Coughs

Someone asked about what to do with coughs. I like to drink red raspberry leaf tea. If it is really bad, I like Dr. Christopher's Lung and Bronchial formula or I like his cough syrup- it is NOT a cough suppressant though... it helps clear out the mucus so you can heal. I also like to make my own cough syrup- chop onion and place in a double boiler then cover with honey and let simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. Strain and take 1 tsp-1T every hour-couple of hours. I sometimes add some thyme to this because thyme is very good for coughs. If I have some left over, and I didn't dip a used spoon in it, I will put it in a glass mason jar for the next round of coughs. Also, avoiding dairy like the plague helps.
I have also been known to make a tea for really bad coughs. I take red raspberry leaves, mullein leaves, a little bit of lobelia, some comfrey leaves, a pinch of lavender, and a bit of thyme. This works really well for opening up the lungs. I don't have measurements on this one, because I do this one by feel, but if I were to venture a guess I would say about 1 part each raspberry leaves, mullein and comfrey leaves, 1/3 part thyme and lavender, and 1/4 part lobelia.
I do use comfrey leaves and sometimes comfrey root internally. Despite the FDA's claim that comfrey is damaging to the liver, the historical usage of it says otherwise. Here is some extensive information on comfrey on Herbal Legacy: Contentions with Comfrey Studies. Unless a person has a liver condition and is taking copious amounts of comfrey for an extended period of time, I don't find comfrey to be troubling. I suppose the above combination would work ok without the comfrey, but one of the things it does is aid in healing the lungs. Here is another contention written by Susun Weed.