FEVERS: THEIR CAUSES AND AIDS

Dennis Hardy ND


When excess mucus, toxic materials, drug accumulations, poisons and other undesirable materials accumulate within the body, the body's natural reaction is to unload this material before it reaches a high enough level to cause death. The body then reacts with colds, smallpox, measles, chicken pox, or some other childhood disease. The first indication of disease that generally appears is a fever. An adult's first thought, when he sees that his child has a fever, is to hurry and lower the temperature to normal. This is a mistake because the fever is nature's way of letting us know the child has toxic material in his body which should be removed quickly. The fever should not be ignored, but we should work with it.

Fevers work in several ways. One is to raise enough temperature to move the body-building materials from one part of the body to a malfunctioning area. A good example of this is when a baby is trying to cut teeth. The tooth bud appears, becomes swollen and red, painful and irritating; but there is not enough calcium in the mouth area to help get the tooth through. When there is no surplus calcium available, the fever goes higher and higher, and the infant often goes into convulsions. Time after time we have seen the fever drop quickly as organic calcium has been given to the child. The convulsion stops, and the child falls asleep (from fatigue). In a short time the tooth or teeth start "popping through." If the parent uses medication to lower or suppress the fever and nothing else is done, he is merely working on the effect, and not going into the cause. In other words, he is stopping the attempt of a building process without assisting it to accomplish what the body is trying so hard to do.


A fever can be an aid and a blessing if worked with intelligently. But if it is fought against ignorantly, or ignored--it is a killer. Our job in wholistic healing is to praise the fever and work with it, not fight against it. Fever is the thermostatic control of the body, letting us know a dangerous level of toxins has been reached. One should assist the fever to rebuild a malfunctioning area with the cleaning-feeding process. As the child develops a fever with a childhood disease, the body is doing two things; one is to draw healing aids from the body (if they are there), and the other is to discard or burn up unwanted materials. True, a fever must not be allowed to reach too high a level, so we will now show simple ways to help it to unload the unwanted toxic poisons, filth, and surplus mucus from the body.


When a child starts a fever, you are being given a signal that there is trouble in the child's system--something that needs attention. Trying to stop the fever without going to the cause is like bailing the water out of a sinking boat without plugging the hole in the bottom, which is, of course, the "cause" of its sinking. The water coming in is merely the effect.


The effect (or the fever) stems from the accumulation of toxins the child has received over a period of time, and these toxins must be neutralized and/or removed. The only thing we recommend as a natural way of gaining health are foods (herbs, which are foods) and helpful therapies that have been used for centuries. A pleasant herbal tea (red raspberry leaf and yarrow are specifics here) can be the answer when the fever is just starting, because it may be a minor condition or just a common cold. There may be a larger amount of toxic materials in some cases that require more help than just the herbal tea, and we will discuss this later on. For now, let's begin with a fever just showing itself.


The first thing we do is to check the bowels, and see if the child is constipated. If so, give the child some of the formula #8 as described in Dr. Christopher's Three-Day Cleansing Program and Mucusless Diet, until bowels start to move freely. Many times a good bowel movement is all that is necessary to bring down a fever. Give a small child an herbal tea made of three parts china rhubarb (also called turkey or india rhubarb), two parts comfrey root, and one part licorice root--one cup three times a day for children twelve years or older; one half cup for children eight to twelve years old. Vary this amount for younger children according to age.


We worry whether we should "feed a fever and starve a cold" or vice versa. Let's consider the actions of animals of the lower kingdom. They cannot read and don't understand "old wives tales," so they are guided by God-given intuition, or have to depend on the inner feelings. When sick, they ignore food until they are well. If we force them to eat, we could easily kill them! During a fever, most people do not have an appetite, so do not force food on a sick child. Take all solid foods away and use only vegetable or fruit juice, preferably fresh (or unsweetened bottled) juice. Do not worry about your child falling over in starvation if he misses a meal or two. Too much food is generally the problem, causing fever and sickness--simply and overloaded and constipated bowel area.


While the child is off solid foods, give him, in addition to juices, as many cups of red raspberry-leaf tea during the day as he can drink. Sweeten it with honey, and he will enjoy it, if the adult does not use the negative approach; i.e., "Here is some more of that yucky herb drink." If the parent is wise, this can be a wonderful opportunity to get closer to the child and have a "tea party," drinking the tea together. Both will benefit.


The red raspberry-leaf tea is high in a number of organic (natural and healing) minerals and vitamins and is a fine herbal liquid food for the body. This contains the wonderful nitrate of iron which has remarkable blood-making and regulating properties as well as astringent and contracting action on the internal tissues and membranes. It also contains pectin, malic and other organic acids, calcium, and potassium chloride, and sulphates. Here is a wonderful healing tea that is a great blessing.


This simple routine has aided many in cleaning up the body to a point that the fever drops back to normal before the day is over. Keep the child on juice and ripe fresh fruit for a day or two and then gradually onto the mucusless diet. (Dr. Christopher, Three Day Cleansing Program.) If the child is restless at night and does not sleep soundly, give the following warm herbal drink a short time before going to bed. Equal parts of catnip, peppermint and spearmint tea, sweetened with honey. Yarrow tea will break up a fever that is high and dry, by causing the child to sweat.


Red raspberry leaf tea has been used and proven by many people, as explained above, but if not available, use yarrow or some other diaphoretic herb.