========== Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.26) Part 1/7 From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress) Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:01:40 GMT -------- Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part1 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 1997/02/22 Version: 1.26 URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== Contents Part 1: mediher1.html * 1 Introduction o 1.1 Contributors o 1.2 Wishlist * 2 Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff o 2.1 Single herbs + 2.1.1 Valeriana + 2.1.1.1 Valeriana is not derived from Valium + 2.1.2 Yohimbe + 2.1.2.1 Yohimbe is a MAO inhibitor, yohimbine isn't + 2.1.3 Absinthe FAQ pointer + 2.1.3.1 More on Absinthe + 2.1.4 St. John's Wort (Hypericum) and photosensitivity Part 2: mediher2.html * 2 Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff, cont'd o 2.1 Single herbs, cont'd + 2.1.5 Ginseng + 2.1.6 Stevia Leaf - Too Good To Be Legal? + 2.1.6.1 Changed legal status of Stevia Leaf + 2.1.7 Poison Ivy / Oak / Sumac + 2.1.7.1 Impatiens + 2.1.8 Echinacea - uses + 2.1.8.1 Echinacea - poaching and extinction + 2.1.9 Feverfew and migraine Part 3: mediher3.html * 2 Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff, cont'd o 2.1 Single herbs, cont'd + 2.1.10 Ginkgo + 2.1.11 Kava kava + 2.1.12 Pau d'arco + 2.1.13 Wild yam and contraception + 2.1.14 Red raspberry and pregnancy + 2.1.15 Green tea (and caffeine) + 2.1.16 Comfrey hepatotoxicity + 2.1.17 Pennyroyal + 2.1.18 Cat's Claw + 2.1.19 Golden Seal appeal - and Goldthread too + 2.1.20 Ma Huang or Ephedra Part 4: mediher4.html * 2 Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff, cont'd o 2.2 Herbs for specific things + 2.2.1 Herbs for mosquitoes and other bothersome bugs + 2.2.2 Herbs for migraines + 2.2.3 Herbs for vivid dreams + 2.2.4 Herbs and weight loss + 2.2.5 Herbs to make you sleep + 2.2.6 Aphrodisiacs + 2.2.7 Herbal Abortives and Birth Control + 2.2.7.1 Herbal Abortives and Common Sense + 2.2.8 Herbs and female infertility + 2.2.9 Herbs, ADD, and replacing Ritalin + 2.2.10 Herbs for Sunburn Part 5: mediher5.html * 2 Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff, cont'd o 2.3 Processing herbs + 2.3.1 Distilling things + 2.3.2 Pointer to the How-to of Tinctures + 2.3.3 Herbal oils + 2.3.4 Balms and liniments o 2.4 Pointers to related documents + 2.4.1 Tinnitus FAQ pointer + 2.4.2 Plants by Mail FAQ pointer + 2.4.3 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome WWW page pointer + 2.4.4 Hint for Kombucha posters + 2.4.5 Hint for Essiac posters + 2.4.6 Thinking of growing herbs for sale? + 2.4.7 Saw Palmetto and Prostata problems: Newsgroup/FAQ pointer + 2.4.8 Natural high FAQ pointer + 2.4.9 Natural vision FAQ pointer + 2.4.10 Smoking herbs document pointer + 2.4.11 Gout FAQ pointer + 2.4.12 Pointer to herbal-medical glossary + 2.4.13 Pointer to critical reviews of Consumer Reports' article 'Herbal Roulette' o 2.5 Other topics that are frequently discussed + 2.5.1 Melatonin * 3 General Info o 3.1 Introduction to side effects, safety and toxicity of medicinal herbs o 3.2 Wildcrafting Ethics and similar things + 3.2.4 United Plant Savers Part 6: mediher6.html * 3 General Info, cont'd o 3.3 Different schools of Herbal Healing + 3.3.1 Traditions in Western Herbal Medicine + 3.3.2 Ayurveda - an introduction + 3.3.3 Pointers to homeopathy sites etc. + 3.3.4 What is Traditional Chinese Medicine? + 3.3.5 Bach (and other) Flower essences o 3.4 Commercial posts and how to get rid of them o 3.5 The Ames Test o 3.6 Trying out the placebo effect Part 7: mediher7.html * 4 Good Printed Sources o 4.1 Good Books on Herbal Medicine - [changed] 22Feb97 o 4.2 Good Books for further studies - [changed] 22Feb97 o 4.3 Good Periodicals * 5 Other sources o 5.1 Napralert - on-line commercial database o 5.2 Medline - on-line commercial database o 5.3 Demo or shareware Herbprograms o 5.4 Commercial Herbprograms * 6 Teachings etc. o 6.1 Apprenticeships offered lately o 6.2 Pointers to schools + 6.2.1 ND degrees and accreditation o 6.3 Correspondence courses in the UK o 6.4 Etc. * 7 Check these sites o 7.1 FTP sites with info on medicinal herbs: Sunsite Herb archives o 7.2 Interesting WWW pages o 7.3 Herbal online discussions on the WWW - [new] added 16Feb97 * 8 Mailing lists o 8.1 The Medicinal Herblist o 8.2 The Aromatherapy List o 8.3 The Holistic List o 8.4 The Kombucha List o 8.5 The Paracelsus List o 8.6 The Chinese Herblist o 8.7 The Homeopathy List o 8.8 The Phytopharmacognosy List - [changed] 22Feb97 o 8.9 The Culinary Herblist - [changed] 22Feb97 o 8.10 The Napronet o 8.11 The Altmed-res List o 8.12 The HerbMed -List * 9 Related newsgroups ========== 1 Introduction ----- Hi all, This is the (umpth + n) edition of the FAQ / Resource list. (I've lost track). Feel free to send additions, corrections and comments. HeK@hetta.pp.fi. ========== 1.1 Contributors ----- FAQ Keeper: Henriette Kress, HeK@hetta.pp.fi. Contributors so far (listed alphabetically): ;) Aine Maclir Al Czap Alex Standefer amethyst Andy + Sharon Anita Hales August West Callie Cathy Weigl Christopher Hedley Clarke Hoover Colette Gardiner Coyote Osborne Craige Roberts Dale Kemery David Powner Dennis McClain-Furmanski Dorene Petersen  Duane Weed Elizabeth Perdomo Elizabeth Toews Eric Yarnell Eugenia Provence George M. Carter Gloria Mercado-Martin Howie Brounstein Jim Bardon <73052.1606@CompuServe.COM> Jonathan Treasure Julia Moravcsik Kathjokl Kay Klier Kenneth R. Robertson Kevin Jones <100621.17@CompuServe.COM> Kris Gammon Lawrence London Lupo LeBoucher Mark D. Gold Mary Jo Gilsdorf  Maven Michael Moore Michael M. Zanoni Noel Gilmore Patricia Harper Paul Bergner Paul Iannone Penny Peggy Wilbur Peter Gail Peter L. Schuerman P. Mick Richardson Rene Burrough Rob McCaleb Robert Gault Robert Hensley Robyn Klein Ron Rushing Roy Collins Roy Upton Rusty Taylor Satin Shannon Brophy Sharon Rust skeevers@netcom.com Suzanne E. Sky Tim Birdsall Tim Keenan Todd Caldecott vicki _urban shaman_ (can be reached over ) ========== 1.2 Wishlist ----- Actually there isn't much important stuff missing anymore. I'm even working on a new herbs and flu -thingy... The following topics are currently up for grabs: Wanted for chapter 2.1 (Single herbs): * Guarana Wanted for chapter 2.2. (Herbs for specific things): * Herbs for asthma * Herbs for nervous disorders, motor ticks, Torrettes - anyone? * Herbs for cough * Herbs and diarrhoea / constipation Wanted for chapter 3.3 (Different schools of herbal healing): * Aromatherapy - an introduction Wanted in addition: * Anything else you see posted every so often, but that I haven't included in the FAQ or on the wishlist. If you wish to contribute send me a short note; I'll keep track of who promised to do what, and if you can't find the time to put something together in two months your topic will be up for grabs again. Your contribution can be as long as you wish to make it; but it should be GOOD (like all the entries in this FAQ - thanks, folks). Also, if you really know what you are talking about I'd like to hear your comments on any entry in this FAQ. (Strange folks- all I ever get is 'Good Show. Keep it up.', but no-one ever tells me if they found any errors.) ========== 2. Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff ========== 2.1 Single herbs ===== 2.1.1 Valeriana ----- Also see Herbs to make you sleep (2.2.5). ----- > Valeriana - uses? pros? cons? safety? dosage? From tcaldec@Direct.ca (Todd Caldecott): Valerian is an excellent herb to use, in combination with other herbs, or used alone. The active constituents are the volatile oil (isovalerianic/enic acid) and valepotriates. Valerian depresses the central nervous system, similar to GABA (which occurs naturally in the brain and inhibits nerve impulse transmission.) There are no cons to taking valerian other than if you use it other than in a capsule it can smell up your house as a tea. Or if you have cats they may rub up and down your leg (they like it, similar to catnip) while you are drinking you tea, causing you to stumble and fall, spilling hot liquid all over yourself. For Valerian to be effective you must take it in sufficient quantities to work e.g. 1-2 tsp. of the tincture (alcohol extract) before bed, or 6-10 capsules of the dried plant. Onset is typically 1 hour. You may awaken a little muddleheaded, which is quickly relieved as soon as you move about. For a daily dose, 5 ml (1 tsp.) of the tincture 3 times a day between meals is the standard dose. About 20% of the population respond to Valerian as a stimulant, so if you take it and have insomnia or buzzed out, try hops, chamomile, passionflower, skullcap or Avena, which are all excellent herbs to relieve stress, anxiety and insomnia. ===== 2.1.1.1 Valeriana is not derived from Valium ----- From hrbmoore@rt66.com (Michael Moore): >Valerian is the parent of Valium isn't it? There is absolutely NO connection between Valerian and Valium...believe me...just an accident of circumstance...Valeriana is a classic Roman Latin reference...Valium is an invented trade name...a copycat name from a pharmaceutical manufacturer to aid in making a conscious or unconscious connection with "Librium", a successful tranq whose market Valium was originally aimed at. Valerian HAS had some anecdotal use for ADD...the only problem is that extended use of enough Valerian to have value has ALSO brought about emotional lability in some folks. Using herbs as drug substitutes has value, but with Valerian having SO many different physiologic effects (depressant for CNS, stimulant to gastric, pulmonary and cardiovascular functions) it is a botanical that is best used within a constitutional framework...i.e. evaluating the PERSON metabolically to find out if the profile of effects from Valerian is complementary or antagonistic. ----- From Colette Gardiner : Re the name Valium and its relation to the name Librium. For some weird reason I actually remember reading an article in the newspaper on the new drug Valium. There was a quote from the inventor basically saying he had been trying to invent something similar to Librium only better. He went on for a paragraph or so about comparing the various sensations and effects, and concluded that yes Valium was "nicer". ===== 2.1.2 Yohimbe ----- From _urban shaman_, reached over Carras@aol.com: If people wanted to obtain a legal hyperalert sexually aroused state, they might find some yohimbe and brew it up by simmering a quart of water with 1 gm of ascorbic acid to 5 gm yohimbe until there's only 50% of the original water volume left. Add a lot of sugar afterward. Mixes synergistically with sassafras and Pau d'arco if you're adventurous and would like to cure your ills and get a hard-on at the same time. However, most people who have tried yohimbe have been disappointed. They didn't know you need to brew it 20 to 30 minutes at approx. 200x with an organic acid to release the alkaloid components. The active alkaloid, yohimbine bitartrate, is the component of the only allopathic medicines known to cause erection in impotent males and approaches the concept of an aphrodisiac. Yohimbine bitartrate particularly affects nerves and changes blood flow regulators in the genital area. The medical texts never mention that it does the same thing to women, showing a typical disregard for female erection. In the best case scenario this decoction will cause many users get a melting spinal sensation and extreme epidermal sensitivity with high interpersonal perception and melding. It can be extremely sexually arousing...or at least all the signs and signals are there... And the worst case scenario for yohimbe? - well, you have to remember ethnographic reports documenting cases of some African tribes drinking it in copious quantities in pre-raid rituals to suppress fear and jack up physical aggressiveness. After getting to the point where they were bouncing up and down so much they looked like a mosh pit full of spears, they'd run 10 miles over to the next village and kill off most of the neighboring tribe, stopping only to rape the dogs, cattle, women, children, surviving males, dead bodies, water jugs and tree boles before running back home. I'm not sure this is something we need downtown on Friday night. Yohimbe Caution: it will keep both partners up all night. In the male of the species this becomes really inconvenient and irritating as after a few hours an erection becomes more of a liability than an asset - especially as this aspect continues long past the point - as long as 8 hours - where you'd like to go to sleep and there's this turgid log attached to you that won't go away and is just beginning to ache. Note on the Caution: A warm bath can help with the log-on problem, as can gentle massage. However this should be avoided for at least four hours after ingestion because of the effect of raised body temperature on metabolism of the alkaloid - i.e., heat could intensify the stimulant effects. Females are not exempt from this - it has the same effect on them, although it is easier to sleep on. A possible downside of this erectile effect in high doses is the danger of blood vessel damage and gangrene in the penis resulting from the localized poor circulation condition known as penile erection. More from _urban shaman_ on the subject: There are a number of caveats re yohimbe - it shouldn't be taken with MAO inhibitors or by persons with high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, or a history of mental disturbance, especially including bipolar disorder. A good dose prepared using methods as I described can have profound psychological effects - enough so that 'set' and 'setting' can become issues if the concentration/quantity is sufficient. This condition can easily be entered into by simply acquiring relatively recently gathered/dried/imported specimens of the herb and using enough of it. Botanicals are very wiggly in the potency dept. - a primary breakdown in the process occurs when practitioners have never seen a 'good' specimen of the herb in question. There are no low cost analytical methods for determining the active compound density of herbal materials gathered in the wild. It totally depends on recognition by experts - and sometimes even the best of them may have to compromise, as there just may not be any high quality material to be had. ----- Still more from _urban shaman_ on the subject: I'm still looking for the medical abstracts I have about the action of Yohimbe. The "approved" alkaloid is Yohimbine Hydrochloride. Herbal Yohimbe extracts are sold by a number of health food companies including I believe Michaels and Herb Pharm. Yohimbe bark and powder may be available from "...of the Jungle" in Sebastopol CA. Please remember, if you're considering making extracts - Yohimbe is strongly synergized by alcohol. It is also easily extracted in alcohol/water - but the alcohol should be evaporated off after extraction unless you're looking for a real wowwow effect. There could be high blood pressure complications from ingesting strong concentrations of Yohimbe. Dayton Laboratories sells the prescription preparation Dayto Himbin in tablet and liquid form. The tablets contain about 5.5 mg hydrochloride. The liquid contains phenylalanine as well and should be used with caution. Total daily doses run on average between 20-30 mg of the hydrochloride. The medical action is to increase penile blood inflow and decrease penile blood outflow. The action is cited as having an erectile function without increase in libido. I have not taken the hydrochoride so don't speak from direct experience. Although the caveats state that Yohimbine exerts no cardiac stimulation, it is later noted that Yohimbine is an unpredictable CNS stimulant and may cause elevated blood pressure and cardiac rates. From this information I hazard we are to take it that in the same manner that yohimbine causes erections without raising libido, it also causes cardiac rate increase without stimulating the heart? (I love the guys who write this hype - they're so wise) Buried deep in the caveats for the dayto himbin product is language saying you should not give this to people with a history of mental instability, and that it causes recipients to express a range of curious behaviors at doses lower than those required to cause erection - among which are tremors, irritation, dizziness, flushing (note that Niacin causes a body flush at sites almost identical to those of a sexual flush. Horse breeders administer large doses of niacin to both parties of a horse breeding "to get them in the mood". I would not suggest, however, that taking niacin along with yohimbe would have a parallel effect. If you don't know what a "sexual flush" is - take 200 mg of niacin and stand naked in front of a 3 panel mirror and watch your face, neck, "loins", and chest. ===== 2.1.2.1 Yohimbe is a MAO