Subject: Alt.folklore.herbs - medicinal herb FAQ (v.1.12) Part 3/4

From: [email-masked] (Henriette Kress)
Date: 20 Jul 1995 15:34:40 GMT

Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part3
SunSITE-archive-name: medicinal-herbs.faq.part3.v1.12
Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th)
Last-modified: 1995/07/20
Version: 1.12

==========
3.2  Wildcrafting Ethics
----- by Howie Brounstein ([email-masked])
      (posted with permission)

This are the guidelines I teach to my students.  It is copywrited 
material that took me years to develop.  Please respect this 
copywrite.  I ask you not to publish it without permission.  Happy 
Herbing.

-----
I.  WILDCRAFTING CHECKLIST

Do you have the permission or the permits for collecting at the site?
Do you have a positive identification?
Are there better stands nearby? Is the stand big enough?
Are you at the proper elevation?
Is the stand away from roads and trails?
Is the stand healthy?
Is there any chemical contamination?
Is there any natural contamination?
Are you in a fragile environment?
Are there rare, threatened, endangered, or sensitive plants growing
  nearby at any time of the year?
Is wildlife foraging the stand?
Is the stand growing, shrinking, or staying the same size?
Is the plant an annual or a perennial?
Is tending necessary and what kind?
How much to pick?
Time of day? Time of year?
What effect will your harvest have on the stand?
Do you have the proper emotional state?
Move around during harvesting.
Look around after harvesting.  Any holes or cleanup needed?
Are you picking herbs in the proper order for a long trip?
Are you cleaning herbs in the field? Do you have the proper equipment
  for in-field processing?

*Wildcrafting is stewardship*

c1993hb

-----
II.  HOW DO I FIND OUT ABOUT ENDANGERED PLANTS (IN THE USA)?

Check your local Heritage Program Database, call the Dept. of AG or a
local Native plant society chapter to find its address.  This will
connect you to experts on particular plants and current lists.

The endangered species act has many flaws, I personally believe there 
should be an endangered ecosystems act instead but it's all we've got 
and better than nothing.

Some listed plants are truly rare, once numerous but destroyed by loss 
of of habitat through man or nature.

Many listed plants are endemics, located in a specific area. These may 
be geographically isolated islands of flora as are often found in the 
intermountain west, or they can be found at the border of major plant 
systems.  Many endemics are found in southern Oregon, where the 
Northern California system blends with the Pacific Northwest system, 
with a spattering of Great Basin plants.  This does not mean these 
plants are sensitive, just unique.  The threatened Penstemon peckii 
grows only within twenty miles of my house, and nowhere else on earth.
It can withstand trampling, wildlife grazing, and disturbance. In 
fact, now that the forest service has realized that this species 
thrives with moderate disturbance (partial cuts), it has become a 
reason to log, i.e. increased health of the population of this plant.

Plants become listed due to political boundaries.  Gentiana newberryi
grows nearby, and is threatened in Oregon.  It's northernmost sighting
is within a half hours drive.  There you can see people play football
on it, run horses on it, pick its beautiful flowers only to find they
wilt immediately, and then the flowers end up on the ground.  
Sometimes hundreds of them.  Elk graze it heavily.  It isn't a 
sensitive plant, and it's population is healthy and stable in 
California, but the population happens to cross over to Oregon where 
there isn't that many stands.  Thus it recieves the same protection as 
the truly rare plant. Southern Oregon has many of these kinds of 
listed plants.

There has to be a perceivable threat to the plant population in order 
for it to be listed.  Sometimes the threat is obvious, and sometimes 
the threat is obscure.

What about an introduced plant that has become a pest, or a native out 
of control in a system out of balance.  When the St. John's Wort, 
Hypericum perforatum, is down to a handful of populations, it will fit 
the definition of threatened, even though humans intentionally 
irradicated it.!!

-----
III.  WHAT PLANTS SHOULDN'T I PICK

Some plants are not damaged easily.  Blackberry, Rubus sp., and
Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, are two that are nearly impossible to
eliminate, even if you dig their roots.  If a piece of root stays in
the ground, it will grow back.  Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, can be 
cut with a lawnmower and still flourish regularly.  Nettles, Urtica 
dioca, when grown for fiber can have 3-4 aboveground harvest in a 
growing season.  Plants that fit into this category are generally 
perennials. You can pick them and not threaten their survival.

Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants

Endangered plants are species in danger of becoming extinct in the
foreseeable future.  Threatened plants are likely to become endangered
in the foreseeable future.  A species can be threatened or endangered
throughout its range, which means if it goes extinct we will lose its
hidden secrets forever.
Many of these plants only grow in one special area (endemic).  The
Columbia Gorge on the border of Oregon and Washington hosts many
endemic species.  Peck's Penstemon, Penstemon peckii, grows only in
the Ponderosa Pine Forest in Deschutes and Jefferson Counties.  A
species can also receive protection for part of its range.  Newberry's
Gentian, Gentiana newberryi, has stable populations in California, but
is listed as threatened in Oregon.  Deschutes County is at the end of
its range, and there are less of them.  Rare plants have small,
localized populations.  They may not be listed as threatened or
endangered if the populations are both stable and numerous.
The US. Fish and Wildlife Service determines which plants receive
federal protection.  Unfortunately, they are very slow in reviewing
candidate species.

