infec-
  * tions of the respiratory tract
  * Fungi, like _Candida albicans,_ in intestinal, vaginal, and cervical infections
  * Parasites, including the plasmodium responsible for malaria and _Trypanosoma cruzi,_ which causes sleeping sickness

The great effectiveness of lapacho in infectious diseases is due to the fact that, in addition to its antibiotic properties, it is a powerful stimulant of the immune system, whose activities it reinforces and supports. Because of its purifying properties and its ability to address deficiencies, it is also a prime corrector of the body's cellular terrain and an effective blood and cell regenerator.

Lapacho is available is specialty shops in the form of dried bark (for making tea), tinctures, and tablets. It has no contraindications and can be used by anyand everyone.

Lapacho is most commonly used in the form of tea. Its active principles must be extracted from the ligneous tissues of the bark, so it is imperative to boil the bark for several minutes—in other words, you must prepare lapacho as a decoction. To do that, bring 1 quart of water to a boil, then add 1½ tablespoons of lapacho. Cover. Let it boil for ten minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for fifteen minutes. Strain out the bark, and then add fresh water to bring the total volume of the tea back to 1 quart.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Tea (decoction): Take 1 to 3 tablespoons of lapacho a day, equaling 1 to 2 quarts of tea.
Tinctures: Take 6 to 15 ml (equaling 1 to 3 teaspoons) a day.
Tablets: Take 6 to 9 grams of powder a day.
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Add 2 quarts of lapacho decoction, prepared as instructed above, to a hot bath (100°F to 104°F). Soak in the water for thirty minutes.

  Propolis

Propolis is a viscous substance that bees use as cement, putty, and varnish in their hive. They use it, for example, to construct defensive barriers, particularly at the entrance of the hive to protect it from unwanted visitors and from the rigors of the climate. It is from this function, incidentally, that propolis gets its name; in Greek, _propolis_ means what is in front ( _pro_ ) of the city ( _polis_ ), implying in this case the "city" of the bees.

Bees also use propolis to plug up cracks and fissures, to repair and consolidate defective layers, and to varnish the inner surfaces of the hives. This varnish is applied to get rid of rough patches, but it also serves to disinfect the hive. The need for strict sanitation is easy to understand once you realize that some forty thousand to fifty thousand bees live in the close quarters of the hive, that in the summer they are continuously in contact with the outside world (and thus highly likely to return with germs), and that in winter they huddle up into a packed cluster in the hive.

Bees manufacture propolis from the resinous, gummy, and balsamic substances they harvest from the buds and bark of trees (especially conifers and poplars). Worker bees collect these substances in spring and autumn, when they are not occupied with harvesting f lowers. The bees transport these substances in the baskets of their back feet, as they do pollen, and mix them with their own secretions. Every hive produces 100 to 200 grams of propolis a year. Depending on its origin, propolis can be clear yellow to dark brown in color. Its flavor is slightly bitter and acrid, and its odor is pleasant and sweet.

The disinfectant properties of propolis have been known for thousands of years. The people of ancient Egypt and Greece took full advantage of these properties. Aristotle mentioned propolis as a remedy for afflictions of the skin, wounds, and suppurations. In Rome, Pliny the Elder spoke of its effectiveness against incurable boils, ulcers, and abscesses. Recommended in the Roman world (by Galen), the Arab world (by Avicenna), and the Incan world, propolis has enjoyed times of both glory and oblivion. Its fame reached its peak around 1900 during the Boer War in South Africa thanks to its quite exceptional ability to disinfect and heal the wounds of the soldiers involved in this conflict. After that time its popularity waned, but with the current resurgence in interest in natural medicine, its use has spread.

The antibiotic substances of propolis are primarily benzoic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, galangin, pinocembrin, and pinobanksin. They are active against:

  * Bacteria: staphylococci, streptococci, salmonella, _Proteus vulgaris,_ and _Escherichia coli_ strain B
  * Viruses: flu and herpes viruses
  * Fungi and yeasts: particularly _Candida albicans_
  * Parasites: for example, trichomonas (which causes vaginitis, urethritis)

Though propolis acts against all four categories of germs, its action is especially powerful against the bacteria.

For its therapeutic use, propolis is given in three basic forms:

  * A paste or fragments that are chewed
  * A powder in gel caps
  * An alcoholic tincture

The paste and fragments are recommended for infections of the mouth, throat, and upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, etc.). Having to chew the remedy—until it has dissolved and can be swallowed—keeps its active principles in contact with the site of the infection for longer than they would if the propolis was simply ingested.

The gel caps and the tincture are recommended for infections of the digestive and urinary tracts. Fragments can certainly be swallowed to treat these diseases, but in that case they are swallowed without being chewed.

Propolis provides rapid results. If no improvement is seen after several days of treatment, then it is better to try another natural antibiotic rather than persisting.

Dosage

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Take 3 grams of fragments or paste a day, divided into two or three doses, not close to meals. The dosage of the tinctures and gel caps will vary in accordance with their concentration; you must therefore refer to the manufacturer's instructions for dosages. Around 20 grams is usually enough for effective treatment.
  *  _ **Topical:**_ You can find propolis creams and ointments at specialty shops. Apply them two or three times a day to the affected area.

 **Note:** Propolis has no contraindications. At the very most it can, when chewed, impart a slight burning sensation to the mouth, and it can cause minor bouts of diarrhea in extremely sensitive individuals.

The Most Powerful Essential Oils

 **Antibacterial**

Niaouli, oregano, palmarosa, savory, thyme

 **Antiviral**

Basil, eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ), niaouli, oregano, palmarosa, ravintsara, thyme

 **Fungicidal**

Niaouli, oregano, palmarosa, thyme

 **Parasiticidal**

Oregano, savory, thyme

Essential Oils for Children

Lavender, ravintsara

Gentlest Essential Oils for the Skin

Lavender, palmarosa, ravintsara

Natural Antibiotics with the Broadest Spectrum of Action

 **Essential Oil**

Oregano, palmarosa, savory, tea tree, thyme

 **Mother Tincture**

Echinacea

 **Others**

Grapefruit seed extract, lapacho, propolis
7

Treatments for 50 Common Infections

Using Natural Antibiotics

This chapter demonstrates how to use natural antibiotics with specific examples. To do this, we will touch on around fifty of the most common infectious diseases. These afflictions are classified in accordance with the organ system to which they belong. We will start with the infections of the digestive tract and then move on to those of the respiratory tract and the ear, nose, and throat region, the urinary tract, the genital organs, and the skin. The last group will pull together the general infections that are not confined to one organ system but strike the whole body.

If some infectious diseases are not discussed here, this does not mean they cannot be treated with natural antibiotics. To the contrary, because of the broad spectrum of action that most of these antibiotics have, there will always be several that could be helpful. Which one should you choose? Because natural antibiotics have a predilection for organ systems, rather than diseases, determine which organ system the disease in question affects, and then choose an antibiotic whose primary sphere of action includes that system.

As for the choice of essential oils, I would like to point out that the most effective ones for a specific illness can be determined with precision thanks to an aromatogram. This test is performed like an antibiogram but with essential oils instead of conventional antibiotics. First the germ responsible for the illness is sampled (extracted from a urine or stool sample or a throat scraping) and cultivated in a laboratory, and then it is put in contact with a wide range of essential oils. Depending on whether the germ's growth is greatly or weakly interrupted, we can learn which essential oils are most active against it. This test is performed in specially equipped analytical laboratories.

 **Warning:** Improperly treated infectious diseases can have very serious consequences for your health. While the therapeutic treatments suggested here are very effective, they cannot take the place of the informed counsel of a medical professional. In serious cases, you should always seek the assistance of a trained physician.

THE TREATMENT STRUCTURE

Each treatment described in this chapter includes a definition of the disease, a list of the natural antibiotics that are effective against it, and one or two examples of how to use those natural antibiotics to treat the disease in question.

Definitions

The definitions of the diseases—in italics—are brief and only paint a general picture. They aim only at recalling the diseases' primary manifestations and origin (bacteria, virus, fungi, or parasite). In any case, they are not detailed enough to be used to establish a diagnosis.

Recommended Natural Antibiotics

The natural antibiotics indicated for each illness are divided into three groups: essential oils, mother tinctures, and "other" (that is, all other preparations). Within each group, the remedies are listed according to their value in treating the disease in question. That means that the first remedy in each list is generally considered the most effective for that particular disease, but keep in mind that infections work differently in different people, and different people respond differently to the remedies, so you must learn for yourself, from trial and error, experience, and observation, which remedies work best for you in any given situation.

For the essential oils and mother tinctures, I note that these are the _principal_ options. In other words, they are the ones that are most often recommended and have proven effective in treating the disease in question. I have excluded from this book those natural antibiotics that are tricky to handle or can cause serious side effects. Our selection is therefore necessarily limited, incomplete, and subjective. Numerous other essential oils and mother tinctures can be used to your advantage.

Treatment Examples

Most treatment examples call for combining an oral remedy with a topical one. The purpose of this combination is to introduce the maximum amount of active constituents into the body. A sufficiently high dosage taken only orally can sometimes cause digestive discomfort or digestive distress. Separating part of the dosage into a topical application allows the dosage to remain high without overwhelming the digestive system.

For most of the diseases discussed in this chapter, you will find that at least one of the treatment examples avoids internal use of an essential oil. Some people simply have no tolerance for ingesting essential oils; these rare individuals find them too strong, too stimulating, or too aggressive. Even people who tolerate oral doses of essential oils may, after several days of treatment, begin to find them irritating, and in that case they can switch over to a different treatment.

Often several essential oils or mother tinctures are recommended for a specific disease. If you like, you can blend these natural antibiotics, so long as you do not exceed the normal recommended dosage. For example, instead of 3 drops of thyme essential oil, you can take 1 drop of thyme essential oil, 1 drop of niaouli essential oil, and 1 drop of savory essential oil. The total dose remains 3 drops, but you can take advantage of the particular strengths of all three natural antibiotics.

USING NATURAL ANTIBIOTICS ORALLY

To take a mother tincture internally, you can simply dilute it in a little water. But the same is not true for essential oils. Because they are insoluble in water, they float to the surface of liquid (as do all oils) and the bulk of the remedy remains glued to the wall of the glass. Thus, to take essential oils orally, you must take them with a support, such as honey, which acts as a carrier, or with a dispersant. These products are all the more beneficial because they keep the delicate mucous membranes of the mouth from having direct contact with the essential oils, which, being quite concentrated, can be irritating to the tissues when undiluted.

Supports for Essential Oils

A wide variety of supports for taking essential oils orally is available. The most important quality for supports is that they thoroughly coat the essential oil so that the mucous membranes of the mouth and stomach are not irritated by direct contact.

The most commonly recommended support is honey. Mix the recommended dosage of essential oil with 1 teaspoon of honey, then swallow the mixture as is or diluted in a bit of warm water.

Other support substances are equally suitable. Among them we find crustless bread, white cheese or yogurt, pureed potato, and whey.

You can also ask your pharmacist to put essential oils into 50-milligram capsules.

Dispersants for Essential Oils

Dispersants are emulsifying products especially manufactured for aromatherapy (brands such as Springfields). Made entirely from plant substances, they disperse the essential oil into billions of microscopic particles and coat them. This causes them to lose their irritating character and makes them easy to blend with water. You add the essential oils to the dispersant, stir, and then add a little water. The mixture then looks like a milky liquid, and it's ready to drink. The proportions of the blend vary depending on how strong the essential oil is:

  * Gentle essential oils (tea tree, basil, eucalyptus, lavender, niaouli, palmarosa, ravintsara): Add 1 drop of essential oil to 10 drops of dispersant.
  * Strong essential oils (oregano, savory, thyme): Add 1 drop of essential oil to 20 drops of dispersant.

USING NATURAL ANTIBIOTICS TOPICALLY

Some essential oils and grapefruit seed extract are too irritating, or even caustic, to be applied directly to the skin. Depending on an individual's sensitivity, they can cause painful tingling and even burns, with blisters.

It is therefore essential to dilute these substances before applying them to the skin. While water is enough to dilute grapefruit seed extract, an oily support is required for essential oils. Sweet almond oil is the most commonly recommended, but any oil can be used: sunflower, olive, canola, and so forth. One teaspoon of oil is enough to dilute 4 to 6 drops of essential oil. If you need to make enough ointment for a large surface, like the thorax in the case of bronchitis, or the lower belly in the case of cystitis, you would dilute 10 to 15 drops of essential oil in 1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil.

Three essential oils are particularly gentle and can usually be applied undiluted (though hypersensitive skin may sometimes still react to them). These three are ravintsara, lavender, and palmarosa. All the others should be diluted, and most especially the essential oils of oregano, savory, and thyme, which are particularly irritating.

