A history of Lobelia, and for the most part quoted from the book: "
Joseph Smith And Herbal Medicine..." It's an older floor mat... using some ways to administer many of the herbs in the book that maybe obsolete today. However this history organized and in John Heinerman book, no matter why, who or whence it came is valuable to understand this valuable herb in our history. I'll use my discernment's on truths which is the only issue here of the value of Lobelia.
Today's physician's are just as ignorant about the uses or spreading fears of herbal remedies because they are not trained in uses of Lobelia and others such as in European countries. They will out give patten answers with a drug for specific aliment as taught by their pimp the drug representatives that deliberately steer doctors from them. In fact the ones they do, try and find out why the herb works by the reasons they give you to avoid it. This will always give you clues to the value of the herb.
http://shermsorganicnews.blogspot.com/2010/02/lobelia-indian-n.html
CHAPER FIVE
"LOBELIA -- THE CORNERSTONE OF HERBAL FAITH"
(A description and Short History of the Most Popular Herb in Mormon Medicine)
Joseph Smith had this to say about the plant now in discussion:
Dec. 26th, 1842. Visited Sister Morey in custody of Lee 1 (?) and prescribed for her afflictions; spoke very highly of Lobelia. Good in its place. Was one of the works of God. But like the power of God or any good, it became an evil when improperly used."
''When the J.S. had suggested the use of this herb, he was recommending one of the finest plants known to man. To acquaint the reader with "the most powerful relaxant known among herbs" but one which leaves "no harmful effects," the following short description is furnished for the reader's information:''
''LOBELIA (Plant and Seed) (QUOTED material follows) Botanical Name: Lobelia inflata. Common names: Bladder podded lobelia, wild tobacco, emetic herb, emetic weed, lobelia herb, puke weed, asthma weed, gag root, eye-bright, vomit wort.
Medicinal properties:Emetic, expectorant, diuretic, nervice, diaphoretic, antispasmodic.
...Lobelia acts differently upon different people, but it will not hurt anyone. It makes the pulse fuller and softer in cases of inflammation and fever. Lobelia reduces palpitation of the heart. It is fine in the treatment of all fevers and in pneumonia, meningitis, pleurisy, hepatitis, peritonitis, phrenitis, nephritis, and perositis.
Lobelia alone cannot cure, but it is very beneficial if given in connection with other measures, such as an enema of catnip infusion morning and evening. An enema should be given even if the patient is delirious.
It's important to remember to balance out Lobelia with another or other herbs. It works best this way, but not with a drug.
It will relieve the brain.
Pleurisy root is a specific remedy for pleurisy, but it is excellent if combined with lobelia for its relaxing properties. The use of lobelia in fevers is beyond any other remedy. It is excellent for very nervous patients. Poultices of hot fomentation of lobelia are good in external inflammations such as
rheumatism, etc. It is excellent to add lobelia to poultices for
abcesses, boils and
carbuncles. Use on-third lobelia to two-third
slippery elm bark or the same proportion to any other herb you are using.
While lobelia is an
excellent emetic, it is a strange fact that given in small doses for irritable
stomach, it will
stop spasmodic vomiting. In cases of
asthma, give a lobelia pack, followed the next morning by an emetic. The pack will loosen the waste material, and it will be cast out with the emetic. In bad cases, where the
liver is affected and the skin yellow, combine equal parts of pleurisy root, catnip and bitter root. Steep a teaspoonful in a cup of boiling water.
Give two tablespoons every two hours, hot. For
hydrophobia, steep a tablespoonful of lobelia in a pint of boiling water, drinking as much as possible to induce vomiting. This will clean the stomach out; then give a high enema. This treatment should be given immediately after the person is attacked. Lobelia is excellent for
whooping cough...For an emergency, there is nothing that will as quickly clear the air passage of the lungs as lobelia. A tincture made as follows will stop difficult breathing and clear the air passages of the lungs, if taken a tablespoonful at a time: (Add in lung herbals if you wish)
Lobelia herb 2 ounces
Crushed lobelia seed 2 ounces
Apple vinegar 1 pint or vodka (your only using drops and it will keep longer.)Soak for two weeks in a well-stoppered bottle, shaking every day.