inhibitor, yohimbine isn't ----- From Michael Moore: The alkaloid yohimbine is NOT an MAO inhibitor. The herb yohimbe IS. The whole plant is potentially so evil and insidious BECAUSE it's complex chemistry contains both adrenergics AND cholinergics...with effects that substantially mimic both sympathetic adrenergic, sympathetic cholinergic AND parasympathetic neuroreceptors all at the same time. It contains both yohimbine alkaloid groups (stimulating and hypertensive) and several potent reserpinoid (Rauwolfia) alkaloids (tranquilizing and hypotensive) ...a warlock's brew. Consistent use will, because of it's wildly opposite effects, find and widen metabolic chinks in almost ANYBODY. ========== 2.1.3 Absinthe FAQ pointer ----- If you really are serious about Absinthe go get the alt.drugs FAQ on the subject from ftp://hyperreal.com/drugs/faqs: FAQ-Absinthe. Or get it from the WWW: http://alpha.rollanet.org/library/absfaq.html/ Be warned - thujone IS dangerous, no matter what that FAQ says. Comments about this statement follows: ===== 2.1.3.1 More on Absinthe ----- Dale Kemery wrote >I've been puzzled by absinthe for a long time. My recent reading has only intensified my curiosity. Is/was absinthe a true psychedelic beverage? Or what were/are its effects? For a long time I relied on the traditional reports about absinthe turning the brain to mush. >However, considering the hysterical disinformation campaign of Howard Anslinger aimed against marijuana, I've become very suspicious of any official strictures. What *is* the story about wormwood/absinthe? Where can I learn more? From christopher@gn.apc.org (Christopher Hedley): This is from R.F.Weiss, Herbal Medicine. Weiss was an MD who taught herbal medicine in medical schools in Germany, so I suppose he counts as fairly impartial and reliable: "The plant contains 0.25-0.5% of a volatile oil the main constituent of which is thujone as well as bitters. The bitter action predominates. Wormwood is a typical aromatic bitter. The volatile oil is remarkably effective against worms. It is however toxic, whilst the bitter principle is largely non-toxic. Absinthe is made with wormwood oil, but in Germany its manufacture has been banned since 1923. The usual wormwood preparations contain so little of the oil that there is no risk of toxic effect. In some Mediterranean countries, where absinthe is consumed in large quantities, the seriously damaging effects on the central nervous system which have given the plant its bad name may develop and even lead to seizures. This shows that wormwood also has central stimulant properties that are no doubt of benefit in the small quantities normally used. Wormwood herb, for tea, 1 teaspoon to a glass of boiling water, leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Wormwood tincture. 10-20-30 drops three times daily in water." Comment; so the story is the same one as coffee, i.e. abuse/ overuse of a perfectly good and useful herb. Wormwood is Artemisia absinthium, it is used a lot in aperitif wines and spirits in Europe, but only in small amounts or it dominates the taste. It is mostly used for intestinal parasites, 'weak digestion', liver and gall bladder troubles and as an emmenagogue. I always recommend it as a prophylactic for folk traveling to hot countries, 15 drops of tincture three times daily usually does the trick. The American spp of Artemisia, incl. sagebrush and mugwort, have pretty much the same properties. - No Artemesias should be taken during pregnancy. I trust this is useful info. Christopher Hedley ----- From Howie Brounstein : >>Be warned - thujone IS dangerous, no matter what that FAQ says. The reason this line is attached to the Absinthe Pointer is because the Absinthe FAQ is slanted. Most sources say that long term use of Absinthe is dangerous and debilitating. I was under the impression that many people became addicted to it and suffered mental and physical deterioration, thus it became outlawed. I would stress that this is long term use. Wormwood, Artemisia absinthium is pretty nasty stuff, you would have to drink a lot of tea to feel its narcotic like effects, but by then you'd be retching from its foul taste. Of course, you could try to hide the flavor with other stuff ... thus Absinthe. Personally, I don't like it, don't feel its worth the havoc on your body for the effect. I like the smell of it, and would keep it around for that. The Absinthe FAQ, however, takes the point that it may be harmless, that the debility was caused by alcohol addiction, or Absinthe impurities, and a marihuana - like political scare tactics. I am not sure what to make of it, but the warning does remain that thujone is dangerous when taken in large enough quantities, and that the Absinthe of history did hurt a generation of people no matter what the specifics. >If thujone is so dangerous, what are we to make of it as the primary constituent of Artemisia? Are we endangering ourselves whenever we inhale it? Firstly, the chemistries of Artemisia absinthium and Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris or douglasiana are different. Some of the contraindications are different; the uses are different; their histories are different. Also, it may be a bit premature to say that one chemical, thujone, is THE active ingredient in either. That would be a bit too reductionist for my tastes. We can't even assume that because a plant contains some small amount of a poison, that the plant is poisonous, or we'd have to give up onions, spinach, mustard. The difference between food and poison is often dosage; the difference between poison and medicine is dosage. So let's focus on thujone. A brief list of plants containing thujone includes: Salvia officinalis L. - Sage (Leaf) Salvia triloba L. - Greek Sage (Plant) Artemisia dracunculus L. - Tarragon (Shoot) Mentha x rotundifolia (L.) HUDSON - Applemint (Leaf) Pycnanthemum tenuifolium SCHRAD. - Slenderleaf Mountain Mint (Shoot) Mentha pulegium L. - European Pennyroyal (Plant) Thymus orospedanus H. del VILLAR - Orosped Thyme (Plant) Achillea millefolium L. - Yarrow (Plant) Capsicum frutescens L. - Cayenne (Fruit) Carum carvi L. - Caraway (Fruit) Glycyrrhiza glabra L. - Licorice (Root) Juniperus sabina L. - Sabine (Plant) Matricaria recutita L. - Annual Chamomile (Plant) Mentha arvensis L. - Cornmint (Plant) Sassafras albidum (NUTT.) NEES - Sassafras (Root) Satureja hortensis L. - Summer Savory (Plant) This list, and others like it is available free from the Phytochemical databases (links on my home page (http://www.teleport.com/~howie/howie.html) and many other places) So as you can see, many plants that are very safe (in normal dosages) contain this chemical. So smell your Mugwort, drink Mugwort tea, smoke it, smear the juice all over your body on a vision-dream quest, just don't extract pure thujone from it and snort it. >Someone on another list suggested smoking Artemisia because there's a strong connection with MJ--both affect the same (or similar) receptors in the brain, and are apparently similar botanically (I don't know what that means technically). Additionally, a book called *Absinthe, History in a Bottle* by Barnaby Conrad III mentions thujone-enol's structural similarity to THC. Smoking Artemisias? Hmm, for me Mugwort is a flavor, used in small amounts as not to be too overwhelming. Kind of mentholly. Or perhaps for it's dreaming effects. But once again folks are implying a generalization: This one constituent (or group of constituents) is shaped like THC, and perhaps affects the same receptor sites as THC, so it must make you feel like you smoked THC. Oops, flawed logic again. Just because the shape of two molecules are similar doesn't mean that they have similar biological effects. They might, but its not guaranteed. My take on this: Ingesting Mugwort, or any Artemisia I've tasted, does not make you feel like you've ingested Marihuana. So enjoy the smells, drown your concerns, and a happy, aromatic holiday season to all you netters out there. Howie Brounstein howieb@teleport.com ----- From Dale Kemery, DalePK@aol.com, to above: I thought you might be interested in more complete information about absinthe, wormwood and thujone, after our recent exchange on the subject. I've come across a comprehensive summary about it in Jonathan Ott's superb "Pharmacotheon." (Although using his name with any glowing adjective is redundant because everything I've seen of his is so complete, exhaustive and thoroughly researched and studied.) "Absinthe was prepared by distilling alcohol over mashed leaves of wormwood, and other common ingredients were Angelica root, Acorus calamus rhizome (which may contain the psychoactive asarones;...), cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise (both of which contain anethole, another potentially psychoactive compounds...) and other plants. The characteristic and much-desired green color of the liqueur, which was supposed to whiten when mixed with water, was sometimes artificially enhanced by addition of indigo and other plants, or toxic metal salts like copper sulfate and antimony chloride... He chronicles the history of the banning of absinthe and a recent renewal of interest in absinthe, then says: "It is commonly assumed that the thujones were the neurotoxic principles of absinthe, although alcohol also is a potent neurotoxin (absinthe contained from 68-85% alcohol) and significant quantities of copper and antimony salts used as adulterants (particularly in cheap imitation absinthe for the poorer classes) may have been present and responsible for the neurotoxicity...While large doses of injected thujones are unquestionably toxic, modern toxicological studies of thujones, in the quantities present in absinthe, without the copper and antimony adulterants, are needed before concluding that the neurotoxicity associated with absinthism was a consequence of thujone content. I suspect the copper and antimony salts, as well as the unusually high alcohol content had more to do with absinthe toxicity than the thujone content. Non-thujone essential oils commonly present in absinthe have also been shown to have convulsant properties and are probably neurotoxic." The obvious inference is that thujone is unlikely the culprit in "absinthism." And even though he acknowledges the toxicity of "large doses of injected thujones," the operative words are "large" and "injected." It may be assumed (without any evidence to support this statement) that swallowing thujone in some form (tea, for example) would subject it to the chemical rigors of digestion, a pathway that is much different from intravenous or even intramuscular injection. Whether the same can be said for, say, smoking a thujone-containing plant is another matter since inhalation effectuates a much more direct transfer into the blood without the intervention of hydrochloric acid, pepsin and other digestive enzymes. ----- From christopher@gn.apc.org (Christopher Hedley): A note.. Sage (Salvia officinalis) essential oil is 30% thujone and good sage has up to 2.5% essential oil. Wormwood contains 1% essential oil, I don't have a figure on the % of thujone but if we assume it to be less than half then it is possible to consume more thujone in Sage tea than in Wormwood tea and no one has suggested that long term use of sage is toxic. Distilling alcohol over Wormwood would extract mostly the volatile oil. Weiss says that the pure volatile oil was also used in the making of absinthe - this is still an ingrained habit in food and drink manufacture and one that should be condemned. Flavouring with volatile oils is NOT the same as flavouring with plants. Thujone has been given bad press but I still don't think that consuming large amounts of volatile oil for long periods has anything to recommend it. Also the thujone has strong stimulating effects, noticeable when smoking wormwood - which as Howie says is nothing like smoking Mugwort. Presumably absinthe had the same degree of stimulation and thus people were encouraged to drink more and abuse it. The comparison between thujone and THC is an interesting example of just how far theory can lead people astray. Always try for yourself I say. ---- From Howie Brounstein : > Also the thujone has strong stimulating effects, noticeable when smoking wormwood- which as Howie says is nothing like smoking Mugwort. Presumably absinthe had the same degree of stimulation and thus people were encouraged to drink more and abuse it. Hmmm. Did I say that. Oh yes, so I did. It is hard to put into words. Mugwort can be used like Wormwood for worms, warming, female reproductive system effects, and it has similar contra-indications. Yet wormwood has something else, a more overtly drugged feeling it produces that I have never experienced with other Artemisias. I don't know what chemical is responsible for it, it may be thujone unrelated, for all I know. But I know the feeling. ===== If you still want to try it here's one how-to, and a vivid description of the experience: ----- >Making Absinthe is extremely easy, as long as you don't require the full alcoholic content. Just take Pernod, pour off about an ounce and cram wormwood herb in the top. Let it set for a week or two. That's it. Pernod is Absinthe without the wormwood and about half the alcohol. From ix@io.com (Lupo LeBoucher): This is unlikely to absorb much thujone; for a really horrible and ridiculously potent absinthe, buy a fifth of 100proof vodka, pour it over an ounce of wormwood, and a quarter ounce of anise seeds, and let it steep for a month or two. After straining the liquid, the resulting decoction will be a horrible looking liquid with approximately the color and psychoactivity of 1970s gasoline, though gasoline tastes better (long story). To ingest (one cannot drink it), pour over a lump of sugar into a strong mixture of water & lemon juice, hold nose, and swallow before you taste the bitter horror. Be sure to do this in the vicinity of a sink with running water; one may need to wash the awful stuff down or provide your absinthe with a convenient place to rest should it decide to come up for a breather. Effects reportedly include, audio-visual hallucinations similar to the opiates, with a bit o nitrous; numb mucus membranes; dizziness, nausea, picking up the ugliest member of the opposite sex one has ever encountered and vomiting green bile over oneself while asleep (experts disagree whether or not the latter was an effect of the previous, rather than an effect of the thujone -ask Heysoos, I didn't do it). The above recipe was taken from a book called "The Magical and Ritual Uses of Herbs" (by Richard Allen Miller) which described Absinthe as "an excellent after-dinner liqueur" which makes one wonder what types of dinners Mr. Miller has at his place. ----- From ix@io.com (Lupo LeBoucher): >Anise has no effect; the active ingredients in absinthe are just wormwood and alcohol. The anise went in the mix in a misguided attempt to kill some of the bitter flavor (since it was what the standard recipes used). All I succeeded in doing was killing some of the wormwood "flavor" *retch* upon burping. >The plain wormwood probably could be swallowed as a tea followed by the booze as a chaser. The plain infusion used to be prescribed as a "tonic". I don't know if it would have the same effect; the essential oils in the wormwood, which contain the active ingredients, are not likely to be water soluble. ----- From stygianv@shadow.net (Coyote Osborne): > Anise has no effect; the active ingredients in absinthe are just wormwood and alcohol. Ah, but anise does have an important effect here. It keeps the wormwood/absinthe from irritating your stomach so much. I would recommend fennel and perhaps peppermint or basil for this also. > The plain wormwood probably could be swallowed as a tea followed by the booze as a chaser. The plain infusion used to be pre-scribed as a "tonic". Actually, most of the things in wormwood are damaged or destroyed if added to hot water. Warming it gently (like brandy) works, but not making an infusion with water that is boiling. I suspect that a good rule of thumb is that if it is hot enough to destroy alcohol, it is also hot enough to make the wormwood lose it's efficacy. >From reading that book or other, somehow I got the idea to make absinthe by mixing a whole ounce of wormwood in a half fifth of whiskey and for-getting about it for a few months. That shit is impossibly bitter. It's one of the most bitter herbal substances you know. Yes. Not even the worms like it. : ) It does have some interesting properties, though, and prepared properly can even taste... well I won't say nice... but it will taste such a way that it is desirable. Acquired taste perhaps? Good for the sensually indulgent? Weird? ========== 2.1.4 St. John's Wort (Hypericum) and Photosensitivity ----- Here's the question (on the herblist (see 8.1 below) in November 1994): ----- As to Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort) causing photosensitivity in humans, I have been unable to find a single study that verifies this in vivo. Lots of research on the effects of hypericin on cattle and insects, but humans? This may be an example of assumptive jumping from mammalian lab results to humans. Anyone know a study that indicates photosensitivity in humans do to Hypericum? Cheers- Peggy ----- Here's the answer: ----- From Howie Brounstein: I don't know of any, Peggy. I have not heard of one case of human photosensitivity, even in the blond, blue-eyed, fair skinned ones, from standard dosages of tincture. Now I haven't asked any albinos doing truckloads of hypericum a day - maybe they'd have a problem. I've known a few folks who definitely did not like the feeling they got from St. John's Wort, but being slightly saner than the average bear, they stopped taking it. Perhaps they've shunned the sun if they continued. But albino cows definitely have a problem with St. John's Wort. And so the authorities that be in charge (of cows and bugs, anyway) in Northern California has waged a war against the poor St. John, hapless victim of human transport from Europe. By releasing bugs from afar, they strive to rid our pasture of this scourage from the old country. Alas, for I wonder - when there are only small populations left in the area, will St. John become a rare and protected plant?? I do know that some common psychiatric pharmaceuticals DO cause photosensitivity in humans... And when you hold the leaves of the hypericum perforatum the light of the sky you will see little holes, actually compartments (perforations), that trap and use the energy of the sun to run a biochemical factory, making hypericin, the red colored constituent assumed to be one of the active ones. Squueeezze that unopened flower bud - just a hint of yellow petals peaking so cautiously from its sepal safety - sqqqueeeezze and you will delight to find a drop of redness so strong as to dye the fingers. Now when I teach my students about this Wort, we general use flower buds and the stems and small leaves attached to them to prepare oils and tinctures. This appears to work just fine, producing extracts of wondrous redfulness. But those who wish for an herbal nectar of delight of greater strength, they sit for hours collecting just flower petals in some Zen like quest. Well, what good's an herbalist without patience :) ...Certainly they are rewarded with extract of unequaled value (not found in Cheapside). Now I'm not one to believe new herbal scientific data until I see the experiment reproduced by other researchers (especially if they have different sources of funding). Recently I saw an article (was it Medical Herbalism?) that stated two research teams at about the same time released results of this Wort being antiviral against enveloped virus that include herpes, etc. But of interest to me was the notion that sunlight increased the Wort's anti-viral effects - that sun again - somehow, in some mysterious way linked to this plant and it's effects. Without exposure to sunlight the herbs anti-viral effect dropped markedly. I don't have all that much experience with bipolar and other mental disorders and Hypericum, although I believe that consistent dosages long term is the way to go ...and careful with self medication. With many of these kinds of problems you may not be able to tell if it's working, especially since you started taking it and you feel great, I mean really good, as you swing up into a manic phase and over one edge or the other. Have someone who can help you gauge your illness objectively (ha) or at least tell you if you've fallen off the fence. It can be hard to tell from the inside. So ideally the Wort would take away the highs and lows and make the emotional rollercoaster of todays hectic society more even. As opposed to the muscle relaxing tranquilizing effects of Valerian, Skullcap, Pedicularis, and such. I don't know about clinical studies, but in my experience the Wort works for some and not others for simple depression and light rollercoaster rides that do not incapacitate the riders. And it even works as a muscle relaxant in some people. Not the "sure and steady" herb that works effectively for everyone (like that bitter Hore Hound that makes everyone gag ...I mean cough.) And this even tempered plant grows in disturbed places, roadsides, lots, loves it when its been bulldozed a year or so ago. A calming herb that grows all over disturbed areas ...hmmmmm. Perhaps one shouldn't focus on the oddities and quirks of nature and coincidence, but I think it's cool. The Wort Oil is good for skin irritations and such. I seen it help when the calendula, comfrey, penstemon and other herbs won't work. It also helps cuts and external physical injuries in general. But in my eyes it seems to have an affinity for the nerves, and it seems to be specific for injuries accompanied by nerve trauma, like I cut my arm and my finger goes numb. I wouldn't claim it reconnects severed nerves, but it will aid in healing them if traumatized. But don't be mislead by symptoms - put the oil on the arm injury, not the numb finger. Howie Brounstein C&W Herbs Eugene, Oregon ----- From Peggy to above: >But of interest to me was the notion that sunlight increased the Wort's anti-viral effects... (snip) Without exposure to sunlight the herbs anti-viral effect dropped markedly. Yes, and another really neat thing is that the hypericin (and its phototoxicity in predator insects) is activated, in the presence of oxygen, at the same wavelength that is given off by the Hypericum leaves in the sun. (540-610 nm). Some insects that ingest Hypericum have adapted by tying together leaves and feeding inside the ties, therefore protecting themselves from the effects of the hypericin. (Sandberg, SL, et al. "Leaf-tying by tortricid larvae as an adaptation for feeding on phototoxic Hypericum perforatum." JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, 1989 15(3):875-886.) Cheers- Peggy ----- From Jonathan Treasure: Phototoxicity of Hypericum in a small proportion of the (blonde) population has been clinically noted especially with topical application whether published or not. Here is an extract from a report from this years' Convention of Naturopathic Physicians in the US which adds some interesting information about the incidence of Phototoxicity in Puerto Rican AIDS sufferers begins One doctor at the conference who treats a lot of AIDS patients said she had seen frequent cases of phototoxocity in dark skinned Puerto Ricans, especially with higher doses and long term administration. AIDS patients started taking hypericum when is was found that the hypericin had an anti-HIV effect in mice. Use has persisted in spite of later discovery that it doesn't help HIV in humans. Most AIDS patients feel much better when taking hypericum, probably because of the antidepressant effect -- depression is probably the least often mentioned symptom of AIDS. Another doctor showed us her legs at the conference -- she had used a hypericum ultrasound gel to treat a sprained ankle. The ultrasound drives the contents of the gel directly into the tissues. She later worked in the direct sunlight, and soon had second degree burns, complete with blisters, whenever the sunlight fell on the gel-treated skin. Six weeks later we could still see the shadow on the back of the leg where the sunlight didn't fall, and the shadow of a sandal strap across the front of the ankle. There was scarring from the blisters. By the way, she said the only thing that would help the severe pain was aloe vera gel. end Jonathan (jonno@teleport.com) ----- From Peggy to above: Thank you for the reply. I suspected that incidents of phototox could be found somewhere, just couldn't come up with them. I understand that Hypericin's anti-viral activities (in vitro) are dependent on "light-dose" (wavelength and duration), drug-dosage, and the presence of oxygen. It makes sense, then, that phototoxicity was found at the higher, long-term usages (in addition to other factors). Thank you, again. Cheers- Peggy ----- From Howie Brounstein to above: Still, I believe that the average user treating depression shouldn't shy away from trying this Wort. The chemical alternatives have their dangers, too, including photosensitivity. I'll avoid ultrasound/ hypericum treatments. Howie ----- From Michael Moore: I have retailed and wholesaled herbs for 20 years and have taught and written about green stuff for 16 years (...and breathed and micturated for almost 54), and I have only run across 1 person to have shown signs of photosensitization from Hypericum. He was a student of mine in an 8-month program a few years ago. He was what my grandma used to call "Black Irish" (I guess as opposed to a Dirty-Blond Irish like myself) and had the semi-transparent skin and jet-black hair of people like Liam or Patrick Clancy. Since he suffered from some mild hereditary neuropeptide imbalances that showed up as a fairly classic long-cycle bipolarity, he was quite taken with the use of the fresh tincture of both Hypericum perf. and H. formosum which we gathered during a couple of field trips. As he related a year later, he took a fly-fishing vacation after the class, returning to a place in the San Juans of Colorado (8,500 feet) that the class had visited. He had been going through a depressive period ("Got Those OLD Relationship Blues...scooby do-WOP... (beat>...(beat>...scooby-dooby...do-WOP!"), and was taking up to an ounce of the Hypericum tincture (1:2, fresh plant) a day...a truly excessive amount (it's an Irish thing, y'know?). He broke out in hives that lasted nearly a month. He casually announced that he had been taking a pharmaceutical anti-depressant for nearly a decade...I hadn't even noticed. I guess I am too likely to take people as they are without a second thought. (snip) I figure the photosensitivity resulted from A. Racial sensitivity B. High altitude C. VERY high dosage D. (he was a Pisces) --and especially-- E. Synergy with antidepressant meds (that he declined to identify) Several years later another man (a customer) had a lip herpes outbreak, possibly the result of playing tennis in the sunlight while using Hypericum to help some back pain. He had had sun reactions before, so it is hard to speculate further. He too was Black Irish. In both instances the herbs were taken internally and the media was a fresh tincture...appropriate, since the dry herb is nearly inert. The student was using high quantities along with medication and the customer showed little more than passing and perhaps serendipitous symptoms, and I have had GALLONS of my Hypericum tincture and oil go through my grubbies over a couple of decades (usually used by folks going through a stretch of somato-psychic flakiness and often manifesting a peculiar, if temporary, lack of judgment regarding emotions, dosages, and self-monitoring). I consider Hypericum to be safe...this is based on personally observing hundreds of people who have used quality Hypericum preparations (...mine). I would need a BIG study to convince me otherwise...or I would need to start getting negative feedback. This is not an idle statement. Like the Wandering Homeopath, travelling the world seeking provings (you mean you haven't heard THAT legend? Well, the way I hear it, old Dr. Kent had retired to practice in Montana and one day this Basque sheepherder came into his office...) I have always tried my best to keep track of potential side-effects of herbs. I use herbs constitutionally, and any synergy or contraindication I encounter helps me to understand the secondary effects of a remedy so I can try to fit herbs and people together more reliably. Secondary effects are my grist (am I mixing metaphors again??). I can't work on Susun Weed's precepts level, that the body takes what it needs from what you offer it, anymore than I can work with a phytopharmaceutical model that ignores the multi-systemic effects of a plant while focusing only on a specific band of pharmacokinetics ... better even (they say) to refine (reduce) DOWN to single constituents so as to better exaggerate the band and diminish the "unwanted" whispers. Sort of like taking a lovely image and running it through Photoshop plugins until you only have some raggedy and stark black-and-white outlines that bear little resemblance to the source. As most herbs, only using Hypericum for its anti-anxiety effects is to ignore the subtle shades and colors it causes as it moves INTO, THROUGH and OUT of the body. This three-dimensional hologram of effects is what makes herbs superior to drugs... in a wholistic model...and makes drugs superior to herbs in a medical model. To view herbs primarily as safer "little sister" analogs to drug therapies developed FOR the medical model is to be blind to the greater value they have in vitalist wholism, and to avoid the greater task and difficulty (and even glory) we face trying to build (rebuild) models of health and disease derived from balance and imbalance. (snip) Michael hrbmoore@rt66.com ----- From Jonathan Treasure: Well... I just got 88 pages of bumpf from NAPRALERT on Hypericum and there isn't a single mention of phototoxicity - so it seems that apart from a couple of anecdotal cases its not an issue as Michael Peggy Howie et aial say ... just keep away from the ultra sound gel in the solarium. Further to the Wort being a lover of roadsides etc. Howie, it was widely distributed through Europe in Roman times by marching legionaries, who also used it soothe their sore feet. (another anecdote not in NAPRALERT) jonathan (jonno@teleport.com) ========== End of part 1 of 7 ========== -- Henriette Kress HeK@hetta.pp.fi Helsinki, Finland http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives... ========== Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.26) Part 2/7 From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress) Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:02:11 GMT -------- Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part2 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 1997/02/22 Version: 1.26 URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== 2.1.5 Ginseng ----- Ginseng comes from the Chinese "jen shen," which means "man root", so named because some roots have limb like branches resembling arms and legs. Because the root has a humanlike shape, it is considered by the Orientals to be an overall body tonic. The root is not harvested until it is two or more years old; the older the root, the higher its value. It is held in high esteem in China where it has been valued for thousands of years, sometimes commanding a higher price than gold. An ancient Chinese Herbalist is quoted as saying, "Person would rather take handful of ginseng then cartload of gold and jewels." There are three main herbs that fall under the label ginseng. Although all forms of ginseng have similar properties, there are some subtle differences. GINSENG, KOREAN (Panax) is the most widely used and studied ginseng in the world. As an adaptogen herb, it is believed to help "balance" the body. Ginseng's botanical name, Panax, is derived from the Greek goddess, Panacea, the one who "heals all.". Ancient Chinese records dated from 25 AD mention this plant as a superior herb for increasing overall strength and endurance, and for promoting health and wellbeing throughout the body. Korean Ginseng is said to be hotter than either the American or Siberian Ginseng. There are two types of Panax - red and white - which reflect differences in the processing of the root. The red ginseng is considered to be of superior quality. David Mowrey in his book, "next Generation Herbal Medicine", has compiled a "Top Twenty" listing for Korean Ginseng based on the "mass of clinical data and 3,000 years of ancient Chinese medicine": 1. Tumours 2. Diabetes 3. Radiation sickness 4. Neurosis 5. Hypotension 6. Hypertension 7. Joint swellings and pain 8. Cardiac arrhythmia 9. Atherosclerosis 10. Fatigue - exhaustion 11. Stress 12. Asthma 13. Headaches 14. Anemia 15. Indigestion 16. Impotence 17. Depression 18. Nervous - Anxiety 19. Mental disorders 20. Heart disease GINSENG, SIBERIAN (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is a member of the ginseng family, though it is of a different genus than other popular ginsengs such as the Panax variety. Natural resources of Siberian Ginseng can be found in eastern Russian and northern Japan. What makes Eleutherococcus particularly interesting is that it is a completely novel plant, unknown in traditional medicine, and discovered by fairly recent research when the Russians were hunting for a homegrown substitute for expensive ginseng they were importing from China and Korea. Screening other members of the same Araliaceae family, they put this dark-berried plant through their standard mouse-stamina test and noted that mice fortified with it swam half as far again as the control mice. Interest sharpened, more tests were done at the U.S.S.R. Academy of Science's Institute of Biologically Active Substances, and the decisive test was personally supervised by the Institute's Director, Professor I. I. Brekhman. He watched the performance of a large group of athletes running a 10 mile race, and saw that those who had taken the plant clocked up an average time of 5 minutes less than the runners who had swallowed a placebo. By 1962, Eleutherococcus was officially entered in the Russian pharmacopoeia. Summary of Benefits of Siberian Ginseng: * Increases physical indurance under stress * Prevents reduction of endurance after exposure to heartstressing activity * Protects against reduced cellular oxygen * Protects against excessive heat and excessive cold conditions * Protects against radiation exposure * Protects against viral and microbial infections * Augments sexual function * Helps prevent tumor metastasis * Favors normalization of neurotransmitter metabolism * Promotes normal endocrine function * Functions as a detoxifier, reducing the effect of toxic chemical compounds * Improves visual acuity, color perception and hearing acuity * Increases output per person-hour in work settings requiring attention and nervous tension GINSENG, WILD AMERICAN (Panax quinquefolius) grows in the northeast U.S. and Canada. In the U.S. it is found from Michigan and Wisconsin, south to northern Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Oklahoma. A heavy concentration lies in the Appalachian Mountains, although wild American ginseng is considered endangered. Ginseng was valued by the native American Indians long before the white men began to popularize it. It gained wide acclaim in the 1700's, when a French Jesuit priest returned to Paris with a sample he had found in southern Canada. Sensing the potential profits from the plant, Jesuits sent missionaries to Canada to find more of it, and for several years the Jesuits shipped tons of American ginseng to China. In 1784 George Washington reported meeting pack horses carrying ginseng. