The following anecdotal records attest to the powerful and often amazing effects of charcoal as a healing remedy.

 

Agatha Thrash

A medical doctor who specialized in pathology and natural remedies, Agatha Thrash studied the properties and benefits of charcoal and often used it in treating ill patients. With her husband, also a physician, she authored RX: Charcoal, in which she shared her knowledge of this amazing remedy.

 

Some of Dr. Thrash’s experiences with charcoal follow below.

 

Wasp bite

The perfect treatment for bee stings is a charcoal poultice. A young man  was stung on the finger by a yellow jacket. He spent one sleepless night due to pain, and was about to go into his second when he decided that he would apply a charcoal poultice. Within five minutes of applying the poultice the pain was gone and he slept all night. 

 

Allergic reaction to bee sting

A lady who had been told that she would probably die if she were ever stung by a honey bee received a bee sting on the thumb while walking near the home of a friend. Within two minutes she had begun to sweat all over, had developed a headache, and had severe pain in the thumb. A charcoal poultice was quickly applied and the general reaction entirely subsided within 5 minutes. Although she usually experienced massive swelling after bee stings, this time she had no trace of swelling. It is apparent that an anaphylactic reaction was prevented in this lady by the charcoal poultice.

 

Brown recluse spider bite

The treatment of choice for the brown recluse spider is charcoal. There is no other recognized treatment except wide surgical excision. There is no known antidote. The brown recluse spider produces a bite that gives little or no pain at first. In 24 hours a purplish red zone develops around the bite, and extensive tissue death occurs. It may produce a very deep and angry ulceration extending down to the bone, which lasts for weeks or months. We have had three brown recluse spider bites successfully treated with charcoal, which produced no ulcerations and only the faintest purple discoloration after one week. The sooner treatment has begun the better. The spider is brown and has a fiddle-shaped mark on its back.

 

Ellen G. White

Ellen White, a Christian writer who lived in 19th century America and Australia, used charcoal to treat a variety of health complaints. Here are her experiences.

 

Swollen, injured knee

(Brother Thompson) brought his boy to Cooranbong with a swollen knee. The lad had fallen on a stone, and the knee was seriously injured and much enlarged. The doctors had attended him, but had done him no good, and he was then going about with a crutch.

 

Sara took the case in hand, and worked with him in our own house twice a day. About one hour each day was occupied in giving him treatment. It was a stubborn affair, but for weeks most thorough treatment was given him with hot and cold applications, and pulverized charcoal dipped in hot water and used as a poultice. . . . the swelling is now removed, and he is as active and healthy a child as you would wish to look upon. . . . We thank the Lord for this. -Letter 72, 1898.

 

Abdominal adhesions

Sister Harlowe has been an invalid for sometime, in consequence of her internal organs fastening to the backbone. . . . Her head suffered because of stomach difficulties and the trouble I have mentioned. . . . Sister Harlowe has not had any kind of medicine but charcoal soaked in water. She drinks this water, and is doing excellently. . . . -Letter 84, 1898.

 

Venomous insect bite

On Thursday, Sister --- was called to see if she could do anything for Brother --- little son, who is eighteen months old. For several days he has had a painful swelling on the knee, supposed to be from the bite of some poisonous insect. Pulverized charcoal, mixed with flaxseed, was placed upon the swelling, and this poultice gave relief at once. The child had screamed with pain all night, but when this was applied, he slept. 

 

 

Today she has been to see the little one twice. She opened the swelling in two places, and a large amount of yellow matter and blood was discharged freely. The child was relieved of its great suffering. We thank the Lord that we may become intelligent in using the simple things within our reach to alleviate pain, and successfully remove its cause. -MS. 68, 1899.

 

Bloody dysentery

A brother was taken sick with inflammation of the bowels and bloody dysentery. . . . this man . . .  sent for me to come to him. My husband and I decided that it would not do to move him. Fears were entertained that mortification had set in. Then the thought came to me like communication from the Lord, to take pulverized charcoal, put water upon it, and give this water to the sick man to drink, putting bandages of the charcoal over the bowels and stomach. . . . 

 

The sick man's son went to a blacksmith's shop, secured the charcoal, and pulverized it, and then used it according to the directions given. The result was that in half an hour there was a change for the better. We had to go on our journey and leave the family behind, but what was our surprise the following day to see their wagon overtake us. The sick man was lying in a bed in the wagon. The blessing of God had worked with the simple means used. -Letter 182, 1899

 

Serious illness with high fever

On one occasion a physician came to me in great distress. He had been called to attend a young woman who was dangerously ill. She had contracted fever while on the camp ground and was taken to our school building near Melbourne, Australia. But she became so much worse that it was feared she could not live. The physician, Dr. Merritt Kellogg, came to me, and said, Sister White, have you any light for me on this case? If relief cannot be given our sister, she can live but a few hours." I replied, Send to a blacksmith's shop and get some pulverized charcoal, make a poultice of it, and lay it over her stomach and sides." The doctor hastened away to follow out my instructions. Soon he returned, saying, "Relief came in less than half an hour after the application of the poultices. She is now having the first natural sleep she has had for days."

 

Pain and venomous bites

I have ordered the same treatment for others who were suffering great pain, and it has brought relief, and been the means of saving life. My mother had told me that snake bites and the sting of reptiles and poisonous insects could often be rendered harmless by the use of charcoal poultices.

 

Inflammation

When working on the land at Avondale, Australia, the workmen would often bruise their hands and limbs and this in many cases resulted in such severe inflammation that the worker would have to leave his work for sometime. One came to me one day in this condition, with his hand tied in a sling. He was much troubled over the circumstances; for his help was needed in clearing the land. I said to him, "Go to the place where you have been burning the timber, and get me some charcoal from the eucalyptus tree, pulverize it, and I will dress your hand." This was done, and the next morning he reported that the pain was gone. Soon he was ready to return to his work.

 

I write these things that you may know that the Lord has not left us without the use of simple remedies which, when used, will not leave the system in the weakened condition in which the use of drugs so often leaves it. We need well trained nurses who can understand how to use the simple remedies that nature provides for restoration to health, and who can teach those who are ignorant of the laws of health how to use these simple but effective cures. -Letter 90, 1908.

 

 

Jon Zwayer, emergency room attendant

 

Nausea

I thought I would share with you something that has helped me greatly over the years whenever my stomach starts that unusual gurgling sound that precedes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, and fever.  Several of these symptoms have hit me over the past few years . . . and the very first thing I do is get out my jar of activated charcoal powder.

 

You may laugh at this because it sounds too simple or because you think the powdery but gritty black particle is intolerable. But even though it can be a little messy if you’re not careful, activated charcoal powder works wonders for many conditions. It has worked for me many times and I’ve even been an eyewitness to it saving the lives of many people.

 

Drug overdose

For several years I worked in a hospital emergency room and one curious thing that I observed was something that few people are aware of. Whenever an overdose patient was brought into the emergency room the very first thing a doctor would do is make the patient drink activated charcoal powder mixed with water. During those years of seeing many overdose patients come into the ER, I never saw an overdose patient die who was conscious and who was able to drink the charcoal slurry.