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Clair Hamaker

3307 SW 331 Street

Federal Way, WA 98023

October 5, 2011

THE BENEFITS OF THE USE OF SLIPPERY ELM IN HERBAL PREPARATIONS

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A. A HISTORY OF SLIPPERY ELM.

B. LOCATION OF SLIPPERY ELM.

C. CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF SLIPPERY ELM.

D. MEDICINAL QUALITIES OF SLIPPERY ELM.

E. CONTRA-INDICATIONS OF SLIPPERY ELM.

F. KNOWN HERBAL FORMULAS OF SLIPPERY ELM.

G. DOSAGE AND APPLICATIONS OF SLIPPERY ELM.

H. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

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A HISTORY OF SLIPPERY ELM

Slippery elm was found and first used by the Native Americans. Using the inner bark of

the tree they used it for almost every health need. They used it topically to treat wounds, boils,

sores, etc. because of slippery elm’s wonderful healing powers. Recently in history they have

found that some of the natural sugars in slippery elm are thought to have immunity-stimulating

properties as well as anti-inflammatory properties. The Native Americans would mix it into a

paste and, as it dried, it made the most wonderful natural bandage. Slippery elm also made a

wonderful poultice for inflammation. For stings and bites it was wonderful for drawing out the

venom and poisons. Another useful application the Native Americans found for slippery elm was

not for a health need, but to preserve food by wrapping meat in the bark.

As the great West began to be populated by more and more pioneers, hunters, trappers,

etc., the Native Americans shared their knowledge of the wonderful properties of their different

medicinal herbs, including slippery elm. It has been documented and recorded that the pioneers,

like the Native Americans, prized slippery elm and used it for almost everything. They used it

for sore throats, boils, wounds, cold sores. They used slippery elm to treat the chaffings of a

farm worker. Conquering the great West came with a lot of health needs, and slippery elm came

to the rescue almost every time. It was even recorded that in war times it was used as a topical

antiseptic cream for gunshot wounds. And was also used as a survival gruel.

The King’s Dispensatory, a medical text published in 1898, had this to say about Slippery

Elm:

Elm bark is nutritive, expectorant, diuretic, demulcent, and emollient, and

is a very valuable remedial agent. In mucous inflammation of the lungs,

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253-874-3310 bowels, stomach, bladder, or kidneys, it is used freely in the form of a

mucilaginous drink (1ounce of the powdered bark to 1 ounce of water), it

is highly beneficial, as well as in diarrhea, dysentery, coughs, pleurisy,

strangury, and sore throat, in all of which it tends powerfully to allay the

inflammation. A tablespoon of the powder boiled in 1-pint new milk affords

a nourishing diet for infants weaned from the breast, preventing the bowel

complaints to which they are subject, and rendering them fat and healthy.

Some physicians consider the constant use of it, during and after the

seventh months of gestation, as advantageous in facilitating and causing

an easy delivery; ½ pint of the infusion to be drank daily.

The following story is an excerpt from the talk, Rise to the Stature that is within You, by

Gordon B. Hinckley (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) about a story

of a boy healed by slippery elm during the pioneer days.

One of the darkest chapters in the history of our people occurred in 1838 when

they were being driven from Missouri. The incident to which I refer is known as

the Haun’s Mill Massacre. In that tragic happening Amanda Smith lost her

husband and her son Sardius. Her younger boy Alma was savagely wounded. In

the darkness she carried him from the mill to a shelter in the brush. His hip joint

had been shot away. Through the night she cried out in prayer, “Oh my Heavenly

Father … what shall I do? Thou seest my poor wounded boy and knowest my

inexperience. Oh Heavenly Father direct me what to do!” She later wrote in her

journal concerning what happened: “I was directed as by a voice speaking to me.

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“The ashes of our fire [were] still smouldering. We had been burning the

bark of the shag-bark hickory. I was directed to take those ashes and make a lye

and put a cloth saturated with it right into the wound. It hurt, but little Alma was

too near dead to heed it much. Again and again I saturated the cloth and put it into

the hole from which the hip-joint had been ploughed. …

“Having done as directed I again prayed to the Lord and was again instructed as

distinctly as though a physician had been standing by speaking to me.

“Near by was a slippery-elm tree. From this I was told to make a slippery-elm

poultice and fill the wound with it.” (In Edward W. Tullidge, The Women of

Mormondom, New York, 1877; reprint, Salt Lake City, 1957, 1965, p. 124.)

