Symptoms
 This condition is accompanied by swelling, scanty urine, poor appetite, sluggishness, and debility.  The swelling usually begins in the feet and ankles and proceeds up the legs towards the abdomen. [SNH p.19]

Cause
 Heavy salt users often have dropsy as do diabetics.  We do not pinpoint the symptoms as to locality (hydrocephalus, hydrothorax, ascites, etc.), as does orthodox medicine, but the general problem is that fluid does not eliminate properly through the kidneys and skin.  Dr.  Edward Shook had the following to say about dropsy: "When sulfuric acid is generated within the organism, it immediately unites with water and swells up.  This action produces heat, which expands the capillaries.  The osmotic pressure forces the serum through the walls of the blood vessels, producing inflammation and dropsy.  Hence the using of inorganic matter is always poisonous to the human organism in spite of all the apparent evidence to the contrary." (Advanced Treatise on Herbs, p.132) [SNH p.19]

Herbal Aids
1. General Instructions: Exceptional results have been attained with dropsy by the use of parsley, parsley root, juniper berries, verde cactus, ginger, and chaparral.  Diet is the key to eliminating the cause.  Meats, pastries, salt, etc., should be avoided.  Eat fruits (grapes and coconut especially), sprouts, leafy and green vegetables, (do not mix fruits and vegetables).  Use vapor baths and diaphoretics to open the pores, stimulants to increase and regulate circulation, diuretics for kidneys, and be sure to treat the whole digestive system with tonics.  Also rub the body with vinegar and cold water and be sure to keep the bowels cleaned. [SNH p.19]

2. Plantain: Drink the tea from the seeds. [SNH p.53]

3. Dropsy, Heart Disease: See formula using parsley seeds, lily of the valley root, garlic, sugar and glycerine. [SNH p.102]

4. Bitter Root: Cardiac dropsy. Give 5-15 grains of powder 3 times daily. [SNH p.209]

5. Parsley: Make at least 2 quarts of the parsley root strong decoction and drink copiously. [SNH p.246]

6. Parsley: Mix equal parts of parsley root tea, and glycerine, saturate cloths and apply to swollen areas; keep patient warmly-covered in bed with tepid air circulation (this brings water through the skin and helps relieve the burden on the kidneys). At the same time, give the parsley root tea without the glycerine as a drink, 1/2 cupful each hour. [SNH p.246]

7. See formula using juniper berries, parsley seed and distilled water. [SNH p.252] For renal dropsy, avoid taking too large doses [of juniper berries], as the stimulating effect may irritate the urinary passages; usually administered in combination with demulcent agents. [SNH p.250]

8. See formula using wild carrot, haircap moss and watermelon seeds. [SNH p.264]

9. Dropsy (adult): See formula using cleavers, raspberry leaves, agrimony, juniper berries, wild carrot, barberry and cayenne. [SNH p.269]

10. Dropsy (child): See formula using cleavers, juniper berries, centaury, raspberry leaves, senna and ginger.  [SNH p.269]
 

Note:  ...With dropsy, the kidneys must be watched, but also the digestive system strengthened; also sponging the body with cold water and apple cider vinegar is an excellent skin tonic. [SNH p.269]

11. See formula using buchu leaves, hydrangea, broom tops, couchgrass, uva ursi and saw palmetto berries. [SNH p.272]

12. Blue Cohosh: Drink the warm decoction. [SNH p.292]

13. See formula for the fomentation using mullein, lobelia and cayenne. Foment as warm as is convenient over the lungs, or over the affected part. [SNH p.318]

14. Dropsy # 1: See formula using horseradish root and apple cider vinegar. [SNH p.424]

15. Dropsy #2: See formula using horseradish and crushed mustard seed.  [SNH p.424]

16. Alfalfa:  It's no wonder that so many interesting cures are attributed to Alfalfa.  It has been acclaimed as a diuretic.  In fact, one woman who was suffering extremely from dropsy began to take the tea faithfully, and with no other remedy was relieved of the problem. [UW-Alfalfa]

17. Elder: The inner bark is also used, although it should be aged before used.  The fresh bark is violently irritating and poisonous to children.  It is specifically used for cardiac and renal dropsy, as an emetic in biliary disorders, and for spasmodic asthma with copious phlegm and stringy mucus.  It is also used for epilepsy.  The infusion is used, one wineglassful every three hours until the bowels move or, in the case of severe dropsy, until urine is voided.  If emesis is desired to cleanse the stomach, increase the dose until this effect is produced.  After evacuation and urination begin, reduce the dose to continue treatment as watery stools are not desired where there is no dropsy. [UW-Elder]

18. Juniper: The tea has been given to dropsical patients, often combined with parsley seeds, as a sure and safe way to effect water release through the urine and through the skin.  In England, patients are often prescribed Hollands Gin, which is flavored with Juniper berries and which retains some of the medicinal properties to help dropsy and similar ailments.  It is said to be particularly useful in dropsy when it is caused by heart, liver or kidney disease. [UW-Juniper]

19. Parsley: Dr. Shook reminded us that Parsley is one of those herbs that have to be taken abundantly to be of any permanent benefit.  That is all right because it is such a pleasant herb!  He mentioned that when there is suppression of the urine and dropsy a treatment similar to the one described in the introduction as employed by Dr. Christopher could be used but he also said that after applying the fomentation to cover it with a sheet of plastic and a towel, and then with an electric hot pad, leaving this on for twenty or thirty minutes.  After removing the hot application, he said, apply a cold but not iced towel for just one minute.  He said that this application was very important and not to omit it although Dr. Christopher's treatment got very good results without it (Hei:60). [UW-Parsley]