Many have become extinct while waiting to be listed.  The Department 
of Agriculture and the Department of Fish and Wildlife of each state 
is responsible for determining state protection.  We also have the 
Oregon Natural Heritage Program.  This program has its own list of 
plants that deserve protection, but haven't made it into the clogged 
federal and state lists.  They also have a list of plants to watch and 
monitor.  A copy of Rare, Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals 
of Oregon is available from:
  The Oregon Natural Heritage Program
  1025 NW 25th Avenue
  Portland, Oregon 97210
  (503)-229-5078
Do not pick these plants.  Unfortunately, they are not always easy for
an amateur to identify.  They are not always showy.  There may be 
large amounts of them in one spot, so that they appear plentiful.  
There are some good picture books available.  All folks who pick 
plants from the wild should try to familiarize themselves with the 
local protected plants.  When in doubt, don't pick it.

Sensitive Plants

Some plants are sensitive to disturbance.  Please do not pick them 
even if they aren't protected.  The Calypso Orchid, Calypso bulbosa, 
is a fragile plant that lives partially off leaf mold.  Its little 
root is close to the surface, and easy prey to slugs and others.  
Minor disturbances can easily dislodge the root from the mold.  If 
someone picks its flower, it can ooze fluid and essentially "bleed" to 
death. Even disturbing the area around it during flowering could kill 
it.  The law does not protect this plant because it is too numerous.  
It is our responsibility to help sensitive plants survive.
How can you tell if a plant is sensitive? Most plants that are not 
green (contain no chlorophyll) are "no picks." These weird species are 
white, brown, red, or purple and just plain eerie.  Botanists call 
them parasites or saprophytes.  They are particularly fascinating.  
These include Broomrape, Orobanche sp., Coral Roots, Corallorhiza sp., 
and Indian Pipe, Monotropa uniflora.  Other "no picks" include the 
Orchid Family (Orchidaceae) and almost all the Lily Family 
(Liliaceae).  The Orchid Family includes Calypso Orchid, Calypso 
bulbosa, and the Rein Orchids, Habenaria sp.  The Lily Family includes 
Trillium, Trillium ovatum, and Mariposa Lilies, Calochortus sp.  These 
families are easy to recognize with a little practice.  Not every Lily 
and Orchid is sensitive, but it's a good place to start.
Most (but not all) of the unusual or showy plants are no picks.  If 
you are not sure, don't harvest it.

Howie B
Columbines and Wizardry Herbs
Eugene, Or USA

==========
3.3  Different schools of Herbal Healing

==========
3.3.1  Traditions in Western Herbal Medicine
-----  Thanks to Jonathan Treasure for sending this one over.

This Article is taken from The Herbalist, newsletter of the
Canadian Herbal Research Society. COPYRIGHT June 1989.

Traditions in Herbal Medicine     Peter Cook  DBTh, FETC

-----
The Development of Theory in North America

Introduction: To one trained as a medical herbalist in Britain, it is 
a curious fact that herbal medicine, as it seems to be most widely 
known in Canada and the U.S., has been so little influenced by the 
great systems of herbal thought which once flourished here. Only 
remnants of these systems can now be found in the writings of Kloss, 
Christopher, Shook and others whose primary sources appear to be the 
European and native North American folk traditions.

These folk traditions are very valuable medical resources in their own 
right; a fact which has been recognized and supported by the World 
Health Organization (1978). It has also been recognized and 
increasingly exploited by the pharmaceutical industry. Folk medicine 
however, is also important as a rich source for the periodic 
historical development of major systems of traditional medicine. 
Examples of the development of two such systems in North America will 
be discussed here, together with some of the more important 
theoretical and practical contributions to herbal medicine which these 
systems generated.

Early American Folk Medicine: Eleanor Sinclair Rohdes (1922) has 
written very eloquently of the hardships faced by early American 
settlers in their efforts to cultivate the familiar medicinal plants 
of England and Europe. In many cases it seems these efforts failed 
completely and the pioneers were forced to supplement their folk 
medicine traditions with lore relating to indigenous plants obtained 
>from  the native people. To the extent that any special knowledge would 
have been likely, then as now, to remain a closely kept secret by the 
native medicine societies, it is probable that the native plant-lore 
passed onto these settlers was a matter of common knowledge amongst 
the native people. In fact, it may be said that a distinguishing 
feature of any folk tradition is that the lore contained in that 
tradition is, or has once been, common knowledge.

Another distinguishing feature of folk medicine, regardless of its 
historical or ethnic origin, is that the indications for the use of 
individual remedies are always given in terms which refer to specific 
symptoms or illnesses. Thus, comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is said to 
be useful in healing fractures, while white horehound (Marrubium 
vulgare) is recommended for cough. Typically, such lore has been 
handed down from generation to generation, often for hundreds if not 
thousands of years. Each new generation learns at first hand the look 
and 'feel' of particular symptoms and illnesses. They learn which 
plants may be used to treat these illnesses, and the best methods for 
collecting, preserving and administering them. Such a tradition is 
entirely dependant upon repeated experience and observation; usually 
only minor changes can be detected in these traditions over relatively 
long periods of time.

Thompsonianism: The popular medicine of all peoples however, has 
always given rise to, and been counterbalanced by a more specialized 
type of knowledge, acquired by individuals who have devoted their 
entire lives to the study and practice of healing. As resource 
persons, these individuals have served their communities by providing 
access to that specialized knowledge in circumstances where the more 
common folklore was insufficient to meet the needs of the moment.

A very popular figure in early American medicine, who managed to 
combine native and settler folklore with a more specialized approach, 
was Samuel Thompson (1769-1843). Thompson came from a farming family 
and evidently learned some of the 'root and herb' practice at an early 
age. Later, he seems to have become an avid reader of medical 
literature and was particularly impressed with the Hippocratic 
writings.

