Image via Wiki
It wasn’t until my mother got very sick with a nasty lung infection that I discovered the healing benefits of Eucalyptus. Sadly, she was unable to breathe normally and she sounded horrible, as if it was a real struggle just to get the air in and out.
She was bedridden at only 55 years old, and lived in Aledo, Texas at the time. I was in California, one of the best places to find fresh, natural eucalyptus leaves.
Interestingly, the non-native Eucalyptus tree came to California in the early 1800’s during the gold rush, mostly because of the high demand of wood for construction and fuel. There are over 600 species of this Australian native, however, the most prominent species in California is the blue gum eucalyptus, scientifically known as Eucalyptus globulus.
I was happy it was here regardless of its history. A dear “naturopathic” friend suggested I get some of that healing oil into my mother’s lungs. That was all it took, I trusted her implicitly – so I took off in search of those healing leaves.
Image via Wikipedia
A good way to distinguish them is first, their essence, almost a medicinal scent, very clean and fresh. Second, their leaves are long and pale green, coated in a peculiar white substance. Their scent reminds me of the “Vicks Vapor Rub” my grandmother rubbed all over my chest when I had a cold, which is astute because come to find out, it’s one of the main ingredients in Vicks.
Eucalyptus has amazing healing properties, such as:
· Kills bacteria
· Reduces fever
· Believed to kill viruses and fungi
· An expectorant
· Plaque and gum disease antiseptic
· Treating arthritis, boils, sores and wounds
· Insect repellant
· Eases sore joints and muscles
I hit the jackpot! I found a grove of trees near a small road that leads to the California coast, just north of Los Angeles. A great place to find them outside of LA (or Australia) is Euc Products of California.
I picked so many leaves and branches that they filled an entire leaf trash bag and I was off on my journey to help my sweet mother.
By the time I reached Texas, her health had deteriorated. Even though her pulmonary doctor had her on all kinds of medication and a humidifier filled her room, she was bedridden, still struggling to breathe.
I grabbed the first soup pot I could find and threw a handful of leaves into the pot and started them boiling. The house smelled fantastic. I brought her into the kitchen to start breathing the steam right from the pan. We continued this process for almost a week, boiling new leaves each day and breathing the steam every two to three hours.
One week later she was up and moving around. She wasn’t completely healed, but she could breathe much better. After another week she was breathing normally and feeling “fit as a fiddle,” as she put it. We visited the pulmonary doctor after two weeks to be certain things were getting back to normal.
He was quite surprised, I believe his exact words were, “when you left here, your lung infection was extremely severe and today, it is completely gone. Either you heal really fast, or you did something extraordinary.”
My mother, in all the joy and pride she could muster, replied, “My daughter healed me! She came all the way from California, bringing some crazy leaf called Eucalyptus and healed me!”
The doctor concurred that it was the eucalyptus that had healed her. He said he’d heard of it and was aware of its healing properties, and he was extremely impressed.
I’ve used it for colds, sinus problems and lung disorders ever since.
FARM ANIMAL HAVEN SANCTUARY 