FromtheJuly2006IdahoObserver:

TheMiraculousHealingPropertiesofOakBark

Thereare"oh,somany"fabulousherbsthatGodputonthisplanet.However,mostpeoplewouldnotknow
abouttheirpropertiesifitwerenotforthemanydedicatedherbaliststhroughouthistorysharingtheirsuccessful
experiencesadministeringtheseherbstherapeutically.Dr.JohnChristopherwassuchanherbalistwhosewealth
oftestimoniesinspiredmetoapplythesesameherbsinthetreatmentofhealthissuesastheyappearedinmylife.
Recently,mydaughtercalledtosaysheisexperiencinggingivitisandwasfindingthathergumswerenotonly
bleedingbuthadrecededasaresult.Havingquitealotofexperiencesuccessfullytreatingthiscondition,also
knownaspyorrhea,ItoldherafewstoriesofseveralwomenwhohadthisconditionwhenIwaspregnantwith
herinTempe,Arizona.Needlesstosay,dealingwiththisissueinthepresenthasinspiredthismonthscolumn.
byIngriCassel

Theleaves,innerbarkandthecupsoftheacornfromthewhiteoaktree(quercusalba),arethepartsusedina
varietyofherbaltreatments.JohnChristopherandotherherbalistssuchasJethroKlossusedtheinnerbarkof
theoaktreespecificallyinthetreatmentofhemorrhoids,thrush,pyorrhea,andvaricoseveins.Thesearealsothe
primaryailmentsourfamilyuseswhiteoakbarkforandwearealwayspleasedwiththeresultsofthissimpleyet
effectiveherbaltreatment.
Historicaluses
Theoaktreeiscommonindeciduousforeststhroughouttheworld.ThewhiteoakisnativetoEnglandandhas
beennaturalizedintheU.S.Theirsteadygrowthandlargestatureisthereasonthistreehasbeenusedin
religiousandpatrioticsymbols.WhiletheRomansdedicatedtheoaktoJupiter,theGreekshelditassacredand
theDruidsveneratedit.ThegenericLatinnameisfromtheCeltic"quer"meaninghandsomeand"thecuez"
meaningtree."Alba"referstothewhitishappearanceofthebark.
Allspeciesoftheoaktreearemedicinalwithsometreesgettingashighas150feetwhileothersaresmallby
comparison,suchastherelativelyscraggly"liveoak"thatiscommoninthewesternU.S.Oneofthelargestand
mostvaluabletreesinadeciduousforest,thewoodoftheoaktreeisusedforthefinestoffurnitureandflooring
becauseitisclosegrained,hard,andtough.TheearlyAmericancolonistsusedtheoaktreeforbarrelmaking
becausethewoodheldliquidssuchasrum.
Acorns,thefruitoftheoaktree,wereafoodstapleforsomeIndiantribes.Beingveryhighinprotein,acorns
weregroundintoacourseflourandwereamainstayforthePomoIndiansofCalifornia.SeveralIndiantribes
usedthinstripsoftheinnerbark,placedthembetweenthegumandlips,andleftitthereovernighttohealsores
ofthegumsandtotightenlooseteeth.Thecrushedbarkwasalsousedinapoulticeforgangrene.
MedicinalProperties