Probably as a consequence of his regard for Hippocrates, Thompson 
believed that medicine should be based exclusively upon observation. 
The formulation of theories, he felt, prevented ordinary people from 
taking responsibility for the care of their own health, and that 
theories obscured the simplicity and made a needless mystery of 
medicine.

Thompson himself however, after 'long observation and practical 
results', borrowed theory from Hippocrates and used it as a basis to 
explain the 'why and how' of his own medical system. According to this 
theory, disease was the result of a decrease or derangement of the 
vital fluids, brought about by a loss of animal heat. The resulting 
symptoms were interpreted as efforts of the Vital Force to rid itself 
of the toxic encumbrances thus generated. Essentially, treatment was 
aimed at restoring vital energy and removing disease-generated 
obstructions. In specific terms, Thompson believed that in restoring 
vital heat by means of steam baths and cayenne (Capsicum annum), 
toxins which obstructed health would be thrown into the stomach where 
they could be eliminated by emetics such as Lobelia inflata (Griggs, 
1981).

This simple theory constituted a dramatic departure from pure folk 
medicine in that it recognized and sought to treat an underlying, 
fundamental cause of illness. Moreover, in perceiving symptoms as an 
expression of the organism's defensive efforts, this theory implied 
that the treatment of symptoms and illnesses, per se, might actually 
hinder the healing process. It is interesting to note that Thompson 
believed this theory was quite complete and needed no further 
refinement or extension. Nevertheless, despite his vehement 
opposition, Thompsonianism became a potent influence on the 
development to two major streams of thought within American herbalism.

Eclecticism: The earliest of these was 'Eclecticism', founded by a man 
who had originally apprenticed to an old German non-Thompsonian 
herbalist, and who later qualified as a 'regular' medical doctor. 
Although the founder of this system, Wooster Beach (1794-1868), had 
been horrified by the 'regular' medicine of his day, and fervently 
wished for radical reform, Thompsonianism had impressed him negatively 
in two ways. First, Beach was keenly aware of the   bitter antagonism 
which Thompson had roused in the regular medical profession. As a 
result he decided to attempt reform (unsuccessfully as it turned out) 
>from  within, rather than as another medical 'outsider'. Secondly, 
Beach was disgusted by Thompson's evident arrogance in thinking that 
no further learning could possibly enhance the practice of herbal 
medicine.

Beach was well acquainted with the developments then taking place in 
such fields as chemistry, physiology, pathology and even botany. He 
was also quick to realize that this new thinking might have a valuable 
role to play in botanic practice, and began to move in this direction 
with the creation, in 1829, of his own school of 'Reformed Medicine'.

In terms of the study of medicinal plants, Beach's orientation 
resulted in the development and proliferation of an entirely new 
style. Eclectic monographs on individual herbs became more formal and 
typically included notes on the plant's chemistry, toxicology, 
physiological and therapeutic actions, as well as appropriate forms of 
preparation and dosage (e.g. King, 1900). Later Eclectic physicians 
became increasingly interested in obtaining preparations which 
represented the entire chemistry of the original plant as closely as 
possible. Although this preoccupation had near-disastrous consequences 
in at least one instance (Griggs 1981a), in general their research 
supported and developed the fundamental position of the value of using 
whole plant preparations rather than isolated extracts of a particular 
plant constituent (Lloyd, 1910).

Eclecticism was also a major contributor to herbal medicine in other 
areas. Beach himself, for instance, realized the fundamental 
importance of the blood and circulatory system in maintaining health, 
and began to develop herbal methods for 'equalizing the circulation'. 
Several valuable techniques used in the modern herbal treatment of 
fevers are probable directly attributable to Beach's work.

A later physician by the name of W.H. Cook (1879) expanded on this 
work in his correlation of the functions of the nervous and 
circulatory systems. Cook also developed a concept which related 
illness to deviations in trophic (i.e. structural) and/or functional 
tone. According to this view, disease consisted of excessive or 
diminished tone in organs, or in the functions of those organs. 
Corresponding herbal approaches to the correction of these kinds of 
imbalance were also eventually developed (Priest & Priest, 1982).

Another major development fostered by Eclecticism, was the clinical 
emphasis placed on treating a group or pattern of symptoms, usually 
with small doses of only one so-called 'specific' remedy. As the 
pattern of symptoms changed with the progress of disease, a new and 
more currently appropriate remedy would be indicated (Fetter, 1922; 
Lloyd 1927).

Perhaps significantly, this approach was and is still fundamental to 
the practice of homeopathic medicine, which was rapidly becoming the 
most popular of all medical systems in the U.S. during the mid-19th 
century (Coulter, 1973). In fact Hahnemann (1810), the founder of 
homeopathy, had already written at some length concerning the relative 
merits of prescribing for what he called the 'Totality of symptoms', 
versus the treatment of individual symptoms or named diseases. The use 
of small doses of a single remedy was also an established fundamental 
tenet of homeopathy (e.g. Kent 1900).

Prescribing for patterns of symptoms had also been typical in 
traditional Chinese medicine for many generations. Clear examples of 
the fluidity of prescribing in accord with changes in symptom patterns 
may be found in the Chinese classic, 'Shang Han Lun' (Hsu & Peacher, 
1981). However, although the use of a single remedy is an established 
technique within Chinese medicine under certain circumstances, Chinese 
herbal prescribing more often involves the use of formulae (e.g. 
Bensky & Gamble, 1986).

Physiomedicalism: The second major stream of thought in American 
herbal medicine, which arose directly out of the Thompsonian movement, 
was 'Physiomedicalism'. Although not so heavily influenced by the 
developing sciences as Eclecticism, the originator of this 'neo-
Thompsonian' movement, Alva Curtis, felt, like Beach, that Thompson's 
resistance to theoretical development was a mistake.

