SWEDISH BITTERS Part 3

 Swedish Bitters   

By Nzinga Nzinga

Part 3
For Mrs. Maria Treben, herbalist of herbalists, crème de la crème of herbalists, whose contribution to the world of natural therapy, of herbal medicine is timeless. After taking your herbal recommendations, my life has never been the same. That is a sentiment felt and expressed by millions of your beneficiaries and admirers. I appreciate and love you to the max, Mama Maria.     

“It can be said, and rightly so, that there is hardly any illness where Swedish Bitters is not of benefit, or at least is effective as a basis for every treatment.” Maria Treben, Health Through God’s Pharmacy.

Mrs. Treben herself suffered from a severe blow on her right leg from a piece of timber. In no time, from the knee downward became dark blue to purple and two large swellings, about the size of a fist, appeared making it impossible to walk. Her husband wanted to send for the doctor, but she asked him to apply Swedish Bitters as a compress on her leg. Half an hour later, she was able to walk down the stairs to the dining room without help. The next day, her leg was smooth. There were no more swellings and the discoloration had completely cleared up.

A 4 year old girl was stung by a hornet and her arm became swollen. A Swedish Bitters compress was applied and in a jiffy the swelling and pain had subsided and the doctor was no longer necessary.

While gathering raspberries, Mrs. Treben was stung by a poisonous insect on the thumb. Overnight, the thumb became swollen.  Someone suggested that she go directly to hospital because such an infection could cause her death. She didn’t. Overnight she applied Swedish Bitters as a compress and the next day her thumb was back to normal.

Once, Mrs. Treben had an accident in the laundry. It was at the time when washing machines washed but did not rinse. The heavily entangled pieces had to be lifted out of the very hot water with wooden tongs. She had a tendency to do everything quickly and with great energy. The tongs slipped and hit her in the eye. Stunned with pain and half blind she walked upstairs. As soon as she applied Swedish Bitters, the pain eased. A little while later, she looked into the mirror and saw she had a black eye. She was back in the laundry a quarter of an hour later with a piece of cotton wool moistened with Swedish Bitters covering the eye, a small piece of plastic over it and the whole lot tied up with a folded scarf. For a few days she kept applying these compresses overnight, so that there was no chance of anything developing behind the eye.

Mrs. Treben was taking a cure at a Spa when the head nurse came into her room with a woman doubled over in pain. She suffered from gallbladder attacks and the doctor had advised her to have an operation. She applied Swedish Bitters as a compress on the area of the gallbladder. First Calendula ointment or lard was applied to prevent the alcohol from drying out the skin, and then a piece of cotton wool was moistened with Swedish Bitters and applied to the painful area. Next a piece of dry cotton wool and a piece of plastic were put over it to keep it warm. Everything was then bandaged with a piece of cloth. She was about to pull up the woman’s girdle when she sat up and announced that the pain had gone! The patient continued to apply the compresses and to take the Swedish Bitters internally, 3 times a day, one teaspoonful in a little water or tea and the attacks never recurred.

For years Mrs. Treben looked after a woman who was all alone. Communication with her was difficult, since she was hard of hearing. Swedish Bitters, according to the ‘old manuscript’ can bring back lost hearing. She was supposed to moisten the acoustic duct frequently with Swedish Bitters by moistening the index finger with it and inserting it into the ear. She did not forget to put a drop of oil into the ear from time to time to avoid itching. She religiously moistened her temples, her forehead and the area around the eyes all at the same time. Her hearing was restored and her face had a much fresher look. 

One day, as she was getting out of the bus, a car knocked her down and she fell on her face. Again Swedish Bitters helped her blue-red face to get back its normal colour. People often told Mrs. Treben that they were able to hear again and had packed away their hearing aid thanks to Swedish Bitters. These drops relieve pain internally or externally, anywhere in the body, because the blood supply to the affected area is increased.

Swedish Bitters applied as a compress to the back of the head can help people who suffer from epileptic fits. The cause of these attacks often lies in the past, maybe from a fall on the head or a shock in childhood. For epileptic fits she recommends Swedish Bitters applied as a compress to the back of the head, in addition to drinking 4 cups of Stinging Nettle tea, to which 2 tablespoons of Swedish Bitters are added, daily.