 **Note:** Topical applications are intended only for the skin and not the mucous membranes (the nose, eyes, genital organs, and so on). These areas are too sensitive for treatment with essential oils. Great care should be taken to avoid them when applying preparations of essential oils to the neighboring skin surfaces.

NATURAL ANTIBIOTIC DOSAGES

Natural remedies are not prescribed in fixed dosages, as is the case for conventional antibiotics and other pharmaceutical medications. Their dosage is always individualized and adjusted to the patient being treated. The dosage is increased or reduced in accordance with the patient's temperament and vitality, the progression of the disease, and so on. The dosages indicated in the treatment examples are therefore only averages. Nevertheless, they should be increased only with caution.

The treatment examples do not always indicate the duration of the treatment, as the duration will depend on the development of the illness. As a general rule, treatment is always limited to a certain period of time, especially for treatments based on essential oils, which range from three to four days to around two weeks.

The sole essential oil treatment that can be extended over a period of several months is for fungal infections like _Candida albicans._ Eradication of this fungus requires longterm action. The dosages are adjusted with this in mind—that is, they are relatively low, so that they can be continued for months. If you begin to feel antipathy or disgust for the remedy during the course of a long-duration treatment, it is best to stop taking it; you could replace it with mother tinctures, plant infusions, propolis, or grapefruit seed extract. Grapefruit seed extract, in fact, can generally be taken without any problems for very long periods, from several months to an entire year.

**Additional Observations**

1. With infections, the sooner treatment begins, the better the outcome. An infection is easier to master when it has not yet become extensive.

2. Because the subject of this book is natural antibiotics, the suggestions for treatment focus only on their use. All the other useful methods for fighting infections, such as strengthening the immune system with vitamin and trace-element therapy, taking anti-inflammatories, treating painful symptoms with poultices and compresses, and so on, are not mentioned.*3 In the following chapter, however, you will find guidelines for correcting the cellular terrain to make it as inhospitable as possible to infections.

3. For all infectious diseases, it is essential for the patient to drink a copious amount of fluids—2 quarts or more of water or herbal tea a day—to allow the body to thoroughly eliminate the germ cadavers and the toxins produced over the course of the illness.

INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT

  Abscess of a Tooth

 _A pocket of pus in the gum caused by a bacterial infection._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, lavender

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Others:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops with water, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree essential oil: 2 or 3 undiluted drops applied to the abscess with a cotton swab, three to five times a day
Lavender essential oil: 3 to 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the outside of the cheek, three to five times a day

  Amebiasis

 _A parasitical disease caused by amoebas, typically in tropical countries. It appears in the form of dysentery (in fact, it is also known as amebic dysentery) and can be complicated by hepatic lesions._

 **Principal essential oils:** mountain savory, thyme, oregano, tea tree

 **Principal mother tincture:** barberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Mountain savory or thyme or oregano essential oil: 2 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for twenty days; repeat as needed
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Barberry mother tincture: 30 drops in water, three times a day before meals, for one month; repeat as needed
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Thyme essential oil: 1 or 2 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, three times a day

  Canker Sore

 _Small painful ulceration of viral origin that appears on the mucous membranes of the mouth (like the tongue or cheek)._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, ravintsara, palmarosa,

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Palmarosa or ravintsara or tea tree essential oil: 3 or 4 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for one week
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree or ravintsara essential oil: 1 undiluted drop applied with a cotton swab directly on the canker sore, two or three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in water, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Propolis: 1 piece, chewed slowly, five or six times a day

  Colibacillosis (Intestinal)

 _Infection of the intestines (enteritis, enterocolitis, etc.) by the colibacillus Escherichia coli, a normal inhabitant of the intestine that can become virulent when there is an imbalance in the intestinal flora._

 **Principal essential oils:** thyme, niaouli, oregano, savory, palmarosa

 **Principal mother tinctures:** bearberry, mouse-ear hawkweed

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or oregano or savory essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for twenty days; repeat as needed
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, two times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry or mouse-ear hawkweed mother tincture: 40 drops with water, three times a day, before meals, for one month; repeat as needed
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or niaouli essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, two times a day

  Colitis, Enteritis, and Gastroenteritis

 _Infection and inflammation of the digestive tract (the colon, small intestine, or stomach) accompanied by painful spasms and diarrhea. These infections can be caused by bacilli bacteria, viruses, or parasites (amoebas)._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, palmarosa, ravintsara, savory

 **Principal mother tincture:** bearberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Tea tree or savory or palmarosa essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or palmarosa or tea tree essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops with water, three to five times a day, before and between meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or palmarosa or tea tree essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, three to five times a day

  Gingivitis

 _Bacterial infection and painful inflammation of the gums, accompanied by bleeding._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, ravintsara, palmarosa

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Tea tree or palmarosa essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three or four times a day
  *  _ **Gargle:**_ Ravintsara or tea tree essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, used as a gargle for twenty to thirty seconds, three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in a little water, three to five times a day, before and between meals
Propolis: 1 piece, chewed slowly, five or six times a day

  Infectious Diarrhea

 _The emission of overly fluid, overly frequent stools accompanied by nausea, abdominal pains, and fever. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites can be the cause._

 **Principal essential oils:** oregano, niaouli, basil, tea tree, lavender

 **Principal mother tincture:** bearberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Basil or niaouli or oregano essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three or four times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree or niaouli essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry mother tincture: 40 drops in water, three times a day, before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender or niaouli or tea tree essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, three to five times a day

  Intestinal Parasites

 _The colonization of the intestinal milieu by parasites such as worms, ascarids (roundworms), Anguillula spp., giardia, Cryptosporidia, pinworms, tapeworms, or Trichinella spiralis._

 **Principal essential oils:** thyme, tea tree, savory, oregano

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or oregano or savory essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for two weeks
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree essential oil: 5 drops diluted in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, three times a day for two weeks; repeat, after a pause, if needed

  Stomach Ulcer

 _Lesion of the mucous membrane of the stomach or duodenum. The cause can be dietary or stress-related, but it can also be due to the presence of Helicobacter pylori._

 **Principal essential oils:** basil, niaouli, palmarosa, tea tree

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Basil or niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop of extract per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water thirty to sixty minutes before a meal

  Viral Hepatitis

 _Infection and inflammation of the liver caused by a virus_.

 ** _Medical supervision is essential!_**

 **Principal essential oils:** niaouli, basil, ravintsara, tea tree, oregano, savory, thyme

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A ( _Adjunctive Therapy_ )

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or basil or thyme or oregano or savory essential oil: 3 drops in 60 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three or four times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or niaouli or tea tree essential oil: 5 undiluted drops, or 5 drops diluted in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the area of the liver, three to five times a day

Treatment Example B ( _Adjunctive Therapy_ )

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in water, four or five times a day, before and between meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or niaouli or tea tree essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the area of the liver, three to five times a day

INFECTIONS OF THE RESPIRATORY TRACT AND THE EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT REGION

  Bronchitis (Bacterial)

 _Infection and inflammation of the bronchial tubes, accompanied by coughs and fever._

 **Principal essential oils:** savory, niaouli, thyme, oregano, eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ and _E. globulus_ ), palmarosa, tea tree

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Savory or thyme or oregano or niaouli essential oil: 2 drops in 60 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, five times a day for the first day, then three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or tea tree or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 15 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as a thoracic ointment, three to five times for the first day, then twice a day
Eucalyptus radiata essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 drops in water, six times a day Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop of extract per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Eucalyptus radiata essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

  Bronchitis (Viral)

 _Infection and inflammation of the bronchial tubes, accompanied by coughs and fever._

 **Principal essential oils:** ravintsara, palmarosa, eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ and _E. globulus_ ), thyme, niaouli

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Ravintsara or thyme or niaouli or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) or palmarosa or ravintsara essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as a thoracic ointment, three to five times on the first day, then twice a day
_Eucalyptus radiata_ essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 drops in water, six times a day
Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop of extract per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Eucalyptus radiata essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

  Cold (Rhinitis, Rhinopharyngitis)

 _Infection—usually viral—and inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes._

 **Principal essential oils:** thyme, eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ), lavender, ravintsara, palmarosa, niaouli

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) or niaouli essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or palmarosa or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) or lavender essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops with water, three to five times a day
Propolis: 1 piece, chewed slowly, five or six times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or palmarosa or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) or lavender essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

  Otitis (Earache)

 _Viral or bacterial infection and inflammation of the inner ear._

 **Principal essential oils:** eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ), thyme, lavender, niaouli, tea tree, palmarosa, oregano

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) or thyme or oregano or tea tree essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender essential oil: 3 or 4 drops applied inside the ear with a cotton swab
Lavender or niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment around the ear, three or four times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Propolis: 1 piece, chewed slowly, five or six times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender essential oil: 1 or 2 drops applied inside the ear with a cotton swab
Palmarosa or niaouli essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil, used as an ointment around the ear, three or four times a day

  Pharyngitis (Bacterial)

 _Infection and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the throat, accompanied by pain, difficulty swallowing, and fever. The lymph nodes of the throat are swollen and hard._

 **Principal essential oils:** thyme, tea tree, savory, oregano, niaouli

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or niaouli or savory or oregano or tea tree essential oil: 1 drop in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, every fifteen minutes for the first two hours, then 2 or 3 drops of each in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli essential oil: 3 to 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the area of the throat, every ten to fifteen minutes for the first two hours, then three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops with water, five or six times a day
  *  _ **Gargle:**_ Tea tree or thyme or savory or oregano essential oil: 2 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, used as a gargle for twenty to thirty seconds, every ten minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

  Pharyngitis (Viral)

 _Infection and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the throat, accompanied by pain, difficulty swallowing, and fever. The lymph nodes of the throat are swollen and hard._

 **Principal essential oils:** Ravintsara, palmarosa, eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ and _E. globulus_ ), oregano, niaouli, thyme

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Oregano and eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) essential oil: 1 drop of each in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, every fifteen minutes for the first two hours, then 2 or 3 drops of each in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or palmarosa essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the area of the throat, every ten to fifteen minutes for the first two hours, then three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 50 drops with water, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Gargle:**_ Oregano or ravintsara or palmarosa essential oil: 2 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, used as a gargle for twenty to thirty seconds, every ten minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

  Sinusitis

 _A viral or bacterial infection and inflammation of the mucous membranes that carpet the sinuses—that is, the cavities in the skull._

 **Principal essential oils:** thyme, niaouli, lavender, ravintsara, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ )

 **Other:** propolis

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or thyme essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day, for fifteen days; repeat as needed
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender or ravintsara or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the forehead and around the nose; **avoid your eyes!**

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Propolis: 1 piece, chewed slowly, three or four times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or lavender or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the forehead and around the nose; **avoid your eyes!**

INFECTIONS OF THE URINARY TRACT

  Cystitis

 _Painful infection and inflammation of the bladder by bacteria, fungi (_ Candida albicans _), and so on._

 **Principal essential oils:** oregano, thyme, savory, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ), niaouli, lavender, palmarosa

 **Principal mother tinctures:** bearberry, mouse-ear hawkweed

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Oregano or savory or thyme or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or niaouli essential oil: 2 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three to five times a day
Mouse-ear hawkweed or bearberry mother tincture: 50 drops in water, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender essential oil: 5 to 10 undiluted drops used as an ointment on the lower belly, around the bladder, three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry or mouse-ear hawkweed mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops with water, three to six times a day
Propolis: 1 piece, chewed slowly, five or six times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa essential oil: 5 to 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, three to five times a day

 **Note:** During urinary infections, it is imperative to drink an abundant quantity of water or herbal tea (several quarts a day) to rid the urinary tract of germs and toxins.

  Nephritis (Pyelonephritis)

 _Bacterial infection of the kidneys._

 **Principal essential oils:** oregano, thyme, savory, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ), niaouli, lavender, palmarosa

 **Principal mother tinctures:** bearberry, mouse-ear hawkweed

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral** :_ Thyme or oregano or savory or niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: 3 or 4 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli or palmarosa or lavender or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry or mouse-ear hawkweed mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in water, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli or palmarosa or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or lavender essential oil: 6 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the back, around the kidneys (beneath the bottom ribs), three to five times a day
Niaouli or palmarosa or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or lavender essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

  Urethritis

 _Bacterial infection and inflammation of the excretory canal of the bladder._

 **Principal essential oils:** niaouli, tea tree, palmarosa, thyme, oregano, savory

 **Principal mother tincture:** bearberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or niaouli or tea tree or oregano essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for twenty days
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree or niaouli essential oil: Place 5 drops, undiluted or blended with 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; do this two or three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in water, three to five times a day, before and between meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or tea tree, or niaouli, essential oil: Place 5 drops, undiluted or blended with 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; do this two or three times a day

 **Note:** During urinary infections, it is imperative to drink an abundant quantity of water or herbal tea (several quarts a day) to rid the urinary tract of germs and toxins.

