Alteratives
From Angelika’s diary:
So let’s talk about what’s got you in such a state of disrepair, shall we? You’re tired all the time, you don’t feel particularly good, although you don’t feel particularly bad. Your skin’s got boils on it that’s nothin’ to do with youth. You get a rash in your nethers that a good dose of goldenseal or echinacea won’t fix. Your joints ache, you get colds all the time. So, what have you done to yourself to get you here? You haven’t taken care of yourself, you haven’t eaten properly, and your blood’s gone bad.
Don’t argue with me. ‘tis the only fluid in your body that flows everywhere, and pretty much, you’re in a state, all over your body. If I were to send you to the barber surgeon, not that I would, mind you, those butchers would just as soon cut off a body part as bleed you, he’d tell you the same thing, and then make you pay a pence just to cut you, and let some of the blood drain off your body.
I’ll tell you this – it took you a long time to get your body into such a state. If you’ll listen to me now, and do as I tell you, we’ll get things right again. It’s not going to happen overnight – for you surely didn’t get this bad overnight – but it will happen, mark my words. If you don’t listen, mind you, I’ll wash my hands of you and let the Lord figure out what to do with someone who killed themselves, sure as I’m standing here.
All right, so first we’ll start with what you eat. For the next two weeks, I want you to include herbs in your tea, every mornin’, noon and night. First, is red clover and alfalfa. This’ll help your nerves settle down, and you might start seeing an improvement in your skin. O’ course, sometimes, the cure for what ails you is workin’ to get rid of all the poisons you’ve been feedin’ yourself, and it’ll get worse before it gets better. Blame yourself for gettin’ so bad before comin’ to see me! But keep doin’ what I say, and you’ll be better, by and by. You might notice that you can breathe a bit easier too. Now, if you start feelin’ ill, with a sore, scratchy throat, gargle with the tea in the mornin’ and at night. You may also notice that your joints don’t ache as much.
Now, I’m noticin’ that your skin is dry and I’ve watched you scratch yourself near a hundred times since you’ve been here. The next herb to put in your tea is yellow dock and chickweed. This’ll help bring some color back to your face, make it so you’re not so tired, and make your skin less itchy. I’ll give you a cream to put on your skin in the meantime. It’ll have some of the chickweed in it too, but in a different form.
Lastly, I want you to drink more of the tea made from dandelion root. I know that it’s a bit strong, and that with what I want you to drink, you’re goin’ to pass water more often, but if you expect to get rid of the poisons in your body, you’re goin’ to have to get them out somehow. That should also make you a bit more pink, rather than the yellow tinge you’ve been takin’ on of late. You shouldn’t have as many pains after you’ve eaten, either. I know, I know, you didn’t think to tell me about those, did you? But as bad as you are, I knew you’d be listin’ that as an ailment sooner or later.
Don’t you worry – we’ll have you feelin’ better soon – the other thing you need to do is get plenty of good sleep at night and work hard durin’ the day. All of it does a body good.
Angelika’s rant against those who have mistreated themselves to get to the condition of being run down, anemic, having difficulty with gall stones, rheumatism and skin disorders, like psoriasis or eczema, liver problems that are exhibited with yellowed colour in the skin, etc. are very common complaints in modern society. The herbs that she lists are called alteratives. They alter the state of the body gradually, in a positive direction, promoting good health. And while the "apple a day" was written for keeping doctors away, I’m certain that Angelika would recommend it for the dreaded barber surgeons.
Alteratives have a milder, gentler effect than some of the herbs that can work quickly, to snap a body back into health. For instance, goldenseal or echinacea can rid a body of infection, but they are for infections that have just shown up and haven’t weakened the body over a period of time. You’ll want to find the right alterative for conditions where someone exists in a weakened state, where the condition has developed over time. At the same time that you’re doing things to gradually alter the body back into condition, you’re also going to look for some of the reasons that the conditions exist in the first place. You’re looking to replace the bad habits with good, and give people time to get better.
Most alteratives have blood purifying properties which help the functioning of the organs, such as the liver, kidneys, spleen and bowels, in maintaining good health. The book,The Herb Lady's Notebook: The Personal Journal of America's Most Outrageous Herbalist, deals a great deal with bowel health, estimating that 90% of the health issues that arise come from the dis-ease of this area of the body. While that may be a bit over the top, her cleansing formulas are not a bad idea every once in a while, just to clean the toxins out of the body.
Another quality that many alternatives have is that of being a cholagogue, meaning they promote the flow of bile, aiding in both digestion and constipation.
Altering the state of the body back to one of health will include properties that affect most of the organs of the body, including the skin. Be aware that when you start on a regimen meant to clean the toxins out of the body, your body is going to get rid of them through every exit you have – including your skin. You may find yourself breaking out for a few days, urinating more frequently or eliminating waste several times a day. This is not unusual, but it is important that you stick with the regimen, so that you achieve what you set out to accomplish – feeling better.
INTERLUDE
Angelika’s diary contains bits and pieces of her life, and much of which she wrote about when she was with an English free company called the Archers of Ravenwood. The Archers became her family when her son was young. Her husband had died, and her son had become enamored of archery, and an archer by the name of Mac. The boy introduced the two, and Angelika traveled with the Archers, treating people within the group, as well as others they met at crossroads faires or when they had joined to work for this noble or that.
I will add in background that Angelika doesn’t necessarily explain in her stories, that I’ve read elsewhere in the book. Or perhaps I’ll simply let her tell it in her own voice.