She was able to get the injured boy to a house. With a mother’s love and a

mother’s faith, she said to him, “The Lord can make something there in the place

of your hip.” She had him lie on his face, and there he remained while a miracle

occurred. Of that miracle she wrote, “So Alma laid on his face for five weeks,

until he was entirely recovered—a flexible gristle having grown in place of the

missing joint and socket, which remains to this day a marvel to physicians.

“On the day that he walked again I was out of the house fetching a bucket of

water, when I heard screams from the children. Running back, in affright, I

entered, and there was Alma on the floor, dancing around, and the children

screaming in astonishment and joy.

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“It is now nearly forty years ago,” she concluded, “but Alma has never been the

least crippled during his life, and he has traveled quite a long period of the time as

a missionary of the gospel and a living miracle of the power of God.”

Not only a wonderful medicinal herb for the pioneers but, like the Native Americans

using the herb for preserving meat and other non-medical uses, the pioneers found many ways to

use this herb and the whole tree itself in their daily life. For instance, slippery elm wood makes

wonderful hubs for wagon wheels owing to the shock resistant nature of the interlocking grain in

the fibers of the tree. Slippery elm’s fibrous nature in its inner bark made it an excellent source

to make rope, twine, and even thread. The pioneers wove it into such items as bow strings, rope,

clothing, woven mats, snowshoe binding, and even some musical instruments. The wood can

also be cured and used to start fires using the bow drill method. It grinds into a very flammable

powder from the friction. Slippery elm’s uses are many, not just medicinally, but in a really

practical sense as well.


LOCATION OF SLIPPERY ELM

Found in North and South America, the slippery elm tree is a large tree about 50-60 feet

in height, recognized by its reddish-brown bark and wood. It has a bark of a rough and scaly

quality. The part of the tree used for medicinal purposes is actually the inner bark of the tree.

When ground it has a pale brown color. Strips of the inner bark can also be used to bind wounds

as well. The leaves of the tree are broad, long, acuminate type leaves. They are rough on both

sides and hairy. The coloration of the leaves is very interesting as they are a deep yellow, olive

green above and lighter and sometimes rusty colored beneath. The buds are covered in a russet

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down. Small flowers appear between March and April. It is a deciduos tree. Slippery Elm is

mainly located in North and South America preferring soil that is found in high, open places

where it can be firm and dry. Slippery elm in North america is most prominent in the regions

stretching from Southeast North Dakota to Maine and Southern Quebec down south to the

northern borders of Florida and over to Eastern Texas.


CHEMICAL CONSTITUENT OF SLIPPERY ELM

Slippery Elm is noted for being a demulcent, a diuretic, an emollient, an expectorant, a

pectoral, a nutritive and a tonic. It is also slightly astringent. It is a demulcent as its

mucilaginous qualities coat and soothe the digestive tract as it makes its way down through the

system. It makes a protective coating on the walls of the digestive tract as it goes down the

system, and that is what causes the soothing, pain relieving qualities of the herb. It is a mild

diuretic and helps increase urine flow, eliminating waste from the body. As an emollient it coats

the insides of the body and it helps to soften and protect the surfaces of the organs that it is

lining. As an emollient it also “greases” the way and helps move waste out of the body. As a

nutritive it helps sustain the body in a holistic and natural, life-sustaining way. It feeds the

body’s tissues with many important vitamins and minerals. The best thing about this nutritive

herb is that it is so mild that even if a patient cannot keep any other foods down, slippery elm is

mild enough that the body will accept it. In today’s world where “mild foods” for the sick means

sugar-filled Jell-O or chocolate pudding, slippery elm is a wonderfully nutritious alternative.

This is because it doesn’t just feed the body but heals it as well. Being a tonic, one can use it for

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very long periods of time, and this is especially helpful in instances with long-term digestive

illness, or in cases of famine.


MEDICINAL QUALITIES OF SLIPPERY ELM

Dr. Christopher goes into great detail about the wonderful medicinal qualities of slippery

elm in his Herbal Reference Book. He explains how, because of slippery elm’s great

mucilaginous properties, it is excellent for soothing and dispersing inflammation in the system.

It draws out impurities as it heals tissues rapidly. It also strengthens the tissues it comes into

contact with, I believe, because of the wonderful nutrients it possesses. Slippery elm helps by

absorbing noxious gases in the stomach and helps to bring the body into a more neutral and

alkaline balance. All these qualities not only show what an important herb this is to the digestive

system, but also to the body as a whole to help cleanse, nourish, and heal itself.