  Urinary Colibacillosis

 _Infection of the urinary tract by the colibacillus Escherichia coli, a normal inhabitant of the intestines that can become virulent when the intestinal flora become imbalanced. When it migrates into the urinary tract, it can cause cystitis, pyelitis, or pyelonephritis._

 **Principal essential oils:** thyme, niaouli, oregano, savory, palmarosa

 **Principal mother tinctures:** bearberry, mouse-ear hawkweed

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral**_ **:** Thyme or oregano or savory essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three or four times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or niaouli essential oil: 5 to 10 drops,
  * undiluted or blended with 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, around the bladder, two to four times a day for fifteen days; repeat as needed

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry or mouse-ear hawkweed mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops with water, three times a day (or five times a day in acute phases), before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, around the bladder, two to four times a day for fifteen days; repeat as needed

 **Note:** During urinary infections, it is imperative to drink an abundant quantity of water or herbal tea (several quarts a day) to rid the urinary tract of germs and toxins.

GENITAL INFECTIONS IN WOMEN

  Cervicitis, Metritis, Salpingitis, Vulvitis, and Vaginitis

 _Bacterial infections that affect one part or another of the female gynecological sphere, with inflammation, irritation, and white discharges._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, niaouli, palmarosa, oregano, thyme

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Tea tree or niaouli or oregano or thyme essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for seven to fourteen days
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa essential oil: 5 to 8 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the abdomen, two or three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop of extract per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water thirty to sixty minutes before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 to 3 drops in 1 cup of lukewarm water, used as a vaginal wash one or two times a day; stir the solution well in order to properly dilute the extract in the water and prevent irritation to the mucous membranes

  Genital Herpes

 _A skin disorder of viral origin characterized by the appearance of small blisters grouped in reddish patches on the genital organs._

 **Principal essential oils:** niaouli, ravintsara, tea tree, palmarosa, lavender, basil, oregano, thyme

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or basil or oregano or thyme essential oil: 3 or 4 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or lavender or tea tree essential oil: 5 to 8 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, between the navel and the pubis, one to three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop of extract per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water thirty to sixty minutes before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 to 3 drops in 1 cup of lukewarm water, used as a vaginal wash one or two times a day; stir the solution well in order to properly dilute the extract in the water and prevent irritation to the mucous membranes.

  Genital Mycosis

 _Infection of the genital tract by a fungus (Candida albicans or another), accompanied by itching, inflammation, and white discharges._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, savory, niaouli, eucalyptus (E. globulus), oregano, palmarosa

 **Principal mother tinctures:** echinacea, barberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Tea tree or savory or niaouli or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or oregano or palmarosa essential oil: 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or tea tree or niaouli or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 5 to 8 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, one to three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Barberry mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in a little water, three times a day, before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 to 3 drops in 1 cup of lukewarm water, used as a vaginal wash, one or two times a day; stir the solution well in order to properly dilute the extract in the water and prevent irritation to the mucous membranes

GENITAL INFECTIONS IN MEN

  Genital Herpes

 _A skin disorder of viral origin characterized by the appearance of small blisters grouped in reddish patches on the genital organs._

 **Principal essential oils:** niaouli, ravintsara, tea tree, thyme, palmarosa, lavender, basil, oregano

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or oregano or niaouli or basil essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree or ravintsara or lavender or palmarosa essential oil: 5 to 8 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, between the navel and the pubis, one to three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 drops in a little water, five or six times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 to 3 drops in 1 cup of lukewarm water, used as a wash over the afflicted areas one or two times a day; stir the solution well in order to properly dilute the extract in the water and prevent irritation to the mucous membranes

  Genital Mycosis

 _Infection of the head of the penis by a fungus (Candida albicans or another), accompanied by red patches and itching._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, savory, niaouli, oregano, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ), palmarosa

 **Principal mother tinctures:** echinacea, barberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Tea tree or savory or niaouli or oregano essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or tea tree essential oil: 5 to 8 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop of extract per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water thirty to sixty minutes before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 to 3 drops in 1 cup of lukewarm water, used as a wash over the afflicted areas one or two times a day; stir the solution well in order to properly dilute the extract in the water and prevent irritation to the mucous membranes

  Orchiepididymitis (Acute)

 _Bacterial inflammation of the testicles and epididymis, with or without urethritis._

 **Principal essential oils:** thyme, niaouli, tea tree, oregano, savory

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or oregano or savory essential oil: 3 drops in 50 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree or niaouli essential oil: 5 to 8 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, between the navel and the pubis, two or three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 drops in a little water, five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 to 3 drops in 1 cup of lukewarm water, used as a wash over the afflicted areas two times a day; stir the solution well in order to properly dilute the extract in the water and prevent irritation to the mucous membranes

  Prostatitis

 _Bacterial infection and inflammation of the prostate._

 **Principal essential oils:** niaouli, basil, savory, palmarosa, tea tree, thyme

 **Principal mother tincture:** bearberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or thyme or savory or basil essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or tea tree or niaouli essential oil: 4 or 5 drops in 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, between the navel and the pubis, three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Bearberry mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in a little water, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree or niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the lower belly, three to five times a day

SKIN INFECTIONS

  Acne

 _Bacterial infection and inflammation of the skin glands and hair follicles caused by hypersecretion of the sebaceous glands, which is sometimes accompanied by infection._

 **Principal essential oils:** palmarosa, thyme, tea tree, niaouli

 **Principal mother tinctures:** burdock, echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Palmarosa or tea tree or niaouli essential oil: 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for three weeks
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Thyme essential oil: 2 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil; blend well and apply with a cotton swab on pimples

Treatment Example B

  *  ** _Oral:_** Burdock or echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in a little water, three to five times a day, before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Burdock mother tincture: 50 to 100 undiluted drops on cotton padding, applied as a compress for fifteen minutes, one or two times a day

  Boil

 _Infection of a sebaceous gland by Staphylococcus aureus._

 **Principal essential oils:** eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ), niaouli, lavender

 **Principal mother tinctures:** burdock, echinacea

 **Others:** propolis, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or niaouli or lavender essential oil: 3 to 5 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for twenty days
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Echinacea or burdock mother tincture: 50 undiluted drops on cotton padding, applied as a compress for thirty minutes, three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop of extract per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water thirty to sixty minutes before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Propolis: 1 fragment, flattened and kneaded to make into a mini poultice large enough to cover the boil; apply it for thirty minutes, keeping it tightly pressed against the skin, two or three times a day
Lavender or niaouli essential oil: 1 undiluted drop applied to the boil with a cotton swab

  Facial Herpes (Mouth and Nose)

 _A skin disease of viral origin, characterized by the appearance of little blisters grouped in red patches around the mouth and nose._

 **Principal essential oils:** niaouli, ravintsara, tea tree, palmarosa, lavender, basil, oregano, thyme

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or ravintsara or tea tree or lavender essential oil: 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for three weeks
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or lavender essential oil: 1 or 2 undiluted drops applied to the blisters with a cotton swab

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops in a little water, three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 4 to 6 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, applied three times a day with a cotton swab

 **Note:** Applying antibiotic essential oils or grapefruit seed extract when the first symptoms of herpes appear will often allow you to stop a full-blown outbreak from occurring.

  Impetigo (Cradle Cap)

 _Skin infection due to staphylococci or streptococci that affects the face in particular. The infection is characterized by pustules that spread and form a yellowish crust._

 **Principal essential oils:** lavender, oregano, thyme, niaouli, palmarosa, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ )

 **Principal mother tinctures:** burdock, echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or thyme essential oil: 1 to 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender or palmarosa essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment, two or three times a day
Niaouli or palmarosa or lavender or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Burdock mother tincture: 50 to 100 undiluted drops on cotton padding, applied as a compress for thirty minutes, three times a day

  Shingles

 _An affliction of viral origin, characterized by an outbreak of tiny blisters along the path of a sensitive nerve, most often on the thorax or around the eyes. Weak to very sharp pains can result._

 **Principal essential oils:** ravintsara, palmarosa, lavender, thyme, savory, oregano

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Savory or thyme or oregano or palmarosa or lavender essential oil: 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, five times a day for a week, then three times a day for two to three weeks
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli or palmarosa or lavender essential oil: when the first symptoms of shingles appear, place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day
  *  _ **Topical (only for shingles on the chest):**_ Ravintsara or palmarosa or thyme or lavender or savory or oregano essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment, five times a day, and progressively less often as the infection abates, until the patient is completely cured

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 drops in a little water, four to six times a day
  *  _ **Topical (only for shingles on the chest):**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment, two times a day for two to three weeks

  Skin Fungus

 _Colonization of the skin by a fungus, most often between the toes (athlete's foot). It causes itching and painful splits in the skin._

 **Principal essential oils:** palmarosa, thyme, eucalyptus (E. globulus), lavender, tea tree

 **Principal mother tinctures:** echinacea, burdock

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or tea tree essential oil: 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or lavender or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 5 to 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment, two times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 10 to 20 drops mixed with 1 teaspoon sweet almond oil, used as an ointment, two or three times a day

Treatment Example C

  *  _ **Topical for fungus beneath the nail:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 undiluted drop applied directly from the bottle to the nail requiring treatment, two times a day

 **Warning:** Do not spill grapefruit seed extract on healthy skin! It can be irritating.

  Superficial Wounds

 _Scrapes, cuts, insect stings, and insect bites are all open doors for germs. It is advisable to treat them quickly as a preventive measure to avoid any infection._

 **Principal essential oils:** lavender, ravintsara, tea tree

 **Principal mother tinctures:** echinacea, burdock

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender or ravintsara or tea tree essential oil: 1 or 2 drops, undiluted or barely diluted in sweet almond oil, used as an ointment, two or three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Topical:**_ Echinacea or burdock mother tincture: 10 to 50 drops (or more, depending on the size of the area requiring treatment), undiluted or diluted in a small amount of water on cotton padding, applied as a compress for thirty minutes, two or three times a day

Treatment Example C

  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 or 2 drops diluted in 1 tablespoon of water on cotton padding, applied as a compress for thirty minutes, two or three times a day

  Varicose Ulcer

 _A festering skin lesion that originated in a varicose vein; it primarily exudes moisture but can become infected by bacteria._

 **Principal essential oils:** lavender, tea tree, niaouli, palmarosa, thyme, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ )

 **Principal mother tinctures:** burdock, echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Thyme or niaouli or tea tree or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 3 drops in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender or tea tree or palmarosa essential oil: 5 to 8 drops in 1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the affected areas, two times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Burdock mother tincture: 50 drops in water, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 100 drops in a glass of lukewarm water, on cotton padding, applied as a compress for thirty minutes, three to five times a day

  Wart

 _A small benign skin tumor of viral origin._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, savory, thyme, ravintsara

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Topical:**_ Tea tree or savory or thyme or ravintsara essential oil: 1 undiluted drop applied to the wart with a cotton swab, two to four times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 undiluted drop applied to the wart directly from the bottle, two times a day

 **Warning:** Do not spill grapefruit seed extract on healthy skin! It can be irritating.

  Whitlow

 _A localized bacterial infection on a finger or the edge of the fingernail, with the formation of pus._

 **Principal essential oils:** lavender, tea tree, niaouli, palmarosa, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ )

 **Principal mother tinctures:** burdock, echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or tea tree or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 2 or 3 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, used as an ointment on the tip of the finger, two or three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 30 drops in water, five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Lavender or tea tree or niaouli or palmarosa or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oil: 1 or 2 drops, undiluted or barely diluted in sweet almond oil, used as an ointment, three to five times a day

GENERAL INFECTIONS

  Adenitis

 _Viral or bacterial infection and inflammation of the lymph nodes, which become swollen and painful as a result._

 **Principal essential oils:** savory, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ), palmarosa, niaouli, ravintsara

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Others:** lapacho, grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Savory or eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) or palmarosa essential oil: 2 or 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for ten days
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or palmarosa or niaouli essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, as an ointment on and around the infected lymph nodes (which are hard and swollen), three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Lapacho: 2 tablespoons in 1 quart of water, boiled for fifteen minutes, simmered for ten minutes, then strained and drunk over the course of the day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or niaouli or ravintsara essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, as an ointment on and around the infected lymph nodes (which are hard and swollen), three to five times a day

  Candidiasis

 _An affliction caused by Candida albicans, a microscopic fungi that is normally present in the human body but can, when it multiplies pathologically, cause a number of disorders. Candida can be the source of fungal disorders affecting the skin (eczema, impetigo, perleche, athlete's foot), the mucous membranes (thrush), the genital organs (vulvovaginitis, balanitis), the digestive tract (bloating, diarrhea, enteritis), and so forth, accompanied, according to the case, by chronic fatigue, depression, and spasmophilia._

 **Principal essential oils:** tea tree, savory, niaouli, eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ), oregano, palmarosa

 **Principal mother tinctures:** echinacea, barberry

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Savory and niaouli and eucalyptus ( _E. globulus_ ) essential oils: 1 drop of each in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day, for fifteen days; repeat as needed with a different set of principal essential oils from the list above
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; do this three times a day

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 3 drops in water, three times a day for three to four months; depending on how your body reacts, you can gradually increase the dosage up to ½ drop for every pound of body weight, divided into three doses throughout the day
Echinacea mother tincture: 30 drops in water, five times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Niaouli or palmarosa essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; do this three times a day

 **Note:** In treatment example B, you start with a smaller dose of grapefruit seed extract to avoid burdening the organs (kidneys, liver) responsible for eliminating the candida cadavers. You can take a pause during the threeto four-month treatment, or even alternate it with the treatment outlined in example A.