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett are said to have made large sums of money in ginseng trafficking. American ginseng became a lucrative crop, and not unlike the gold during the gold rush of California, the wild ginseng was almost wiped out along the Eastern seaboard due to overharvesting. American ginseng is considered to have more cooling properties than its Asian counterparts. It is only used after the roots are at least four years old. Despite its being very difficult to cultivate, some farmers have succeeded. Eighty percent of U.S. ginseng is grown in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Most American ginseng is exported to Asian countries. Elizabeth Toews ----- On the herblist Aug. 1994: >Could someone be kind enough to summarize the possible adverse effects of ginseng? I've been taking a popular brand for a month now and am generally happy with the effect on a chronic sinus problem and energy levels, but beginning to feel kind of strung out ... I am drinking caffeine and wonder if this could be a problem. Also need to know about possible adverse interactions with prescription drugs such as blood pressure medications. From Jonathan Treasure : Woah...."Ginseng Abuse Syndrome" is even recognised by the AMA. You do not mention what kind of Ginseng or how much. I will defer to the TCM people on this list to give wither you from the Chinese view but ... surely you're not really doing coffee and ginseng? Oh dear oh dear ... tut tut. 1. It is nonsensical to take caffeine and ginseng together regularly. You will stress your adrenals (*get strung out*) and possibly raise your *stress threshold* to a danger point. 2. Ginseng should be used with extreme caution in hypertensive situations especially if under medication. 3. Sinusitis? Not the *usual* prescription. Pass. 4. Toxic signs - not uniformly predictable but can include hypertension, euphoria, nervousness, skin eruptions, morning diarrhea. 5. Contraindications - nervous anxiety, nervous tension, hypertension, disturbed menstruation, stimulant or rec. drug abuse, good vitality in younger persons. Most recommend taking as a tonic for a period then alternating without e.g. 3 weeks on 2 weeks off. ----- > the Peterson guide I have on edible wild plants recommends wild American ginseng as a trail nibble... If you did happen to find a Wild American ginseng, you should leave it right where it is! Shame on Peterson. The plant is rare, and probably endangered throughout its range. Paul || p_iannone@pop.com ----- On alt.folklore.herbs June 1995: > I've heard the ads for ginseng pills - are they worth the money? If so, are all brands the same? You definitely want to buy from a reputable company. According to Professor Wang at the University of Alberta, researchers found that many prepackaged ginseng products had a major shortcoming designed to fool the consumer. You guessed it ... no ginseng. Elizabeth Toews ----- The UP side of poison ivy Rarely mentioned but soon enough found out, ginseng and poison ivy are childhood sweethearts: they grow up in the same neck of the woods. If you go digging ginseng in the Cumberlands of Tennessee, you will getpoison ivy -- all over your fingers. With common roots in the forest loam, the one looks out for the other. But if that's not sufficient protection, the 'sang has yet another look-out in the plant kingdom: Virginia creeper. A master of disguise, ginseng sets up housekeeping in the thick of creeper beds. Takes a covite to tell them apart; the untutored need not apply. Cumberland ginseng endangered? Don't think so. Most of the knowledgeable diggers have sense enough to harvest after the seeds have matured, and don't have to be told to replant from what they've dug. If there's to be "more where that came from" (talking car payments), they know they have to replant. It's city slickers, out for a test drive of their bean boots, we got to look out for. For their advancement, thank we heavens, there is poison ivy. Alex Standefer (astandef@seraph1.sewanee.edu) ----- > I had read somewhere that women should not take ginseng on a regular basis (I'm cutting back from six capsules to two per day), but was told by a friend that Siberian ginseng is suitable for women to take. Ginseng shouldn't be used as a stimulant, but where needed it can be taken for comparatively long periods by children, women, old people, anyone. I have many female clients who take ginseng on a regular basis, in formulas appropriate to their health pattern. As a general rule Chinese herbalists don't use ginseng by itself. --Paul || p_iannone@pop.com ========== 2.1.6 Stevia Leaf - Too Good To Be Legal? ----- by Rob McCaleb, Herb Research Foundation For hundreds of years, people in Paraguay and Brazil have used a sweet leaf to sweeten bitter herbal teas including mate. For nearly 20 years, Japanese consumers by the millions have used extracts of the same plant as a safe, natural, non-caloric sweetener. The plant is stevia, formally known as Stevia rebaudiana, and today it is under wholesale attack by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Stevia is a fairly unassuming perennial shrub of the aster family (Asteraceae), native to the northern regions of South America. It has now been grown commercially in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Central America, the United States, Israel, Thailand and China. The leaves contain several chemicals called glycosides, which taste sweet, but do not provide calories. The major glycoside is called stevioside, and is one of the major sweeteners in use in Japan and Korea. Stevia and its extracts have captured over 40% of the Japanese market. Major multinational food companies like Coca Cola and Beatrice foods, convinced of its safety, use stevia extracts to sweeten foods for sale in Japan, Brazil, and other countries where it is approved. Europeans first learned of stevia when the Spanish Conquistadors of the Sixteenth Century sent word to Spain that the natives of South America had used the plant to sweeten herbal tea since "ancient times". The saga of American interest in stevia began around the turn of the Twentieth Century when researchers in Brazil started hearing about "a plant with leaves so sweet that a part of one would sweeten a whole gourd full of mate." The plant had been described in 1899 by Dr. M. S. Bertoni. In 1921 the American Trade Commissioner to Paraguay commented in a letter "Although known to science for thirty years and used by the Indians for a much longer period nothing has been done commercially with the plant. This has been due to a lack of interest on the part of capital and to the difficulty of cultivation." Dr. Bertoni wrote some of the earliest articles on the plant in 1905 and 1918. In the latter article he notes: "The principal importance of Ka he'e (stevia) is due to the possibility of substituting it for saccharine. It presents these great advantages over saccharine: 1. It is not toxic but, on the contrary, it is healthful, as shown by long experience and according to the studies of Dr. Rebaudi. 2. It is a sweetening agent of great power. 3. It can be employed directly in its natural state, (pulverized leaves). 4. It is much cheaper than saccharine." Unfortunately, this last point may have been the undoing of stevia. Noncaloric sweeteners are a big business in the U.S., as are caloric sweeteners like sugar and the sugar-alcohols, sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. It is small wonder that the powerful sweetener interests here, do not want the natural, inexpensive, and non-patentable stevia approved in the U.S. In the 1970s, the Japanese government approved the plant, and food manufacturers began using stevia extracts to sweeten everything from sweet soy sauce and pickles to diet Coke. Researchers found the extract interesting, resulting in dozens of well-designed studies of its safety, chemistry and stability for use in different food products. Various writers have praised the taste of the extracts, which has much less of the bitter aftertaste prevalent in most noncaloric sweeteners. In addition to Japan, other governments have approved stevia and stevioside, including those of Brazil, China and South Korea, among others. Unfortunately, the US was destined to be a different story. Stevia has been safely used in this country for over ten years, but a few years ago, the trouble began. FDA ATTACK ON STEVIA Around 1987, FDA inspectors began visiting herb companies who were selling stevia, telling them to stop using it because it is an "unapproved food additive". By mid 1990 several companies had been visited. In one case FDA's inspector reportedly told a company president they were trying to get people to stop using stevia "because Nutra Sweet complained to FDA." The Herb Research Foundation(HRF), which has extensive scientific files on stevia, became concerned and filed a Freedom of Information Act request with FDA for information about contacts between Nutra Sweet and FDA about stevia. It took over a year to get any information from the FDA, but the identity of the company who prompted the FDA action was masked by the agency. In May, 1991 FDA acted by imposing an import alert on stevia to prevent it from being imported into the US. They also began formally warning companies to stop using the "illegal" herb. By the beginning of 1991, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) was working to defend stevia. At their general meeting at Natural Products Expo West, members of the industry pledged most of the needed funds to support work to convince FDA of the safety of stevia. AHPA contracted HRF to produce a professional review of the stevia literature. The review was conducted by Doug Kinghorn, Ph.D., one of the world's leading authorities on stevia and other natural non-nutritive sweeteners. Dr. Kinghorn's report was peer-reviewed by several other plant safety experts and concluded that historical and current common use of stevia, and the scientific evidence all support the safety of this plant for use in foods. Based on this report, and other evidence, AHPA filed a petition with FDA in late October asking FDA's "acquiescence and concurrence" that stevia leaf is exempt from food additive regulations and can be used in foods. FDA, apparently attempting to regulate this herb as they would a new food additive, contends that there is inadequate evidence to approve stevia. However, because of its use in Japan, there is much more scientific evidence of stevia's safety than for most foods and additives. The extent of evidence FDA is demanding for the approval of stevia, far exceeds that which has been required to approve even new synthetic food chemicals like aspartame (Nutra Sweet). AHPA's petition points out that FDA's food additive laws were meant to protect consumers from synthetic chemicals added to food. FDA is trying, in the case of stevia to claim that stevia is the same as a chemical food additive. But as the AHPA petition points out, Congress did not intend food additive legislation to regulate natural constituents of food itself. In fact, Congressman Delaney said in 1956, "There is hardly a food sold in the market today which has not had some chemicals used on or in it at some stage in its production, processing, packaging, transportation or storage." He stressed that his proposed bill was to assure the safety of "new chemicals that are being used in our daily food supply," and when asked if the regulations would apply to whole foods, he replied "No, to food chemicals only." AHPA contends that stevia is a food, which is already recognized as safe because of its long history of food use. Foods which have a long history of safe use are exempted by law from the extensive laboratory tests required of new food chemicals. The AHPA petition, however, supports the safe use of stevia with both the historical record, and references to the numerous toxicology studies conducted during the approval process in Japan, and studies by interested researchers in other countries. To date, the FDA still refuses to allow stevia to be sold in the U.S. but the recently-enacted Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 may prevent the FDA from treating stevia and other natural herbs as "food additives." rmccaleb@herbs.org -- [also herbal@netcom.com] ========== 2.1.6.1 Changed legal status of Stevia Leaf ----- > Where do you get your stevia? No one here in RI will sell it. From: Mark D. Gold POISON OAK description... If it were only that simple! In addition to that form, you can find poison oak growing as a vine (very like wild grape, but with smooth bark) up to six inches in diameter disappearing up into the tree tops near streams, or in thickets that look a *lot* like blackberry without spines, or sometimes as collections of leafless single branches (later the leaves appear, shiny and red, changing to oily green, and so on). Fortunately, it doesn't seem to grow much above 5000' elevation. ----- How to avoid the rash Difficult if you live near PO/PI/PS... ... the best way not to get the rash is to learn to recognize the plant(s) and avoid it (them) after that. But: - You can even get a dose if a bunch of the leaves get dumped into a stream or pond ... the oil ends up floating on the surface of the water. - Dogs / cats / horses can get it on their coats and you'll get it from them when you pet them barehanded. - If you burn these plants and inhale the smoke you'll get a bad case of internal PI. ----- Why does it give you a rash? / Spreading the oil about From Ron Rushing (f_rushingrg@ccsvax.sfasu.edu): The irritant in poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak is urushiol. The rash you get is an allergic reaction. Everything I say below about poison ivy should also apply to poison oak and sumac. If you brush up against a healthy undamaged plant, you won't usually get urushiol on you. You usually have to come in contact with a damaged leaf. Almost all plants have damaged leaves - either from insects, weather, or from your stepping on them. The oil is easily transferred from one place to another. For example, I got some on my shoelaces once, and I kept getting poison ivy on my hands for a couple of months. Once it is on your hands, it can, and will, end up anywhere on your body. The rash from poison ivy can take up to 72 hours to appear after exposure, and is often spread on the body by taking showers while the oils are still on the skin. Once you get the oil on clothing, it can sit for months and still cause a rash upon contact with your skin. For example, lets say you get some poison ivy oil on your boots, then put the boots away for the winter. Next spring you get out the boots and go for a walk - but not in the woods. A few days later, voila - your hands are breaking out from putting on your boots and tying the laces. As long as you've washed the original oil off your skin, the exudate from the blisters should not re-infect your skin. It's just exudate, and does not contain urushiol. From krrobert@uiuc.edu (K. R. Robertson): Washing with strong soap merely removes excess poison from the skin, but will not remove any which has already reacted, because the poison is believed to form a complex with skin proteins and therefore is not removable short of removing the skin! Even so, it is difficult to wash off this insoluble poison completely. Eating a leaf of poison-ivy may have disastrous results. One may surpass the normal level of immunity by the first bite; in this case one is in for an internal case of poison-ivy, occasionally known to be fatal. The mechanism of sensitivity is not thoroughly understood. It does not behave like protein sensitivities such as hay fever. It is a hypersensitivity of the delayed type, whose mechanism is related to that of organ transplant rejection. (Originally prepared by William T. Gillis, 1973, Revised by Kenneth R. Robertson, 1993, Illinois Natural History) From ab282@detroit.freenet.org (Robert Gault): The active ingredient in poison ivy and other plants in the same family is 3-n-Pentadecylcatechol, common name urushiol, which is a chemical in the phenol family. Dermatitis (skin inflammation and blistering) is spread by the act of scratching which redistributes the urushiol over the body. While the normal treatment for poison ivy does not include the suggestion below, a reasonable approach would be to convert the urushiol into a water soluble material. Phenols are acids so washing with a weak base like diluted house hold ammonia or a paste of baking soda should do the trick. From Kay Klier (klier@fern.com): People who react to any of the species of PI/PO/PS will undoubtedly react to the others; further, they may cross-react with mango (Mangifera indica), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), and Chinese or Japanese Lacquer (Rhus verniciflua). (the cellulose-based spray paint that is called lacquer is not involved in this... just "real" lacquer, like carved lacquer boxes, etc.). Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to sit under any member of the Anacardiaceae in the rain... they all tend to have a leaf toxin that falls on innocent bystanders below. Most people are NOT sensitive to PI/PO/PS at birth, but become sensitized through repeated exposures. Some people are apparently immune throughout their lives, but I really don't know how to test that claim... ;-) There is a barrier cream and a cleanup wash called Technu commonly used by those who are sensitized to PI/PO/PS. Works quite well. ----- What helps First a word of caution: The recommendations listed here are without medical foundation and, if actually used, are at the sole risk of the reader. 1. Jewelweed, Impatiens pallida, I. capensis, I. biflora, or similar species. AKA Touch-me-not, silverweed. The plant produces both cleitogamous (self-fertilized), and chasmogamous (cross- fertilized) flowers. Mature seed pods will build tension as they dry, and can "shoot" seeds 5 feet away when activated by a slight disturbance. a. Jewelweed, fresh Crush some leaves and a bit of the stem and rub the resulting juice on the rashy area. Repeat frequently. b. Jewelweed decoction Take one part Jewelweed (or stronger as needed), and twenty parts water. Boil water in non-metallic container, add jewelweed, boil for fifteen minutes, strain and store in jar in fridge or freeze as ice cubes. Apply frequently. c. Jewelweed juice From YE71@MUSIC.FERRIS.EDU (Robert King): - Gather the entire plant, leaves, stems, and all; the plant is very succulent and juicy... I have never had a need to add extra water, but if you do, use distilled. Don't be greedy, either trim tops & outer branches, or selectively take entire plants from the center of a crowded stand. One large (4-foot) plant should be adequate for the largest rash on one person. Plants will lose turgor and wilt quickly after cutting, this is OK, just makes it easier to emulsify. - Liquefy the plants in a blender at the highest speed possible. Then extract the juice by filtering thru cloth, common strainer, or fruit press... a little pulp in the mix won't hurt, this will settle out after a couple hours, anyway. Use immediately, or refrigerate... this stuff spoils rapidly at room temperature..!! - Apply the juice to the infected area with a common paint brush... I've found 1 to 2" size works best. Blow-dry the area as you apply it with a hair dryer on low heat... after several coats of 'paint,' an orange-colored "skin" will develop. This "skin" will protect uninfected areas against the poison ivy allergen. - Repeat this procedure as needed, especially first thing in the morning, and before bedtime. Be sure to use common sense in keeping any fluid that happens to come from blisters away from unprotected areas... yourself AND others. Keeping the infected area as dry as possible will hasten the healing; continue application until no more blisters are present... usually about 3 days. - Ironically, jewelweed favors growing in areas of similar habitat as poison ivy, therefore it can often be found nearby, preferring moist ground, near water, or often, even in shallow water. It grows rapidly in ideal environs, but usually doesn't reach significant size until mid-summer; therefore, it might pay to keep a bit frozen in the fridge from the previous year for early-season use. The extract tends to spoil rapidly, even at cooler temperatures, so I wouldn't recommend keeping it for much more than a week without freezing... the fresh solution works best, anyway. 2. Catnip Rub fresh catnip leaves on the affected area. 3. Mugwort (Jilara [jane@swdc.stratus.com]) Pick two large handfuls of fresh mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and let infuse in 1 cup alcohol for overnight. Apply to affected area with a clean sponge/washcloth/q-tips/whatever every four hours. Dries it up quickly. Robert Gault reminded me that mugwort is a strong allergen (have I told you they keep track of mugwort pollen in the air over here?). To quote Robert Gault: 'Can you imagine the result if the poison ivy sufferer is also allergic to Mugwort?!' Ouch - yes, I can. 4. Aloe vera (Jilara [jane@swdc.stratus.com]) Take a large leaf from the aloe vera plant you keep on your windowsill for burns. (If you don't have one, get one!) (NOTE: "aloe vera gel" sold commercially does NOT work!) Slice lengthwise to expose the juicy interior of the leaf. (This will give you an upper and lower leaf, with a juicy side to each.) Trim off leaf edges. Apply directly to affected area, juicy side against the sores. Bandage in place. Apply a new leaf every day until healed. This works phenomenally well, but you have to put up with bulky slabs of aloe vera leaf against the area. Which would you rather have: oozing sores or a succulent slab of leaf? Thought so. ;-) I can't laude this one enough! It works faster than any other remedy! And relieves the dreadful *itching*, too! 5. Goldenseal (please don't do this - see 2.1.19.) Liberally dust powdered goldenseal on top of Jewelweed/Aloe juices juices before they dry onto the lesions; this will promote rapid healing. 6. Mixed poultice, with (1) (4) and (5): (please don't do this - see 2.1.19.) Mash leaves and stems of comfrey, plantain leaves, and the remains of the jewelweed and aloe leaves/stems you used in (1) and (4). Make a poultice or compress and put it on top of the goldenseal dusted on the lesions; hold poultice in place with a bandage of some sort, if possible. After four hours or so remove poultice and clean the lesions with water. Repeat this entire procedure every four hours as needed until itching is reduced and lesions begin to heal. 7. Gumweed Plant (Grindelia) Indians used the resin from the gumweed plant to treat poison ivy. 8. Baking Soda I swear by baking soda paste for poison oak. It not only soaks up the oozing mess, it completely stops the itching throughout the day. 9. Mixed alcohol liniment Take sweetfern, jewelweed, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol... Zip it all up in a blender until it's green and mushed, let it sit for two weeks (ouch! I know...not for THIS outbreak, sorry), strain it and voila, a marvy liniment. 10. Poison Ivy leaf From: bear@helium.Gas.UUG.Arizona.EDU (Soaring Bear), May 1994: Actually, this is just the time of the year to build up your immunity by nipping off a very tiny piece of poison ivy leaf (size of a head of a pin) and put in a capsule and swallow. Do 1-2 times a week. Stop if you start breaking out. Caution: from krrobert@uiuc.edu (K. R. Robertson): Eating a leaf of poison ivy may have disastrous results. One may surpass his normal level of immunity by the first bite; in this case he is in for an internal case of poison-ivy, occasionally known to be fatal. 11. Salt (from bss8n@galen.med.virginia.edu) For the little initial blisters, I rub salt and burst them and leave the salt on to dry. They're history. Also salt worked on the moist areas of my face and under my nose where lye soap lather couldn't stay dried out long enough to dry out the rash. Works well on large surface rashes in case the blister stage grew untreated (but it didn't work on the "mini-mountain" reaction to p.i. that my mom got). MOST essential, leave the salt on to dry, adding more salt moistened with water to help create a paste that will stick as it dries, thus drying out that nasty, annoying p.i. The worse the spread, the longer the duration of salt/soap treatment alternated 12 hours to 1) dry out the present fresh redness, and 2) dry out *new* fresh red. Yep, you guessed it... the salt falls off everywhere. That's one reason I used the lye soap during bed hours. The other reason was that neither treatment, in a prolonged battle (1 1/2 wks) stayed effective by itself, i.e. continuous dry-out, but alternating them did it. I've wondered why? 12. Lye soap (bss8n@galen.med.virginia.edu) - initially from a pioneer reenactment lady. The older/yellower the bar got, the less effective it seemed. Now, I've found it at the grungiest grocery store in town, a soap called Oxygon. Wet the bar and lather it up on the rash into a paste and let dry. Easier than the salt but since discovering salt, I tend to believe salt is more effective for me, at least with my initial tiny blisters, which is all I ever have to deal with now. ----- How to get rid of poison ivy in your yard (suggestions from rec.gardens/alt.folklore.herbs): 1. Planting catnip should get rid of poison ivy. 2. Goats. They are very effective, but in the end will be a bigger bother than the poison ivy. (Be suspicious if someone offers you free goats!) 3. Poison ivy again: buy the super concentrated form of Round-Up and dilute to 3 times the recommended strength. (Well, hot damn! It killed off nearly every piece of PI in one application and only a few (about a dozen) plants returned a year later.) 4. Pull it, but protect yourself (big plastic bag, disposable suit...) Immediately wash all clothes you used two-three times. Do not touch the plastic bag / disposable suit from the outside. Do not touch your clothes / boots / whatever from the outside before washing. ===== 2.1.7.1 Impatiens ----- From Elizabeth Perdomo, ElizPer@aol.com Jewelweed is a plant I wouldn't be without here in the South, any time of the year! It works so remarkably well for Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac, and for Fungal Infections, as well (try it on athlete's feet!). People are always getting inspired to rake up leaves in the middle of winter, and get into the roots or old leaves, producing the nasty itch. However, since the plant only grows in mid-late summer, this is what I do to keep a supply around... Harvesting: Jewelweed is an annual, which means it flowers, produces seeds and then dies all in one year. Thus, I try to harvest Jewelweed well before flowering time, so it has a chance to regroup, flower and seed before frosts. To do so, I cut off (with knife or pruner) the top 1/3 of some of the plants, leaving many untouched. I don't pull or pinch the tops, as this often dislodges or pulls up the plant. If you take more than about the top 1/3, the plant may not have enough time to sprout side shoots and go to seed, thus diminishing future supply for you, others & the earth... Preparing: Jewelweed is one of those plants which just doesn't dry well. It's too fleshy and juicy, and loses it's good qualities when dried. I make a strong infusion, by adding LOTS of the plant to a pot (non-aluminium) of boiling water. Then, I cover the pot, and allow it to simmer for at least 30 minutes. After simmering, covered, I put it into a blender or food processor and blend. Then, I cover the mixture again and allow it to cool to room temp. After cooling, I strain the mixture through a stainless steel strainer and/or cheesecloth. Then, if needed right away, I label and store part of the mixture in a jar in the refrigerator. The remainder, I freeze in ice cube trays. After frozen, pop the cubes into a zip lock bag and LABEL WELL with herb name/date before returning to freezer. Then, I have a winter's supply. The cubes also feel really good on especially sensitive areas, like on the face, between fingers, under arms and in private parts... I also use the fresh Jewelweed and make it into a tincture by filling a jar with the plant, and then covering it with 100 proof vodka. If you are going to use it exclusively for EXTERNAL use, it could be "tinctured" in rubbing alcohol. Administering: Whether fresh, infused, tinctured or in ice cube form, apply Frequently!!! Cotton balls work well to apply the infusion or tincture. Yes, the tincture burns some, so I dampen the cotton ball 1st with water, then add the tincture. The alcohol also helps to dry out the ooze... If someone has a really bad, "systemic" case (not just a few bumps on their ankles or hands), I recommend that folks take the (vodka) tincture INTERNALLY, about 1/2 dropper 2-4 x Daily, in liquid, But for only 2-3 Days! (I don't recommend using this orally if pregnant or nursing.) It seems that the oral use in conjunction with frequent, liberal external use, can really turn a bad case of poison ivy around fast! Also, for "oozy" spots, cosmetic grade (French) clay can be sprinkled on as often as desired to help dry the spots out. Sometimes, I mix the clay with powdered oatmeal, and apply the mixture to absorb and sooth. Elizabeth Perdomo ----- From: Peter Gail Re: the post about jewelweed tincture: Be extremely careful in applying an alcohol extract of jewelweed on anybody. Over the past 8 years Steven Foster has reported one and I have observed 3 extremely severe skin reactions from such applications, in each case landing the person in hospital. Euell Gibbons also referred to the possiblity of allergic reactions to jewelweed tinctures. HeK comment: the frozen cubes don't have these risks. ========== 2.1.8 Echinacea - uses ----- From tcaldec@Direct.ca (Todd Caldecott) In my training with NA's I learned that Echinacea (blood purifier and antibiotic) can be used as long as two weeks. The German research branch of their equivalent of FDA (called Komission E) Drs. Wagoner and Bauer demonstrated this fact. Their studies also showed that tinctured extract of this plant could be chemically potent or not depending on how it was grown, harvested and extracted. In their studies, the extracts available on the commercial market were far less potent than their own prepared version. So their conclusion was 2 weeks on then off for a week, then one could use it for another two weeks at diminished activity. Also the plant varieties of Echinacea angustifolia, purpurea and to a lesser extent pallida all had medicinal chemical activity. The whole plant is medicinal but needs to be at least 3 years old before you should harvest. There is no evidence to suggest that Echinacea cannot be used longer than 2 weeks. In the original study (and please be patient I'm doing this from memory) Echinacea was found to be increasingly effective for 5 days, after which the study ceased. This paper, originally written in German, was mistranslated, leading one to believe that Echinacea's effects plateaued after five days. Echinacea is being used by several professionals long term. Typically though, it is used as a surface immune tonic, useful in chronically immunodepressed patients who suffer from chronic colds etc. (although its use in AIDS is still a matter of some controversy). For most of us who take it seasonally for colds etc. it is most effective when taken in combination with other herbs i.e. garlic, Baptisia, Thymus, Astragalus etc. ===== 2.1.8.1 Echinacea - poaching and extinction ----- Thread on the phytopharmacognosy list: > Over 90% of all