Asthma

Asthma is a respiratory disorder. People suffering from a bout of asthma find it difficult to breathe properly. Muscular spasm makes it difficult for them to get rid of mucus by coughing.

Much concern is being expressed about asthma today but, of course, it is by no means a new disease. There were several folk remedies that were given to try and alleviate the symptoms. One old country remedy was for sufferers of asthma to drink a pint of cold water every morning. They were also advised to take a cold bath every morning.

Not all remedies advised the drinking of water. Another one advised the drinking of apple water, which is described under apple.

Yet another remedy puts its faith in a drink made from liquorice. An ounce of stick liquorice was cut into slices. This was soaked in a quart of water and was to be drunk when asthma sufferer was having a worse bout than usual. Another remedy advocated drinking a pint of new milk every morning and evening.

An infusion made with agrimony was also recommended. Another drink involved drink slicing one pound of sliced garlic, macerating it in a dish containing two pints of boiling water and leaving it for twelve hours. The spoonful of this liquid was to be taken.

Another folk cure involved boiling equal quantities of caraway seeds and fennel seeds in vinegar. Some garlic was then added, and when the liquid had cooled and been strained, honey was added. A teaspoon of this was to be taken as required.

A teaspoon of chopped thyme was also recommended for the relief of symptoms of asthma. A small amount of lemon juice taken in water before a meal was also thought to be help to have curative powers with regard to asthma, and a tea made from rosemary was thought to relieve the bronchial spasm common in asthma.

Carrots taken internally were thought to have expectorant properties. Because of this, people suffering from asthma were advised to eat carrots in order to expel mucus. Plantain was also noted as an expectorant to get rid of mucus and was used as such cases of asthma, as were sage and eucalyptus. Nettle was thought to reduce the congestion I asthma, and myrrh was regarded as a decongestant and as an expectorant for getting rid of phlegm.

A decoration of parsley seeds, noted for their power to relax muscle, was also thought to relieve asthma, as was hyssop. Thyme was considered to have the ability to relax the bronchial tube and also get rid of phlegm by its expectorant properties. Elderflowers were held to be effective in reducing congestion and also in relieving spasm.

Asthma sufferers were also advised to inhale the steam from a combination of boiling water and chamomile.

Food that was easily digestible was recommended.

Eating ripe fruits, whether baked, boiled or roasted, was meant to be good for asthma. An alternative form of food advocated for asthma was thin bread and butter spread with minced garlic. Somewhat less palatable was something else recommended to be eaten as a cure for asthma. This was a handful of spider webs rolled into a ball.

Other herbs thought to be useful in the treatment of asthma included burdock, butterbur, horseradish. lovage, mullein valerian and white horehound.

Few Words From Our Sponsors

Watch UFC 109 live stream on February 6 and witness the best MMA fighters around the world fight it out for the championship titles.

Some of the exciting fight cards include Light Heavyweight: Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman; Middleweight: Nate Marquardt vs Chael Sonnen and Welterweight: Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago

So be sure to watch UFC 109 live stream and enjoy the exciting night of MMA.

Asparagus

Asparagus is best known to most of us a vegetable, since its fleshy young shoots are used in cooking. Its root, however, was also valued for its medicinal properties. It was noted as a laxative and was also used to induce the flow of urine. It was recommended in the treatment of fluid retention, kidney disorders, gout, rheumatic pains and a sedative. Heart disease was also treated with it.

The asparagus root was sometimes used in an infusion, and sometimes the expressed juices was a cure for impotence.