Strain and it is ready to use. This is also good to use as an external application, rubbing between the shoulders and chest in
asthma.
Lobelia poultice is excellent for
sprain, felons, bruises, ringworm, erysipelas, stings of insects, and poison ivy.
A Few TESTIMONIES:
An associate of the Joseph [Smith], relates a healing incident involving the use of this wonderful herb with a patient of his in Nauvoo, and describes some of the virtues of this plant in general:
Sister Daniel Tyler while living in Nauvoo got desperately poisoned by rubbing red precipitated
mercury on her skin for the itch, not knowing the danger. She put it on quite plentiful. He came for me about midnight. I just gave her a few courses of Thomsonian medicine, and it
was not long before she was well. (Some have said to rub Lobelia on inoculation's of children for the same effect to rid them of mercury poisons.)
We need to know but little about the patient, only to know that they are sick; and but very little difference what the complaint will be, thorough courses of regular Thomsonian medicine will seldom if ever disappoint you in performing a cure.
It will remove obstructions wherever found in the whole system and restore a healthy action wherever
needed.
It does act like intelligence, always in harmony with the living intention of the system which is always to remove obstruction from the system of whatever name or nature it may be.
"I sometimes look upon lobelia as being supernatural although I have been using it for forty-six years. I do not know the extent of its power and virtues in restoring the sick and at the same time perfectly harmless. It is undoubtedly the best and purest relax um in the compass of medicine. That is the reason it is so good in child bed cases; it
puts the system exactly in the situation the laws of nature would have it be to perform that object. Those in the habit of using it in such cases look forward in pleasing anticipation of having a good time, without foreboding of trouble so common to women. Oh, glorious medicine!''
"Priddy Meeks testifies concerning lobelia in this fashion:...a sure, quicker, and more
powerful anti-poison (I think), is not known, and probably never will be. As an instance, I attended a case of hydrophobia. A boy ten or twelve years of age, Philetus Davis, by name, having been bitten by a
rabid dog, lobelia was administered. He recovered perfect health, and says he has never had a tremor of the complaint. He now lives in Toquerville, and has a large family.
*Another instance of its unique properties may be seen in this recorded manifestation:
Brother Nobel's wife, within about one month of her expected sickness, had the
dropsy so bad he thought she could not live until that month was out, so that she could be doctored without injury to her offspring. The doctors in the valley had a consultation over her case, and President Young with them; they could devise no means to save the woman without destroying the infant and she could not live but a few days without help; but they would not make a move until they sent for me. When I came they told me they could not see how the
woman could be saved without destroying the child. I told them there would be no difficulty in bringing about that object. They wanted to know if I thought that I could take the water out of that woman and save both alive.
I said,"Yes, I certainly can, and Lobelia is the thing that will do it." I just gave her Thomsonian courses of medicine and soon had the water all out, and in due time she had a fine boy to the joy of all who were watching to see what the result would be.''
To most herbalists of this Mormon faith, in practice then, this plant was"the cornerstone of their faith." One of the most active of botanic physicians, Priddy Meeks, looked upon it this way:
'I don't know what encomiums [enthusiastic praise] I could place on lobelia to be competent with its virtues, the extent of its therapeutic action on the human system. I think there are but few if any who understand. I have been in the habitual use of it now for forty-seven years and I don't profess to know all about its operations on the system yet, neither do I ever expect to until I understand the physiology of the human system more than I do and the laws of which it is governed.
As for lobelia it will act on the system in complete conformity with the laws of health; and when the law is obstructed and fails to fulfill the operations that nature intended it to fulfill while healthy, it will remove those obstructions wherever located, for lobelia will permeate the whole system until it finds where the obstructions is seated and there it will spend its influence and powers by relaxing the parts obstructed.
