Pleurisy.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Herbs for pleurisy
From: placbv.bremner.uct.ac.za
Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 15:06:19 GMT

Can anyone give some advice on readily available herbs for treating pleurisy (type of debilitating lung infection causing PAINFUL coughing)?

Back to Eden recommends cayenne pepper (capsicin) poultice, which sounds really messy, plus ingestion of cayenne pepper. I can only find the "irradiated" variety, will this still work?

Please respond if you have had dealings with this specific illness.

From: Cathy <Cathy.tcd.net>

I have suffered from pleurisy in the past. I still get an occasional attack, but not very often. It is very painful. I have had great success with pleuresy root and pleurisy root commercial blends. Pleurisy root is an off-white and bitter. You can make some and keep it for a few days in the fridge and mix it with orange juice or some other complimentary tea (like mint) to mask the bitter taste. I take the commercially available pleurisy root blend in capsule form when I need to. I buy it at the local health food store.
8-)

From: gianine.nando.net (Gianine)

> I have had great success with pleuresy root and pleurisy root commercial blends.

I second your opinion about pleurisy root. I have used it for pneumonia on myself and have given it to a friend for pleurisy. I have also used elecampane. Both of these seem to be very useful for all respiratory problems. The last time that I needed pleurisy root, which was for bronchitis this past winter, the health food store did not have any dried herb, but another store carried it in tincture form. This worked very well.

The botanical name for pleurisy root is Asclepias tuberosa. Some other common names for it are Butterfly-weed, Swallow-wort, Tuber Root, Wind-root, Colic Root and Orange Milkweed.

From: ntlor.primenet.com (Sebastian Rust)

> Please respond if you have had dealings with this specific illness.

I have no experence using cayenne pepper for pleurisy, but a couple of years ago a friend of mine had pleurisy. We used a taro root plaster with a little ginger added, she also took osha, pleurisy root, and vitamins C, B&A, with a large dose of REST.

S. Rust