In the How to Herb Book by Velma J. Keith and Monteen Gordon there is quite

an extensive list of ailments typically treated by slippery elm:

Has been used in the following: Adrenal glands, asthma, bladder, boils, bowels,

bronchitis, burns, cancer, colitis, colon, constipation, cough, cramps, cystitis,

demulcent, diabetes, diaper rash, diarrhea, digestion, diphtheria, diverticulitis,

dysentery, eczema, esophagus, eyes, fever, flatulence-gas, flu-influenza, food,

gangrene, gastrointestinal, hay fever, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, herpes, hiatal

hernia, hoarseness, inflammation, intestines, kidneys, lungs, mucous membranes,

to remove mucus, nutrition, pneumonia, poultices, poison ivy, rashes, respiratory

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system, sex stimulant, sores, stomach acidity, sore throat, tonsillitis, tumors,

ulcers, urinary tract, vaginal discharge, vaginal douche, venereal disease,

whooping cough, worms-parasites, wounds, yellow jaundice.(V. Keith and M.

Gordon 59)

Whoo! What a list! Slippery elm is a WONDERFUL HERB!!! Although it is such a wonderful

herb, so healing and life giving, there are times when it is a person’s time to go. Dr. Christopher

gave an example of this in his Herbal Reference Guide:

We once had a case of an eight-year-old boy who was like a skeleton. He could

not eat any food or drink any water. He’d lain in the hospital so long that he had

developed very bad bed sores. His spine was open with the bones protruding, as

was his hip bone, which also protruded through the flesh. The hospital physician

had sent him home from the hospital as a hopeless case. There was nothing more

they could do for him.

He was put on slippery elm gruel, one teaspoon at a time. Poultices of slippery

elm were placed on his hips and spine. Within weeks, he was back to normal

weight, his flesh was restored, and he looked like a perfect specimen of health,

but he lacked energy. Nothing we gave him would give him strength. It was

suggested that our healing ministrations could be contrary to the Lord’s will

concerning this boy. With this change, it was believed to be his time had come,

and the only thing that the parents could do was administer to him and dedicate

him to the Lord. This was done with the boy’s approval, and as soon as the

“amen” was said, the little boy looked up and smiled. He then said, “Good-bye

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Daddy, good-bye Doc.” and he was gone with a smile on his face. (D.Christopher,

The School of Natural Healing Reference Guide 342)


CONTRA-INDICATIONS OF SLIPPERY ELM

I have found only a few minor contraindications for slippery elm. Slippery elm is one of

the safest herbs that even tiny infants can ingest with complete safety. It really is not only a

medicinal herb but a very safe and nutritious food that can be eaten regularly. The How to Herb

Book says that it should be taken with a copious amount of water, and in my experience with this

herb that is sound advice as it expands in the body as it goes down the digestive tract, mixing

itself with the liquids found therein. Those who have found allergies to elm tree pollen might

have a reaction to slippery elm powder, but this is a slight risk. Also, slippery elm might slow

down the absorption of other medicines that you are taking, so that is something to be aware of.

Generally though, slippery elm is one of the mildest and safest herbs to ingest in the body or to

use externally.

An important last thing to note, as far as contraindications of slippery elm go, is that in

past history people have used the whole bark, both the outer bark combined with the inner bark,

to cause a natural abortion to happen in a pregnancy. I have had no personal experience using

the outer bark of the slippery elm tree, and in all my memories of my studies I believe that I have

only ever heard of herbalists using the wonderful inner bark of slippery elm. All herbs should be

used with caution, and should be researched even if they are being administered by a

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knowledgeable practician. We each should be in charge of what goes into our bodies, and I

expect any good herbalist would encourage the people they are helping to try and learn as much

about the herbs they are using as possible.


KNOWN HERBAL FORMULAS OF SLIPPERY ELM

Slippery Elm has several known herbal formulas, but I have found that because of its

mucilaginous and binding qualities it is included in many other herbal remedies as a binding

herb. The three main herbal formulas I have found (and used) for slippery elm are: the slippery

elm drink, the slippery elm gruel, and the slippery elm paste. All three of these have variations

on a theme, but can be used in their most basic forms with wonderful success.