Dr. Thompson used:
**There should always accompany the lobelia with cayenne pepper which is the purest and best stimulant that is known in the compass of medicine. It will increase the very life and vitality of the system and give the blood a greater velocity and power. Now the system being so relaxed with lobelia and the blood being so stimulated with such power it will act on the whole system like an increased flow of water turned into a muddy spring of water; it will soon run clear. Although lobelia is set at naught and persecuted the way it is, it is for the same reason that the Latter-day Saints are persecuted;
it is ordained by God to be used in wisdom. It was with great frequency that the Latter-day Saints used and employed lobelia; for it was "the cornerstone" of Thomsonian medicine and the chief herb around which all others revolved.
Men such as Dr. Calvin Pendleton [and]Priddy Meeks, [along with women such as] Patty Sessions [together with] other skilled botanic physicians [men and women alike], did not hesitate to recommend this important herb, nor stress its vital significance in the practice of their art. We suppose countless volumes could be written of the times it was used, and hundreds of pages consumed in recording all of the marvelous experiences connected with this Divine creation. But one should suffice for now:
Another incident I will relate while I was cutting up the lap of a large oak tree, together with a man named Jackson, as it was our day to work tithing. We were strangers to each other. It was hot weather and very sickly. Some would take the fever and die before the news would get circulated. Early in the day he suddenly took a very high fever; it was a very serious case and he was very much alarmed about it. I told him that there was a little weed growing around I thought might do him good. He eagerly wished for it. It was
lobelia of the first year's growth. Some not much larger than a dollar and lay flat on the ground. I got some of it and told him to eat it, just like a cow would eat grass and he did so, and in a few minutes it vomited him powerfully and broke the fever and he finished his day's work. I mention this to show you what virtue there is in lobelia.
Sometimes there was even an added bonus to the virtues of this herb; like a heavenly visitation, for instance: In this connection I will relate another visionary incident while living at Parowan. Simeon Houd got badly
poisoned with strychnine, so that he had to have his thumb amputated, but that did not seem to stop the poison from ascending up his arm and going down into his vitals which would prove fatal. He sent for me and said to me: 'Brother Meeks, if you cannot save me I am gone; for if the poison gets into my vitals it will kill me; it is now to my shoulder.'
Never knowing lobelia to fail in a case of poison, neither indeed in any other case, in full assurance of faith, I went to work and gave him several thorough courses of Thomsonian medicine, and in three or four days he was so much better that we all believed that nothing more was needed as the poison was checked; he felt about well. I thought the job was completed and I went home.
The second night after this I went home; a strange young woman dressed in white appeared to me and said, 'I am sent from the other world to tell you that if you do not double your diligence on Brother Houd he will die, for
Satan is trying to kill him.' I said, 'Did you say that you came from the other world?' 'Yes,' she replied. 'Do you know anything of Calvin Smith, who was President at Parowan and has been dead about a year?' 'Yes, I came from where he is.' I said, 'How is he getting along?' She said, 'First rate; but he is mighty busy.' 'What is your name?' said I. She said 'Sally Ann,' but the other part of her name I either forgot or did not understand; I could not repeat it in the morning. She said she had two cousins here and wanted to visit with them while she was here. I asked her their names. She said, Julia Thomson and Sarah Smith, both daughters of Horace Smith Fish, who lived in Parowan.
I said to her, 'You must not be out of my presence while you are here; (that order was given to me by inspiration), but I will tell you how we can do. I will go with you and then you will be with me all the time.' It was known to me instinctively that I was responsible for her while she stayed here. So we both went to where each woman lived but did not get an interview with either of them, but the cause I did not know.
There was something dark about, and went back to my house. She, said, 'Now come with me; I want to show you a pretty building.' We entered the beautifulest building I ever saw. It was white inside. It needed no candle to give light. It was unfurnished, no furniture or anything else in it. She said nothing about who would enjoy the building. She showed me several rooms or departments all exceedingly beautiful. 'Now,' she said, 'I am ready to go,' and I said, 'Go.' And soon as daylight I went to Brother Houd. I doctored him about as much as I had done, taking the same course I had done before and he was soon well and lived about twenty-five years afterwards.
