The Relaxed and Depressed Tissue States

[Sean Donahue]

My apologies for the long delay this week -- things have been chaotic but mostly good.

I want to explore the last two of the six tissue states -- which are less common in the respiratory system than the first four -- before moving on, in the coming weeks, to explore lung tonics, support for the immune system in chronic respiratory disease, and addressing the emotional components of chronic respiratory disease.

A caveat:  I do not have much clinical experience treating respiratory disease marked by these tissue states.

The Relaxed Tissue state is marked by profuse secretions of all kinds.  Wood writes:

"In this state the tissues are relaxed so that they lose their tone and sag or prolapse.  The pores in them also lose tone, hence fluids run out of them to produce diarrhea, urinary frequency, excessive sweating, clear, free expectoration, and bleeding.  With this there is often a loss of electrolytes and minerals, leading to prolapse of tissues and softening of bones and cartilage.  The minerals sometimes deposit out of the circulation, causing stiff, hard tissue."

This tissue state is common in tuberculosis and whooping cough and may also occur in some severe cases of bronchitis.

Astringents are indicated here.   But few have a strong affinity for the respiratory system.

Plantain is one astringent that does have a strong effect on the respiratory system, and because it is also demulcent will help to soothe damaged tissues. 

Schizandra comes to mind as well -- an herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to astringe Jing.  Either the tincture or the decoction should work fine here -- the tincture is preferable if the client presents with liver issues as well.  Schizandra is also a lung tonic and an adaptogen -- dimensions of the medicine which we will explore in coming weeks.

Pleurisy Root is once again indicated because of its role in regulating fluid in the lungs.

Its worth looking here as well at one of the herbs commonly used to treat tuberculosis in the nineteenth century -- Trillium.   Trillium is fairly astringent, and Cook notes that:

"The mucous membranes receive most of its influence; and it is used in tenacious mucous discharges, with debility, as in chronic dysentery, leucorrhea, catarrh, etc. Its astringency is not so great as to cause dryness; yet is sufficiently marked (in company with the tonic power) to diminish superfluous discharges, and to prove of the greatest service in bleeding from the lungs, nose, stomach, bowels, kidneys, and bladder, and is equally useful in checking excessive menstruation and lochia"

Trillium is also a stimulating expectorant, so it would be of benefit here in bringing up some of the excess mucous.   The downside, in addition to its foul taste, is that Trillium is not commercially available, and remains somewhat threatened in the wild (though it is coming back in greater numbers each year) so caution is called for in harvesting the root, the part which was traditionally used.  Still, I keep a small amount of Trillium root tincture on hand left over for a batch I made for a friend attending childbirths, and would not hesitate to use if I encountered a case of Tuberculosis.   The expectorant effect is felt strongly in a 10 drop dose.

All of the stimulating expectorants discussed with reference to the stagnant tissue state have some use here.

In addition, someone losing this much fluid needs to be well hydrated (add a pinch of sea salt to the water) and given plenty of infusions of mineral rich herbs like Nettles and Oatstraw and nourishing bone broths.

The depressed tissue state comes as a result of prolonged illness and signals the beginning of tissue death.  Wood writes:

"The depressed tissue state is an interesting one.  It is well described by the term 'cold,' but the cold here is one of the tissues and functions, a deep cold within the organism from the dying down of the innate heat of life, and not from mere exposure to cold."

In advanced respiratory illness with depression in the lung tissues the cheeks appear sunken and the complexion takes on a bluish tinge.  There may be a bluish tinge to the nails as well.  This reflects lack of oxygen.

Wood goes on to say:

"Treatment of depression is usually by aromatics containing volatile oils.  These are oils that quickly vaporize into the atmosphere. [ . . .]  Throughout the world, fragrant plants are used to banish depressive, putrefactive, dead energy, or bring in life-giving, spiritualizing influences.  They quickly energize the lungs and open them up to life-giving oxygen, which is what this tissue state needs. [ . . .] More broadly, remedies for the depressed tissue state may be called stimulants.  There are several kinds, including aromatics, pungent and spicy herbs, fragrant bitters, and pine oils."

Cayenne was the Physiomedicalists' quintessential herb for feeding the core fire of the vital force to treat the depressed tissue state.

Baths, steams, and chest compresses with Basil, Ginger, Thyme, Sage, and other aromatic kitchen herbs can be useful here -- all of them are also great in infusions.  Large amounts of garlic and onions can be helpful here as well.  As can the traditional Mustard plaster.  (Mustard mixed with water and flour or clay plastered across the chest.)

Essential oils of Eucalyptus, Pine, Cedar, Frankincense, and Myrrh are worth a try here as well -- dilute them in water or a carrier oil before applying to the chest.

Pine, Cedar, and Balsam infusions have traditionally been used to open the airways, but I don't have direct experience with them.

Elecampane and Skunk Cabbage both go deep to bring up old mucous.

I would look here again to the Angelica family -- though in this case I would look less to Osha and more to the European and Chinese Angelicas for their blood building and strengthening qualities.

Aralia family plants like Wild Sarsparilla and the true Ginsengs may be of benefit as well, helping to rebuild the vital force.  Astragalus as well.

If there is a cyclical viral or bacterial infection that keeps returning, Boneset is indicated.

I would look to bone broths and mineral rich infusions to help rebuild strength.

--
Sean Donahue,  Traditional Herbalist
http://www.brighidswellherbs.com
http://greenmanramblings.blogspot.com/

"Sometimes there's nothing left to do but make love to the fear." -- Astrid Mannrique, ASFAADES (Association of the Families of the Disappeared), Popayan, Colombia

"If we eat the wild, it begins to work inside us, altering us, changing us. Soon, if we eat too much, we will no longer fit the suit that has been made for us. Our hair will begin to grow long and ragged. Our gait and how we hold our body will change. A wild light begins to gleam in our eyes. Our words start to sound strange, nonlinear, emotional. Unpractical. Poetic. Once we have tasted this wildness, we begin to hunger for a food long denied us, and the more we eat the more we will awaken." -- Stephen Harrod Buhner The Secret Teachings of Plants

[darcey blue]

I'll add that having been the willing victim of a mustard and ginger plaster on my chest, it can do remarkable things for stagnant mucuos and coldness.  But be careful not to overheat someone or burn their skin. Lots of salve underneath the towel and a cloth between the plaster and the skin help.

Pine sap in a salve and a tincture have worked remarkably well for me applied topically to the chest.  Pine sap tincture is a VERY strong expectorant, and will stimulate immediate blood flow to the whole respiratory tract and can be irritating in large doses or in dry lungs.  But really good in those wet, depressed, stagnant cases!  Myrrh is very helpful in a salve as well. 

Darcey