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Page 46
| 1. Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. |
| 2. Remove the pot from the heat and add the herbs, being sure to cover the pot again. Let the herbs steep in the hot water for 20 minutes. |
| 3. Strain and discard them. The bath tea is dark yellow and smells pleasantly of lavender. |
| 4. Pour the tea into an infant bathtub and add enough warm water to fill it. The herbal bath should be as hot as a normal bath for the infant. |
| Application: Make sure the room is warm before the bath. Place the infant in the bathwater and hold him or her reassuringly, humming and crooning all the while. Soak the infant in the bath for at least 10 minutes. Do not try to wash the infant during an herbal bath. Gently pour the water over the belly and legs and just let the infant play and splash. Use this bath as often as necessary to reassure and calm an upset, colicky infant. |
| Hyperactivity. This is a thorny issue that raises a plethora of questions. There is no doubt that extreme hyperactivity occurs and can be related to dietary factors. This having been said, there is an unfortunate tendency for children to be labeled ''hyperactive'' simply because the teacher or parents do not have the patience for a very active, perceptive, inquisitive or creative child. |
| The Merck manual points out, quite rightly, that "claims that a child is hyperactive often reflect the tolerance level of the annoyed person." Since when has not fitting into the normal mold been a disease? The use of psychopharmaceuticals to control these children sounds a little bit like Soviet psychiatrists giving major tranquilizers to dissidents because they must (obviously) be insane to question the status quo. Rather than sedating our children so they can deal with their world, why not change the nature of schooling so it is more challenging and exciting? |
| Where the child is experiencing a real problem there may be some help that can be provided herbally, provided that two areas are first addressed: |
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