echinacea material in the U.S. and Europe comes from > cultivated species. There is very little wild harvested ech. on the market. > The claim that the use of ech. preparations contributes to the extinction > of this plant species is nonsense. Such claims may apply to other > medicinal plants but not to the easy to cultivate Ech. spp.. From P. Mick Richardson , to above: Disappearance of the plant in the wild may be nonsense to you but it is reality to those of us who live in areas where the plant is native. Several points. The plant is easy to grow in cultivation but if you have no land on which to grow it you can get ready cash by collecting it in the wild. Even if 90% comes from cultivated sources, the remaining 10% is still a massive amount in relation to the ever decreasing number of plants in the wild, especially when consumption rises each year and the 10% translates into an ever increasing number of plants to be sought. After receiving your message, I sought out a local person who collects seeds of Echinacea from wild plants in Missouri for cultivation of the plant. He confirmed my suspicions that the plant is becoming non-existent in many parts of Missouri as local populations are exterminated. So the nonsense is in fact reality to the people who see the plants. I suggest greater cultivation of the plant would decrease the demand for wild-harvested material. After all, no-one would be killing rhinos and elephants for sale if there was not a market for them. Let's stop before Echinacea becomes a great auk or a passenger pigeon example for textbooks. Sorry to ramble on, but extinction is for ever and it would be shameful for herbalists to contribute to it. ----- ... and more in the same thread: From: P. Mick Richardson : It is illegal to collect Echinacea unless it is on your own property in Missouri. However, if someone offers cash for echinacea plants, then the demand will be met by poaching. Although on a lesser scale, it is no different to the situation with rhino horm and elephant ivory. If there is a cash market, people will provide the product. I could give descriptions of the nationalities of the buyers but this is probably unnecessary. The plants end up in Europe, presumably the site of greatest demand. Hopefully, there will soon be enough Echinacea in cultivation that the price will fall and this may remove the demand for wild-collected plants. Until then, if you encourage the use of Echinacea, you endanger the plants growing wild in Missouri. Admittedly Echinacea is being poached on a lesser scale than Panax or Hydrastis, but it is still disappearing. Let's aim for complete domestication. It works for Ginkgo, which is a cultivated cash crop in the U.S.A. now. ========== 2.1.9 Feverfew and migraine ----- by Eugenia Provence, Eprovence@aol.com It's not at all unusual for people interested in using herbs to replace over the counter medications with simple herbal counterparts. What has been unusual enough to generate headlines, though, is the conventional medical community's research and acceptance of a traditional European folk remedy, Feverfew, in preventing migraine headaches. Migraines are believed to be caused by an upset in serotonin metabolism, causing spasms of intracranial blood vessels, which then causes dilation of extracranial blood vessels. In the 1970s an English research group sought volunteers already using Feverfew before beginning a study of its efficacy. Their advertisement in a London newspaper brought more than 20,000 responses. Since then, several well-documented double-blind, placebo studies in England confirm its value. An interesting one reported in The Lancet (July 23, 1988; 2(8604):189- 192) followed 72 volunteers. After a one-month trial using only a placebo, half of the group received either one capsule of dried Feverfew leaves a day (or a matching placebo) for four months. Neither the group nor the researchers knew which group was receiving the Feverfew. The group kept diary cards of their migraine frequency and severity. After four months, the groups switched medications, and the trial continued for an additional four months. 60 patients completed the study, and full information was available on all but one. The study found Feverfew to be associated with reducing the number and severity of attacks (including vomiting), with the researchers concluding that there had been a significant improvement when the patients were taking Feverfew. There were no serious side effects. Feverfew is currently classified as Tanacetum parthenium, a member of the Asteracea (or Compositae) family, and was formerly named Chrysanthemum parthenium, where you'll still find it listed in some references. Feverfew is a corruption of Febrifuge, based on its tonic and fever-dispelling properties. It's been called Maid's Weed, referring to its emmenagogue qualities, which are also reflected in its Greek name, Parthenion ("girl"). Its primary actions are anti-inflammatory, bitter, emmenagogue and a vasodilator. Aside from migraine relief, long-term users report relief from depression, nausea and inflammatory arthritic pain. Drunk in cold infusion, it can relieve the cold, clammy sweats associated with migraine. Additionally, it's been used externally as an insect repellant, and topically for insect bites. Perhaps the insect-repelling quality accounts for the tradition of planting it around the house to ward off illnesses and to purify the air. The tea, drunk cold, has been used for sensitivity to pain, and for relief of face-ache or ear ache (all migraine-like symptoms). The Eclectic physicians of the 19th century called it one of the pleasantest of the tonics, influencing the whole intestinal tract, increasing the appetite, improving digestion, promoting secretion, with a decided action on kidney and skin. John Gerard's Herbal in 1663, said it to be "...good against summer headaches to inhale crushed Feverfew blossoms. Dried and taken with honey or sweet wine good for those as be melancholic, sad, pensive or without speech." Culpepper used in it poultice form for head ache. Feverfew in blossom is easily identified by its flat or convex yellow disk and numerous short, broad 2-ribbed white rays. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, flat, bi or tripinnate with ovate, dentate segments. It quickly escapes cultivation, and has become naturalized in many areas of the U.S. and Europe, in some places regarded as a nuisance weed. Among its constituents are a volatile oil, containing pinene and several pinene derivatives, bornyl acetate and angelate, costic acid, B-farnesine and spiroketal enol ethers; Sesquiterpene lactones, the major one being parthenolide); and Acetylene derivatives. Pharmacologists say it is likely that the sesquiterpene lactones in Feverfew inhibit prostaglandin and histimine released during the inflammatory process, preventing the vascular spasms that cause migraines. It appears to regulate the serotonin mechanism. To attain the maximum benefit from Feverfew, it should be taken daily as a preventive. For migraine prevention, parthenolide plays an important role. The parthenolide content in Feverfew is highly variable in different populations grown in different locations or harvested at different times of the year. Recent Canadian tests of U.S. Feverfew products found all of them to be low in parthenolide. Canada, which has recently recognized Feverfew products as official, over the counter drugs for migraine prevention and relief, will require that they contain a minimum of 0.2% parthenolide. So, this is one of the few cases where a standardized extract may be more desirable than the whole plant, with a lot to be said for fresh or freeze-dried preparations. If you want to use the fresh plant, the flowers have a higher parthenolide content than do the leaves. If you are picking the leaves, they are best just before flowering. In one of those magical bits of synergy that herbalists love, the isolated parthenolides used alone don't work on migraines, nor does the whole plant with the parthenolides removed. The parthenolide is bioavailable only in the whole plant. PRECAUTIONS: I know of nothing, whether allopathic or herbal medicine, that I would feel free in saying to have absolutely no unpleasant side effects. We're all unique individuals when it comes to body chemistry. Some unfortunate people are allergic to chamomile. They may also be allergic to Feverfew. A few recent studies of parthenolide in vitro point to toxicity involving smooth muscle tissue. However, no side effect resembling this has ever been reported in human use. Feverfew's safety and usefulness are historic. Pregnant women should never take Feverfew. Its traditional use as an emmenogogue underlines the risk here. The bitter tonic qualities, so useful for indigestion, can cause gastric pain in people with gall stones or gall-bladder problems, by making the gall bladder try to empty. Likewise, the increased production of stomach acid would make it highly aggravating to anyone with a gastric ulcer or esophogeal reflux. Some people have developed mouth ulcers from eating the fresh leaves. DOSAGE: Feverfew is most effective fresh or freeze dried. Take the equivalent of 1 fresh leaf or 125 mg. freeze-dried herb once a day (0.2% parthenolides) 1-3 times daily (don't chew the leaf). In addition to Feverfew on its own as preventive herbal therapy, one would want to look at one's individual migraine triggers or pattern and add herbs whose actions complement Feverfew's anti-inflammatory, bitter and vasodilator actions to support the affected body systems. ----- Please also check the 'Herbs for migraine' entry (2.2.2) below. ----- From Rene Burrough : Eating feverfew leaves I learned this from a nursery woman here who grows herbs commercially & was a nurse during WW2, and has suffered from migraines from years, and it extremely sympathetic to herbal medicine. She swears that the GREEN leaf is far more efficacious than the yellow or golden version. And she takes one leaf a day for months at a time to keep the migraine at bay. What she does is to make a with the feverfew leaf inside and squished into a tiny ball with a doughy bit of bread around it as a casing. Then the pill can be swallowed without the leaf coming into contact with the lining of the digestive tract. ----- From: MORAVCSIK@CLIPR.COLORADO.EDU (Julia Moravcsik) I looked up feverfew in Medline and would like to report what I found there. If you aren't interested in medical experimentation as it applies to herbs, you will probably not be interested in what follows. The good news (for migraine sufferers): I found two double blind experiments looking at the effectiveness of feverfew on migraines: The first one used 72 migraine sufferers. Half got a capsule per day of feverfew, the other half got a placebo. There was a significant reduction in the mean number and severity of migraine attacks. The other experiment looked at 17 migraine sufferers who normally ate feverfew to control headaches. They gave placebos to some and continued the feverfew with others. The placebos increased frequency and severity of migraines. The bad news: Feverfew affects the smooth muscles of the body. These are muscles that control much of your involuntary muscular processes, such as the vascular system (blood vessels), digestive system, internal organs, aorta, etc. From what I can gather from some of the abstracts in Medline, feverfew PERMANENTLY affects the ability of these smooth muscles to contract and relax. Here are some snippets from the abstracts which looked at this: * "(Feverfew)...inhibits smooth muscle contractability in a time- dependent, non-specific, and irreversible manner." * "(Feverfew)...affects smooth muscles...may represent a toxic modification of post-receptor contractile function in the smooth muscle...effects are potentially toxic" * "...inhibition of eicosanoid generation is irreversible" * "...irreversible loss of tone of precontracted aortic rings... inhibited ability of acetylcholine to induce endothelium dependent relaxation of tissue." What does this all mean for the long term health of those who take feverfew? That does not seem to have been looked at yet; these articles were very recent. However, I think that people who take feverfew should know that they may be permanently affecting the smooth muscles in their bodies and may want to take this into account when deciding whether or not to continue taking it. ----- From: Jim Heath (heath@iinet.net.au) (in reply to above): I sent a copy of Julia Moravcsik's Medline findings about feverfew to Reader's Digest (who published an article in their Feb 1995 issue advising that feverfew can help prevent migraines.) I've had a letter back from Elizabeth Craig, a RD researcher. She confirms that none of their sources when they researched the article (late 1994) showed any side-effects from feverfew. She also said that after she got my letter (dated 21 June 95) she contacted a migraine research scientist who is studying the effects of feverfew. The researcher is familiar with Medline and says that "research has shown the dosage taken by migraine sufferers has no side effects at all." Whew -- that's good. (Or maybe, feverwhew.) Jim Heath ========== End of part 2 of 7 ========== -- Henriette Kress HeK@hetta.pp.fi Helsinki, Finland http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives... ========== Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.26) Part 3/7 From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress) Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:02:37 GMT -------- Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part3 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 1997/02/22 Version: 1.26 URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== 2.1.10 Ginkgo biloba ----- From Penny (Zhomankenh@aol.com): HARVESTING THE LEAVES Best time to harvest leaves for high flavonoid content is in the fall, after they begin to turn color. Flavonoids, which may be the most active anti-oxidants in ginkgo and exhibit a vessel-toning effect, reach their highest levels in the leaves at this time. However, the most important active constituents in ginkgo leaves (the ginkgolides and bilobalide) reach their highest levels around Aug. or Sept., in late summer or early fall, before the leaves start to turn color. If you are interested in getting max. levels of these constituents, you should harvest the leaves when they are a dark, rich green, because these constituents drop the their lowest levels after the leaves have turned yellow and begin to fall off the tree. Considering all of the above, the optimum time for harvesting ginkgo leaves may be just about the time they begin to turn color, or a little before in Sept. After picking the leaves, shade-dry them on a screen, allowing good air circulation from the bottom and the top. Best condition is one that will dry the leaves quickly (in 2 to 3 days) but not overheat them. Never dry leaves in the sun. To test that the leaves are thoroughly dried, "snap" a leaf stem to make sure. When the leaves are dried, put them in a paper bag inside a plastic bag, and store them in a cool, dark place - in a tinted glass jar is best. Tea is a traditional way to take ginkgo and when used over a longer period of time (up to 9 mos), it may provide good benefits, especially as a preventative supplement to the diet. A tea of the leaves can be a good way of taking ginkgo because most of the important active compounds in the live plant are water-soluble. Because of changes in the levels of active constituents during the growing season and variations in levels of these compounds between different populations of ginkgo, the use of the leaves is best as long-term therapy, mostly a prevention. One drawback of the tea, it has a bitter, astringent and slightly sour flavor - this formula is quite palatable: Brain and Circulation Tea ginkgo 1 part lavender 1/2 part wood betony 1 part lemon balm 1 part stevia herb 1/8 to 14 part Adjust the amount of stevia according to how sweet you want your tea. Stevia is VERY Sweet, you might start on the low side. SAFETY AND TOXICITY Ginkgo leaves and cooked nuts have a safe history of use that goes back several thousand yrs. When using a preparation of the whole leaves or seeds, you can safely assume that within a normal dose range there will be no danger of negative side effects. In one study involving 2,855 patients who took ginkgo extract, about 3.7% experienced minor gastric upset which had no lasting effects when the ginkgo was discontinued. Another test with 8,505 patients who took ginkgo for 6 mos revealed that only 0.4% (33 people) experienced minor side effects, most commonly mild stomach upset. It is noteworthy that tests show that even high doses of ginkgo extract do not change the hormonal balance in men, and that neither does ginkgo affect the sugar metabolism of