The slippery elm drink is simply a tablespoon of the slippery elm powder mixed quickly

into about 8 ounces of distilled water. Drink down before the liquid turns into a gel. Follow

immediately with another 8 ounces of distilled water. This herbal remedy is excellent for aiding

digestion. It not only coats the entire digestive tract but, as the water is mixed with the herb, it

also saturates the herb and expands, quite like dehydrated foods that expand as they fill with

digestive juices in the digestive process. As it expands it helps to push food and waste through

and out the bowels. It also seems to gather up extra mucus along the way and help it out the

proper channels as well, cleaning the entire bowel.

Slippery elm gruel is a wonderful herbal remedy for any kind of stomach upset such as

nausea, flu, motion sickness. Anytime your body needs food, but you are having a difficulty

keeping anything down, you need to reach for the slippery elm gruel. To make the gruel, first

take about a teaspoon of the slippery elm powder and mix just a tiny bit of distilled water into it.

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Slippery elm is very hard to mix in with water so you need to start out making more of a paste

(think gravy making), and then, after you have made a good paste, you can thin it down with

water. Not very much of the powder is needed to make a large portion of the gruel. Again this

gruel coats and soothes the stomach and digestive tracts while aiding the digestive system to rid

itself of mucus and waste and also feed the body with good nutrition.

The third basic herbal formula for slippery elm is the slippery elm paste. This is

extremely basic and was used by the Native Americans. To speed healing of a scrape or wound,

mix up a tiny bit of the slippery elm powder with a tiny bit of water, make a paste and put it on

the wound. A few things are happening here, as the paste dries it makes a natural protective

band aid for the wound. It keeps the germs out, but it also is giving a little bit of nutrition to the

wound, and helping it to heal.

Each of these formulas could be altered in different ways to gain more benefit for an

individual’s needs. For instance, the slippery elm drink could have licorice added to it to aid

digestion even more. I have seen one herbal remedy that was a slippery elm drink but the

preparer had added licorice, marshmallow, bentonite clay and psyllium seeds to it. All of these

added herbs were complimented by the slippery elm and they all worked beautifully together to

help the body cleanse and be nourished so it could heal. The slippery elm gruel also has several

variations. To benefit a child who didn’t like the texture of the gruel, a preparer could add a little

applesauce. A little bit of cloves could be added for antibacterial qualities, or cinnamon for

aiding digestion and warming the body. A mild tea like red raspberry could be made up and

used as the liquid to make the gruel. Catnip for children would be another option and very

calming and soothing as well. Even the paste could have a tiny bit of goldenseal or comfrey

added to it to help heal the wound. Slippery elm is extremely useful and very versatile.

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As I mentioned before, slippery elm is used in many different herbal combinations. In

Dr. John Christopher’s School of Natural Healing Herbal Reference Guide I counted slippery

elm being used as an ingredient in at least 17 herbal formulas and was referenced as a wonderful

aid for more than fifteen illnesses. I wanted to have a visual for how many times slippery elm

was referenced in this book, so inserted a note card into every page where it was mentioned and

after over 80 references you can imagine how the binding on my book was taxed. Slippery elm

is a wonderful herb worth having in your herbal medicine cabinet.

Some other herbal formulas that Dr. Christopher included in his chapter on slippery elm

in his book The School of Natural Healing Herbal Reference Guide include the following

formulas for gastritis, bruises, sores, female genito-urinary problems, growths, tumors, etc, and

several combinations for coughs, whooping cough, etc.

Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach)

1 ounce Slippery elm(Ulmus rubra; U. fulva)

1 ounce Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus)

½ ounce Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis)

½ ounce Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)

1 teaspoon Cayenne (Capsicum frutescens; C. minimum)

Preparation: Simmer the first 4 herbs for 20 minutes in 1 quart of water and strain

hot over the cayenne. Dosage: 2 ounces every hour, or more frequently if the case

requires. Administration: Always use slippery elm gruel for this condition, and

give cayenne. Where there is persistent vomiting, cleanse the stomach with an

emetic of lobelia. A cayenne fomentation on the abdomen will ease bad pains, the

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lower bowel tonic will regulate. A catnip enema relieves the bowels.(D.

Christopher 340)

Bruises (poultice)

1 pound Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra; U. fulva)

1 pound Wild indigo powder (Baptisia tinctoria)

½ pound Gum Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha, var. molmol)

¼ pound Prickly ash, powder (Zanthoxylum americanum)

Preparation: Wet and mix to paste consistency with good brewer’s yeast.