Not only epileptics can benefit from Swedish Bitters. She says that meningitis, head injuries caused by a fall or a blow, stuttering and speech disorders are treated effectively with Swedish Bitters applied as a compress to the back of the head. These compresses are also beneficial for bursitis. She emphasizes that for all severe illnesses a doctor has to be consulted first!

From the many letters received she learnt that Swedish Bitters applied as a compress to the eyes has been effective in cases of a detached retina and porous retina. All these people were going blind. These compresses are applied to the closed eye and left on for an hour. Healthy eyes, especially if strained, can profit too, if Swedish Bitters is brushed with the index finger along the lid to the corner of the eye. This way good eye sight can be enjoyed well into old age.

Since Swedish Bitters is such a wonderful remedy, no medicine chest in the house should be without it. Poured into small bottles, it can be taken along on trips. Often away from home, the food is disappointing and the need arises to stimulate digestion and to shake off weariness and tiredness. In these cases, Swedish Bitters is a true 'elixir'. A sip, watered down, is taken internally and, externally, some drops are brushed on temples, forehead, eyes and the area behind the ears. In no time, the beneficial effect is felt.

For a cold, with all its accompanying symptoms such as weariness, tiredness, pressure in the head and heaviness in the stomach, a ball of cotton is moistened with Swedish Bitters and held under the nose, while breathing deeply. Immediately the head will feel lighter. If a cold has already affected the bronchial tubes, the moistened cotton ball is held in front of the open mouth and breathing is done with the mouth. Here, too, relief will be felt. During times of influenza, 1 teaspoon, sometimes 1 tablespoon, diluted with a little water, is taken daily. In this way one is protected from influenza. 

Wherever there is pain, Swedish Bitters is always beneficial, taken internally as drops, applied as a compress, or used as a rub or a massage. An application of Swedish Bitters compress in the region of the kidney relieved Mrs. Treben of the pain of renal colic very speedily.

An elderly lady, desperate from the agony of crippling arthritis from which she could get no relief and which had reduced her to walking with a stick, found that one teaspoon of Swedish Bitters in Stinging Nettle tea and Horsetail tea, 3 times a day did the trick.  This remedy was so effective that three weeks later she was able to walk without a stick.  

While ice skating, a woman injured her knee which became so stiff that she could not climb stairs. Application of a Swedish Bitters compress proved so effective that she was able to climb the stairs the next day.

Another lady suffered a sprained ankle which became very swollen and painful. Swedish Bitters applied as a compress brought her immediate relief. By the next day she was free of pain and her ankle was normal.

One day, while in a restaurant, Mrs. Treben saw a man who was obviously in pain. She got out her Swedish Bitters and gave him a tablespoonful in a little lukewarm water. Colour came back to his face and he could not believe it when the pain subsided. Six months later, she was back in the same place. She had already forgotten the incident, when a gentleman came up and thanked her profusely. He looked years younger. With the help of Swedish Bitters, he had lost all complaints which acute gastritis and disorder of the pancreas had caused him.   

Since Swedish Bitters clears up disorders of the pancreas, they are most beneficial in the case of diabetes. 

Even warts, liver spots, corns, moles, haemorrhoids, birthmarks and seborrhoea will disappear if they are moistened repeatedly with Swedish Bitters. 

A piece of cotton wool moistened with Swedish Bitters, put in the ear, will clear up buzzing and ringing. 
If the base of the scalp is moistened, it will strengthen the memory. 

Swedish Bitters cleanses the blood, improves circulation, dispels flatulence, headaches, indigestion, stomach, gallbladder, liver and kidney disorders (even if alcohol is not allowed).

For phlebitis and thrombosis, Calendula ointment is smeared thickly on the affected areas and then Swedish Bitters, as a compress, is applied. When healed, Stinging Nettle foot baths are taken to improve the circulation. 

Swedish Bitters can stimulate a sluggish intestine and dispel dizziness and lameness. For all illnesses they are most beneficial, even for cancer. For acute attacks of pain, 1 tablespoon is taken in a little water or tea. 

If 1 teaspoonful in a little water is taken 3 times daily, morning, noon and evening, good health is kept till old age. Swedish Bitters awakens vitality and strengthens the life force so needed in our time. 


Readers, It can't hurt to try any of these recommendations that may be relevant to your needs. They are bona fide. 

To be continued

 All the images were taken from the Internet and I claim no copyright