Swedish bitters.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

www.selfheal.co.nz (http://www.selfheal.co.nz)

Swedish Bitters is a mixture I would really recommend people research. (Warning: it tastes vile. Though at the moment, I'm liking it's taste :rolleyes:)

I've used it several times in the past with fairly serious complaints, with results which startled doctors.

Example.

After our second son's birth, I had MORE than a backside of haemorrhoids.

One in particular refused to heal and then burst. I thought, great. But after a few months, pain started which was so bad... I could not sit. I finally went to the doctor, who was horrified to see that two haemorrhoids had got infected, and I literally had "tunnels" eating into my bottom muscles. To my embarrassment, he got in his colleagues who were horrified. They inserted a "thingy" which hurt like hell, to determine the depth and they were over 1.5 inches deep into my backside.

It looked like major surgery, with 50% chance of incontinence.

What saved me?

There was a three years waiting list. :LMAO:

And I wasn't going to sit on them for three years.

So I got some Swedish Bitters from Angela Chadwich (selfheal) made it up in gin, and got going with it. The pain vanished within days.

then two months later, the pain came back with a vengeance, so mortified, I went back to the doctor, who had another look and nearly keeled over in suprise :eek:

What had been tunnels, were now exuberant granulomas (EG), where the flesh had healed, grown back, but had kept on growing out like a finger. normally its gets to the skin later, and heals over, but 'going to the toilet' had kept splitting open fragile skin, so the 'stop' mechanism didn't work.

He got out his "freezing stuff" and knocked the EG's back, and I was more careful to keep looser stools. One healed, and the second had to be knocked back again. That healed too, and surgery was cancelled. :giggle:

Fastforward to today.

My rosacea had again got out of control, so out came the last remains of the 20 year old Swedish Bitters. I'm using it internally (half a teaspoon morning and night, after cleaning teeth ~ swish through gums ~ and putting it on my skin. I smell like a compost heap.

But I'm liking what I'm seeing, but I'm not going to discuss it yet, until I'm sure I'm not just talking myself into it.

I've just put down another brew into gin.

And next week will put down a second brew.

Apparently, the longer it matures, the better it is.

Well worth researching.

Apparently the longer it brews, the better it gets. Gin is the best medium for this, because the juniper base strengthens the other herbs.

[Nirvana]

I had never read/heard about Swedish bitters up until now!

Thanks for this thread.

My Mom had horrible horrible hemorroids right after her delivery and she was in the worst pain ever. Someone gave her some Ayurvedic medicine and voila she started getting better! Hemorroids gone!

[ema-adama]

There is a book by Maria Treuben, Health through Gods Pharmacy (http://www.amazon.com/Maria-Treben-Through-Pharmacy-English/dp/B0006NZPLK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1256368044&sr=8-3-spell). She has a whole chapter on swedish bitters and used it for many many problems - I am going to dig up my copy and see what she says.....

[ema-adama]

Wow, she uses it for pretty much everything. She also has the recipe, if anyone wants it.

[Wonder-Full]

That is interesting! Here is her website with recipe.

http://www.swedishbitters.com/the-story-of-swedish-bitters-/the-story-of-swedish-bitters.html

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Interesting. The herbs I get from selfheal, don't look like the ones here:

http://www.swedishbitters.com/making-swedish-bitters/making-swedish-bitters.html

the New Zealand ones come as a fine fine powder...

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

and angela said use gin, not vodka. The juniper improves the action of the herbs.

[Serephina]

I love bitter herbs but I loathe Swedish Bitters. MT to say the taste is vile is a complete understatement! I've worked out that it's the Camphor in it that I have an aversion too. Perhaps I had a terrible experience with moth balls as a child or something? :giggle:

Just a word of caution to those like myself with existing digestive problems that Swedish Bitters does contain the stimulating laxatives Senna and Rhubarb. That was a good lesson for me to always read the ingredients list first.

I've been meaning to concoct my own bitters formula for a while your story MT has given me fresh inspiration. Thanks :D

[gilima]

I remember reading about someone using swedish bitters as a poultice with very good results. I also remember reading not to take it while pregnant and I don't remember why not. I wonder if it is o.k. while breastfeeding, anyone know??

Is the ready made one you can buy any good???

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I don't buy a ready made one. I make my own.

Seraphina, at half a teaspoon a time, the senna and rhubarb does Jack Squat.

Yes, you can use it as a poultice, and I'm using it for skin issues right now, and it's working quite well as far as I can see....

I've also found that rubbing it around the folds at the back of the ear, can bring relief from ear ache. apart from the fact that you stink...

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

MT to say the taste is vile is a complete understatement! What I can't work out is why it tastes nice to me right now. Or is that because it's well matured being 20+ years old :giggle:

[Serephina]

Seraphina, at half a teaspoon a time, the senna and rhubarb does Jack Squat.