Administration: Apply over the affected area and cover. (D. Christopher 339)

Sores (hasten suppuration) and gangrenous wounds (will arrest gangrene)

Sufficient Slippery Elm Powder (Ulmus rubra; U. fulva)

Sufficient Brewer’s Yeast

Sufficient raw milk

Preparation: Mix the herb and yeast with hot milk. If the brewer’s yeast is not

available, dissolve a yeast cake in warm water and mix. (D. Christopher 340)

Slippery elm pack (female genito-urinary problems, growths, tumors, etc.)

Preparation: Add sufficient water to slippery elm to make a bolus (soft mass).

Knead until it is quite stiff, 3 inches long, and the size (diameter) of the patient’s

middle finger. Cut into 3 pieces, each 1 inch long. On a fine sea sponge, sew a

piece of silk thread firmly to the sponge, leaving 3-4 inches of the thread extra.

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Smear the sponge with eual parts of Vaseline and vegetable glycerin and set aside

for use. Administration: Dip 1 piece of the slippery elm bolus into hot water and

insert as far as possible into the vagina. Follow with the second and third pieces.

next, insert the smeared sponge into the vagina opening, which will hold the bolus

in place, and leave for two days. Remove the sponge by pulling down on the silk

thread, syringe(rinse) thouroughly with a cleansing agent such as yellow dock

(rumex-crispus), or Dr. Christopher’s Vaginal Douche (yellow dock

combination), and repeat the pack. (D. Christopher 341)

There were several preparations for coughs, whooping cough, bronchitis, etc. Here are a couple

of them.

Asthma remedy(also for bronchitis, chronic cough, whooping cough, lung trouble,

cystitis, catarrh of bladder, poison ivy, burns, and tuberculosis)

2 ounces of Slippery elm bark, powder (Ulmus rubra; U. fulva)

1 ounce Horehound, cut (Marrubium vulgare)

1 ounce Garden thyme, cut (Thymes vulgaris)

1 ounce Red clover tops, cut (Trifolium pratense)

1 ounce Yerba santa, cut (Eriodictyon californicun)

1 ounce Lobelia herb, cut (Lobelia inflate)

1 ounce Resin weed leaves, cut (Grindelia robusta)

1 teaspoon Cayenne, powder (Capsicum frutescens, C. minimum)

1 1.2 pounds Blackstrap molassess

½ pint Vegetable glycerin

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Preparation: Soak the herbs for two hours in 2 quarts of distilled water and bring

to a boil (well-covered). Simmer slowly for 30 minutes; strain and press. Return

the liquid to the clean pot and reduce to 1 pint; add the blackstrap molasses and

vegetable glycerin. Bring to a boil and simmer very slowly for 5 minutes; cool

and bottle. Note: Slippery elm mixes more uniformly with the other ingredients

when first made into a paste and stirred into the water. Dosage: 1 tablespoon

every hour until relief and relaxation is obtained; thereafter, 1 tablespoon 3-4

times daily. (D. Christopher 341)

Cough Syrup

2 ounces Elecampagne root (Inula helenium)

4 ounces Spikenard root (Aralia racemosa)

4 ounces Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis)

2 ounces Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

2 ounces Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara)

2 ounces Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

1 ounce White poplar or quaking aspen bark (Populus tremuloids)

2 ounces Slippery elm bark (Ulmus rubra; U. fulva)

½ ounce Senega (Polygala senega)

½ ounce Lobelia herb (Lobelia inflata)

Preparation: Place the herbs in 3 pints of grain alchohol (vodka) and let stand for

14 days out of sunlight (shake occasionally), strain and add sufficient honey to

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make a syrup. Dosage: 1 tablespoon occasionally in mucilage of slippery elm. (D.

Christopher 347)

The How to Herb Book mentions a case study where a family used slippery elm to help

their animals recover from diarrhea. Slippery elm is so soothing and safe that people have used

it for their animals’ digestive complaints as well. In some cases this has saved the animals from

an untimely death, such as in the case study. A little girl had a lamb with diarrhea, as I guess

happens very often when lambs are just born. Many lambs have perished because of this ailment

in their youth. She used a little bit of slippery elm mixture and the lamb came out right as rain.

This is such a neat example of the beauty medicinal herbs can bring into our lives. We are very

blessed to have these for our aid and healing!