  Flu

 _A viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, accompanied by an overall sense of discomfort, aches throughout the body, and fever. A highly contagious disease._

 **Principal essential oils:** ravintsara, eucalyptus (E. radiata), niaouli, oregano, palmarosa, thyme

 **Principal mother tincture:** echinacea

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

(To be started as soon as symptoms appear)

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Niaouli or oregano or thyme essential oil: 5 drops diluted in 40 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, five times the first day, then three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Palmarosa or ravintsara or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) essential oil: 5 to 10 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, as an ointment on the thorax
Ravintsara or niaouli or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; repeat every twenty minutes for the first two hours, then three to five times a day

Treatment Example B

(To be started as soon as symptoms appear)

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Echinacea mother tincture: 40 drops in water, five times the first day, then three times a day
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) or palmarosa or niaouli essential oil: 5 drops in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, as an ointment on the thorax

 **Note:** The treatments described here can also be used as preventive measures during a flu epidemic.

  Infectious Mononucleosis

 _An infection of viral origin, characterized by a strong increase in the proportion of monocytes in the bloodstream. Depending on the individual cases, it can be accompanied by fever, sore throat, and swelling of the lymph nodes and spleen._

 **Principal essential oils:** ravintsara, eucalyptus (E. radiata), basil, tea tree, niaouli, oregano, thyme

 **Other:** grapefruit seed extract

Treatment Example A

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Basil or oregano or thyme or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) essential oil: 3 drops in 30 drops of dispersant plus water, or in honey, three times a day for fifteen days
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara and eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) essential oil: 5 drops of each in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, as an ointment on the thorax and the back, three times a day for fifteen days

Treatment Example B

  *  _ **Oral:**_ Grapefruit seed extract: 1 daily dosage (= ¼ drop per pound of body weight), split into three doses, taken with water thirty to sixty minutes before meals
  *  _ **Topical:**_ Ravintsara or eucalyptus ( _E. radiata_ ) or tea tree or niaouli essential oil: Place 5 undiluted drops on the inner fold of the left elbow, working them in with the inner surface of your right wrist, then switch to anoint the fold of your right elbow; do this three times a day

8

Maintaining Balance in the Body's Cellular Terrain

Detoxification and Supplementation

The relationship between germs and the terrain is often compared to the one that exists between mosquitoes and swamps. The mosquitoes multiply by means of the eggs they lay in the stagnant waters of the swamps. All attempts to eradicate mosquitoes by poisoning them while they are in the air or on the ground is doomed to fail; other mosquitoes will soon emerge from the eggs in the water to reinfest the region. The solution, therefore, consists of draining the swamp to remove the favorable living environment for the mosquitoes' eggs.

The same is true for germs, which, in order to multiply, need a terrain that has been oversaturated with toxins and is suffering from a deficiency of nutrients. To prevent their survival in our bodies, it is necessary to cleanse the cellular terrain in order to make it inhospitable to germs. Cleansing the terrain means eliminating the toxins that have been collecting there by means of dietary and detoxification treatments, and addressing the deficiencies with a healthy diet accompanied by natural supplements that are rich in vitamins and minerals. These measures are quite simple but highly effective, as they address the very root of the problem.

STIMULATING ELIMINATION

The cellular terrain of an individual suffering from an infectious disease is a damaged terrain that is overladen with metabolic residues and wastes. These are precisely the foods that germs need in order to prosper inside the body in which they have taken up residence as parasites.

Consequently, a fundamental measure to take is to cleanse the terrain by eliminating toxins from the body. To do this, it is necessary to stimulate the organs that are responsible for eliminating wastes: the intestines, liver, kidneys, skin, and lungs.*4

Although they work constantly, the eliminatory organs can be outpaced by the mass of wastes the body needs to eliminate, especially during an infection, when dead cells abound, or if they have become too weak to perform this task properly. Stimulating them—and the means to do this are many—intensifies their ability to filter and eliminate wastes, which means a greater quantity of waste is removed from the body on a day-to-day basis than normally would be the case. In this way the terrain will gradually recover its ideal composition.

Let's now take a look at how to stimulate the different organs of elimination.

The Intestines

The intestines are the first organ we should stimulate in order to improve our cellular terrain. Because their average length is from 23 to 26½ feet and their diameter is from 1 to 3 inches, the volume of waste they can hold is considerable. This waste comes from the food we eat as well as the toxins produced by its putrefaction and fermentation. Other toxins are released into the intestines from the other tissues of the body so that they can be expelled.

Temporarily high levels of intestinal toxins are not necessarily a cause for alarm; the terrain would not be threatened by them. But the intestines do not function only as an eliminatory organ; they also assimilate the nutritive substances from the food we eat. The intestinal walls are porous so that they can absorb those nutrients, and because of their assimilatory capabilities they can also absorb toxins. If transit through the intestines is slow or they are partially clogged, which is the case with constipation, toxins that are waiting to be eliminated from the intestines will instead stagnate in the intestinal milieu, which allows the possibility that they will be reabsorbed into the body. Those toxins then enter the bloodstream and are transported throughout the entire body, clogging the tissues and organs. Poor intestinal function can therefore be responsible for considerable deterioration of the terrain.

It is a common observation that, during an infection, a meal that is too large or consists of poor food choices can cause a spike in the infection and the fever. This is because a large or poor-quality meal slows the transit time of the digestive system and allows toxins in the intestines to enter the bloodstream and the body, thereby encouraging the proliferation of germs. Conversely, a light diet, or abstaining completely from solid food, will reduce the momentum of the infection. It is readily apparent that the body requires these restrictions during a fever if we consider that one of the by-products of a fever is a more or less complete loss of appetite. In the same order of things, if an enema performed during an infection causes a reduction in fever, it is because the treatment caused a reduction in the overload of the noxious elements in the body.

Restoring good intestinal transit not only helps to get rid of the toxins that are present in the intestines, but it also allows the body to expel into the intestines the toxins present in its other tissues, which in essence liberates the terrain of their presence.

The primary methods used to cleanse the body, stimulate the intestines, and support good intestinal transit are the use of medicinal plants, enemas, and colonic irrigations.

Some of these medicinal plants stimulate intestinal peristalsis, thus promoting the evacuation of stools. If they encourage the body to gradually and gently expel waste matter, they are referred to as laxative plants. When, to the contrary, they cause the intestines to rapidly and almost completely empty themselves, they are called purgative plants. Purgative plants are used for just one dose, but laxative plants can be used in cures that last from one to two months. These laxative cures not only help clear the intestines but have the bonus of restoring their proper function, which is not the case with the purges, which, when taken too often, will exhaust the organs.

Enemas follow a different course of action. By introducing water into the intestines, they liquefy the stools and make their elimination easier. In cases of constipation, the stools are dry and therefore difficult to evacuate, whereas in cases of diarrhea, they are fluid and easily eliminated. Enemas are performed with the help of an enema syringe, which introduces small quantities of water (a few ounces), or an enema bag, which introduces larger quantities (1 to 2 quarts). This equipment can easily be found in drugstores and pharmacies.

Colonic irrigations are the most effective method for profoundly emptying and cleansing the colon. Thanks to a special device that gently propels water into the colon and a cannula (a small tube) with two openings, the water is simultaneously introduced and evacuated from the intestinal tract. In this way, the clean water that enters the intestinal tract by one of the two openings will come out later through the second one, filled with wastes. The dirty water that is taken out is therefore constantly replaced by clean water.

Usually one of these means is sufficient to cleanse the intestines, but sometimes two are used successively; for example, first a colonic irrigation or enema to empty the bowels and then medicinal plants to keep the intestines working intensively.

Intestinal Detoxification

  *  _ **Laxative medicinal plant:**_ Buckthorn or mallow mother tincture: Take 20 to 50 drops with water, three times a day, before meals, for one to two months. Start with a small dose, then increase it in order to obtain one or two stools a day.
  *  ** _Purgative medicinal plant:_** Senna mother tincture: Take 20 to 50 drops in a glass of water, just one time. The effect will be apparent in several hours. Remember, use purgatives sparingly.
  *  ** _Enema:_** With the help of an enema bag, introduce 1 to 2 quarts of lukewarm water into the colon. Pull the tube out and hold the liquid in for about five minutes, then sit on the toilet and release the waste-filled water. Give yourself one or two enemas a week for three weeks.
  *  _ **Colonic irrigation:**_ Because of the fairly sophisticated device required for this treatment, it is best undertaken in a center that specializes in it.

The Liver

The liver removes toxins from the bloodstream and expels them, mixed with bile, into the intestines. To support the liver, it is therefore of major importance to make sure that the intestines are functioning properly.

The liver is an essential organ for cleansing the terrain. It not only rids the bloodstream of its toxins, thereby permitting it to take on new wastes from the depths of the tissues, but it also has the ability of neutralizing "aggressive toxins" such as heavy metals, food additives, medications, and so on—all poisons that make the terrain toxic and weaken the body's defenses.

Stimulation of the liver is primarily achieved through the use of medicinal plants. The cures should continue for one to two months in order to give the liver sufficient time to rid itself of the wastes that have collected there as well as to continue filtering the many toxins that the bloodstream has absorbed from the various tissues of the body.

Stimulating the Liver

  *  _ **Medicinal plants:**_ Dandelion, boldo, artichoke, or black radish mother tincture: Take 10 to 50 drops with water, three times a day, before meals, for one to two months. Start with a low dosage and increase as needed to obtain one or two stools a day.

 **The Kidneys**

The kidneys also filter toxins out of the bloodstream, but it eliminates them through dilution with urine. These wastes, which include uric acid, urea, creatine, and so on, can have a powerfully toxic effect on the body and thereby damage the terrain if they are not eliminated daily in sufficient amounts. For example, if instead of eliminating 25 grams of urea a day—which is the norm—the kidneys removed only 23 grams, the body would accumulate 2 grams of urea a day, totaling 60 grams a month or 720 grams a year. This would be more than enough to overload the terrain and make it vulnerable to pathogenic germs.

To stimulate the kidneys you should, on the one hand, drink plenty of water during the day and, on the other hand, take medicinal plants with diuretic properties.

By drinking copious amounts of water—at least 2 quarts a day—you are providing your body an abundant support for transporting toxins to the outside. The kidneys can be compared to a stream: when a stream's source of water has been restored after being absent, the muck that has collected in the riverbed is carried away by the now abundant flow of water.

Diuretic plants help by increasing the rate of excretion of urine. In this manner they intensify the filtration process, allowing the kidneys to eliminate many more toxins than they would normally and helping to purify the blood. In order to allow diuretics to be most effective, so they can encourage the kidneys to eliminate the maximum quantity of toxins, cures using these medicinal plants should be followed for one to two months, and then repeated if necessary.

Stimulating the Kidneys

  *  _ **Water cure:**_ Drink 2 to 3 quarts of water daily. Avoid highly mineralized waters, and space out your ingestion of water over the entire day.
  *  ** _Diuretic medicinal plants:_** Mouse-ear hawkweed, nettle, or goldenrod mother tincture: 30 to 50 drops with water, three times a day, before meals. The dosage should be adjusted as needed to increase the frequency and quantity of urination.