Ghost: So when I told Sisters Thomson and Smith, what she told me about being cousins they said, 'We know who it was.' It was Sally Ann Chamberlain who died fourteen years ago at their home not far from Nauvoo. I mentioned the interview we tried to have with them. They both said they were troubled that night and could not sleep and thought that there was someone there who wished to see them and got up and lit a candle and searched the house, and went out of doors and looked around but could see no person. Now from this woman I learned to important facts.
One is when a messenger is sent to anyone they are responsible for them as long as they are with them. The other was that the principle I am to doctor on is correct. If it had not been so she would have to change my course instead of telling me to double my diligence.
Others have even enjoyed certain visions in the night, portraying this herb as the standard for all that was good:"
Mrs. Ferris closes by quoting Sister Sessions, who related a dream in which she witnessed a remarkable fight between the Lord and the Devil-- the Devil almost won the fight -- the moral of conclusion of which was 'the
Lord advised her to us[e] lobelia in curing disease, as that would drive the Devil away. ' 'Barnabee Carter got struck with a piece of cast metal drum in a machine that was going a furious speed. It burst all to pieces, one piece went through the weather-boards of a house that stood some distance off. One piece or two struck Carter on the breast and side and knocked him down with a dangerous wound. Being unconscious, he was carried home.
There was a great excitement, very warm water, and a great crowd. There was no gash cut, but terrible bruise and it was turning blue. I told them I wanted them to leave and give me a chance and I would promise them there should not be left a blue spot of bruised blood under the skin in a short time. In this case
I gave lobelia as well as cayenne pepper to relax the system
so the bruised blood would assimilate with the warm uninjured blood and become equalized through the whole system. I don't know that I gave lobelia enough to puke him or not. If I did it was so much better.
To conclude this chapter, we offer the humble statement of Priddy Meeks [h]imself in relation to lobelia -- the "herb of herbs: "I do not think the medicine is yet found and probably never will be that will
act in accordance with the laws of life and the
intentions of nature like lobelia. No difference what the matter is or where the obstructions are,
lobelia will find it and remove the obstructions and create a healthy action. On, wonderful medicine that will act, so much like intelligence; but cayenne pepper and sweating ought always to accompany a course of medicine; and also an injection (enema).
IN SUMMARY
1. Joseph Smith introduced, had revelation and advocated the use of lobelia.
2. Lobelia is good for many things. It is an excellent remedy for someone who has been bitten by a rabid animal. It settles the stomach in small doses, and relieves it up in larger doses. It is an excellent bowel mover, when accompanied with cayenne pepper.
3. It is the best
antidote against internal poisoning known to man.
4. It is a wonderful aid in pregnancy, when administered with skill!
5. According to one of the greatest users of it in Mormondom, Priddy Meeks:
"It is ordained by God to be used in wisdom!" The worst I've seen is it will make you puke or a child so relaxed they're like
a rag doll...they'll be the better for taking it afterwards.
6. A
Divine Being appeared to Priddy Meeks and urged him to double his efforts in the use of lobelia upon a sick and dying man.
7. Patty Sessions, a faithful Latter-day Saint
midwife, was advised by God to uselobelia in all of her practices!
8. Even Herbal Doctors do not agree on some things.
9. The wonderful virtues of lobelia cannot be extolled enough.
If you've never worked with herbs...best to avoid Lobelia. I learned by using the tincture that starts out with
5 drops. It's one of my basic herbs on hand at all times.
This is presented as another testimony and history to the herbal powers of Lobelia.
*Read: The Dogmaticus of Family Physician (1829) Joseph Smith mentions the use of Lobelia on pg. 232 under date 26 December 1842.
Also read about "mild food," In the History of the LDS Church 4:414 ..."When they were sick and had called for the elders to pray for them, and they were not healed , to use herbs and mild food..."
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http://www.healthherbs.com/conditions/about-tinctures.html
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobelia
http://www.iherb.co
Additional comments are welcomed
These writings, provides my best experience, ideas toward a "Transitional Vegetarian plant based Diet," It doesn't mean we're all total vegetarian's, but working toward the goal of no meat, maybe dairy i.e. We are all in different stages, degrees, with individual styles depending on our health needs. Fruit, veggies, herbs, grains, "all plants" when eaten can gradually allow the body to eliminate diseases.