DOSAGE AND APPLICATIONS OF SLIPPERY ELM

Slippery elm is a very safe herb and can be used as much as needed, even with small

infants. Of course, a small infant would need less than an adult, and the size of a person should

always be taken in consideration when administering herbs to anyone. The basic dosages for

slippery elms most notable applications are as follows: For the slippery elm drink, 1 tsp to 1

tablespoon of herb to 6-8 ounces of distilled water. Stir in quickly and then follow with another

8 ounces of water. For the slippery elm gruel, mix about 1 tsp of herb with about 1 tablespoon of

distilled water, mix into a paste and then add more water until you get your desired consistency.

For slippery elm paste, it will largely depend on the wound, but use just enough water to make a

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thick paste. The drink can be used 3-4 times a day or as needed. The gruel is the same. I have

found that with slippery elm your body is pretty good at telling you when you have had enough

or need more. My children will ask for it when they are unwell in the stomach until they don’t

need it anymore.

Dr. Christopher also mentions that slippery elm can be used in a tincture, pessary and

suppository form. For the pessaries and suppositories it is being used mainly for its binding

qualities. I have not thought to use it in a tincture form, but I wanted to mention that Dr.

Christopher mentioned that it could be used, like most other herbs, in that form as well. He lists

dosages as follows:

Decoction: 2 ounces3-4 times daily.

Infusion: 1 tea cup 3-4 times daily.

Powder: 1 teaspoon or more in capsules 3 times or more per day.

Tincture: 5-40 drops 2-3 times.

Mucilage or gruel: ½ -pint (warm) 1-3 times daily (more if needed).

(D. Christopher 336)


PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I was very grateful when I learned about slippery elm, and have used it numerous times.

Of all the herbs I think it is the most important and the least scary of herbs to use. I have

especially noticed that friends who aren’t normally open to other teas will use slippery elm. I

have used slippery elm the most for stomach problems such as ulcerous conditions or

constipation, but I have been the most grateful for knowing about this herb for my daughter’s

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motion sickness. We went on a cruise as a family last winter and she threw up 3 or more times a

day for a week and a half. I didn’t have any slippery elm with me and she just could not keep

anything down. Eventually it was almost like her body was used to throwing up her food and

couldn’t keep even the mildest things down, and then even water was difficult to keep down.

When we got home I remembered slippery elm. I fed her slippery elm gruel and everything got

better within a short time. I remember her saying how good it tasted to her tummy and how it

made her tummy feel better. She didn’t love the consistency of the gruel all the time, so I added

a little bit of honey and powdered cloves, or sometimes applesauce and cinnamon to it.

The times when I have received the most benefit from slippery elm were when I used it to

help my ulcer and constipation problems. My father passed away very suddenly this last summer

and I was on day eight of a 15-day juice cleanse (the jointhereboot.com challenge). Because of

the craziness of dealing with all the funeral arrangements and dealing with my grief, I had to stop

the cleanse very suddenly and eat whatever was handy--which usually ended up being

constipating foods such as pizza or fast food. My stomach, which already had a huge history of

chronic constipation and nervous tendencies, went completely crazy and by about September I

was starting to feel ulcer pains in my stomach lining. I didn’t think of slippery elm at first. I

thought of aloe vera juice at first actually, it had been wonderful for that in the past. I happened

to be at the natural foods store looking for something else when I found myself in cleansing

section. I ended up getting a cleanse-type package from a local herbalist with a whole cleansing

program in it. It had a tea, a few tinctures, an herbal bowel aid and also an amazing gel-type

drink with slippery elm as the main ingredient. After just one drink my ulcer pains were soothed

and as I started to cleanse my system and continued to use this drink my whole digestive tract

began to heal and start really functioning again. I have read in Dr. Christopher’s books that I can

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mix slippery elm and licorice into a very soothing digestive drink, and I think that the next time I

am having painful digestion problems that need soothing I am going to try that combination.

WORKS CITED

Christopher, John R. School of Natural Healing Herbal Reference Guide, Springville:

Christopher Publications 1976.

Hinckley, Gordon B. “Rise to the Stature of the Divine within You” NOV 1989.

Keith, Velma J. and Monteen Gordon The How to Herb Book, Pleasant Grove : Mayfield

Publications 1984.

Schar, Douglas “slippery elm” <www.planetbotanic.ca/fact_sheets/slippery_elm_fs.htm>

“ slippery elm” <http://www.slipperyelm.com/history.html>

“slippery elm” <www.ehow.com/list_6927452_slippery-elm-contraindications.html>

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