Above all, Curtis wanted to open a school based upon Thompsonian 
principles, but encouraging a freer atmosphere for broader 
intellectual enquiry and learning. In 1835, despite Thompson's 
opposition, Curtis realized his ambition and opened the 'Botanico-
medical School and Infirmary' at Columbus, Ohio. As evidence that he 
was not alone in his thinking, during that same year, a colleague 
opened the 'Southern Botanico-Medical School' in Georgia (Griggs 
1981b).

Ultimately this new system of herbal medicine retained much of what 
had been accepted as fundamental in the Thompsonian theory. Thus, 
organic function was thought of as the aggregate expression of Vital 
Force, acting through cellular metabolism to maintain the functional 
integrity of the entire organism. Illness was seen as a disordered 
response at the cellular level, brought about by internally or 
externally generated toxic obstructions. Essentially, treatment 
remained a matter of supporting the efforts of the Vital Force, and of 
eliminating the toxic encumbrances which hindered those efforts.

A significant departure form Thompsonian thinking however, came with 
the recognition that some symptoms represented positive, eliminate and 
reconstructive efforts of the Vital Force, while others resulted from 
physical impediments to those efforts. If treatment was to be directed 
to the underlying cause of illness, therefore, symptoms which 
expressed a purely functional disorder had to be distinguished 
clinically from those produced by organic changes in cells and 
tissues.

Eventually it was also realized that the organism was capable of 
establishing a compensatory equilibrium in which toxic encumbrance 
would be tolerated to a degree, in order to maintain a relative 
functional integrity. This was a major step forward in understanding 
and had important implications for herbal therapeutics. Certain 
symptomatic crises which had been observed, particularly in the 
context of treatment with herbal alteratives and eliminatives, could 
now be explained and avoided.

Another significant development in Physiomedical thinking was 
stimulated through the work of W.H. Cook (see above). If health could 
be understood as the unimpeded and balanced function of all cells and 
tissues, then it was clear that the blood and circulatory system 
played a vital role in maintaining health, both in terms of nutrient 
delivery, and of waste and toxin transport to eliminative organs.

Cook had shown that, in addition to the quality of the blood itself, 
the chronic relative contraction or relaxation of tissues and 
particularly arterioles and capillary beds could also have serious 
consequences. Cellular function, and eventually cellular structure, 
could be strongly influenced by a relative excess or deficiency of 
blood and tissue fluid. Further, as understanding of human physiology 
increased it became obvious that hyperaemia in one part of the body 
would necessarily imply a relative ischaemia elsewhere.

The implications of this thinking for herbal medicine were threefold. 
Firstly, herbs which acted to increase or decrease tone in the three 
primary divisions of the circulatory system (arterial, capillary and 
venous) had to be distinguished. Secondly, the general, portal and 
pulmonary aspects of circulation had to be considered in treatment, as 
did the distinction between visceral and somatic components. Thirdly, 
the circulation to particular organs and tissues had to be taken into 
account, not only to support or modify the related functions, but also 
to restore normal trophic conditions, where possible.

The achievement of these goals became much more accessible following 
the work of J.M. Thurston (1900), which stressed the regulatory 
importance of the autonomic nervous system. Thurston made many 
important contributions to Physiomedical thought in the areas of 
diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and, perhaps especially, in the area 
of herbal pharmacy. A number of aspects of his work, and of 
Physiomedicalism in general, have been described by Priest & Priest 
(1982a).

Even by the close of the 19th century, Physiomedicalism could be 
described as a system which emphasized the role of herbal remedies in 
supporting Vital Force, balancing the circulation to various tissues, 
modifying and enhancing body functions, restoring optimum trophic or 
structural conditions, and in eliminating toxic encumbrances (Mills, 
1985).

Unfortunately, the publication of the Flexnor report in 1910 and the 
subsequent forced closure of the 'irregular' medical schools put an 
end to any further developments of the kind described here in American 
herbal medicine (Cody, 1985; Gort, 1986).

Conclusion: Curiously, despite the slightly more open attitudes which 
prevailed in Canada (e.g. the government regulation of naturopathy on 
Ontario, 1925; Govt., 1986), neither the Eclectics nor the 
Physiomedicalists seem to have moved north across the border. In fact 
both systems, together with a version of Thompsonianism, had been 
taken to England where they were eventually integrated into one system 
of professional herbal medicine, regulated by law and still taught in 
the U.K.

In Canada and the U.S. however, only traces remain of these once 
influential and effective systems. The Dominion Herbal College in 
British Columbia for instance, has referred in its course notes to the 
need for 'equalizing the circulation' (1969). References can also be 
found in these notes and elsewhere to 'relaxing' or 'stimulating' 
herbs (i.e. plants capable of increasing or decreasing functional 
tone). The importance of supporting vital force and of eliminating 
accumulated toxins is also still widely recognized and practised. 
Nevertheless, there are probably few today however, who can apply 
physiomedical principles in distinguishing for instance, those lung, 
bowel and kidney conditionsrespectively requiring relaxing or 
stimulating expectorants, laxatives and diuretics.

Due principally to repressive legislation, herbalists in North America 
must once again rely heavily on folk traditions as their major source 
of learning and inspiration. It should be noted here that much of the 
valuable herbal lore once utilized widely by native North Americans is 
now known by only a small handful of native elders (PC. 1988). It is 
very fortunate therefore, that Canadian and American herbalists have 
preserved some of this knowledge in their own practices.