So let’s talk about what’s got you in such a state of disrepair, shall we? You’re tired all the time, you don’t feel particularly good, although you don’t feel particularly bad. Your skin’s got boils on it that’s nothin’ to do with youth. You get a rash in your nethers that a good dose of goldenseal or echinacea won’t fix. Your joints ache, you get colds all the time. So, what have you done to yourself to get you here? You haven’t taken care of yourself, you haven’t eaten properly, and your blood’s gone bad.
Don’t argue with me. ‘tis the only fluid in your body that flows everywhere, and pretty much, you’re in a state, all over your body. If I were to send you to the barber surgeon, not that I would, mind you, those butchers would just as soon cut off a body part as bleed you, he’d tell you the same thing, and then make you pay a pence just to cut you, and let some of the blood drain off your body.
I’ll tell you this – it took you a long time to get your body into such a state. If you’ll listen to me now, and do as I tell you, we’ll get things right again. It’s not going to happen overnight – for you surely didn’t get this bad overnight – but it will happen, mark my words. If you don’t listen, mind you, I’ll wash my hands of you and let the Lord figure out what to do with someone who killed themselves, sure as I’m standing here.
All right, so first we’ll start with what you eat. For the next two weeks, I want you to include herbs in your tea, every mornin’, noon and night. First, is red clover and alfalfa. This’ll help your nerves settle down, and you might start seeing an improvement in your skin. O’ course, sometimes, the cure for what ails you is workin’ to get rid of all the poisons you’ve been feedin’ yourself, and it’ll get worse before it gets better. Blame yourself for gettin’ so bad before comin’ to see me! But keep doin’ what I say, and you’ll be better, by and by. You might notice that you can breathe a bit easier too. Now, if you start feelin’ ill, with a sore, scratchy throat, gargle with the tea in the mornin’ and at night. You may also notice that your joints don’t ache as much.
Now, I’m noticin’ that your skin is dry and I’ve watched you scratch yourself near a hundred times since you’ve been here. The next herb to put in your tea is yellow dock and chickweed. This’ll help bring some color back to your face, make it so you’re not so tired, and make your skin less itchy. I’ll give you a cream to put on your skin in the meantime. It’ll have some of the chickweed in it too, but in a different form.
Lastly, I want you to drink more of the tea made from dandelion root. I know that it’s a bit strong, and that with what I want you to drink, you’re goin’ to pass water more often, but if you expect to get rid of the poisons in your body, you’re goin’ to have to get them out somehow. That should also make you a bit more pink, rather than the yellow tinge you’ve been takin’ on of late. You shouldn’t have as many pains after you’ve eaten, either. I know, I know, you didn’t think to tell me about those, did you? But as bad as you are, I knew you’d be listin’ that as an ailment sooner or later.
Don’t you worry – we’ll have you feelin’ better soon – the other thing you need to do is get plenty of good sleep at night and work hard durin’ the day. All of it does a body good.
Angelika’s rant against those who have mistreated themselves to get to the condition of being run down, anemic, having difficulty with gall stones, rheumatism and skin disorders, like psoriasis or eczema, liver problems that are exhibited with yellowed colour in the skin, etc. are very common complaints in modern society. The herbs that she lists are called alteratives. They alter the state of the body gradually, in a positive direction, promoting good health. And while the "apple a day" was written for keeping doctors away, I’m certain that Angelika would recommend it for the dreaded barber surgeons.
Alteratives have a milder, gentler effect than some of the herbs that can work quickly, to snap a body back into health. For instance, goldenseal or echinacea can rid a body of infection, but they are for infections that have just shown up and haven’t weakened the body over a period of time. You’ll want to find the right alterative for conditions where someone exists in a weakened state, where the condition has developed over time. At the same time that you’re doing things to gradually alter the body back into condition, you’re also going to look for some of the reasons that the conditions exist in the first place. You’re looking to replace the bad habits with good, and give people time to get better.
Most alteratives have blood purifying properties which help the functioning of the organs, such as the liver, kidneys, spleen and bowels, in maintaining good health. The book,The Herb Lady's Notebook: The Personal Journal of America's Most Outrageous Herbalist, deals a great deal with bowel health, estimating that 90% of the health issues that arise come from the dis-ease of this area of the body. While that may be a bit over the top, her cleansing formulas are not a bad idea every once in a while, just to clean the toxins out of the body.
Another quality that many alternatives have is that of being a cholagogue, meaning they promote the flow of bile, aiding in both digestion and constipation.
Altering the state of the body back to one of health will include properties that affect most of the organs of the body, including the skin. Be aware that when you start on a regimen meant to clean the toxins out of the body, your body is going to get rid of them through every exit you have – including your skin. You may find yourself breaking out for a few days, urinating more frequently or eliminating waste several times a day. This is not unusual, but it is important that you stick with the regimen, so that you achieve what you set out to accomplish – feeling better.
INTERLUDE
Angelika’s diary contains bits and pieces of her life, and much of which she wrote about when she was with an English free company called the Archers of Ravenwood. The Archers became her family when her son was young. Her husband had died, and her son had become enamored of archery, and an archer by the name of Mac. The boy introduced the two, and Angelika traveled with the Archers, treating people within the group, as well as others they met at crossroads faires or when they had joined to work for this noble or that.
I will add in background that Angelika doesn’t necessarily explain in her stories, that I’ve read elsewhere in the book. Or perhaps I’ll simply let her tell it in her own voice.
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