Certain properties develop in activated charcoal during production which favors the binding of most poisons? The heat generated and the change in chemistry causes the development of a charge on the charcoal granule which attracts most poisonous substances.

Every private home should have charcoal on hand as a ready antidote for poisoning, as a cleansing agent in infections, as a deodorizer, and as the treatment of choice in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and many intestinal infections.

Charcoal can be purchased as a powder, tablets, or as capsules. They can be found in most health food stores and occasionally at a drugstore. The oral dosage is one tablespoon of powder stirred into a small amount of water. Four capsules of activated charcoal is the equivalent of one Tablespoon of charcoal powder or eight tablets. It should be taken on an empty stomach, as food appears to interfere with its best action. It should not be taken with other supplements as it may result in a decreased efficacy of the supplement or medication.

Treatments with Charcoal:
Diarrhea: Full dose given repeatedly, one dose with each loose stool. Use one heaping tablespoon stirred into water for an adult and a correspondingly smaller dose for a child.

Nausea and Vomiting: Give the full adult dose ? one to two heaping tablespoons stirred in a little water or approximately half that amount for a child ? each time a vomiting episode occurs. If the charcoal is vomited, more should be given in the same full dosage immediately. Always follow the dose with a full glass or two of water. If started immediately, rarely will they continue past three doses of charcoal. Many times, very uncomfortable people will begin feeling well within seconds of swallowing the charcoal slurry.

Anemia of Cancer and Diabetes Mellitus: both have demonstrated improvements when utilizing charcoal.

Intestinal gas and intestinal disorders: widely recognized as being controlled through treatment with charcoal.

Deodorizing with Charcoal: Household: refrigerators, closets, pet areas, under the house, wherever there are odors, place in a glass jar with a lid tightly in place with several holes punched in the lid. Be sure to place it where it cannot be tipped over. Bad Breath: Charcoal is quite effective. Swish charcoal slurry around in the mouth or hold a charcoal tablet in the mouth. Orthopedic casts, wounds, and skin problems: odors vanish with the use of charcoal.

Other uses for charcoal:
Bee stings, venomous bites, mosquito & chigger bites, poison ivy/oak (use internally as well as a compress), snake bites, spider bites, eye and ear conditions, ear ache, infections ? activated charcoal can adsorb bacteria, viruses, and bacterial toxins, inflammation, cellulitis, food poisoning, chronic relapsing pancreatitis, jaundice in the newborn, liver and kidney failure, whitening the  teeth, lowering cholesterol levels.

Ways to utilize charcoal:
Slurry  mix a tablespoon of activated charcoal powder in a small amount of water and drink (poisonings, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.)
Paste  a small amount of charcoal mixed with enough water to make a paste. Smear over the area (bites or stings) or put on a band-aid (moisten gauze part of band-aid and then put charcoal over the gauze).
Bath  2 cups charcoal in a tub of water ? soak. (for multiple stings)
Compress - equal amounts of activated charcoal powder and ground flaxseed mixed with enough water to make a paste. Spread over ? of creased paper towel (or a thin piece of cotton/linen). Fold the other ? over the charcoal (may want to fold over the edges of the compress and tape to prevent the charcoal from falling out). Charcoal should cover the whole area and be moist. Position the compress over the afflicted area and cover with plastic (plastic will help keep the compress moist). Change often depending on the severity, but may be left on overnight. This also seems to work well for pain caused by tumors and such. Simply place the compress over the area, changing every couple of hours or so, as needed (compress should remain moist). Compresses may be made ahead of time and frozen for emergencies.

Always start with small amounts of water when mixing compress it should be paste-like, not very runny.

The information for this handout was taken from the book: Charcoal  Startling New Facts about the World's Most Powerful Clinical Adsorbent by Agatha Thrash, M.D., & Calvin Thrash, M.D.