The Skin

The skin works as an eliminatory organ in two ways. First are the sudoriferous (or sweat) glands, of which we have about 650 for every square inch of skin. These glands expel wastes like uric acid, urea, salts, and other spent minerals diluted in water. Second are the sebaceous glands, of which we have about 300,000 over our entire skin surface. These glands rid the body of a variety of wastes, including fatty acids, dead cells (including germ cells), mucous substances, carbohydrate wastes, and so on, in the form of sebum.

When this eliminatory organ is functioning well and solicitations for its services are performed correctly, then the skin is capable of ridding the terrain of a much larger quantity of toxins than you might think. While a person leading a sedentary lifestyle produces an average of ½ quart of sweat a day, this rate can be as high as 1 quart an hour for people performing intense physical activities or taking a sauna. Several quarts of sweat can be eliminated every day with the latter, which represents a rate of detoxification that is from four to six times more intense than normal. With regular sweating sessions an individual can free the body of numerous toxins that would otherwise collect in the terrain and thereby make it more vulnerable to infection.

It is significant that the majority of infections are accompanied by fever, and consequently by intense bouts of sweating. By this means, the body seeks to eliminate its own toxins rapidly and in massive amounts, as well as those produced by germs, in order to keep the cellular terrain as clean and resistant as possible.

Imitating a process like this by virtue of sessions of preventive perspiration can only help. There are numerous means to make yourself sweat. Some are active, like all physical and athletic activities, and others more passive, like hot baths, steam baths, and saunas. To have a profound effect on the terrain, these sessions must be performed regularly, two or three times a week for one to two months. You can also turn to sudorific plants, a class of medicinal plants that stimulate and maintain the production of sweat.

Stimulating the Skin

  *  ** _Sudorific medicinal plants:_** Linden flower, elder flower, or borage flower: Prepare an infusion (tea) using ⅓ cup of flowers for every 1 quart of water. Drink this tea every day to help the skin in general, but especially on the days when you plan activities that could cause intense perspiration.
  *  ** _Hyperthermic baths:_** Get into the bath when the water is at an agreeable temperature and gradually add hot water until it feels almost too hot. It must be hot, but not so hot that you cannot remain in the bathtub for twenty to thirty minutes. When you get out of the bath, extend the session for another half hour at least by wrapping yourself in bath towels that will continue to cause your body to sweat. Depending on the vigor of your health, two or three baths a week are recommended.
  *  _ **Sauna:**_ Take a sauna in two or three bouts of ten to fifteen minutes, taking a tento fifteen-minute break between each of them. Do so once or twice a week.

RESTRICTIVE DIETS

When you restrict your intake of a food for a more or less prolonged period of time, two physiological phenomena that can cleanse the terrain to its depths take place:

  1.  **Autolysis.** Because it is not receiving all the nutrients it requires from external sources, the body is forced to draw them from itself. It does so by _autolysis:_ digesting ( _lyse_ ) its own tissues ( _auto_ ). Autolysis does not work in a random fashion. It first attacks the metabolic residues and wastes that have collected in the cellular terrain, and only after that will it turn to the organs. This process thereby removes toxins from the depths of the terrain. The useful substances they contain—like amino acids or minerals—are reused by the body, while everything else is flushed out by the eliminatory organs.
  2.  **An increased elimination of toxins.** Because it is receiving lesser amounts of food, the body does not have to expend as much energy as usual on digestive processes. It will employ the energy it suddenly has at its disposal to eliminate the surplus of toxins that the eliminatory organs have not been able to evacuate from the body. It will thereby eliminate a large quantity of wastes from the body, which will greatly increase its resistance to infections.

The most restrictive kind of diet is a fast, in which all foods except water are eliminated. Autolysis and eliminations are strongest in this diet. Mono diets are a less severe form of a fast.*5 These diets allow one single food in addition to water. The chosen food is generally a fruit or a vegetable, which is eaten at every meal in as great a quantity as the individual desires for the duration of the cure. Because this one food will supply only a very restricted portion of the nutrients the body needs, the mono diet will also trigger a vigorous autolysis. Furthermore, as it will travel through the digestive tract alone rather than blended with a crowd of other nutrients, as is normally the case, the chosen food will be digested more easily. The body's forces that are spared this way will be used to make up for the backlog on the elimination of toxins.

There are a great many other possible restrictive diets that have a more or less cleansing effect on the terrain depending on their scope (diets that consist of just two meals, are weight restricted [e.g., limiting daily food intake to 2 pounds], are low-calorie, are protein-free, or do not combine certain foods are all options). To guarantee good elimination of toxins, all the diets must be accompanied by the ingestion of medicinal herbs that will help detoxify the body, such as those recommended in the previous section, "Stimulating Elimination."

Restrictive Diet Options

  *  _ **Fast:**_ Fast for one to three days, under the supervision of a competent health professional or after having thoroughly studied all the aspects of the cure: how to prepare for a fast, what to do while you are fasting, and how to physiologically break your fast. A good understanding of the warnings that could indicate that the fast should be stopped is necessary.
  *  _ **Mono diet:**_ Follow a mono diet for one to three days, using a fruit (such as grapes, watermelon, apples, and so on) as your chosen food if you are not sensitive to fruit acids, or a vegetable (carrots, green salad, fennel, and so on) if you are.
  *  _ **Vegetable cure:**_ For one to seven days, eat only vegetables. This is not a mono diet, as all kinds of vegetables can be consumed. Every meal consists of a selection of vegetables (salads, raw or cooked vegetables, soups, etc.). The detoxifying effect of a vegetable cure is a little less powerful than that of a fast or mono diet, but it is easier to pursue and still permits a good, deep cleansing.

ADDRESSING DEFICIENCIES

While the ideal composition of the terrain can be altered by the excessive presence of some substances, like toxins, it can also be transformed by the absence of other substances, such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, and so forth. These deficiencies will inevitably cause disruptions of bodily functions: digestion, eliminations, and cellular exchanges will no longer be performed properly. As a consequence, the production of toxins will increase while their elimination is reduced. Lesions may appear in the event of serious deficiencies, which will contribute even more to the deterioration of the cellular terrain. Germs then find it much easier to establish themselves there and begin to multiply.

The immune system figures prominently among the various systems that are weakened by deficiencies. The immune system is made up of a variety of organs, including the spinal marrow, spleen, lymph glands, and so forth, that produce the phagocytes, white blood cells, and antibodies necessary for the body's defense. How can these organs function properly if they are suffering from a deficiency of vital substances? How can they produce the millions of phagocytes and white blood cells that are necessary if they are missing proteins and other nutrients that are essential to their manufacture? And just how effective can these defenders be, once produced, if they themselves are suffering from deficiencies?

To fill these deficiencies it is necessary to eat a variety of whole foods and also to take nutritive supplements. Nature offers us an extremely wide range of foods. In order to enjoy the benefits each has to offer, we need to eat all of them. Many of us tend to have a rather narrow diet, excluding whole categories of healthful foods. The body therefore never receives (or at best receives only a little of) one or more vital nutrients that can be found in the missing foods. Some people, for example, eat very few vegetables, while others leave out grains or nuts, and others never eat fruits, and so forth.

In addition to varying your diet, it is necessary to eat whole foods, rather than highly processed. If you only eat nutrient-deficient foods, your body will be nutrient-deficient as well. The refinement of cereal grains, for example, strips them of numerous nutrients, particularly B vitamins, which are rarely found in substantial quantity in other foods. This is why someone who regularly eats white bread rather than bread made from whole grains will suffer from deficiencies over time. The same is true for those oils that are heat-extracted as opposed to cold-pressed; many nutrients of the first group are completely destroyed by the heat. These nutrients include vitamin E and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are hard to find in other foods and are both indispensable for the immune system.

While simply adjusting your diet to eat properly will, over time, fill any existing deficiencies (or prevent any from occurring), it is sometimes necessary to act quickly in order to improve the quality of the immune system and the terrain in a short space of time. At times like these, people should turn to natural food supplements like spirulina, bee pollen, brewer's yeast, wheat germ, seaweed, royal jelly, ginseng, black molasses, sea buckthorn, and so on.

These different products offered by nature contain high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Some of these foods are characterized by their record-breaking nutrient content: for example, brewer's yeast is the most abundant source of vitamin B. Other high-powered supplements include wheat germ, which has the highest concentration of vitamin E, sea buckthorn for its vitamin C, spirulina for essential amino acids, and so forth. Another characteristic of these supplements is that the nutrients they contain are quite varied: seaweeds possess all minerals and trace elements, bee pollen contains all the vitamins but two, spirulina possesses a wide range of vitamins and minerals, and so on.

Food-sourced supplements are easy for the body to assimilate. For terrain correction, they should be taken for one to two months. _**In certain cases, two or three supplements are taken simultaneously, but more generally it is a cure of one supplement followed by another one.**_ They are commonly sold in health food stores and the health food sections of grocery stores and co-ops.

Food Supplements

  *  ** _Bee pollen (contains all the vitamins, especially rich in vitamin C):_** Take 1 to 2 teaspoons a day in the morning before breakfast, mixed with water or yogurt. If necessary, another dose can be taken at midday. The supplementation should continue for four to six weeks.
  *  _ **Spirulina:**_ Follow the manufacturer's dosage instructions. The tablets must be taken with water, three times a day before meals, for two months.
  *  _ **Ginseng (rich in B vitamins):**_ Take 1 to 2 grams of ginseng root a day, chewing it slowly until it has completely dissolved. Or try a commercial concentrated ginseng extract, following the manufacturer's dosage instructions. The supplementation should continue for one to two months.

Correcting your terrain is the most important thing you can do to stand up against infectious diseases, both preventively and therapeutically. On the preventive level, correcting the terrain makes it healthy. It can consequently resist germs and prevent infections. On the healing level, making such a correction to the terrain when it is infected will not be enough to transform it to its depths. But it will alter the terrain sufficiently to help stop the multiplication of the germs. This will help lessen the intensity of the infection.
9

Intestinal Flora and Infectious Diseases

Understanding the Relationship

As we've discussed, ailing intestinal flora will not protect the body as well as it should against exogenous infections, and it can even become a source of infection itself. It is therefore in your best interest to learn how to keep this flora healthy and how to restore it if it becomes imbalanced. But let's first take a look at just what the intestinal flora is.

THE INTESTINAL FLORA

Our entire digestive tract is completely sterile at birth, meaning that no microbial flora is present. Microorganisms enter it quite quickly, however, and colonize it. Some are transported by the air that is inhaled and travel through the upper respiratory tract into the digestive tract; the majority make their way there, however, through food. In the beginning, these microbes are essentially the bifidus bacteria contained in a mother's milk. Later, there will be a full variety of bacteria and other germs coming from water, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and so forth.

The digestive tract does not provide a favorable environment for all the germs that enter it with food. Some of these germs perish quickly because the living conditions there are too adverse for them. Others, to the contrary, find ideal living conditions there and multiply in large numbers. This multiplication can attain vertiginous heights; the four hundred to five hundred different species of germs that make up the intestinal flora—the word _germ_ can, in fact, be used instead of _microbe_ when discussing this environment—form a population of several hundred billion individuals (1014), a figure that is larger than the number of cells in the entire human body!

The germs of the intestinal flora are not divided up uniformly. Their number varies depending on the part of the digestive tract in which they are located. The germ content of the mouth is average, in comparison to the other parts of the digestive tract, while germs are practically nonexistent in the stomach because the high acidity of the gastric juices (which range from pH 1.5 to 5) kills the vast majority of the germs that travel through it. Only a small number survive to reach the intestines. These germs will then multiply to form the intestinal flora.

In the first half of the small intestine, the flora is quite abundant, with between one thousand and one million germs per 0.04 inch. Germs are even more numerous in the second half of the small intestine and the ascending colon that extends from it, but the numbers diminish somewhat in the descending colon. (See figure .) Like all living beings, these germs die and their cadavers must be expelled from the body. Their number is so high that they represent around half the weight of the stools.

The different kinds of bacteria that make up the intestinal flora do not all colonize the same parts of the intestines. Aerobic germs (which require free air and oxygen) are naturally located in the upper half of the small intestine, at the level of the duodenum and the jejunum, because the air held by the stomach can easily enter there. Among these germs we find the enterococci, the colon bacilli ( _E. coli_ ), the streptococci, the staphylococci, pseudomonads, citrobacteria, and so forth.

 _Figure 8. Distribution of the microbial flora_

Anaerobic germs (which have no need of oxygen) inhabit the enclosed spaces that are oxygen poor, including the second half of the small intestine (the ileum) as well as the colon. These germs include the fusobacteria, anaerobic streptococci, and clostridia; the aspergillus and _Candida albicans_ fungi; and also the well-known lactic acid–producing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which contain a number of varieties.