Folk medicine traditions are virtually impossible to legislate against 
directly, and even in the recent Ontario government recommendations, 
treatment of oneself and one's family had been specifically exempted 
>from  prosecution under the proposed legislation (HPLR, 1989). Direct 
legislation however, was not the only factor contributing to the 
decimation of native culture and the virtual loss of their traditional 
healing knowledge.

The proposals tabled in the Ontario legislature will almost certainly 
impose or support severe restrictions on the cultivation and/or sale 
of medicinal plants, should they be passed into law. Furthermore, such 
legislation will definitely prevent or seriously delay the free 
development and re-emergence of a professionally oriented system of 
herbal medicine in Ontario.

Consequently, those who choose to make use of this 'valuable medical 
resource' (W.H.O., 1975a), will be forced to rely on their own 
experience and to gather and use only wild plants. This assumes 
however, that environmental policies in Ontario and the rest of North 
America will not poison even this source in the very near future.

References
Bensky, D., Gamble, A. (Compl. & Ed.) Chinese Herbal Medicine
Materia Medica; Eastland Press; Seattle, 1986.

Cody, G. 'History of Naturopathic Medicine', in A Textbook of
Naturopathic Medicine, Pizzorno, J.E.; Murray, M.J.; John Bastyr
College Pulos, Seattle, 1985.

Cook, W.H. The Science and Practice of Medicine; 1879 - quoted in
Priest & Priest, ibid.

Coulter, H. Divided Legacy: a history of the schism in medical
thought Vol. 111. McGrath Pub. Co., Washington, D.C., 1973.

Dominion Herbal College, Home Study Notes, 1969.

Felter, H.W. The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and
Therapeutics, Scudder, Cincinnati, 1922.

Gort, E.H. A Social History of Naturopathy in Ontario: the
formation of an occupation; M.Sc. Thesis; Univ. Toronto, 1986.

Griggs, B. Green Pharmacy, a history of herbal medicine; J.
Norman & Hobhouse Ltd.; London, 1981.

Hahnemann, S. Organon of Medicine. 1810; 6th Ed. Trans. Hahnemann
Foundation; Victor Gollancz Ltd.; London, 1983.

HPLR, Striking a New Balance: a Blueprint for the Regulation of
Ontario's Health Professions', Government of Ontario. 1989.

Hsu, H.; Peacher W.G.<D> (Trans. & Ed.) Shang Han Lun; Oriental
Healing Arts Institute; Los Angeles, 1981.

Kent, J.T. Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy: 4th Indian
Reprint, B. Jain Publishers; New Delhi, 1977.

Kings's American Dispensatory; Felter & Lloyd, 1900; Reprinted by
National College of Naturopathic Medicine; Portland (undated).

Lloyd, J.U. Fragments from an Autobiography, a paper read at the
63rd meeting of the Ohio Eclectic Medical Assoc., Arkon, May,
1927; Eclectic Medical Journal, 1927.

The Eclectic Alkoloids. LLB no. 12, Pharmacy Series 2, P41; 1910.

Mills, S. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism; Thorsons Pub. Gp.;
Wellingbourgh, New York, 1985.

Personal Communication, Art Solomon and other Ojibwa Elders;
Native Elders Conference, Trent Univ., Peterborough, 1988.

Priest, A.W.; Priest, L.R. Herbal Medication, a clinical and
dispensary handbook; Fowler & Co. Ltd.; London, 1982.

Rohde, A.C. The Old English Herbals, 1922; 3rd Ed. Rohde, E.S.;
Minerva Press Ltd; London, 1974.

World Health Organization The Promotion of Traditional
Medicine; Technical Report Series No. 622; Geneva, 1978.

W.H.O. Document EB/57/21, Training and Utilization of Traditional
Healers and Their Collaboration with Health Care Delivery
Systems; Nov. 1975.

==========
3.3.2  East Asian traditional Healing - an introduction
-----  Another CONSTRUCTION SITE.

==========
3.3.3  Ayurveda - an introduction
-----  Also under construction.

==========
3.3.4  Pointers to homeopathy sites and stuff
-----

Check these sites:
FAQ Homeopathic Therapy page by Neil Sandow, Pharm.D.
  http://community.net/~neils/faqhom.html

The Homeopathy Homepage:
  http://www.dungeon.com/~cam/homeo.html

FTP://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/ 
  faqs/homeopathy
  (an olde document from the stoneage - 1993...)

==========
3.4 Commercial posts and how to get rid of them
-----
Instead of fretting over commercial posts, we all should take a cool
approach to the problem.  Whenever I see a message like "Make quick
cash!", "Great Anti-Cellulite Cream!", "Don't be Lonely!", "Earn
$50,000 a week!" or something along those lines, I forward the message
to the postmaster where the message originated from, explaining why I
find the post inappropriate or offensive.  Chances are that the
postmaster will look into the issue and have a talk with the abuser,
if not go ahead and cancel his/her account altogether (has been known
to happen).

If the offensive message originated at an academic institution, then I
know I am going to get the sucker in a lot of trouble.  Universities
have strong policies about the misuse of their computer resources.  It
is likely that after receiving complaints, the offenders will lose
their accounts, and in addition experience the wrath of some
disciplinary committee.

So, for the good sake of the net, if you see a commercial message
posted by [email-masked], forward the message with a piece of
your mind to [email-masked].  You will be doing everyone a
favor.

Gloria Mercado-Martin
[email-masked]

==========
3.5  The Ames Test
-----
>Does anyone know more about this Ames test?

The Ames test cultures mutations of bugs (usually Salmonella spp) that
are unable to grow without the amino acid histidine and adds suspected
mutagens to the culture medium (after incubating them with liver
extract to expose them to lysosymal activity).  If the bugs then grow,
the mutation is deemed to have reversed (ie they now synthesise
histidine) and the test substance is regarded as (ultimately)
mutagenic. It is the case that the majority of known chemical
carcinogens are also mutagens according to the Ames Test.

