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I first came across the tree called Ginkgo biloba some years ago, while on a visit to the Far East. There were some very fine specimens near Nagasaki, Japan – the city destroyed by an atom bomb. The trees had fortunately survived. Now Ginkgo biloba is also grown in Europe’s temperate zone, its leaves containing the same active substances as those grown in Asia. In fact, I planted a maidenhair tree, as it is also called, in my garden ten years ago, and it is doing well.

As a result of our modern life-style and environmental disruptions, vascular diseases have increased considerably; in this context it seemed appropriate for me to take a closer look at the Ginkgo biloba tree. My contact with Dr Wilmar Schwabe and his research team enabled me to gain a thorough knowledge of the medicinal effects of this extremely valuable plant, and it is noteworthy that preparations made from it have caused no side effects whatsoever. In cases where the brain does not receive sufficient blood, the tincture made from the leaves has proved to be efficacious. Also, a deficient supply of oxygen to the brain can be remedied quite rapidly, which is very important after a stroke. Blood viscosity, that is, its consistency and rate of flow, will improve in a short time. This makes it possible to eliminate the symptoms of a defective circulation, such as headaches, buzzing in the ears, problems with hearing and sight, depression, and a state of fear and panic.

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A doctor or other health practitioner can observe the effects of a remedy on the patient himself. If the patient reports that a particular remedy has other effects on him than those already known, the doctor will naturally take note of such observations. If other patients experience the same effect, then the doctor will realise that the medicine has a novel, so far unknown, reaction. A new remedy, or a new application of one, will have been discovered!

Only some of the more important herbs are considered in the following pages, since a detailed description of the extensive domain of the plant world would demand far greater attention than could ever be given in this limited space.

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The manifold functions of the sweat glands have only gradually come to be recognised. The body has about two million sweat glands, each one being about 5 mm (about Vs inch) long. Without perspiring, they evaporate 1-1.5 litres (1.7-2.6 pints) of water during the course of a day. If exudation is increased by means of a steam bath, a sauna bath or by living in the tropics, the body is able to give produce up to ten times this quantity of water.

If it were possible to combine all the sweat pores into one single tube, its diameter would be about 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). The size of such a tube makes it easy to understand why so much water is able to escape. Taste a drop of sweat and you will see that it is salty; on litmus paper its reaction is acid. In fact, sweat contains sodium salts, potassium, sulphuric acid, iron, phosphorus, lactic acid and as much urea as one kidney excretes, for which reason the skin could be called the ‘third kidney’. The skin can exude arsenic and other poisons, possibly resulting in eczema and other skin eruptions. This shows the wisdom of treating skin problems internally as well as externally. Indeed, it explains why sweat treatments have cured many an illness.

The sweat glands are the units of a temperature control system that makes life in the tropics more bearable. By evaporating water through the sweat glands it is possible to lose heat of up to 500 calories. Keep the functions of the skin in good working order and you will be observing one of the most important rules for good health.

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I had no choice but to try out the remedies I knew and had available. To strengthen the immune system and regenerative mechanism I prescribed Echinacea, a plant that builds up the body’s own defences. I can speak from my own experience because when I visited the tropics Echinacea helped me to acquire resistance to malaria, which is one of the reasons why I decided on this remedy to fight the virus. Moreover, I put her on Lachesis lOx, a snake poison in homoeopathic dilution, in order to tackle the viral toxins. Thirdly, I indicated bee pollen and royal jelly to support the body with special nutrients. Besides taking these remedies, the patient was asked to change her diet to one made up of raw food, raw vegetable juices, natural brown rice and lactic acid products.

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If an engine is not lubricated for any length of time, it will overheat. If we ignore the whining and grinding noises caused by dry bearings and do not replace the oil at once, the engine is bound to suffer damage. Similarly, a cell’s efficiency will diminish if it lacks the required substances, or if it does not receive sufficient quantities. The cell will become sick if such a deficiency continues for some time so that it has to draw on and eventually exhaust its reserves. In the case of vitamin deficiency we speak of ‘avitaminosis’. As soon as the deficiency is recognised and the required substances are provided, the individual cell will recover and with it the complex organisation of cells, the tissue, will be restored to health and begin to function properly again. For this reason the art, or rather the capacity, of a good doctor becomes evident in his ability to diagnose these deficiencies and choose the appropriate natural remedies. The damage will then be rectified.

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