The anaerobic intestinal flora can be subdivided into two distinct groups of germs, each of which has a different role in the digestive process: the germs of fermentation and the germs of putrefaction.

The Fermentation Flora

The flora of fermentation inhabits the second half of the small intestine, the ascending colon, and the transverse colon, with the bulk of their population at the cecum and in the ascending colon (see figure ). The lactobacilli _acidophilus_ and bifidobacteria are the most widely present germs of this flora.

As their categorization indicates, the role played by these germs is to trigger the process of fermentation. They work primarily on long carbohydrate chains (complex carbohydrates) that form the hard fibers that make up the framework of plant tissues: the ribs of salad leaves and the skin of fruits, for example. Their purpose is to break down these fibers in order to free their nutrients. In fact, fibers like pectin, inulin, and lignin cannot be digested by the digestive juices released by the stomach, the liver, and the other digestive glands of the human being.

So these fibers arrive intact in the intestine. Their transformation can be realized, however, by the microorganisms of the intestinal flora, in a way similar to that which takes place in the digestive tract of herbivores.

The fermentation produces a variety of acidic substances: lactic acids, acetic acids, propionic acids, butyric acids, succinic acids, and carbonic acids. These substances acidify the part of the intestines in which they are released. They thereby create a slightly acidic environment (pH 6 to 6.8), which, far from being a threat to the intestinal flora, actually encourages its survival and sustains its development. A welcome side effect of this slight acidification is the intestinal peristalsis it stimulates.

The Putrefaction Flora

This flora is located in the terminal portion of the colon—that is, the small portion at the end of the transverse colon—and in the entire descending colon (see figure ), where its concentration is strongest.

The role of the putrefaction flora is to break down food particles that have not yet been digested. At this stage of digestion, these particles consist primarily of protein residues: meats, fish, eggs, and so forth. The carbohydrates—even those that are hard to break down—will have been already digested a little higher in the tract by the flora of fermentation.

This decomposition through putrefaction creates more or less toxic wastes that will be neutralized by the liver. These include ammonia, phenols, indoles, skatoles, and hydrogen sulfide, as well as ptomaines, formed from the breakdown of amino acids. Because these are alkaline substances, they make the descending colon an alkaline environment (pH 8), which encourages the development of putrefaction germs.

 _Figure 9. Distribution of the intestinal flora_

IMBALANCES IN THE INTESTINAL FLORA

Together, the flora of fermentation and the flora of putrefaction make up the intestinal flora of the human being. The quality of the entire intestinal flora is dependent upon the balance between these two groups of germs. It is clear that the fermentation flora are the predominant group, as these germs colonize a much larger portion of the intestines than the germs of putrefaction, including the entire small intestine (16+ feet) and a large part of the colon (around 3 feet), compared to the descending colon (around 1½ feet) for the germs of putrefaction. We can therefore accept that a healthy intestinal flora would consist of 85 percent flora of fermentation and 15 percent flora of putrefaction. These proportions are normal and guarantee health. Any alteration in these figures, in contrast, is a sign of imbalance and poor quality in the intestinal flora.

What are the circumstances that bring about such changes? To answer this question, it is necessary to remember that the germs of the intestinal flora, as saprophytes, depend for their survival on the food we eat, as this food is what they themselves feed on. Their numbers increase, therefore, when the foods they require are present in abundant amounts and decrease when the quantity of these foods is reduced.

It so happens that the typical diet of most people today has insufficient levels of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and thus is low in the fibers that the germs of fermentation need. To the contrary, it has high levels of meat and various proteins, the preeminent foods of the germs of putrefaction. The consequence of this imbalanced intake is that the flora of fermentation population shrinks while that of the flora of putrefaction increases. These changes can become so drastic that it is estimated that more than 90 percent of the world's population actually has directly reversed proportions of these germs. In other words, in the majority of the populace, there is a ratio of 15 percent flora of fermentation to 85 percent flora of putrefaction.

When the proportions are reversed in this way, the germs of putrefaction become too abundant to remain confined in the descending colon. In order to survive, they must expand their living space. They will therefore spread out beyond their normal territory in the direction of the transverse and ascending colons. This expansion is possible and made even easier due to the fact that the flora of fermentation that should be abundant in that space is now widely scattered because of the imbalance. It therefore no longer has a strong presence to block the advance of the germs of putrefaction, as it would with a healthy balance. Furthermore, because their numbers are reduced, the acidity the germs of fermentation should produce—which is another barrier against invasion by the germs of putrefaction—no longer exists. The environment will have become more alkaline, which offers favorable conditions to the invading putrefaction germs, as they need an alkaline environment in order to multiply.

THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF AN IMBALANCED INTESTINAL FLORA

The harmful consequence of the demographic explosion of the flora of putrefaction is that an excessive amount of ptomaines and other poisons is produced during the digestive process. That production is so excessive that it exceeds the liver's capability to neutralize these poisons. These substances begin spreading into the tissues and gradually poison them. The organic terrain deteriorates more and more, which paves the way for a host of illnesses because of the clogging and overload.

The growing volume of toxic substances assaults the intestinal mucous membranes. These poisons eventually carve microlesions into the intestinal walls. It so happens that one of the roles played by these walls is to prevent entry into the bloodstream and tissues of anything except useful substances like vitamins and minerals. Once they have been made porous by microlesions, they can no longer perform their job as a filter. The door is therefore open not only to toxins but to germs as well, with all the adverse consequences this can cause (we will address this topic in greater detail later in this chapter).

In addition to insufficient plant-based foods and excessive meat and other proteins in the diet, other imbalancing factors for the intestinal flora include the consumption of too much white sugar, coffee, tea, chocolate, and alcohol, but the primary culprit is taking conventional antibiotics.

Although the purpose of antibiotics is to kill pathogenic germs, they also destroy all other microbes with which they come into contact, or inhibit their development. Among these germs are those of the intestinal flora that are sensitive to their effect, which is primarily the case for the flora of fermentation: lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. These germs are all the easier to destroy because antibiotics are generally taken orally. Consequently, their action first appears in the upper digestive tract—the small intestine, headquarters for the flora of fermentation—and much less in the terminal portions—the colon, in which the flora of putrefaction is located. Taking conventional antibiotics therefore has the consequence of weakening the flora of fermentation to the benefit of the flora of putrefaction.

From the perspective of infections, an imbalance in the intestinal flora gives birth to two harmful consequences:

  * A greater vulnerability to infection because the intestinal flora is no longer playing its protective role
  * A greater risk that the intestinal flora can itself become a source of infection

THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF THE INTESTINAL FLORA

Under normal circumstances, the four hundred to five hundred varieties of germs that make up a healthy intestinal flora cohabitate harmoniously. A balance exists between the various populations, the surfaces of the territories they occupy, the parts of the intestines they colonize, and the parts of the food to which each has a right.

This distribution, however, cannot tolerate the intrusion of a number of foreign germs. All the microbial resources in the intestines have already been judiciously exploited and will support no more. Furthermore, the intestines represent the ideal living milieu for all the germs of the intestinal flora, and none of them would be ready to surrender their place to invaders. They will fight against invasions, and to do so, either they will secrete antibiotic substances that kill the aggressors or they will occupy the terrain as vigorously as possible. In this way, the intestinal flora serve as a barrier to microbial pathogens.

A pathogenic germ that enters a digestive tract whose intestinal flora is healthy will find itself confronted by an entire series of obstacles: since the living space it needs to develop is absent, it will not have the food it needs, and the pH of the intestinal environment will not be suitable for it because it was established by different kinds of germs.

On the other hand, the situation is entirely different when the intestinal flora is deficient. Because they do not have to confront a strong and abundant population of germs, the pathogenic germs will find numerous spaces to conquer in the intestines and a sufficient supply of food. They will then establish themselves at a site where the living conditions are favorable, start multiplying, and drive out the existing germs, if only by imposing a pH balance that is harmful to them. Because these pathogenic germs have been given an opportunity to multiply, they will trigger an infection that would never have happened if the intestinal flora had been healthy.

The various diarrheas that Europeans and North Americans—or, more specifically, some Europeans and North Americans—catch so easily when they travel in the tropical regions of the world are due, at least for the more benign cases, to a deficiency of their intestinal flora. Germs enter the digestive tract of these travelers with the food they eat and the water they drink, and because their intestinal flora is not healthy enough to act as a protective barrier against those germs, the germs are able to multiply without any resistance.

INTESTINAL FLORA AS A SOURCE OF INFECTION

It is not necessary for a germ to enter the intestines for an infection to be triggered by an insufficient intestinal flora. It can also be caused by a germ that is part of the intestinal flora itself. In fact, this flora necessarily includes various pathological germs that perform their own specific role in the digestive process. Normally, their dangerous character is not given an opportunity to display itself because their numbers are limited. They will always remain in the minority as long as the intestinal flora is healthy.

The situation is, of course, entirely different when the intestinal flora has been weakened or partially destroyed. As it can no longer fulfill its role as a brake or protective barrier in these conditions, some pathogenic germs will multiply and trigger an infection.

 _Candida albicans_ , for example, is a normal resident of the intestine. Customarily, its population is extremely small and it plays an insignificant role. It would probably have remained completely unknown to the general public if the destruction of the intestinal flora by antibiotic therapy had not permitted its disproportionate multiplication in a large number of people. When virulent, candida colonizes the digestive tract, where it creates various disorders (gas, bloating, colitis, etc.), but it can also invade the rest of the body. A large number of fungal infections, as well as certain nerve disorders, can be traced back to this invader.

Other regular residents of the intestine that are potentially dangerous are the staphylococci and streptococci, germs that are well known for causing a wide variety of infections such as boils, sore throats, rhinopharyngitis, otitis, septicemia, pneumonia, arthritis, urinary infections, and so on.

Among the other pathological germs that can normally be found in the intestinal flora are _Escherichia coli_ (which, when virulent, can cause enteritis and urinary infections), klebsiella (respiratory infections, digestive tract infections, and infections of the urogenital system), shigella (dysentery), salmonella (typhoid), and so forth. As can be seen, the infections they cause are not confined to the intestines. When the intestinal milieu is not healthy, these germs can travel to other organs. They can climb up the digestive tract to reach the upper respiratory tract, or they may colonize the genitourinary tract. Some of them leave the intestinal milieu through tiny lesions in the intestinal walls, and the bloodstream then carries them to other parts of the body.

By losing its role as a protector, the intestinal flora can become a source of infection not only through the pathogenic germs it contains but also through those that appear from time to time as mutations.

The transmission of hereditary characteristics takes place rapidly and frequently in germs, as a new generation can appear every twenty to sixty minutes. The risk of a transmission error, and thereby the possible appearance of a mutant, is therefore much higher here than elsewhere. A mutant germ possesses a characteristic different from those of its parent line. Sometimes that new characteristic may be resistance to antibiotics (see chapter ); in other cases, it may be a virulent nature—in other words, it initiates a germ lineage that is not peaceful but pathogenic.

Normally, a germ like this does not manage to establish a presence in the overpopulated milieu of the intestines. It will perish quickly, destroyed by the other germs or weakened by the adverse conditions of the environment. However, it can sometimes happen that because of deficient intestinal flora it manages to survive or, worse, to multiply and cause an infection.

This flora can also become a source of infection when the digestive processes do not perform properly. Insufficiently digested foods and the poisons produced by abnormal fermentations and putrefactions attack and injure the intestinal walls. Although little, these lesions allow nonpathogenic germs to leave the intestinal milieu and make their way into other parts of the body. It so happens that a germ that is harmless in the intestines is not necessarily so in another organ. The body can be extremely vulnerable to its presence because, by multiplying, it will attack our tissues and make us sick.

HOW TO BUILD A STRONG AND BALANCED INTESTINAL FLORA

Imbalances in the intestinal flora are primarily characterized today by an imbalance between the germs of fermentation and those of putrefaction. Now, given the fact that generally the flora of fermentation has become weaker and allowed the flora of putrefaction to grow stronger, it is first and foremost necessary to address the first in order to correct the second. It will be helpful at the same time to reduce the intake of proteins, especially those of meat, which support the germs of putrefaction.

There are two different approaches to strengthening and increasing the flora of fermentation. If it is only slightly below optimal levels, eating correctly is often sufficient to get these bacteria to start multiplying and to win back their rightful place. To do this, prebiotics are the natural choice. These are foods or supplements that contain the most desirable food for the germs of fermentation. However, if the flora of fermentation has been heavily damaged, it is not enough to correctly nourish the remaining germs for their numbers to increase quickly. The competition with the germs of putrefaction, which have gotten the upper hand, is too brutal, and a more radical method should be used. In this case we must import a large number of germs of fermentation. Concretely, this means using probiotics, which are foods or supplements that have a very large number of these germs. In this way the population of the germs of fermentation will increase quickly and rapidly regain their normal proportions.