The problem is that also according to the Ames Test the prevalence of
environmental mutagens is so high that the human population should
long ago have been wiped out by cancer if the extrapolations were
correct. (The extraplations being histidine gene mutagenicity equals
ultimate carcinogenic action, and salmonella bugs equals people.) This
is of course acknowleged by pathologists - but seems not to be
understood understood by the rank and file scare mongerors who like to
appear to be *scientific* in their attacks on herbalism.

[email-masked] (Jonathan Treasure)

==========
4  Good Printed Sources
-----
Additions, opinions and missing details are welcome.

==========
4.1  Good Books on Herbs and Herbal Medicine
-----

The list so far:

Michael Moore: Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West.
  1993, Red Crane Books, 826 Camino de Monte Rey, Santa Fe,
  New Mexico 87501, USA.
  ISBN 1-878610-31-7 (paperbound); listprice USD 19.95.

Michael Moore: Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West.
  1989, The Museum of New Mexico Press, P.O.Box 2087, Santa Fe,
  New Mexico 87503, USA.  They do not accept VISA.
  ISBN 0-89013-182-1 (paperback); listprice USD 11.95.

Michael Moore: Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.
  1979, The Museum of New Mexico Press (address as above).
  ISBN 0-89013-104-X (paperback); listprice USD 11.95.

Michael Moore's books on herbal medicine are the best I've seen to
date, and they're fun to read, too.  Go get his on-line books from
sunSITE, too; see 6.1 and 7.1 for details.

Maude Grieve: A Modern Herbal, in two volumes.  (You need them both.)
  1931, reprinted in 1971, Dover Publications, Inc.,
  180 Varick Street, New York, N.Y.  10014, USA.
  ISBN 0-486-22798-7 (I), 0-486-22799-5 (II), listprice USD 9.95 each.
A good all-round book as a reference; it has so much information on
so many plants that it's not really outdated yet. 866 pages + index...

Steven Foster + James A. Duke: A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants, 
  Eastern/Central North America (Peterson Field Guide Series)
  1990, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  ISBN 0-395-35309-2 (hardcover); listprice USD 24.95.
  ISBN 0-395-46722-5 (paperback); listprice USD 16.95.

Steven Foster + Yue Chongxi: Herbal Emissaries - bringing Chinese
  Herbs to the West.
  1992, Healing Arts Press, One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767.
  ISBN 0-89281-349-0.  USD 16.95.
Very thourough description of Chinese plants (with growing
instructions) for us Westerners.

Susun S. Weed: the Wise Woman Herbal series (Healing Wise, Menopause,
  Childbearing Year, and maybe more)
  Healing Wise: 1989, Ash Tree Publishing, PO Box 64, Woodstock, NY
  12498, USA.  ISBN 0-9614620-2-7.
  Childbearing Year: 1986, Ash Tree Publishing.
Interesting approach to Herbal Healing.

Lesley Bremness: The Complete Book of Herbs - a practical guide to
  growing and using herbs.
  1988, Viking Studio Books, Penguin Books Ltd., 27 Wrights Lane,
  London W8 5TZ, England.  ISBN 0-670-81894-1.
Basic book for the beginner; nice pictures. Also cultivation.

-----
These I don't have (and thus all is hearsay); they are listed by author:

James A. Duke: CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.
  1985, CRC Press, Boca-Raton, FL.

Rosemary Gladstar: Herbal Healing for Women.
  1993, Fireside Books, Simon & Schuster, New York
  ISBN 0-671-76767-4 (softcover); list price USD 12.00

James Green: The Male Herbal:  Herbal Health Care for Men and Boys
  1991, Crossing Press, Freedom, CA. ISBN 0-895-94459-6 (hard cover).

James Green: The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook
  1990, Simplers Botanical Co., Box 39, Forestville, CA  95436
  listprice (paperback) USD 5.00.

Christopher Hobbs: booklets on various topics (Valerian, Echinacea,
  Milk Thistle, Usnea, Medicinal Mushrooms, Natural Liver Therapy,
  Vitex, Immune Therapy).
  Botanica Press, Box 742, Capitola, CA 95010.  (Most are USD 5-10).
Accurate and balanced articles.

David Hoffmann: The New Holistic Herbal
  1990 (3rd edition), Element Books Ltd, Longmead, Shaftesbury, 
  Dorset, England. ISBN 1-85230-193-7 (softcover); list price USD ?

David Hoffman: An Elders' Herbal (don't let the title throw you)
  1993, Healing Arts Press, Vermont. ISBN 0-89281-396-2 (softcover); 
  list price USD 14.95.

David Hoffmann: The Herbal Handbook: A User's Guide to Medical
  Herbalism.
  1988, Healing Arts Press.  USD 10.95.
All texts by Hoffmann are reliable.

Marie-Louise Kreuter: Natural Herb Gardening
  Macmillan Publishing Company, 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
This is a translation from German. (I know because she has other books
in German.)

Claire Loewenfeld: Herb Gardening
  Faber and Faber Limited, 3 Queen Square, London, WCIN 3AU

John Lust: The Herb Book.
  1974.  USD 6.95.

S. Mills: Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbalism.
  1992, Viking Press.

Michael Murray + Joseph Pizzorno: Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.
  Prima Publishing, P.O.  Box 1260MP, Rocklin, California 95677.
  Listprice USD 18.95.

Penelope Ody: The Complete Medicinal Herbal.
  Dorling Kindersly, USD 29.95.
Has most everything the beginner needs and then some.

