Читать книгу Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies - David Hoffmann - Страница 68

The treatment of the eye is beyond the scope of this book. However, conditions that affect the eyelids and tear glands may be treated herbally.

The herb par excellence for the treatment of the eyes is Eyebright. It can be used internally and externally in all eye problems, and will help the eyeball and the surrounding tissue, but it can also be combined with other herbs. When treating styes, inflammation of the eyelids or other infections such as conjunctivitis, it is best to treat the problem both internally and externally. Internally, the herbs should be anti-microbial, detoxifying and toning for the whole body, to strengthen it to the point where it can ‘throw off’ the infection itself. A good example of such a combination would be a mixture of equal parts of

Blue Flag

Cleavers

Echinacea

Eyebright

Poke Root

A cup of this should be drunk three times a day.

Externally, an eyewash or a compress may be made with Eyebright. Put one tablespoonful of the dried herb in half a litre (one pint) of water, boil it for ten minutes and let it cool. We can either use it as an eyewash or apply it as a compress by moistening cotton wool, gauze or muslin in the warm liquid and placing it over the eyes for about 15 minutes. This should be repeated several times a day. Other remedies that may be used in a similar way externally are Marigold and Golden Seal.