PREBIOTICS

These are nutritious substances that are necessary for the survival of the germs of fermentation. Providing prebiotics in abundance feeds and supports these germs, allowing them to become stronger and multiply more easily so that they can establish and sustain a more substantial population.

Fruits and Vegetables

Prebiotics are primarily made up of all the foods that have high levels of soluble fibers—in other words, carbohydrate chains of varying length such as pectin or inulin. These substances can be found in fresh or dried fruits, green and brightly colored vegetables, and unrefined grains (though not in the bran, which is too hard). These are all plant foods, the very same ones that the bacteria of fermentation need to transform to facilitate digestion, but they are also the very foods that are most often lacking in the modern diet.

This is why eating a portion of raw or cooked vegetables or green salad every day at the midday and evening meals will have a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora. These portions need to be large, however, so that the germs of fermentation will have enough fiber at their disposal to feed on.

Dosage

  * Salad greens and/or raw or cooked vegetables at the midday and evening meal
  * One piece of ripe fruit between meals

Whey

Lactose, or milk sugar, is a disaccharide consisting of a molecule of glucose and a molecule of galactose. It is one of the preferred foods of the bacteria of fermentation, which will happily gorge on it. And it provides one other advantage not to be overlooked: the digestion of lactose by the bacteria of fermentation will produce lactic acids, which, by slightly acidifying the small intestine and the first part of the colon, create an environment that is hostile to the multiplication of the germs of putrefaction. Lactose is the only sugar that acts this way.

Milk is 4.7 percent lactose. This is not a very high percentage; you would have to drink a lot of milk for it to have a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora. However, stronger concentrations of this substance can be found in whey.*6 Whey is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese from milk. It is the liquid expressed from the curd, or milk solids. You can find whey supplements in powder or tablet form in health food stores. There are many variations, with or without added flavors, which, when added to water, make a pleasant drink.

Dosage

  *  _ **Intensive cure:**_ 1 to 2 tablespoons of whey powder mixed with a glass of water, three to six times a day
  *  _ **Maintenance dose:**_ 1 to 2 tablespoons of whey powder mixed with a glass of water, one or two times a day

 **Note:** Look out for the laxative effect that occurs with high doses of whey!

Lactose

Using modern procedures, it is possible to extract all the lactose from whey and convert it into a concentrate that is sold in health food stores. These concentrates are very pleasant to consume, and they contribute good nutrition for the flora and good acidification of the intestinal environment. It is easy to see how effectively lactose supplementation can regenerate the intestinal microbial balance; thanks to this cure, the production of gas and bloating that accompanies poor digestion due to imbalanced flora will vanish in the space of a few days.

Dosage

  *  _ **Intensive cure:**_ 1 tablespoon of lactose, mixed with water or a yogurt containing bifidobacteria, three times a day
  *  _ **Maintenance dose:**_ 1 tablespoon a day of lactose, mixed with water or a yogurt containing bifidobacteria, once a day

The beneficial effects of prebiotics are generally felt gradually, as the regeneration of the intestinal flora is a physiological process that can take some time. Among the prebiotics, fruits and vegetables should be eaten throughout your entire life, for this is in accordance with nature's plans. This is not quite the case for preparations like whey and milk sugar, which are supplements to the diet. They should be taken in the form of month-long cures, two times a year, for example, or more often for people suffering from chronic disruption of the intestinal flora.

PROBIOTICS

Probiotic foods and supplements contain within themselves germs of fermentation that can integrate with the existing intestinal flora and help it rebuild. The germ concentration varies from one product to the next. Once they have been ingested, the germs make their way into the intestines and colonize them.

Probiotics represent a substantial intake of germs. They make it possible in a short time to increase the number of the germs of fermentation, without having to wait for those that are present to multiply in order to rebuild a destroyed flora.

Probiotic Yogurts

This is the preeminent probiotic food. Probiotic yogurt is rich in germs, because they play a significant role in its manufacture. If milk can be transformed into yogurt, it is in fact uniquely thanks to the action of the lactobacilli that cause the milk to curdle and remain in the product once the transformation has been completed.

To be beneficial to the intestinal flora, these germs must remain alive. This is the case when they have not been killed by heat. It so happens that during the preparation of most yogurts, the milk and bacteria blend is heated, which kills everything that is alive in it. The sole yogurts that contain living germs—those that will be able to live in the intestines and multiply there—are those that have not been cooked and that are expressly designated as "probiotic yogurts." These kinds of yogurts are easy to find today, as their use has become widespread.

One important criterion in the choice of yogurts is the choice of germs used to make them. Some lactobacilli are not found in the intestinal flora of human beings and their ability to survive in the intestines is quite weak. These germs, though they may be used to make yogurt, cannot help regenerate the flora. At best they momentarily take up space and therefore act as a barrier against the bacteria of putrefaction, but only for a short time. This is the case with _Lactobacillus bulgaricus,_ for example.

Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus, on the other hand, are normal residents of the intestinal flora. They are reasonably resistant to the acidity of the gastric secretions they will encounter during their passage through the stomach and easily get a foothold in the intestinal milieu, where they will remain once they are established. These germs are therefore indicated to rebuild the intestinal flora. Probiotic yogurts have an extremely high concentration of them. To rebuild intestinal flora that has been damaged or to keep it healthy during treatment with conventional antibiotics, you should not hesitate to eat three to five probiotic yogurts a day, or even as many as you like. Of course, it is better if these yogurts do not contain white sugar. For people who do not like plain yogurt, they can sweeten it with raw sugar, honey, or maple syrup, or, even better, lactose, which will offer a combination of prebiotic and probiotic effects.

Dosage

  *  _ **Intensive cure:**_ 3 to 5 probiotic yogurts daily, spread out over the course of the day
  *  _ **Maintenance dose:**_ 1 probiotic yogurt a day

Fermented Milk Drinks

Quite similar to yogurt but more concentrated are milk drinks that have been fermented with probiotics. They are sold in small bottles often labeled with names that begin with "acti" (such as Danone's Actimel and Dannon's Activia). They have high levels of probiotics; two to three bottles a day is enough to regenerate the intestinal flora. In order for the germs to properly colonize the intestines, it is necessary for the cure to extend over a period of several weeks. One bottle contains around six billion probiotic organisms (compared to the one billion organisms found in probiotic yogurt). This may seem like an enormous number, but it is not a large number for the intestines, as the normal intestinal population borders on several hundred billion germs.

Dosage

  *  _ **Intensive cure:**_ 2 to 3 bottles of probiotic milk drinks a day
  *  _ **Maintenance dose:**_ 1 bottle of probiotic milk drink a day

Freeze-Dried Probiotic Supplements

To rebuild the intestinal flora very effectively and rapidly, you might consider pharmaceutical preparations that are made from lyophilized (freeze-dried) probiotic germs. Lyophilization is a process that delicately dries the germs without killing them. When they reach the moist, warm environment of the digestive tract, they rehydrate and emerge from their forced slumber. Active once again, they colonize the intestines and begin to multiply. The content of these products can range from several dozen million to several billion germs.

Their effectiveness is especially easy to observe in the treatment of diarrhea, for which they are often recommended. The massive intake of germs in fact erects a barrier against the proliferation of the germs responsible for the diarrhea, and in this way they eliminate the illness.

The sanitary rules concerning the manufacture of these products are quite strict. The bacteria that are used for these preparations absolutely must be germs that are normal residents of the intestines. They must be held in the formulation alive or in suspended animation, and they must be capable of competitively occupying the intestinal milieu when confronting pathogenic germs and those responsible for putrefaction. Furthermore, the toxins produced by these germs must be harmless to humans but bacteriostatic to pathogenic germs.

Lyophilized bacteria come in the form of a powder to be mixed with water or as capsules.

Dosage

Numerous freeze-dried probiotic preparations are available commercially. Some popular ones include:

Belle + Bella Flora Restore
Bio-Flora
Dr. Mercola Complete Probiotics
Hyperbiotics Pro-15
Natren Bifido Factor
Nature's Way Primadophilus Bifidus
Now Acidophilus & Bifidus
Pileje Lactibiane

Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

 _Saccharomyces boulardii_

The yeast ( _Saccharomyces boulardii_ ) that is often recommended for an individual taking conventional antibiotics is not technically a probiotic. This living yeast is not a normal resident of the intestines and does not factor in the normal composition of the intestinal flora. It is not able to really establish a foothold in this environment, either, and will leave it within a certain period of time. Moreover, it does not inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria—that is, it does not have an antibiotic effect—and it has no nutritive value like brewer's yeast. So why use it?

Despite these deficiencies, _S. boulardii_ has the ability to blend in with the intestinal flora and take up space, which puts it in competition with the flora of putrefaction and certain pathogenic germs. In this way it contributes to the barrier effect of the intestinal flora. It is all the more equipped to perform this role because it is resistant to conventional antibiotics (hence its utilization during these treatments). So while it is not a probiotic, this yeast has its uses.

Generally speaking, brewer's yeast and food yeasts are not probiotics either, but they can be used like _S. boulardii_ if they are living and it is possible to bring them back to an active state. However, they are rarely used for this purpose because the majority of them are heated during their manufacture, and this kills all life. Only the yeasts that are sold specifically with living or lyophilized cultures, such as Arkopharma's yeasts, can perform this barrier role.

Nevertheless, unlike _Saccharomyces boulardii,_ brewer's yeast and food yeast have a high nutritional value, which has a prebiotic effect for the germs of the intestinal flora.

REPAIR OF THE INTESTINAL MUCOUS MEMBRANES

In addition to taking prebiotics and probiotics, it is a good idea to encourage the regeneration of the intestinal mucous membranes. If they are in a damaged state, they are receptive to colonization by pathogenic germs; if they are torn or have lesions, they are open doors that allow germs to enter the tissues.

In addition to regenerating the intestinal flora, which will reduce the production of aggressive food toxins, one of the most helpful steps is to supplement with vitamins A and E and with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, all of which have a regenerating effect on the mucous membranes.

Dosage

For omega-3 and -6 supplementation, choose one of the following:

  *  _ **Flaxseed oil:**_ 2 teaspoons mixed with a fatty food, like cottage cheese or fromage blanc, once a day; if flaxseed oil is unavailable, substitute 2 to 3 tablespoons of sunflower, canola, or safflower oil
  *  _ **Borage oil:**_ Capsules; follow the manufacturer's dosage instructions

For vitamin E supplementation:

  *  _ **Wheat germ oil:**_ 1 to 2 teaspoons mixed with a fatty food, like cottage cheese or fromage blanc, once a day; or take capsules, following the manufacturer's dosage instructions

For vitamin A:

  *  _ **Halibut oil:**_ Capsules; follow the manufacturer's dosage instructions

Conclusion

Nature offers us numerous plants to cure ourselves, among them many that have antibiotic properties. Why not use them and benefit from their curative effect?

Natural antibiotics have been proven effective over and over again during the centuries they have been used. Contrary to pharmaceutical antibiotics, they are not only effective against parasites, bacteria, and fungi but also viruses.

With natural antibiotics one doesn't have to know precisely which microbe has triggered the infection and search for the rare and specific plants that will fight it successfully. The great spectrum of action of natural antibiotics will take care of this, which facilitates their therapeutic use.

Natural antibiotics do not have the noxious side effects of conventional antibiotics, such as destroying the intestinal flora. Furthermore, they don't provoke resistance in microbes. Therefore their widespread use for less dangerous infections allows us to reserve the high-powered pharmaceutical antibiotics for those life-threatening infections that absolutely require them. In other words, it just makes plain common sense to use natural antibiotics whenever possible.

For more information, readers can consult the author's website: www.christophervasey.ch
Footnotes

*1. For more on this topic, see my book _The Healing Power of Fever_ (Healing Arts Press, 2011).

*2. For more on inflammation, see my book _Natural Remedies for Inflammation_ (Healing Arts Press, 2014).

*3. For more information on compresses and poultices, see my book _Natural Compresses and Poultices_ (Healing Arts Press, 2019).

*4. For more on this topic, see my book _Optimal Detox_ (Healing Arts Press, 2013).

*5. For more on this subject, see my book _The Detox Mono Diet_ (Healing Arts Press, 2006).

