Treatment of Asthma

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

Conserve 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                       ½ 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                               ½ oz. each
        Hyssop
        Balm
        Hart’s Tongue                    ½ 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. ea.
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 ea.
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,
          of Hyssop
          of Marjoram                     1 oz. ea.
        Water of Coltsfoot            2 oz.
        Sugar                                  ½ oz.
Mix and take every morning for a week.
9. Special Pills for Asthma
        Aloe                                    3 drams
        Agaric
        Polypody root                   2 drams ea
        Colocynth                          1 dram
        Spikenard
        Ginger
        Indian Salt                         ½ scruple ea.
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 ½ 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”.

See also:

Asthma