The blood supply to the small intestine is supplied by a single vessel known as the Superior Mesenteric Artery. In an instant this vessel may be blocked by a small piece of plaque or a clot, an embolus. While the human pathology of a mesenteric embolus often leads to a tragic end, the dying bowel turns shades of deep rose, blue and purple like leaves of a cabbage in fall.

2016

As the liver fails, bridging veins engorge and form a ropy lattice, like the roots of Dicentra spectabilis, through the stomach and distal esophagus. These veins are swollen and thin-walled. Bleeding may be high volume and brisk. A life-threatening event unfolds.

2016

Colic Root, Aletris lutea, is a member of the lily family is one of the many botanical remedies used to calm the symptoms of biliary colic. When the biliary system is blocked, infection sets in. Symptoms worsen to include fevers, chills, fatigue and skin of a golden hue.

As the liver fails, so too do other organ systems. Metabolism is altered and toxins build up. Cirrhosis develops slowly and insidiously over time with inflammation leading to the replacement of healthy liver with scar.

2016

-Perforated appendicitis was once a deadly disease. Modern antibiotics have changed the course of this ailment. Agrimonia, dried or in elixir, has many homeopathic applications. It has been used for centuries to settle the stomach and ease the gut.