Dr. Christopher speaks about the Elder’s great healing powers.  The Elder is an indigenous shrub growing in all parts of the United States and Canada  “The great herbalist, Henry Box of England, stated, “For colds, influenza, fevers, inflammation of the brain, pneumonia, inflammation of stomach, bowels, or any other part, this is a certain cure.  I have never known it to fail, even when given up and at the point of death.  It will not only save at the eleventh hour, but at the last minute of that hour.  It is so harmless that you cannot use it amiss and so effectual that you cannot give it in vain”.

“Elder’s most famous effect lies in its cure of colds, fevers, flu, etc.  Dr. Shook noted that since upwards of six million people died of influenza after the last World War, it would be an important remedy to store and use.  He explained that all forms of catarrh are caused when fibrin is not dissolved properly; it is thrown into the blood as a stringy, insoluble mass which forms an excess of phlegm and catarrhal mucoid matter.  Potassium chloride keeps this fibrin in solution, but when the body lacks enough, the fibrin blocks the circulation of the blood.

“Potassium phosphate, on the other hand, activates and feeds the skin and mucous membranes, and potassium sulphate acts similarly to iron as an oxygen-carrier and oil-former to lubricate and feed the sebaceous glands and the epithelial covering of the mucous membranes.  All three of these potassium compounds are found in the Elder plant.  Potassium chloride and sulphate are contained in its inner bark.

“The Potassium phosphate, chloride, and sulphate are found in the flower (which, incidentally, is the part most used in colds and flu), and potassium sulphate and nitrate are found in the leaves.  The fruit contains a number of potassium compounds besides the above mentioned compounds.  These potassium compounds are one chemical reason that the Elder so effectually removes colds and flu.

“Since the Elder flowers are emetic and sometimes nauseating to some people, they are often blended with Peppermint to use in this flu remedy.

“The Elder effects diaphoresis and helps the body eliminate toxic material from the body through the pores of the skin.  The Elder-Peppermint tea should be made in the proportions of one ounce of the herb to a pint of water, and drunk as hot as possible, drunk in bed or just before taking a hot bath, so as to sweat out the cold or flu.  You can cover a hot water bottle with a cloth or towel dipped in vinegar to place near the feet.  This tea will also induce sleep, while the patient sweats, and allow for a complete cure.”