Theactiveingredientsinoakbarkaretanninandquercin.Quercinissimilarineffecttosalicinandisusedalong
withbioflavinoidstostrengthenthecapillariesandveins.Whiteoakbarkalsocontainsampleamountsofcalcium,
manganese,potassiumandmagnesium.Itsprimarytherapeuticpropertiesareastringentandantiseptic.Afewof
oaksotherpropertieshaemostatic(arrestsinternalbleeding),febrifuge(reducesfever),diuretic,antiemetic
(relievesmalarialtypefeversandchills),andantivenomous(antidoteforpoisonousplants,insectsandsnake
bites.)
Pyorrhea/Gingivitis
WhenIlivedinTempe,Arizona,20yearsago,Imetacoupleofwomenwhohadpyorrhea.Oneladywastold
thatsheneededtohaveallherteethremovedandwasscheduledforsurgeryintwoweeks.Shewasinherearly
40sanddesperatetosaveherteethwhenshecametotheherbsectionatGentleStrengthCoopwhereIwas
working.Iinstructedhertodrinkateamadefromequalpartsofwhiteoakbark,taheeboandlemongrass,
tellinghertodrinklargequantitiesofthisteainplaceofwater.Shewasalsoinstructedtoputpowderedwhite
oakbarkinbetweenhergumsandteetheachnightbeforegoingtobed,keepingitinhermouthallnight.She
alsodecidedtobuysome4oz.bottlesofconcentratedtaheeboextracttoaddanextrameasureofsurety.
Needlesstosay,whenshewenttoherdentist,hecancelledthesurgerysincetherewasnolongeranysignof
pyorrheaandhergumsweretotallyhealed.
Myotherfrienddidthesameroutineandhadthesamesuccessstory.WithbothwomenImentionedthat
indecisivenessistheemotionalcounterparttogingivitisorpyorrhea.Bothwomenadmittedthatthiswasanissue
intheirlivesandworkedtoclearthisup,oneofthewomengettingadivorcefromanabusivehusbandandfather
ofhertwoyoungboys.
Dr.JohnChristopherscountlesssuccessstoriesusingherbswasmyinspirationintryingthemmyselfand
recommendingthemforothers.Sotherestofthestoriesofthesuccessfulapplicationofwhiteoakbarkarefrom
hiswritings.
Thrush
Dr.ChristophertellsusofacaseinUtahwherean18montholdboyhadthrushsobadthatthestenchcouldbe
smeltfromacrossthelargelivingroom:
"Quicklywemadeoakbarkteaandconcentrateditdowntohalfitsoriginalvolume.Withthelittlefellowonmy
knee,anatomizerwasusedtosprayoakbarkteaintohismouththroughhisswollenlips,whitesoresand
swollentongue.Sincehecouldnotswallowwellbecauseofthesoresandtheswellinginthethroat,itwas
necessarytotiphimover,sothattheliquidwouldntrunoutofhismouth.Thisprocedurewasrepeatedseveral
times.Thischildcouldswallowonlysmallamountsoffluidthatwouldseepdownhisthroat.Instructionswere
giventotheparentstogivehimonlyredraspberryleafteatodrinkandasmuchoakbarkteaaspossibleuntilhe
healed.Iwascalledbackthenextdaybecauseofaninjurytoanolderboyand,asIsteppedinthehouse,the
littleboywhohadbeentreatedforthrushcamerushingover,threwhisarmsaroundmylegandlookedupwitha
bigsmile.Hislipsweredowntonormalsize,thewhitesoresshowingahealingpink.Hewashappy."
Varicoseveins
"OneofourstudentsintheProvo,Utahareavisitedaladywhowassufferingfromvaricoseveinssoseverely
thatshehaddifficultywalkingorstandingforevenafewmoments,orevensittingdownwithherfeetonthe