20. Rosemary: Father Kneipp, who is known as a water healer but also endorsed other important healing methods, considered Rosemary an important remedy for the heart and stomach.  He wrote, "Prepared as a tea, it cleanses the stomach from phlegm, gives a good appetite and good digestion.  Whoever likes to see the medicine glass, this comforter in illness, shining on his table, let him fill it with Rosemary tea and take from two to four tablespoonfuls morning and evening. The stomach will soon become sensible, that is, will not stick fast much longer in phlegm...Rosemary wine, taken in small doses, has also proved an excellent remedy against heart infections.  It operates in a sedative manner and in cases of heart dropsy it works strongly on removal through the urine...The preparation of this wine is exceedingly simple.  A handful of Rosemary is cut up as small as possible, put into a bottle and good, well kept wine poured upon it.  White wine is preferable.  Even after a half a day's standing it may be used as Rosemary wine" (Luc:109). [UW-Rosemary]

21. What Can be Done for Dropsy? This was a question put to Dr. Christopher in his newsletter. His answer: For mild or beginning forms of dropsy caused by urinary malfunction, we have the following:

 For a severe case let us cite a good case of how it can be handled in most cases.

 A lady came into our weekly Tuesday night lecture a little late, after we had barely started.  She asked if she could interrupt and tell something that had happened to her since the last lecture, a week ago.  We said we'd be happy to hear her story, so she told us the reason she was a little late was because of a long distance phone call she had just received.

 Just after the last lecture, the Tuesday before, she received a call from her brother-in-law in Chicago.  He told her that if she wanted to see her twin sister alive she had better fly back there immediately because the doctors had said she had only a day or two to live.

 Our student took a few days off from work and arrived in Chicago on the following Friday.  She went in to see her sister and would not have recognized her if she hadn't been told who it was.  Her sister was so badly swollen from edema (dropsy) that she seemed to be only a bloated, unrecognizable mass of flesh.  She had been under doctors' care for a number of months, and they had been unable to give her anything but temporary aid from the water accumulation.  Now they were utterly baffled and had, at the family's request, sent her home from the hospital to die (being given a day or two or slightly more grace).

 The sick and suffering twin was in a coma, not recognizing anyone, and our student cried when she saw her favorite sister lying there helpless, with little school children needing their mother so much, so she asked the husband if he would allow her to use an herbal routine she had heard about at a lecture recently.  He said the family's doctor was just waiting for her to die anyway, so go ahead!

 Our lady found a little health food store nearby and bought some parsley root and glycerine (this was animal glycerine, we now use vegetable glycerine which is superior).

 When she got back she made up parsley root tea (one teaspoon of herb to a cup of water, or one ounce of herb to the pint of water), making up about one gallon of the tea. (Steam distilled water is 30% more efficient than tap water and is our choice.)

 One quart of the tea was used straight to give to this patient orally, and three quarts of the parsley root tea was mixed with equal parts of glycerine (making six quarts of the mixture) for fomentations.

 They would give a cup of parsley tea each one half hour to the patient to drink, and the heated combination (of parsley and glycerine) was used as a fomentation over the badly swollen legs, arms and abdomen.  This was done by soaking white flannel cloths and laying them over the areas. (Use cotton or wool, never use synthetic cloth.)

 As the patient lay there so helpless, her sister remembered instructions given to follow the progress of the treatment.  She was to lift the corner of the cloth, after the fomentation had been on for a short time, and watch to see if the pores were starting to take the water from swollen areas.  She said that as she looked it was like seeing hundreds of little springs coming from the body.  She had made this trip and was walking by faith, using a formula she did not know about or had ever used before.  She had just heard of it at our lecture that previous Tuesday.  She had to fly back to work on Monday, so she left all the instructions with the husband to continue on with the program that had been started.

 After work Tuesday she rushed home to get ready for the regular Tuesday night herb lecture and the phone rang.  It was her brother-in-law from Chicago.  He said, "There is someone here who would like to talk to you."  He put his wife on the phone.  Even though she had laid helpless for months and part of the time in a semi-conscious condition, she was on the phone now, so happy she was crying.  The swelling had gone down, and she was recovering rapidly--in fact she said she got the children's breakfast and fixed their school lunches that day and was so grateful "to be a mother again"--not a dying patient.  There were not many dry eyes in the lecture room that Tuesday night when she finished her story.

 Yes, parsley tea is a blessing to people who have dropsy. [NL 1-12]

22. Dropsy with Heart Involvement: Boil 8 ounces lily of the valley root (cut) (Convallaria majalis) in 3 pints of distilled water for 20 minutes.  Strain then boil slowly till reduced to 1 pint.  Set aside to cool, and while still warm, add 8 ounces of expressed garlic juice, 8 ounces of brown cane sugar, and 1 pint of glycerine.  When cold, bottle and keep in a cool place.

 This is one of the most potent remedies for dropsy and heart disease ever devised.

 Dose: 1 teaspoonful to a dessertspoonful in water, as required.  The dose should be regulated and given every 3 hours to bring about diuresis.  Also, a slowing of the heart action, and an increase in the tone of its contraction.  After this effect has been produced, administer 1 teaspoonful in water 3 or 4 times a day. [NL 2-9]

23. Juices: Celery, dandelion, carrot & spinach, onion & milk. [NL 3-5]

24. Lobelia: The relaxant or releasing quality of Lobelia is related in a case handled by an associate, Richard Schultz M.H., N.D., when a three-year-old child was brought to him, after receiving no help from medical doctors.  The little girl was swollen so badly with edema that a person could not see her eyes through the puffiness.  Schultz administered previously successful herbal diuretics to no avail.  Knowing that she must release these fluids, he administered Lobelia seed tea, one teaspoon three times per day, which gave some immediate pain relief and reduced the swelling gradually, clearing the condition completely within two weeks. [NL 6-9&10]