OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS

As already indicated, different conditions which must be taken into consideration, demand a different approach to the cultivation of plants not native to one’s own area. The varied properties of the plants play an important part. Some require acid soil and others more neutral ground, while there are plants that grow best or only in alkaline or chalky soil. As a guideline for the desired curative effect, the plant’s mineral content is taken into account. But this does not always help us. If specialist publications do not give any detailed information, we must rely on experiments. In accordance with our success we can then see whether we are on the right track. So it was perfectly logical to me that Siberian comfrey (Symphyturn peregrinum) would survive a cold winter without any problerns. But how astonished I was to find that this variety of comfrey grows noticeably better in the Engadine at a height of 1,750 meters (over 5,250 feet) than in the relatively milder climate of Aesch in the Basle district, where I also cultivate it. In this low lying area, lady’s thistle (St. Mary’s thistle) grows well, and so does Echinacea purpurea. But strangely enough, Echinacea angustifolia, which has a taproot and narrow leaves almost like ribwort, does not grow well at all in Aesch. The leaves are a treat for snails and the roots for mole crickets and voles - Of about 100 seedlings almost 70 percent were lost, whereas the Echinacea purpurea plants suffered a loss of only about 5 percent, which can be considered quite normal.

In spite of all the difficulties involved, I would not like to stop cultivating the valuable Echinacea plant, not least of all because it is one of the most interesting medicinal plants there is. In fact, it matches in quality the anticarcinogenic Petasites plant, although this grows wild and causes no cultivation problems. On the other hand, the roots are not so easy to dig up. If we use Echinaforce, the fresh plant tincture of the Echinacea plant, we will find it to be reliable for external use in inflammations, suppurating wounds and bacterial infections, and also as an excellent remedy for internal use. It increases our resistance to germs and viruses. We thus become much more immune to colds and other viral infections. But if we do get an infection anyway, Echinaforce is a remedy that weakens the strength of the bacteria and viruses: In times of greater danger from infection we simply have to take this preventative medicine daily, since regular use will increase our resistance and immunity. This is especially important for children, since their bodies must get used to fighting germs and viruses.

But wherein lies the secret of the healing effect of all thes’e different plants? So far it has been impossible to discover it in all of them, although chemists, and biologists have found the actual specific substances in many plants. For example, in Petasites they found petasin and in arnica, arnicin. But they have not been successful in isolating them in all cases. It would be a great pity if for this reason these plants were not used in treating the sick, even though their efficacy has been proved. The cure is th,e more important thing, even if it is not yet known what the substance is that must be credited for success.