Thanks for your comment.
Andrographis is proving to be popular here in s. Florida too. I used it a couple of days and my host is now using it for the “thing” that is going around.
He says he had felt like he had swallowed flber glass – a tickle in the nose and throat and now after 1 day of andrographis and narrow leaf (radix heliceteris ) the dry scratchy feeling is gone and he can breathe freely.

best, L.

I like recommending homeopathic remedies for children because of the exact dosage (on the bottle) and the ease of giving it. You can add it to water or give it to them under the tongue. Just don’t mix the remedy with food. 6 x strength is fine for daily use – 1 – 2 times and 30C strength once a day for acute problems. see below:

A good one to give anyone to help boost immunity is homeopathic Calc. Sulph.
It is blood purifier and detoxifier for the entire body. We need it when we have symptoms of skin or digestive or breathing problems. Here is some info on it from a website about homeopathic remedies.
The advice applies to children and adults. Follow directions for the product when you find it in the pharmacy or health food store. —easily available, safe and fast-acting.

Through a deficiency of Calcar Sulph. in the liver this destruction of unfit corpuscles is delayed, hence the blood soon contains an oversupply of useless cells. Under normal conditions all useless blood corpuscles disintegrate by means of Calcar-sulph. in the liver; their remnants are excreted through biliary action from the circulation by the shortest route. But if a part of these useless corpuscles must be destroyed by oxidation within the circulation, their elimination will thereby be rendered tardy.
Such remnants as are not excreted by way of the liver from the circulation, nor taken up by the lymphatics, reach the mucous membranes and skin, producing there catarrh and eruptions.

General Biochemical Action. – Calc. Sulph. stands in close relation to suppurations. It cures purulent discharges from the mucous membranes and purulent exudations in serous sacs, as well as tubercular ulcers or abscesses of the intestines, and ulcers of the cornea, etc. It is curative in suppurations at that stage in which matter is discharging or continuing to ooze after the infiltrated places have discharged their contents of pus. All ailments in which the process of discharge continues too long and the suppuration is affecting the epithelial tissues. Acts upon the connective tissue. If there is a deficiency of it in any small parts of its domains, suppuration is the result. The presence of pus with a vent is the general indications.

Guiding Symptoms and Characteristic Indications.

Mind
Mental Symptoms. Changeable mood. Sudden loss of memory; of consciousness. Absent minded and irritable. Anxious, better in open air. Discontented, full of fears.

Head
Head and Scalp. – Scald head of children, if there be purulent discharge or yellow, purulent crusts. Suppuration, etc., about the scalp. Headache with nausea and with feeling as if eyes were sunken. Headache comes on from becoming cold, but made better by cool air. Pain around whole head, worse forehead. Craniotabes. Vertigo, with deadly nausea, on moving head quickly. Much dandruff. Hair falls out.

Eyes
Eyes. – Deep – seated abscess of the cornea. Inflammation of the eyes with discharge of thick, yellow matter. Hypopyon; to absorb the effusion of pus in the eye, after Silicea. Retinitis. Deep ulcers of the cornea. Ophthalmia, pus thick and yellow. Cornea steamy, pus in anterior chamber; sensation as from a foreign body; has to tie up eye; after injury to the eye from a splinter. Phlyctenular keratitis and phlyctenular conjunctivitis when accompanied by swelling of cervical glands. Hemiopia. Twitching of eyelids. Inflamed canthi.

Ears
Ears. – Deafness with discharge of matter from the middle ear, sometimes mixed with blood, after Silicea . Pimples around ear. Sensitive swellings behind ear with tendency to suppuration.

Nose
Nose. – Cold in the head, with thick, yellowish, purulent secretion, frequently tinged with blood. Nosebleed. One sided discharge from nose. Edges of nostrils sore. Yellowish discharge from posterior natures. Dryness of nose, crusts form, itching, obstructed.

Face
Face. – Swelling of the cheek if suppuration threatens. Tender pimples under the beard. Herpetic eruptions on the face. Pimples and pustules on the face.

Mouth
Mouth. – Inside of lips sore. Raw sores on lips. Dry, hot mouth. Gum – boils.
Tongue. – Tongue flabby, resembling a layer of dried clay. Sour soapy, acrid taste. Yellow coating at base. Inflammation of the tongue when suppurating. Clay – colored coating.
Teeth. – Rheumatic toothache. Toothache with inside of gums swollen and sore; swollen cheek. Gums bleed on brushing teeth. Gum – boils, ulcerated teeth.

Throat
Throat. – Suppurating sore throat. Last stage of ulcerated sore throat, with discharge of yellow matter. Suppurating stage of tonsillitis when abscess is discharging. Diphtheritis of the soft palate; fauces are much swollen. Quinsy, discharging pus. Choking. [ Hepar. ]

Stomach
Gastric Symptoms. – Desire for fruit, tea, claret, and green, sour vegetables. Great thirst and appetite. Nausea, with vertigo. While eating, roof of mouth sore. Burning pain in stomach. Craves stimulants to overcome the tremulous weakness.

Abdomen
Abdomen and Stool. – Purulent diarrhea, mixed with blood. Dysentery, stools purulent, sanious. Intestinal ulcers with typhus. Painless abscesses about the anus in cases of fistula. Pain in region of liver, in right side of pelvis, followed by weakness, nausea and pain in stomach. Diarrhea after maple sugar and from change of weather, in children worse after eating, painless, involuntary. Itching of rectum, moisture about anus. Prolpasus ani. Costiveness, with hectic fever and difficult breathing. Pus – like, slimy discharge from the bowels.

Urinary organs
Urinary and Sexual Organs. – Red urine with hectic fever, Cystitis, chronic state, pus forming. Nephritic. To control the suppuration in cases of bubo alternately with Silicea. Gonorrhea with purulent, sanious discharge. Abscess of the prostate. Chronic suppurating stage of syphilis. Glandular ulceration, etc. Spermatorrhea. Menses late, long – lasting, with headache, twitchings, great weakness. Extravasation of pus within the pelvic tissues unconfined by any phyogenic membrane. Itching after menses, in vagina, swelling of labia.

Respiratory
Respiratory System. – Cough with purulent and sanious sputa and hectic fever Asthma with hectic fever. Empyema, pus forming in the lungs or pleural cavities. Purulent, sanious expectoration. Pain across the chest. Pneumonia, third stage Obstinate hoarseness. Third stage of bronchitis. Empyema after thoracentesis. Consumption. Oppression and soreness of chest. Burning and weakness in chest. Purulent sputa. Catarrh, with thick, lumpy, white – yellow or pus – like secretions. Croup after Kali mur. In children, severe cough with malaise in the chest, green stools, herpetic eruptions.

I have two children (20 mo & 4 1/2 year old) what can I give them to help boost their immune systems? Can I use the same herbs listed above if they come down with the flu? What dosages do I use?

Thanks and I love your articles!

Jackie