the body - which means it is safe for diabetics, who often suffer from poor circulation and therefore might benefit from ginkgo treatment. Finally, no disturbances in the formation of new blood cells or the functioning of the liver and kidneys were observed, even after long-term use. Highly purified extract (24%) is so concentrated, it has a stronger activity per amount of extract than the ginkgo preparations used for thousands of yrs. in Chinese medicine. Not only has the internal balance changed in the purified extract, but so has the potential toxicity, both short-term and long-term. Fortunately, Schwabe has done an enormous amount to testing which demonstrates that the purified and concentrated extract is safe. Thousands of people have taken high doses of the extract and have been rigorously examined for any undesirable bodily changes. THE FRUITS Ginkgo fruits have been the object of much bad press - due to their potentially foul odor, which smells something like rancid butter. Aside from its unaesthetic odor, the pulp of ginkgo can actually be irritating to the skin and cause rashes in some people, for it contains similar irritating chemical substances to those found in poison oak and ivy. Many cases of contact dermatitis have been reported from handling the fruit when its skin is cut or broken, though rashes have not been reported from contact with the leaves or any other part of the tree. In China, traditional processing methods are used to remove the pulp cleanly from the nuts. Christopher Hobbs has done a book on Ginkgo. See 4.1 below. ----- Ginkgo leaves and standardized extracts: > Can you eat ginkgo leaves whole, or is that not advisable? Can the leaves be made into a tea? What part of the ginkgo is used to make ginkgo biloba extract? From jonno@teleport.com (Jonathan Treasure): Eating the leaves, or even infusing them is not common practice. There is nothing to *STOP* you from doing it I suppose, but it would not be an effective way of ingesting medicinal amounts of the herb. You need a lot for results - which is why some companies have produced concentrated extracts which are the equivalent of about 80:1 strength of what they consider to be the active ingredients. In other words one gram of standardised extract is like eating 80 grams of dried leaf. It is the leaf that is used in herbal medicine. From Moses David Goldberg : We should not forget that Ginkgo has been used for thousands of years in practice before reductionistic capitalistic herbal companies came out with standardized extracts. The healing efficacy and synergy of the ginkgo leaves in tea or tinctures should not be underscored. It may not have 24% of Ginkgolodes per batch but I would rather take the tincture than all the packaging and environmental waste that comes along in your $20 box of Standard Extract Pills. From jonno@teleport.com (Jonathan Treasure): I agree with your predilection - it is the case that all the original European Ginkgo research was done with standard 1:3 tinctures. My own opposition to standardisation is not so much packaging although that is loathsome, but that it runs counter to the fundamental idea that the whole plant is the basis of its medicinal properties. Today's active ingredient is tomorrow's redundant constituent...who makes these decisions anyway? It is the scientific phytomedicine companies marketing departments... However - in the case of Ginkgo (and one or two other herbs) there IS an argument for taking a *concentrated* format because a large amount of regular tincture is needed to achieve results in e.g. senile memory performance. It does not have to be standardised - a regular reconstituted solid extract would do the job. ----- Culinary use of Ginkgo Nuts From ac956@osfn.rhilinet.gov (Roy Collins): I made a few inquiries to some of my Oriental friends and found that the *nuts* are used as an ingredient in stir fried veggies, and are added to soups and stuffing. The fresh nuts must first be prepared before use like this:: 1. Tap the nut lightly with the blunt edge of a heavy cleaver to crack the shell, 2. Pull the hard shell apart and remove the nut, 3. Drop nuts into boiling water and simmer on low flame for 10 minutes, 4. Skins should then peel right off. ========== 2.1.11 Kava kava ----- by Dennis McClain-Furmanski (dynasor@infi.net) Kava-kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant native to the Pacific Islands, originally from the island of Vanuatu. Following the influx of missionaries over the last century, its cultivation and use has decreased but not disappeared. Several botanical houses in the US and elsewhere have begun regular cultivation. The supply remains low, as the harvest rotation period is from 1.5 to 5 years. Restrictions on import have been considered and may be imminent, meaning only locally grown supplies will be available. Indigenous growths are now being protected as endangered in some areas, but this does not preclude cultivation. Kava is more of a social and ceremonial preparation than it is medicinal. Its primary action is as a relaxant, and at high levels an intoxicant and divinitory preparation. In normal use, the kava drinker becomes relaxed and sociable, and may later drift off into revery. Large doses, as used by village chieftains and seers, induces a trance-like state with vivid dreaming. It is still used in some areas as a medicinal liniment, being prepared there as a tincture. Modern use of kava has included a preparation given to electroshock therapy patients as a muscle relaxant. The active constituents of the plant, such as the lactone resins yangonine and kawaine, are found primarily in the root rhizomes, although some preparations such as the Hawaiian liniment make use of the fresh stem. Most preparations use chopped root material. There are some commercial products in the form of tablets made from a powder, but these tend to suffer in strength, apparently due to excessive drying. Use of kava requires bringing the insoluble resins into emulsion. Traditional preparation is done by chewing the stems and spitting them with copious saliva into a bowl, to which water and coconut juice is added. The mixture is then kneaded and strained through fiber and drunk immediately. A more palatable preparation is to wrap about an ounce in a single layer of plain cotton cloth or a few layers of cheese cloth, and tied off to form a ball. This is dunked in a quart or so of water, lifted and squeezed out, repeating this until the bubbles forming from the dripping water tend to remain on the surface of the water -- about 10 to 15 minutes. As with the traditional preparation, this tastes strongly musty and not particularly pleasant. It is drunk immediately in gulps. A tablespoon of sugar helps, and my favorite additive is a tablespoon of Ovaltine or other malted mixture. Most non-traditional preparations such as herb teas and other mixtures are either too low a dosage or improperly prepared and so are ineffective, most probably due to the bad taste of effective dosages. A tincture is made by soaking the chopped root material in 3 times its volume of alcoholic liquor such as brandy or gin. This is shaken daily over 2 or 3 weeks and then strained. Internal use is 1 to 2 ounces, and external use is an ounce rubbed into sore muscles or soaked into a cloth which is laid over the affected area. Some reports have been made regarding chewing and swallowing fresh root. All the same effects are noted, with the addition of a decongestant-like opening of breathing passages. This is only in healthy individuals; there is no true decongestant effect in congested individuals. Heavy daily use of kava for years has been reported to cause dry, flaking skin, yellowing of the eyes and persistent lethargy. The doses involved are those used by local chiefs and visionaries, and normal recreational or medicinal use will not cause this. When this syndrome does appear, 2 to 3 weeks of abstinence cures it. Reports of lowered peripheral blood flow seem to be anecdotal only. The plant itself is available from some ethnobotanical houses, and seems to thrive even in non-tropical conditions, though it still requires indoor cultivation. ========== 2.1.12 Pau D'Arco ----- by Dennis McClain-Furmanski (dynasor@infi.net) Pau D'Arco (Tabebuia impetiginosa), also known as Taheebo and Lapacho colorado, is a tree native to the Andes and nearby rain forests. The bark, and in particular the inner bark lining, is scraped and turned into a tea. It has been used for centuries by the indigenous peoples as an immunofortifier. Recent pharmacologic studies have uncovered the anti-tumor agent lapachol, as well as the anti-candidas agent xylidione, and the consistent effects of both have gathered the interest of the global pharmacological community. Claims that the tea contains a large proportion of oxygen in solution have peaked the interest of the oxygen-therapy movement, and it is being considered for anti-AIDS/HIV testing. The normal preparation is a small amount of scraped bark prepared as a normal tea. The taste is reported to be heady and pleasant. ----- hrbmoore@rt66.com (Michael Moore), as a sidenote in a post on herbs and fibroids: I, frankly, have no idea why you would want to use Pau D'Arco (Tabebuia spp.). It is a useful anti-oxidant and anti-fungal. I fail to see its implication with fibroids. Besides, it is a pocket-change byproduct of rain-forest timbering...don't let anyone fool you otherwise. ========== 2.1.13 Wild yam and contraception ----- >...I recently read an article about the use of wild yam in gel caps as a form of birth control. The article warned that it is only effective if taken in regular doses (3 size 00 capsules twice a day) and then you have to wait 2 months before it works. I would be willing to try it--I've had a horrible time with conventional birth control, but the article had no references or explanation of how the wild yams work. Has anyone else heard of this? I'd appreciate any info. From moon2peg@slip.net (Peggy Wilbur): ... I feel that it is important to nip this one in the bud. The following is based on my own extensive research on phytoestrogens. While my research has led me deep into the chemistry of phytoestrogens and the physiology of the endocrine system, I keep it very basic here: Wild Yam, (Dioscorea villosa), contains a number of substances known as phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are those plant chemicals that bind to our cells' estrogen receptor sites and, theoretically, trigger the components of estrogenic activity (activity does not necessarily mean production). This binding is possible due to striking similarities, in shape and structure, to the body's own steroids. By binding to these estrogen receptor sites when blood estrogen levels are high, phytoestrogens are, again theoretically, able to reduce overall estrogen activity (Key to the estrogen-induced breast cancer debate). Conversely, when estrogen levels are low, they are able to promote estrogenic action. Well over 250 plant species contain phytoestrogens, including, for example, Dong quai (Angelica sinensis), Red clover (Trifolium pratense), Alfalfa (Medicago sativum), Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), and Soybean (Glycine max). There is much controversy surrounding the uses of such plants both medicinally and nutritionally. Some herbalists (and others) believe that the phytoestrogens found in the Wild Yam, including steroidal saponins (mainly diosgenin), are hormone "precursors", especially of progesterone. However, while diosgenin from D. villosa was once widely used, through an industrial five-step chemical degradation (e.g. the Marker degradation), in the industry manufacturing of progesterone-containing birth control pills, the human body is not capable of such a synthesis using phytoestrogens as a starting point. Our bodies simply do not have the enzymes necessary for such a "building block" conversion. The estrogenic effects that have been noted (i.e. in relation to relief of various menopausal discomforts) may very well be due to the previously mentioned binding of phytoestrogens to estrogen receptor sites, which occurs when phytosterols cross the cell membrane and bind to a specific cytoplasmic receptor molecule. The receptor-hormone combination then enters the nucleus, where it binds to a particular DNA sequence by attaching itself to a specific site on a chromosome. This attachment activates those genes responsible for hormone-induced changes. (It gets a bit more complicated than this, but I'll spare you!) So again, while some steroids are bioconverted or biosynthesized through the metabolic action of the liver to produce sex hormones (i.e. cholesterol > estradiol), the liver does not produce estrogen or progesterone by "building" upon the diosgenin in D. villosa. Very brief, but hope this is of some use to you. Wild Yam does not act as a birth control pill just because birth control pills were once synthesized from its constituents. While some women may write back and say that the Yam has been effective for them, I might ask what other factors may be at play in their lives that may be responsible for a lack of pregnancy. ----- From: Paul Bergner As I understand it, the so-called "wild yam" natural progresterone creams contain progesterone (purchased from pharmaceutical companies) that happens to have had mexican wild yam as its starting material. There's nothing natural about it. The wild yam constituent is beaten up chemically and made to jump through artificial hoops until it's progesterone. The companies don't label it as progesterone, I assume, because they couldn't legally sell it if they said what was really in it. Some call it "Wild Yam extract". ========== 2.1.14 Red raspberry and pregnancy ----- You use an infusion of the leaf of Rubus idaeus to ease pregnancy and/or childbirth. The controversy is when to use it - throughout the pregnancy or just the last trimester. One piece of advice on the paracelsus list: From: herbal@got.net (Roy Upton) Almost all popular texts state that red raspberry is good to use throughout pregnancy. On several occasions I have seen first trimester women experience spotting each time they drank moderate amounts of the tea. When they discontinued the tea, spotting stopped. Four tried the tea again and spotting began again. I asked a few midwives about their experience and found that they too had experienced the same thing, so did not generally recommend it in the first trimester. I do not feel that red raspberry is inherently problematic, but also feel that is not necessarily inherently benign. ========== 2.1.15 Green tea (and caffeine) ----- The usual question is: does green tea contain caffeine? The answer is yes, if it hasn't been decaffeinated. So does black tea, and oolong. A good post on teas in general and green tea in particular: From alczap@thorne.com (Al Czap): It is thought that the traditional use of tea (Camellia sinensis) began in China about 4700 years ago. Europeans were introduced to the beverage in the 1500's, and by the second half of the 17th century it was being widely consumed throughout Europe. Today, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world (water is #1) with 2.5 million tons of tea leaves produced annually. The Chinese produce over 300 varieties of tea, which can be separated into three basic categories; black tea, oolong tea, and green tea. These three types of tea can actually be derived from the exact same plant. The difference between them is how the leaves are handled after harvesting. Black tea is allowed to ferment, and is then dried. Oolong tea is partially fermented. Green tea is dried without fermenting. Allowing the tea to ferment oxidizes naturally-occurring catechins, transforming them into theaflavins and thearubigin, chemicals responsible for the color and flavor of black tea. An increase in theaflavins increases the commercial value of black tea, but decreases the catechin content. Green tea infusion contains intact catechin polyphenols, which give rise to its bitterness and astringency. Six catechin polyphenols have been isolated from green tea; (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), gallocatechin-3-O-gallate (GCG), methyl-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate, and (-)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate (ECG). These substances were tested for their antioxidant activity, and the gallic acid esters EGCG and EGC were found to be the strongest antioxidants, with EGCG being over 200 times more active than Vitamin E in an in vitro model. In another test, EGCG was more active against fat rancidity (lipid peroxidation) than Vitamin C or Vitamin E, and also exhibited synergistic action with those vitamins. Many nutritive and protective qualities have been associated with green tea, both in infusion and extract form. A Japanese epidemiological study