You tell that to my sensitive gut!

Actually, I just checked and the dosage recommendation for the commercially available Swedish Bitters is 10-20ml. So yes, at half a teaspoon it's probably fine, but in larger dosages it could be problematic for some.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Maybe commercially available Swedish bitter is watered down?

[magical1]

How is the rosacea Hilary?

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

The swedish bitters seems to be helping, but it's early days... not gonna count the chickens yet.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Interestingly enough there is a Greater Swedish bitters, which has a lot less Camphor in it. I've got some brewing at the moment, and it doesn't smell nearly so vile.

:D

Swedish bitters lesser:

The recipe is clear, concise and easy-to-understand, healing with medicinal herbs is now something that everyone can learn and apply themselves.

Ingredients:

10 grams Aloe
5 grams Myrrh
0.2 grams Saffron
10 grams Senna leaves
10 grams Camphor** (natural, white)
10 grams Rhubarb roots
10 grams Manna
10 grams Theriac Venezian
5 grams Carline Thistle roots
10 grams Angelica roots
10 grams Zedoary roots


Directions of Use: This mixture is put into a wide-necked 2 liter bottle and 1.5 liter of 38% to 40% rye or fruit spirit are poured over It. The bottle is left standing in the sun or near the stove for 14 days arid shaken daily. The liquid is then strained and poured into small bottles, well-stoppered and stored in cool place, This way it can be kept for many years. The longer it stands, the more effective it becomes! Shake well before use! Alternatively, some of the liquid can be strained into a small bottle and the rest left in the bottle until required.
*Instead of Aloe, Genetian root or Wormwood powder may be used.
**Only natural Camphor should be used.

Swedish bitters: greater:

The recipe is clear, concise and easy-to-understand, healing with medicinal herbs is now something that everyone can learn and apply themselves.

Ingredients:

13 grams Myrrh
2 grams Saffron
2 grams Senna leaves
2 grams Camphor**(natural, white)
18 grams Rhubarb roots
2 grams Wormwood herb
8 grams Theriac Venezia
4 grams Carline Thistle roots
7 grams Angelica roots
9 grams Zedoary roots
7 grams Diotom
5 grams Purified Infuscial earth
7 grams Gentian roots
2 grams Tormentilla roots
2 grams Nutmeg blossoms
**Only natural Camphor should be used.
Directions of Use:
Schnapps Recipe
Pulverize the herbs, pour them in a bottle and fill the bottle with 1.25 liters of Schnapps made from wheat or rye with at least 40% - 80% alcohol. You may use Vodka or any other fruit schnapps. Shake he bottle thoroughly several times a day. After 10 days fill the clear mixture (without shaking it), into a different bottle. Over the residue in the first bottle, one can refill with another 1.25 liter of Schnapps or Fruit Spirits.Again, let it sit for 10 days, shake it frequently. Thereafter, extract again the clear liquid and add the remainder by filtering it through a cheesecloth with a layer of cotton in-between if needed to catch the residue. Mix the contents of the 2 bottles together and pour the mixture into small bottles for storing.Should you want part of the mixture for external use only, do NOT add sugar to one of the bottles. Keep the bottles stored in a cool, dark room and the mixture will be alright for several years.
Wine Recipe
Pulverize the herbs, pour them in a bottle and fill the bottle 1 Liter of pure wine. Shake the bottle thoroughly several times a day. The mixture can have a temperature fo 80-90 degrees Celsius. After 10 days, add 1 liter of boilder water and let it sit again for 10 more days, then fill the clear mixture(without shaking it), into a different bottle. Over the residue in the first bottle, one can refill with another 1 liter of pure wine. Again, let it sit for 10 days, shake it frequently. Thereafter, extract again the clear liquid and add the remainder by filtering it through a cheesecloth with a layer of cotton in-between if needed to catch the residue. Mix the contents of the 2 bottles together and pour the mixture into small bottles for storing. Should you want part of the mixture for external use only, do NOT add sugar to one of the bottles. Keep the bottles stored in a cool, dark room and the mixture will be alright for several years.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I'm just using gin.

[Mr. Beyondtheory]

What were the herbs you used to make Swedish Bitters 20 years ago? Were they pretty much the same as the list you've just given?

I have heard of someone using Swedish Bitters to cure his scalp eczema.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

the formulation hasn't changed. But what 20 years might have done is evaporate off the camphor...

that's all used up now, and I'm using the lesser bitters, because I can't tolerate the NZ greater bitter formulation. The camphor makes me retch.

[Mr. Beyondtheory]

Anyone know if the NZ Bush Bitters is any good?