COLITIS (Colon trouble)

Symptoms:

Inflammation of the colon or large intestine, especially its mucous membrane.  This is characterized either by runny or constipated bowels, mucoid discharge from the bowel, weakness felt in the abdomen, often headache, pain, dizziness, etc.

Cause:

This is caused by faulty diet, too many food mixtures irritating the stomach and bowels, hasty eating (insufficient mastication and saliva), taking liquids while eating, excessive use of cathartics, and foods cooked in aluminum.

Herbal aids:

Any of the following herbs used as a high enema are very beneficial and soothing: alum root, bayberry, burdock, golden seal, myrrh, or yellow dock.  This irritation can be soothed by drinking teas of cayenne, comfrey, marshmallow root, mullein leaves, or slippery elm.  The lower bowel tonic is excellent.  Alleviate irritation of the bowels by pureeing foods until some healing takes place and normal food roughage can be handled.

Useful herbs:

Aloes, anise seed, bayberry bark, blackberry root, colombo, fire weed, fleabane, golden seal, myrrh, peppermint, sassafras, slippery elm, sweet gum bark, vervain, wahoo bark, white oak bark, wild cherry bark.