Jeanne Rose: Jeanne Rose's Modern Herbal.
  USD 9.95

Jeanne Rose: Herbs and Things.
A good beginner's book.

Michael Tierra: Planetary Herbology: an integration of Western herbs
  into the traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic systems.
  Lotus Press, P. O. Box 6265, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-6265, USA.

Michael Tierra: The Way of Herbs.
1990, Pocket Books, New York.  ISBN 0-671-72403-7 (paperback).

R.F. Weiss: Herbal Medicine.
  1988. Listprice USD 55.
Translation from the German original.

-----
East-Asian traditional healing (ETH) (also called TCM, Traditional
Chinese Medicine, somewhat inaccurately):

Dan Bensky, Andrew Amble, Ted Kaptchuk: Chinese Herbal Medicine
  Materia Medica, 2nd. edition.
  Eastland Press, Inc., Seattle, Washington, 1993.
The standard ETH Materia Medica.

Dan Bensky, Andall Barolet: Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas &
  Strategies, 1st. edition.
  Eastland Press, Inc., Seattle, Washington, 1990.
The companion Formulary.

For more good books on ETH ask Paul Iannone ([email-masked]).

-----
Aromatheraphy starter kit:

Patricia Davis: Aromatherapy, An A-Z.
  1988, The C.W. Daniel Company LTD, Saffron Walden, England.
  ISBN 0-85207-185-x (softcover); list price USD 19.95.

==========
4.2 Good Books for further studies
-----
So now you feel you've read enough books, but you're still glassy-eyed
>from  reading the 'constituents' -part of the books - time to go
shopping for some heavier stuff:

-----

Rudolf Fritz Weiss, MD: Herbal Medicine.
  Translation of the 6th edition of Lehrbuch der Phytotherapie.
  Beaconsfield Publishers LTD, Beaconsfield, England.
This book is organized by system and subdivided by diseases and is
written from an MD's perspective.  Contains a lot of useful
information.  ([email-masked])

Norman Grainger Bisset (Ed.): Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals,
  A Handbook for Practice on a Scientific Basis.
  Translation of Max Wichtl (Ed.): Teedrogen, below.
  1994, CRC Press.
This book has 181 monographs on European herbs with a description and
photographs of the herbs, constituents, indications, side-effects,
delivery system, method for authenticating the herb (usually a TLC
method), and the quantitative standards of the European pharmacaopeias
where it is listed as official.  Although it does not explain mode of 
action, this is a technical, and scientific book of excellent quality 
and a must for serious herbal students.  It is also expensive as are 
all CRC books.  ([email-masked])

Max Wichtl (Hrsg.): Teedrogen, Ein Handbuch fuer die Praxis auf
  wissenschaftlicher Grundlage.  2., erweiterte, ueberarbeitete Aufl.
  1989, Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Birkenwaldstr. 44,
  D-7000 Stuttgart 1, Germany. ISBN 3-8047-1009-3, listprice DEM 178.
(It's expensive in the original, too)

Harvey Wickes Felter, John Uri Lloyd: King's American Dispensatory,
  in two volumes.
  1898, 18th edition, 3rd revision. Reprinted 1993, Eclectic 
  Institute, 14385 SE Lusted Rd., Sandy, OR 97055. 1-800-332-4372. 
  No ISBN number. Listprice USD 225.
This one lists everything they knew about plants (and chemicals used 
in medicine) back then, and does it exhaustively. Like Maud Grieve but 
without the history/lore part and with much more uses parts. 

Trease + Evans: Pharmacognosy, 13th edition.
  1989, Bailliere Tindall, London.
There is a great deal of chemistry involved in this book but again it
is an excellent reference if this is the type of information you want.
([email-masked])

- A basic chemistry textbook.
- A good biochemistry textbook.  I have Stryer, 3.ed., so now even I
  understand something about enzymes.
- A good anatomy/physiology textbook
- The Anatomy Coloring Book
- The Physiology Coloring Book
- The latest Merck Manual, which lists main illnesses plaguing mankind
  - not for us hypochondriacs.  You might need a medicinese - english
  dictionary to understand it.
- The latest Merck Index, which lists medicines by their constituents;
  meaning you can check which extracted part of which plant is used in
  which over-the-counter medicine for what illness.
- The latest 'Rote Liste' for anyone speaking German. Germans can ask 
  their local pharmacy for an old copy. It lists medicines by uses, 
  and it does list plant extracts (single constituents or whole 
  herbs), herbal teas, homeopatica, and whatnot.
  (Got my copy from German friends who own a pharmacy in Berlin. They 
  get me lots of other great stuff, too.)  ;)

==========
4.3 Good Magazines
-----

The Herb Companion.
  Interweave Press, 201 E. 4th St., Dept. I-WC, Loveland, CO 80537.
  (800) 645-3675, FAX (970) 667-8317.
  Bimonthly, ISSN 1040-581X, USD 24/yr. (Foreign USD 31/year).
Mainly Culinary and gardening of herbs, but lately the American 
  Botanical Council and the Herb Research Foundation have had 
  supplements on Herbs for Health (which is planned to continue).

Herbalgram (Journal of the American Botanical Council and the Herb 
  Research Foundation)
  American Botanical Council, P.O. Box 201660, Austin, TX  78720.
  (512) 331-8868, FAX (512) 331-1924.
  Quarterly, ISSN 0899-5648, USD 25/yr. (Foreign USD 35/year).
Excellent technical and scientific, ethnobotany, latest medical 
research.

