Treatment of Asthma (Wirtzung)
Treatment of Asthma from Wirtzung
In the Western Traditions, Asthma was one of 3 main varieties of Breathing difficulty:
-
Dyspnoea
: breathing is difficult, labored, difficult inspiration, and out of course
-
Asthma
: uneasy drawing of breath, more difficulty in expiration, wheezing
-
Orthopnea
: both the above; breathe best when upright; very labored breath
Asthma today is associated with episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. In Asthma and other types of breathing difficulty and wheezing it is important to use traditional differentiatial diagnosis:
-
Heat-type
: feels warm, flushed cheeks, flaring nostrils, red tongue, big or fast pulse. This is inflammatory or allergic type asthma.
-
Phlegm-type
: excess phlegm, phlegm rattling in throat, expectoration of phlegm, clammy skin, pale face, low pulse. This is a congestive asthma
-
Wind-type
: dry cough, dry mouth, labored breath, nervousness or anxiety. This is often related to anxiety or nervousness
-
Deficiency
: feels weak, low voice, shallow breath, breathlessness, weakening and wasting, pale face, weak pulse
General advice for Shortness of Breath and Wheezing:
1. Eat small amounts
2. Chew well
3. Avoid cold, moist, slimy food; unleavened bread, boiled fish, beef: Dairy; Lettuce, Purslane, Beets, Spinach
Diet
Diet should be individualized, for example, avoiding Phlegm foods in a Phlegm-type Asthma. However, some basic guidelines:
–raised bread;
–Mutton, Veal, Lamb, Hares; Fox Lungs; Chicken, Pigeon, Pheasant, Wild Duck;
–Cabbage, Parsley, Fennel, Mint, Sage, Hyssop; Pea porridge, Bean broth
–Raisins, Figs, Currants
–Spices: Fennel seed, Aniseed, Cumin, Caraway, Pepper, Ginger, Saffron etc.
–Herbs: Maidenhair, Hyssop, Horehound, Elecampane, Saffron
–Honey
–sweet Wine diluted with well water in summer and boiled water in Winter; a little Red Wine
–Meade, Almond milk
General Herbal Treatment for Asthma
Confects of
: Elecampane roots, Nutmegs, Star Thistle roots, Sea Holly root, Walnuts, Calamus, Caraway seed, Fennel seed
Conserves of
: Eyebright, Rosemary
Lohochs: Any of the Lohochs (de Pino, de Farfar, or Diapenid) can be held in the mouth and sucked slowly
Primary Formulas
: Troches of Sulphur, Lohoch of Fox Lungs, Diapenidium, Diatragacanth; Oxymels
1. Raisins decocted in Almond Milk, or Goats Milk
2. Decoct Hyssop and Honey in water
3. Decoct a handful of Horehound in 1.5 pints of white wine, seethe until one-third has gone, strain and add 6 oz. of clarified Honey; Dose: 2 or 3 oz.
4. Leeks with Barley water and Honey
5. Nettles with Barley water and Honey
6. Rue boiled in Vinegar
7. Squill or any of its medicines; All types of Oxymel; Syrups of Vinegar
8. Currants or Raisins 5 oz.
Decoct until they swell, press through a sieve; add 12 oz. of sugar and make a confection.
9. Press and clarify Coltsfoot juice, add equal honey and boil to a syrup.
10. Sulphur viv (living Sulphur–natural Sulphur that has not been fired) 2 grains taken in honey; ‘it is marvelous good’.
11. Marshmallow root 1 oz.
Elecampane 0.5 oz.
Decoct in water of violets, stamp to a pap, add 1 dram of Chervil seed; make a confection
with Sugar.
12 Rhubarb 1 dram
Oil of Sweet Almond 3 oz.
Cream 2 oz.
Heat gently together on warm ashes; ‘use thereof often, for it is very good’.
13. For young children
Mastic, Frankincense, Citron peel equal parts
Powder; rub into the sutures of the skull.
14. Figs 0.75 oz.
Dates
Horehound
Celery seed
Fennel seed
Rose
Maidenhair
Hyssop
Licorice 5 drams ea.
Decoct them.
15. Electuary of Currants
Peony root
Licorice 0.5 oz. each
Hyssop
Balm
Hart’s Tongue 0.5 handful ea.
Boil gently in Rain water, press it out and strain through cloth. Add a quantity of well pounded Black Currants, boil together, press then add 1 lb. of Sugar, and boil gently to a Confection. It opens the chest, stops Cough and wheezing, clears Phlegm.
16. Confection of Sulphur
Sulphur viv 1 scruple
Fresh Butter
Mucilage of Linseed
Elecampane 1 oz.
Take often, a little each time.
10. A syrup:
Sebestens
Figs,
Dates 4 each
White Poppy seed 1 oz.
Aniseed
Fennel seed
Agrimony
Hyssop 1 oz. ea
Cinnamon
Maidenhair
Violets
Currants
Licorice 2 drams. ea.
Jujubes 20
Honey 5 oz.
Decoct the herbs and fruit in 3 pints of water until a third has gone, strain, then add the
Honey, and boil until clear.
When the Lungs are Obstructed with Phlegm
Vomiting has always been a principle part of Phlegm-type Asthma and Wheezing
1. Pills of Agaric is much commended for this disease.
2. Diaireos Salomonis is very good used as needed
3. A vomit of Mustard seed and Honey is suitable
4. Every week eat a piece of Green Ginger, and fast at least 4 hours after
5. Inhale fumes of either: Myrrh, Costus, Saffron, Cassia Wood, Birthwort, Galbanum
6. A Decoction:
Figs 10 or 12
Dates
Celery seed
Fennel seed,
Maidenhair
Hyssop
Horehound 5 drams
Decoct down to half.
7. A Confection:
Licorice juice
Hyssop
Maidenhair 10 drams ea.
Pepper
Bitter Almonds
Birthwort
Cress seed
Nettle seed 3 drams ea.
With sufficient clarified Honey, form a confection. This was to be taken with the above decoction once every 3, 4, 5 or 6 days, as it is very strong to clear phlegm.
8. After vomiting or expectorating the matter up:
Waters of Blue Flower-de-Luce,
Hyssop
Marjoram 1 oz. ea.
Water of Coltsfoot 2 oz.
Sugar 0.5 oz.
Mix and take every morning for a week.
9. Special Pills
Aloe 3 drams
Agaric
Polypody root 0.25 oz. ea
Colocynth 1 dram
Spikenard
Ginger
Indian Salt 0.5 scruple
Beat together; mix in 2 oz. each of Rose and Endive juices, keep in a warm place, stirring often until dry; then add 2 oz. of Marjoram juice and dry as before; again mix with 2 oz. of the juice of small Endive, and 0.5 scruple of Saffron; when almost dry, form pills. Take one every fifth day before supper, and one more two hours after. ‘This may every
such patient use all his life long in all countries … These pills have great force to preserve health; for they cleanse the breast, the stomach, and the Liver’.