*6. For more details on this topic, see my book _The Whey Prescription_ (Healing Arts Press, 2006).
About the Author

CHRISTOPHER VASEY, N.D., is a naturopath specializing in detoxification and rejuvenation. He is the author of many books, including _The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health, Natural Remedies for Inflammation, Liver Detox_ , and _Freedom from Constipation_. He lives near Montreux, Switzerland.
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Copyright © 2004, 2014 by Éditions Jouvence

English translation © 2018 by Inner Traditions International

Originally published in French under the title _Alternatives naturelles aux antibiotiques: Lutter contre les infections en renforçant le terrain_ by Éditions Jouvence, www.editions-jouvence.com, info@editions-jouvence.com

First U.S. edition published in 2018 by Healing Arts Press

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

 _ **Note to the reader:** This book is intended as an informational guide. The remedies, approaches, and techniques described herein are meant to supplement, and not to be a substitute for, professional medical care or treatment. They should not be used to treat a serious ailment without prior consultation with a qualified health care professional_

 **Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data**

Names: Vasey, Christopher, author.

Title: Natural antibiotics and antivirals : 18 infection-fighting herbs and essential oils / Christopher Vasey, N.D. ; translated by Jon E. Graham.

Other titles: Alternatives naturelles aux antibiotiques. English Description: Rochester, Vermont : Healing Arts Press, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018002097 (print) | LCCN 2018006839 (ebook) | print ISBN: 9781620557358 | ebook ISBN: 9781620557365

Subjects: LCSH: Communicable diseases—Alternative treatment. | Drug resistance in microorganisms. | Herbs—Therapeutic use. | Naturopathy. | BISAC: HEALTH & FITNESS / Herbal Medications. | MEDICAL / Alternative Medicine. | HEALTH & FITNESS / Diseases / Immune System.

Classification: LCC RC112 .V3713 2018 (print) | LCC RC112 (ebook) | DDC 616.9/041—dc23

LC record available at <https://lccn.loc.gov/2018002097>

To send correspondence to the author of this book, mail a first-class letter to the author c/o Inner Traditions • Bear & Company, One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767, and we will forward the communication, or contact the author directly at www.christophervasey.ch/anglais/home.html.
Index

Page numbers in _italics_ indicate illustrations

All page numbers are refer to the print edition of this title.

abscess of a tooth, 118–19

acne, 143–44

adenitis, 152–53

administration, routes of, 7–8

amebiasis, 119–20

ancients' use of plants, 5–8

antibiotics. _See also_ natural antibiotics

characteristics needed in therapy, 60

dosage and, 69

effect on immune system, 74–75

germs and, 59

harmful effects of, 73–75

inaccurate prescription of, 68–69

loss of effectiveness of, 70–71

as preventive measure, 69

resistance of germs to, 64–73

specificity of, 68

substances, 59–60, 61, 62

viral diseases and, 69

antibodies, 56–57

anti-infective plants, 7

antivirals, 82

autolysis, 166

bacteria

classifications, 21

in natural cycles, 13

preferences, 22–23

shapes, 21

size of, 11

terrain favorable for, 45

bacterial cells, _20,_ 21–22

bacterial diseases, 24–25

basil ( _Ocimum basilicum_ ), 84–85

B cells, 55–57

bearberry ( _Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_ ), 96

bee pollen, 171

Bifidobacterium bifidus, 189

boils, 144

broad-spectrum antibiotics, 61

bronchitis, 126–27

burdock ( _Arctium lappa_ ), 96–97

Candida albicans, 26, 35, 45, 74, 98, 153, 174–75, 182

candidiasis, 153–54

canker sores, 120

cervicitis, 137–38

cold (rhinitis, rhinopharyngitis), 128–29

colibacillosis (intestinal), 120–21

colitis, 121–22

colonic irrigations, 161, 162

common barberry ( _Berberis_ _vulgaris_ ), 97–98

cradle cap (impetigo), 146

cystitis, 133

cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), 55

deficiencies, terrain, 168–71

diarrhea, 123, 181

diet

adjusting, 169–70

insufficiencies, 177–78

restrictive, 167–68

digestive tract infections, 118–25

dispersants, 115

dosages, 117. _See also specific natural antibiotics and infections_

ear, nose, and throat infections, 126–32

earache (otitis), 129–30

echinacea, 99–101

elimination, stimulating, 158–66

enemas, 161–62

English lavender ( _Lavandula angustifolia_ ), 85–86

enteritis, 121–22

Escherichia coli, 22, 30, 136, 182

essential oils. _See also_ natural antibiotics

basil ( _Ocimum basilicum_ ), 84–85

for children, 110

defined, 84

dispersants for, 115

English lavender ( _Lavandula angustifolia_ ), 85–86

eucalyptus ( _Eucalyptus globulus_ ), 86–88

gentlest, for the skin, 110

most powerful, 110

niaouli ( _Melaleuca_ _quinquenervia_ ), 88–89

oral use, 114–15

oregano ( _Origanum_ _heracleoticum_ ), 89–90

palmarosa ( _Cymbopogon martinii_ ), 90–91

ravintsara ( _Cinnamomum camphora_ ), 91–92

savory ( _Satureja montana, S. hortensis_ ), 92–93

supports for, 115

tea tree ( _Melaleuca alternifolia_ ), 93–94

thyme ( _Thymus vulgaris_ ), 94–95

topical use, 116

eucalyptus ( _Eucalyptus globulus_ ), 86–88

facial herpes (mouth and nose), 145

fasts, 167–68

fermentation flora, 175–76

fermented milk drinks, 190

flu, 154–55

food supplements, 170–71

freeze-dried probiotic supplements, 190–91

fruits and vegetables, 185–86

fungi, 11, 25–26. _See also_ germs

gastroenteritis, 121–22

general infections, 36–37, 152–56

genital herpes, 138–39, 140

genital infections, 137–43

genital mycosis, 139, 140–41

germs

anaerobic, 174

bacteria, 11, 13, 20–25

body defenses against, 47

dangerous mutations, prevention of, 42–43

defined, 10

fungi, 11, 25–26

history and discovery of, 15–17

immune system and, 58

infection severity and, 30–31

of intestinal flora, 172–74

lesions of the tissue and, 33–34

mucous membranes and, 49

parasites, 11, 18–20

pathological, 17–25

phagocytes and, 50–54

resistance to antibiotics, 64–73

responsible for infection, finding, 68

saprophytic, of human beings, 41–43

size of, 11–12

skin and mucous membranes and, 48–49

terrain and, 157, 168

toxins, 34–35

viruses, 11, 27–29

gingivitis, 122–23

ginseng, 171

grapefruit seed extract, 101–4

Helicobacter pylori, 22, 34

hyperthermic baths, 165–66

immune system

antibiotic effect on, 74–75

B cells and, 55

interferon and, 57–58

lines of defense, 48–58

lymphocytes and, 54–55

skin and mucous membranes and, 48–49

specialized cells of, 53

immunoglobulins, 56–57

impetigo (cradle cap), 146

infections

of digestive tract, 118–25

of ear, nose, and throat, 126–32

general, 36–37, 152–56

genital, 137–43

intestinal flora and, 180, 181–84

local, 36, 37

of respiratory tract, 126–32

severity of, 30–31

skin, 143–52

sources of, 41–43

of urinary tract, 133–37

infections, treatment of, 112–14

infectious diarrhea, 123

infectious diseases

acute phase, 40

bacterial, 24–25

contamination stage, 38

convalescence stage, 40

fluids and, 118

incubation period, 38–39

infection stage, 38

intestinal flora and, 172–93

parasitical, 20

progression of, 37–40

viral, 29

infectious mononucleosis, 156

interferon, 57–58

intestinal detoxification, 161–62

intestinal flora

anaerobic, 174–75

distribution of, _174, 176,_ 180

fermentation, 175–76

in first half of small intestine, 173

germs of, 172–74

healthy, 177

imbalanced, harmful effects of, 178–80

imbalances in, 177–78

infectious diseases and, 172–93

protective role of, 180–81

putrefaction, 176–77

as source of infection, 181–84

strong and balanced, building, 184–85

intestinal mucous membranes, repair of, 193

intestinal parasites, 124

intestines, stimulating, 159–62

kidneys, stimulating, 163–64

Koch bacilli ( _Mycobacterium tuberculosis_ ), 23, 33

 _Lactobacillus acidophilus_ , 189

lactose, 187–88

lapacho ( _Tabebuia impetiginosa_ ), 104–6

lavender, 85–86

lesions of the tissue, 33–34

leukocytes, 51–52, 53

liver, stimulating, 162

local infections, 36

local infections with general effects, 37

lymphocytes, 54–55

macrophages, 50–52

medicinal plants, 161, 162, 165

metritis, 137–38

microbes. _See also_ germs; intestinal flora

defined, 10

human relationship with, 14–15

multiplication of, 29–31

natural resistance to antibiotics, 64

number of, 14

role of, 12–14

microphages, 50, 51–52

mono diets, 167, 168

mother tinctures. _See also_ natural antibiotics

bearberry ( _Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_ ), 96

burdock ( _Arctium lappa_ ), 96–97

common barberry ( _Berberis vulgaris_ ), 97–98

defined, 95

mouse-ear hawkweed ( _Hieracium pilosella_ ), 98–99

preparation of, 95

purple coneflower ( _Echinacea purpurea_ ), 99–101

mouse-ear hawkweed ( _Hieracium pilosella_ ), 98–99

mucous membranes, 49

narrow-spectrum antibiotics, 61

natural antibiotics. _See also specific natural antibiotics_

advantages of, 82–83

as antivirals, 82

with broadest spectrum of action, 110

deficiencies corrected by, 80

defined, 78

dosages, 117

history of, 4–9

indirect action of, 80–81, 82–83

molecular complexity of, 82

oral use, 114–15

preparation of, 2, 83

recommended for each illness, 113

routes of administration for, 7–8

term usage, 3, 78

topical use, 116

nephritis (pyelonephritis), 134–35

niaouli ( _Melaleuca quinquenervia_ ), 88–89

NK "natural killer" cells, 55

orchiepididymitis (acute), 141–42

oregano ( _Origanum heracleoticum_ ), 89–90

otitis (earache), _36,_ 129–30

palmarosa ( _Cymbopogon martinii_ ), 90–91

parasites, 11, 18–20, 124. _See also_ germs

penicillin, 1, 62–64, 71

phagocytes, 50–54

phagocytosis, _51_

pharmaceutical antibiotics. _See_ antibiotics

pharyngitis, 130–32

plant-based antibiotics. _See_ natural antibiotics

plasmids, 65–66

poisoning, 34–35

prebiotics, 185–88

probiotics, 188–91

propolis, 106–9

prostatitis, 142–43

purple coneflower ( _Echinacea purpurea_ ), 99–101

ravintsara ( _Cinnamomum camphora_ ), 91–92

resistance to antibiotics

causes of, 67–70

harmful effects of, 70–73

by mutation, 65–67

natural, 64

new, curbing development of, 76

plasmid mutations and, 65–66

reversibility, 75–77

spontaneous mutations and, 66–67

transposon mutations and, 66

respiratory tract infections, 126–32

restrictive diets, 166–68

Saccharomyces boulardii, 192

salpingitis, 137–38

saprophytic microbes, 70, 73–74

savory ( _Satureja montana, S. hortensis_ ), 92–93

shingles, 147–48

sinusitis, 132

skin, 48–49

skin, stimulating, 164–66

skin fungus, 148–49

skin infections, 143–52

spirulina, 171

spontaneous mutations, 66–67

staphylococci/streptococci, 17, 23, 25, 41–42, 62

 _Staphylococcus aureus_ , 72, 88, 97

stomach ulcer, 124–25

T cells, 54–55

tea tree ( _Melaleuca alternifolia_ ), 5, 93–94

terrain

deficiencies, addressing, 168–71

defining quality of, 81

deterioration of, 44, 45

elimination and, 158–66

favorable for bacteria, 45

germs and, 157, 168

maintaining balance in, 157–71

makeup, 43

as malleable, 44

restrictive diets and, 166–68

state, as fundamental, 46

tetanus ( _Clostridium tetani_ ), 23, 35

thyme ( _Thymus vulgaris_ ), 94–95

tooth abscess, 118–19

toxins, 34–35, 166

transposons, 66

urethritis, 135–36

urinary colibacillosis, 136–37

urinary tract infections, 133–37

vaginitis, 137–38

vancomycin, 72

varicose ulcer, 150

vegetable cure, 168

vinegar formulas, 6–7

viral diseases, 29, 69

viral hepatitis, 125

viruses, 11, _27,_ 27–28. _See also_ germs

vulvitis, 137–38

warts, 150–51

whey, 186–87

white blood cells, 51–52, 53

whitlow, 151–52

whole foods, 169–70

wounds, superficial, 149

yeast infections, 25–26

yogurts, probiotic, 188–89
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