floor.Atnight,thethrobbingandpainwouldbesointensethatshewouldhavetoelevateherlegsforreliefthen,
in15or20minutes,thethrobbingandpainoftheelevatedlegswouldbecomesopainfulthatshewouldhaveto
lowerherlegsagain.Consequently,thewomancouldgetnomorethan20to30minutesofsleepatatime.
Uponseeingsuchsuffering,ourstudenttoldherfriendaboutthehealingpropertiesofoakbarkteaThefriend
said,Useanythingyouhavetohelpthisisunbearable.Soourstudentwenthome,preparedtheteaand
appliedittothevictimsafflictedlimbs.Followinginstructions,shetookgauze,daubedonthetea,allowingitto
dry.Sheplannedtoapplythe10or12coatsrecommended,lightlybandagingthelegsandallowingtheoaktea
residuetobeabsorbedintotheskin.Ithasbeenfoundthatthisprocedurewouldgiverelief,andoftimeswould
lessenthedarkveinorphlebitiscolorby20percent.However,afteronlysixcoatsoftea,thepatientsaidshe
wasdrowsyandwouldliketodozeforafewminutes,andaskedthestudenttoreturnandfinishlater.The
husbandsaid,Oh,sheneversleepsbutafewminutes,neveroverahalfhour.Uponhearingthis,ourstudent
wenthome,withtheagreementtoreturnwhenherpatientawakened.Thatwasaround9:00or10:00inthe
evening.Tothesurpriseofeveryone,thewomansleptallnightandwokeupthenextmorningfeelingrefreshed.
Shewasgivenmoretreatmentsandreceivedcompleterelief."
Dr.Christopherrecommendsthatoakbarkbeusedinaconcentratedformbystrainingthefinishedteaand
slowlysimmeringitinadoubleboilerdowntohalfitsoriginalamount.Anallcottonflannelisthendippedintothe
concentratedteaandwrappedaroundtheaffectedarea.Inthecaseofvaricoseveins,thelegsarewrappedwith
thesaturatedflannel,coveredwithplasticwrap,andleftonallnight.Thisisdonesixdaysaweekwithoneday
ofrestandthenrepeateduntilcompletereliefisobtained.Healsosuggestsusingawoolorcottonstockingwith
thetoeareacutsothattheentirestockingcanbesoakedintheteaandpulledupovertheaffectedarea.Itis
alsoimportanttotaketheteainternally,addingteaspoonofcayennepepperormoretospeeduptheactionof
theoakbarktea.
Hemorrhoids
Althoughtherearemanyhemorrhoidremediesonthemarket,Idontknowofanyoverthecounterhemorrhoid
remedythatwillgivepermanentrelief.Thisiswhyitisimportanttounderstandthecauseoftheproblemsugar
intheformofcandy,pastries,sodas,coffeeandwhitebread.Refinedcarbohydratesleechoutthecalciumfrom
thebody.Oneofthefirstplacestobeaffectedisthevenousstructureofthebody,drawingoutthesupporting
calcium.Thiswillcausevaricoseveinsthat,ifnottreated,canthenturnintophlebitis.
"Anotherseriousareaforleechingisthebowelarea,whereoldfecalmatterhasaccumulated.Thebodytriedto
removetheimpactionbydrainingasmuchfluidfromthebodyasitcan.Thereisgenerallyenoughfluidtocausea
bowelmovement,buttheliquidwhichisleftabsorbsthesugar.Itthenfeedsintotheveinsandleechesoutthe
tensilestrengthoftheveinsinthelowerbowelarea.Whenstrainingforabowelmovement,theveinshavemore
pressureexerted,andinturn,theweakwallsbreakandresultinavaricoseconditioncalledpilesorhemorrhoids.
"Tocorrectthiscondition,followthemucuslessdiet[rawfruits,vegetables,sproutedgrains,nutsandseeds]and
usecayenneregularly.Cayenneaidsinstrengtheningtheveinsandarteriesbecauseitincreasescirculationandis
richincalcium.Workuptotakingateaspoonofcayennethreetimesadaybystartingwith1/3ofateaspoon
threetimesadayinwaterDothisforthreedays,andadd1/3teaspooneachdayuntiluptotheoneteaspoon
threetimesaday,sixdaysaweekRestonedaythencontinue.
"Inadditiontotheabove,useacombinationof3partsofoakbarkpowder,6partscomfrey[rootpowder]and
1partlobeliapowder.Mixwell,andmakeintoaheavypastewith[vegetable]glycerineRollthisinthehands
toformataperedsuppositoryandputintotherefrigeratororacoolplacetoharden.Atnight,firstinserta

peeled[smallclove]ofgarlicintotherectum,asfarasitcanbepushed.Theninserttheoaksuppositoryand
leavebothinallnight.Thegarlicandtheremainderofthesuppositorywillcomeoutwiththefirstbowel
movementthenextmorning.Duringtheday,ifdesired,youmayuseasmallsyringetoinsertacupto1cupof
concentratedoakbarkteaintotherectumandholdinaslongaspossible.Tomakethistea,usethreepartsoak
bark,1partlobeliaand1partmarshmallowroot.Allteasaremadewith1ounceoftheherbstoapintofwater.
Lieonaslantboardwiththeheaddownandkneadandmassagethepelvicandabdominalarea10to15
minuteswhiletheliquidisinplace.Thiswilltoneupweakandsaggingmusclesinthetransverse,descendingand
sigmoid[areasofthe]colon."[endquote]
Themostimportantaspectofhealthisacleanandwellfunctioningdigestivetract.Thefirststepwithanyhealing
programistogoonacoloncleanse,thenalivercleansefollowedbybloodpurifyingteas.Formoreinformation
onbodybasics,readmypreviouscolumnsonlineORcontactTheIO.
SuperiortoToothpaste
Thefollowingtoothpowderhassavedmanypeoplesmouthsfromexcessivedentalwork:
ToothPowder
Mixtogetherthefollowingingredients
3partswhiteoakbarkpowder
6partscomfreyrootpowder
1partpowderedcloves
3partspeppermintpowder
partlobeliapowder
3partshorsetail/shavegrasspowder