I plan to add things to this part of the website from time to time.
For now (December 7 - Pearl Harbor Day), I am adding the first two
which are some things I discovered and have been using successfully for
years.
Ridding Oneself of that Nagging Cough - December 7, 2007
The human bloodstream has a certain acid/base balance. This means that it is not too acidic and not too basic (also referred to as alkaline). An acid is defined in two ways. First, it is a compound of hydrogen in which all or part of the hydrogen may be exchanged for a metal or basic radical, forming a salt. The second definition is that an acid is a proton donor - because a hydrogen ion is a proton. A base is also defined in two ways. First, as a compound which yields OH ions when dissolved in an ionizing solvent. Second, as a proton acceptor.
We use something called a pH scale to determine how acidic or alkaline (basic) a fluid is. The term pH is defined as denoting the negative logarithm ion concentration, in grams per liter, of a solution. Pure water is usually considered to be neutral and has a pH of 7 in a scale from zero to 14. A pH of 7 means that there are 10-7 or .0000007 grams of hydrogen ions (protons) in per each liter of a solution.
Decreasing acidity (going basic) means decreasing the hydrogen ion concentration, such as going to a pH of 10-8 grams of hydrogen ions per liter - which is a pH of 8. Increasing acidity means increasing the hydrogen ion concentration, such as going to 10-6 grams of hydrogen ions per liter - which is a pH of 6. Therefore, in a scale from zero to 14, zero to 7 is considered acidic and 7 to 14 is considered basic.
Water is an ionizing solvent and is considered neutral. Adding a base to it such as baking soda causes it to become basic. Adding an acid to it such as vinegar causes it to become acid. When an acid and a base are combined in the correct proportions, a salt is formed even though it may not be seen in its crystalline form. Thus, a salt solution may be neutral or near to it even though both a base and an acid are in it. The bloodstream is such a solution when the body is healthy.
When certain organisms enter the bloodstream such as flu or cold viruses, they both prefer and create an acid environment. The reaction of the body is to attempt to make the environment less hospitable for these organisms which means causing the bloodstream to move toward the basic end of the pH scale. Often, this is done through sneezing or coughing. The next few paragraphs explain why this is so.
The human metabolism at the cellular level uses carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and excretes carbonic acid, H2CO3. Carbonic acid is a weak, unstable dibasic acid that is readily disassociated into water and carbon dioxide. Thus, H2CO3 yields H2O + CO2, which is precisely what happens in the lungs. When one breathes faster such as when one is running, more carbonic acid is excreted from the lungs in the form of water vapor and carbon dioxide. This is necessary because more carbonic acid is forming in the bloodstream from the greater exertion of running. The chief function of the lungs is to maintain the pH balance of the bloodstream. When more carbonic acid is formed, the lungs can only maintain the correct pH balance of the blood by acting more often - so you pant. There is always more oxygen left in exhaled air which is why CPR works with mouth-to-mouth breathing. The critical part of the lungs' function is to excrete carbon dioxide.
When a virus causes the blood to become too acid, the reaction of the body is to sneeze or cough in an effort to exhale more water vapor and carbon dioxide so that there is less carbonic acid in the blood and the blood can return to its proper pH balance. This can be a real problem when one is sick from flu or a cold and wishes to sleep. Rest is vital at this time for a quick recovery as is the necessity for inhibiting the virus by making its environment more basic. This means that if one can use other means to make the blood more basic, the sneezing and coughing may stop - and one can rest.
Tums are (at least at this time) a form of calcium without any unnatural substances included. They are basic which is why they neutralize stomach acid. If the average size man with the flu or a cold takes either 4 jumbo-size Tums or 6 regular-size Tums before attempting to sleep, he will usually not be bothered by that nagging, sleep-preventing cough, and will fall asleep easily. I have found that Tums are more effective than cough medicines in this regard because they remove the cause of the cough rather than treating a symptom. As the Tums are dissolved in the stomach and the basic solution enters the blood, the blood becomes basic and coughing is unnecessary. The usual time it takes for the Tums to take effect is about 15 to 20 minutes.
In cases where coughing is absolutely necessary to remove fluid from the lungs,
Tums will have very little effect. However, in most cases there is adequate
lung capacity for breathing and sleep is more important than overly-ambitious fluid
removal. In cases where there is excessive fluid in the lungs that affects
breathing, one should see a doctor before the condition becomes life-threatening.
When the lungs are normal (not damaged from disease) expectorants and liquids
are needed when coughing is not able to dislodge phlegm from the lungs.
Saving Your Teeth - December 7, 2007
One of the things I discovered when working as an engineer is that reinforcing steel in concrete is prevented from rusting. The concrete acts as a solution which is basic (has many OH ions). When an acid attempts to reach the steel, the OH ions (acceptors of H ions or protons) in the concrete accept the H ions in the acid before they can reach the steel - and the result is the formation of pure water rather than metal oxide. This lesson was not lost on me. I realized that a base such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) used as a compound for brushing my teeth would save the calcium (a metal) of my teeth from being eaten by acids from any decaying food. I began using only baking soda rather than toothpaste and did not see a dentist for over 20 years. When I finally did see one (because I had split a tooth), my teeth were almost plaque free and there were no cavities. The baking soda tends to stay on the teeth in molecular form between brushings. It both protects and deodorizes. Where the usual sweet toothpastes or powders merely cover it up, the baking soda removes the cause of bad breath.
People are different and from one day to the next circumstances are different, so
it is wise to have dental check-ups. But saving your teeth can best be done
by using baking soda for brushing.
Insects Causing Strokes and Hearth Attacks - June 18, 2008
There is an insect that comes in four known species and is called by a number of names: "kissing bug", "assassin bug", "blood-sucking conenose", "bee assassin", or "wheel bug". Normally, this insect jumps on other insects (such as bees), injects a digestive venom, and sucks out the insect's juices. However, it can attack vertebrates like humans. When it does so, it injects a fluid that acts like an anesthetic so that the human does not feel anything. After the fluid-sucker has dined, it drops off and can leave one with lyme disease.
The more immediate threat to the human comes in the form of a stroke or a heart attack, according to where the human is bitten and the general health of the human. Medical doctors are not trained to understand what has happened and MRIs or scans cannot detect what has happened. The bite often is not found except as a red, raised, spongy area that is hot to the touch and is about the size of a quarter.
These bugs are shown in insect books as being in certain areas such a "the east" or "the west". However, it appears likely that at least one species has moved into other parts of the country because they have been seen in wooded areas outside of there normal habitat. This is not unusual considering the number of vehicles that move across the United States every day.
At least one stroke victim was not diagnosed properly by the medical doctors who examined him. He found out later what had happened by speaking with those who learned from folk medicine. According to Jeanne Callaway who explained the "kissing bug" to me, a copper penny taped with scotch tape (to prevent excess hair-pulling upon removal) helps if nothing else is available. Raw honey helps to draw the poison. Antibiotics should be taken when possible to avoid Lyme disease. If caught in the act, the insect should be taken off without squeezing it - squeezing causes more poison to enter the wound. Iodine, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or similar means of disinfecting the wound are recommended. Bacitracin or similar antibiotic ointment will help. In the case of one stroke victim, ginkgo biloba was taken (two every two hours) in an attempt to avoid further brain damage (ginkgo biloba is reputed to separate blood platelets when they are stacked together). Possibly, the ginkgo biloba helped as the victim could not get to a hospital for quite some time.