The Herb Quarterly
  Long Mountain Press, 223 San Anselmo Ave, Suite 7, San Anselmo, 
  CA  94960. (415) 455-9560, FAX (415) 455-9541.
  Quarterly, ISSN 0163-9900, USD 24/yr. (Foreign USD 29/year).

American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter
  P. O. Box 1673, Nevada City, CA 95959

Medical Herbalism
  A free copy of Medical Herbalism is available on the Internet:
  try http://www.crl.com/~robbee/berg1.html.

Planta Medica
  Should be in any pharmacy/pharmacognosy university library.

Journal of Ethnopharmacology
  Should be in any pharmacy/pharmacognosy university library.

-----
Also check sunsite.unc.edu /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-
healthcare /herbs/literature/herb-journals.

==========
5.0 Other sources

==========
5.1 Napralert - online commercial database
-----
I asked Mary Lou Quinn about Napralert, and was surprised when she
signed, Managing Director, NAPRALERT...  She states the difference
between Medline and Napralert as follows:

NAPRALERT is and always has been restricted to world literature
regarding natural products.  Medline is not restricted.  Just as
one example, if you query NAPRALERT on the key word AMYGDALIN, you
will get only that literature pertaining to the compound AMYGDALIN
(otherwise known as LAETRILE).
If you query Medline, not only will you get the above, but you will
also get lots of articles dealing with the Amygdala of the brain,
anatomy, physiology, etc.  It has never been NAPRALERT'S goal to be
all inclusive regarding medical science.  However, if you want the
most comprehensive database on Medicinal plants and Natural products,
then NAPRALERT is the way to go.

She also snailed me an information package.  Quoting from that:

Napralert (NAtural PRoducts ALERT) is a relational database of world
literature on the chemical constituents and pharmacology of plant,
microbial and animal (primarily marine) extracts.

It's housed and maintained by the Program for Collaborative Research
in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, within the Department of Medicinal
Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, in the College of Pharmacy of the
University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street (M/C 877),
Chicago, IL 60612, U.S.A.
Phone (312)-996-2246, Fax (312)-996-7107.

And here is what it'll cost you:

You can access Napralert by paying bulk rate (subscribing) or by
paying per question.  Annual subscription fee for individual user
with no ties to government agencies, small or large businesses,
research institutes or libraries: USD 100, of which half gets you
manuals, a user ID/password, and limited disk storage space, and
the other half gets you answers (at USD 0.75 per reference obtained).

Per question rate: USD 25 + USD 0.75 per reference obtained.
Off-line (snailmail rate): USD 25 + USD 0.75 per reference obtained.

NAPRALERT is also available on-line through STN in the US, Europe
and Asia.

For more info and user ID application email [email-masked]
(Mary Lou Quinn).

==========
5.2 Medline - online commercial database

-----
Comment by Mark D. Gold ([email-masked]):
"I find it (Medline) a very useful tool.  But it important to realize
that there are several articles which warn about the "dangers" of
herbs (particularly in JAMA) which are little more than inaccurate
hatchet jobs."

-----
This entry is based on the Medline FAQ by Gregory W. Froehlich, M.D.,
edited by [email-masked].

> I've been hearing a lot about "med-line".  What exactly is it, what
> is it used for, and can you access it via internet?

I'll quote from the National Library of Medicine:

"Thousands of new books and articles in biomedicine are published
every month.  How can a health professional or investigator easily
locate literature relevant to a particular area of patient care or
research?

Since the early 1970's, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has
made searching the biomedical literature faster and easier by
providing online information retrieval on the MEDLARS, (MEDical
Literature Analysis and Retrieval System) family of databases.
MEDLINE - NLM's premier database - has over 7 million citations to
biomedical articles and is searched more than eighteen thousand times
a day.

The cheapest way to access Medline is to attend a school or
university with a medical library.  Many schools give free medline
access to students.  Some university medical libraries will provide
free Medline access to the public: this varies with the school and
the state in which it's located.  It's worth checking out.  A few
municipal public libraries also offer free access.

It's also possible to get a direct account and search Medline from
your home.  However, there is no free way to do this.

In order to make searching even easier and provide a user-friendly way
to use the MEDLARS system, NLM, in 1986, developed a software package
called Grateful Med.  The simplicity and efficiency of searching with
Grateful Med have made it immensely popular -more than 50,000 copies
of the software have been sold since its introduction." (You can also
access Medline through commerical services like PaperChase, etc - more
costly).

Step 1: Get a user ID/password.  You can call the National Technical
Information Service at 1-800-423-9255 for info, or write to them at:

              NTIS
              5285 Port Royal Road
              Springfield, VA 22161

Or, you can be a cyberstud and get the application form 'userid.txt'
by anonymous ftp from nlmpubs.nlm.nih.gov in the directory /online/
medlars.

Step 2: Decide whether to use a front end (Grateful Med) or to learn
how to communicate directly with MEDLINE (HINT: pick door #1).
Download it from the same server above (check through the /grateful
directory for the files you need) or order it from NTIS (see Step 1,
or get the order form 'gmorder.txt' in the directory /online/medlars).
It's USD 30 or so the latter way.

Step 3: If you decide against using Grateful Med, you can access
MEDLINE through programs like Telnet at medlars.nlm.nih.gov.  You'll
need an ID/password.  You can also access MEDLINE through commercial
services such as PaperChase (Telnet to pch.bih.harvard.edu, enter
pch, signup when it asks for password)

$$$: NTIS charges for access; I seem to pay about a dollar a search.
Hourly charges work out to about USD 20/hour, but some searches, where
abstracts are retrieved can be more expensive.  Commercial services
like PaperChase (available on CompuServe) are also more expensive.

==========