of 9500 non-drinkers/non-smokers age 40 and above showed a decreased incidence of stroke (CVA) in those consuming green tea, with a direct correlation between increased consumption and decreased incidence, so that at 3-4 cups a day the overall incidence of CVA was 17 percent that of people drinking no tea. Other epidemiological studies show a decreased risk of esophageal, gastric, and colon neoplasms with tea consumption. Numerous studies have shown that standardized green tea extracts or components of the extract exhibit antioxidant activity, stimulation of glutathione peroxidase and catalase, induction of phase II enzymes, and inhibition of cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, and angiotensin converting enzyme. Green tea extract also has anti-platelet-aggregation activity, and inhibits delta-amylase and sucrase, in addition to the known effects of catechin: collagen stabilization, histidine decarboxylase inhibition, and hepatic support. Green tea extracts can contain a substantial amount of caffeine, and may be standardized to low levels of polyphenols. HPLC isolation and identification reveals that the main constituent of our extract is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), the most active compound in the extract. ----- For some research abstracts on Green tea visit the Thorne Research Abstracts page: http://www.thorne.com/thorne_abstracts.html or go straight to the Green tea abstracts on that page: http://www.thorne.com/greentea.html ========== 2.1.16 Comfrey hepatotoxicity ----- From: Rene Burrough Comfrey is the victim of a bad press, inaccurate reports, and four true cases of toxicity which in themselves are not straightforward, but suggest overdosing on comfrey. Governments in the UK & Australia have restricted the uses of comfrey root or banned the plant respectively. The problem is two-fold: firstly there are two "comfreys" and reference to them is often casual. Regular, common, medicinal comfrey is Symphytum officinale. Russian comfrey, the great compost heap maker, is Symphytum x uplandicum. Medical herbalists in the UK, from whose written reports I am extrapolating, point out that Russian comfrey was probably the herb used in the toxicity trials yet regular comfrey is also restricted or banned. Secondly, when the toxicity tests were done in the late 70s, a chemical constituent called pyrrolizidine alkaloid was isolated, extracted from leaves & injected into baby rats at what many medical herbalists consider an "unrealistic level". In other words far more comfrey than a human would eat to get such a toxic level of . Also baby rats are smaller than humans; they do not have the same metabolism as humans; and an isolated chemical injected outside the rat's stomach wall is not the same as a human eating leaves with many chemical constituents and digesting them normally. A chemical in isolation will cause different reactions from a group of chemical constituents containing that one as well. To digress, but to explain, I hope. Aspirin is a synthesized chemical, acetylsalicylic acid, based on a real life plant constituent found in meadowsweet & willow. Aspirin can cause ulcerations of the stomach lining; meadowsweet has a soothing, gummy constituent called mucilage which lines the stomach, preventing erosion of the stomach wall but allowing the anti inflammatory properties of the salicylates of the herb to be utilized. OK? So -- the bad guys in , the were isolated & did bad things. But that too must be qualified. The early research, late 70s, concluded that these do indeed cause liver damage in humans. Medical herbalists would point out that Pyrrolizidine alkaloids can cause obstructions of the veins in the human liver, known as hepatic veno-occlusion, but and that the level of alkaloids in comfrey was too low to in any case. And finally, is comfrey carcinogenic? The carcinogenic alkaloid has been identified as symphytine which apparently is about 5% of the total alkaloids in comfrey. The original, often cited report was written by Culver et al in 1980. There have been many criticisms since of the research itself; how the scientific testing was conducted, which comfrey was really used, etc. What I found most interesting was the tumors in all but three of the rats were benign -- out of three groups of 19-28 rats and 3 groups of 15-24 rats. . There were clear cut cases of liver damage. That's in rats. There are four cases involving humans which do implicate comfrey. One involved a woman who was finally diagnosed as having veno-occlusive disease & did consume a quart of herbal tea/per day that contained comfrey. A second case involved a boy with Crohns disease who was treated with conventional medicine for some time before going over to comfrey root & acupuncture. The long running malnutrition may have weaken the liver predisposing it to the venal obstruction problem. Comfrey root was blamed. The drugs were not considered as possibilities. The third case involves a woman who overdosed: 10 cups of comfrey tea a day & handsful of comfrey pills. After 9 years, she had serious liver problems. The fourth case became a fatality. A vegetarian, given to specific food binges for weeks, took an unknown amount of comfrey for flu like symptoms possibly over a period of four months. The particulars of his case are blurred. All cases involve comfrey; in at least three, there are suggestions of overdose or abuse of the plant. WHICH plant, I don't know. There are also disagreements about the efficacy & safety of leaves vs. root. Some studies show the leaf to be almost alkaloid free -- thus safe. The UK finally restricted the internal use of comfrey root... saying that there are still too many unanswered questions. Most medical herbalists I know will politely to vigorously disagree, but the law restricts the root. At least externally the root's OK here & the leaves can still be used as tea or poultice. I'm sorry this is so long, but bear with me one more paragraph, please. I must credit Penelope Ode, MNIMH, former Editor, writing in Herbs, the British Herb Society magazine & Margaret Whitelegg, MNIMH, whose paper for the National Institute of Medical herbalists to the UK government in was later published in the European Journal of Herbal Medicine. Both were published in 1993. I cannot do justice to their articles so briefly, but I do hope I have fairly summarized their writings. Any misstatements, confusion of explanations here are mine. ========== 2.1.17 Pennyroyal ----- by Rene Burrough In answer to your question...how deadly & which one. The very brief answer is both IF you're talking about ingesting the isolated, essential oil. So, here's a longer answer. Pennyroyal, European Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). Labiatae. American Pennyroyal, Mock Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides). Labiatae. Other synonyms for American Pennyroyal: Pudding grass, Lurk-in-the-ditch, Squaw mint, Mosquito plant. I knew very little about pennyroyal, except that it seems to keep the ant population down in a large stone planter I have. Six feet long by 2 feet wide & 3 feet deep to ground level, it has been a hotbed of ant breeding for 15 years or so. Anything that grew there was by courtesy of millions of ants. I put two creeping pennyroyals in...and for the last two years there have been considerably fewer massive colonies of ants. Some have moved underground and over to the veggie patch, but that's beside the point. Ants don't like pennyroyal, so that's my starting point. Certainly the essential oil used topically or the fresh leaves crushed and rubbed onto the skin will ward off mosquitoes and fleas (see section IX). Philbrick & Gregg, in their ancient & treasured _Companion Plants_ agree. They also state that the American pennyroyal yields a commercial oil which can repel gnats & mosquitoes. Soak a dog collar in an infusion of pennyroyal or add a strong decoction into the floor washing water are well regarded folklore remedies by Adele Dawson. Richard Mabey claims pennyroyal is also good with bites of all kinds, repelling ticks as well as the above. Tierra suggests using citronella oil with pennyroyal oil for external application against mosquitoes. Topically, it is a refrigerant, antiseptic, insect repellent, and thus good for skin eruptions, itching, formication [the sensation of small insects crawling all over the skin] & gout [presumably for its cooling property applied to the affected, joint in an acute attack]. Parenthetically, it is only the _British Herbal Pharmacopoeia_ that includes gout in the pennyroyal portfolio. I HISTORY OF THE NAME: from Malcolm Stuart's _Encyclopedia of Herbs & Herbalism_ Pennyroyal was held in very high repute for many centuries throughout Europe & was the most popular member of the mint family. Pliny is regarded as the originator of its name "pulegium" ...derived from "pulex" meaning flea...since both the fresh herb & the smoke from the burning leaves (smudging) were used to eradicate the insects. Linnaeus retained the association with fleas when he gave the plant its botanical name. Prior to that scientific classification, the unusual aroma led some to consider it a thyme. "Puliol" was an old French name for thyme, & this plant was designated the royal thyme or "puliol royale" which was corrupted into pennyroyal. In modern French, the herb is called "la menthe Pouliot". Herb books written in the US tend to list American Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides) first , and medical herbals written in the UK & Europe prefer Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). All agree the pennyroyal has the same or similar properties. Where the real differences lie are in the appearance & life cycle of the two herbs. II DESCRIPTION OF PENNYROYAL: Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is an aromatic Perennial and is common wild or garden plant in the UK, France & Germany; found in wet grounds around the Med & in Western Asia. Mrs. Grieve says the more common, at least in the UK, is the creeping or pennyroyal. With weak, prostrate stems, though quadrangular -- as all mints have square stems -- it roots easily where ever the leaf nodes touch the ground. H 10-15cm or 4-6in. S indefinite. the upright or sub-erect has stouter stems, & obviously there's no rooting at leaf nodes. It is less common in the UK but better for cultivation according to Mrs. G.. H 20-30cm or 8-12in. S indefinite. A planting will last 4-5 years, though Mrs. G says frost may kill it, & a new planting should be made each year. Deni Brown lists pennyroyal as fully hardy [minimum -5C or 5F). Ethne Clarke's _Herb Garden Design_ shows pennyroyal appropriate for Zones 5-9. The leaves of Pennyroyal are generally small, ovate, slightly serrate, slightly hairy, and opposite. For the record, the leaf of the non-creeping pennyroyal can be up to 3cm or 1.5in long and may be entire rather than slightly toothed. The color depends on the variety and whether wild or cultivar. Greyish-green to light green. The IMPRESSION of the appearance of the leaves is similar to that of wild oregano (Origanum vulgaris), marjorams (O. majorana, O. onites) & thymes...that is... tiny & crowded together on thin stems but with more rounded leaves. Not surprisingly Mrs. G described pennyroyal as . The small flowers are produced in distinctive, dense whorls (similar to corn or fieldmint & gingermint in bloom. ) The tight, axillary clusters appear in July-August with colors ranging from reddish -purple to lilac. There are few flowering stems on the prostate form; they lie on top of what appears to be "a dense green turf". Seed is light brown, very small & oval. To harvest: for drying, the stems should be gathered just before flowering in July. Pungently aromatic, it can be added to potpourris & insect sachets. The dried herb can also be made into infusions, liquid extract, tinctures for medicinal uses. (see section X) III DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN PENNYROYAL: According to Deni Brown, there are 39 species of annuals & perennials in the NAmerican genus, Hedeoma. They have no great merit as garden plants, but are often seen in herb gardens. Its neat habit & aromatic foliage makes it especially suitable for containers & planting near seats & entrances, or between paving stones. American pennyroyal is an Annual, found in dry fields & open woods from the East coast to Minnesota/Nebraska. It is bushy plant with erect, square stems. H 10-40cm (4-16in) S 7-24 cm (3-10in) it bears small, opposite, thin ovate leaves sparingly toothed. Axillary clusters of small, tubular lavender or purplish flowers appear from June-October. The whole plant has a pleasant, aromatic, mint-like smell. The name _Hedeoma_ comes from the Greek for sweet and for scent. It has also been described as having an acrid taste and aroma; none-the-less it is used as the basic flavoring herb of North Carolina black pudding... hence the local name of Pudding Grass. A culinary aside: In the north of England, Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is also used in black pudding, and in Spain it is added to sausages. To harvest: plants should be cut when in flower for drying. The fresh herb can be gathered and used almost as a "strewing herb" for deterring fleas. IV THERAPEUTICS OF MENTHA PULEGIUM: For the basic framework, I am using the information from the _British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 1983_ supplemented by Potter's, Culpepper's Colour, David Hoffmann, Deni Brown, & Simon Mills. Actions: Carminative, Spasmolytic = arresting or checking spasm especially of smooth muscle. [Antispasmodic means preventing or relieving.] Diaphoretic. Uterine stimulant/ Emmenagogue... principally used for delayed menses. (see section VIII) Topically: Refrigerant. Antiseptic. Insect repellent. Indications: Flatulent dyspepsia. Intestinal colic. The common cold. Delayed menstruation. Topically: Cutaneous [skin] eruptions. Formication. Gout. Specific indications: Delayed menstruation owing to chill or nervous shock. Contraindication: Inadvisable in pregnancy. (see section VIII) In small doses & as an infusion, pennyroyal is used for colds (as it promotes sweating), With its richly aromatic volatile oil, pennyroyal will ease indigestion, wind, nausea, colic, dyspepsia, and painful menstruation. It is considered a warming & stimulant herb by Culpepper, while Adele Dawson also suggests its use in cases of stomach spasm & hysteria. Hoffmann explains that the volatile oil will relax spasmodic pain & ease anxiety. NB: This should NOT be construed as ingesting the isolated, essential oil which could be fatal. (see section IX) The volatile oil is a constituent of the plant & will be released in the preparation of the infusion. Pennyroyal is given to children with stomach & bowel upsets & also to ease feverish symptoms in measles & whooping cough. Taken by infusion according to Culpepper. BHP suggested dose: for an infusion: 1- 4gm of dried herb in 1C ** boiling water; steeped for 10-15 minutes. 3 times a day. Or 1-4ml of liquid extract (1:1 in 45% alcohol). 3 times a day. Other herbals consulted tend to suggest smaller doses: up to 2 or 3gm dried herb; up to 2ml tincture...though Potter's range is from 0.5ml - 5ml of the liquid extract. **NB: the general proportions for infusions are: 30gm dried herb or 75gm fresh herb to 500ml boiling water. So "one cup" is the proverbial length of a piece of string. Pennyroyal is available on the General Sales List in the UK. [In itself, that is an indication of its considered safety.] The BHP suggests the following combinations: for acute amenorrhea - may be combined with Chamaelirium (False Unicorn Root), Achillea millefolium (Yarrow), & Picrasma (Quassia, Quassia Wood, Jamaica Quassia); for flatulent dyspepsia - may be combined with Filipendula (Meadowsweet), Althaea Root (Marshmallow root) & Melissa (Lemon Balm); in the common cold - may be combined with Sambucus (Elderflower) & Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) V THERAPEUTICS OF HEDEOMA PULEGIOIDES: The basis of this information came from Lust's _Herb Book_, Deni Brown's _Encyclopedia of Herbs, Tierra's Plant Herbology, & Earl Mindell's _Herb Bible_ Properties & uses: carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, sedative, expectorant. The Amerindian tradition shows use of pennyroyal for headaches, feverish colds, & menstrual cramps & pain. It was also used as a digestive herbal tea. It was listed in the _US Pharmacopoeia_ (1831-1916). It is still used internally for colds, whooping cough(the expressed juice can be made into a lozenge/sucking candy). In childbirth, the PLANT is used. NB: the essential oil taken internally could be fatal. (see section IX). It should be used by qualified practitioners only. Topically: as a wash for skin eruptions, rashes, and itching. Suggested dose: 1 tsp. herb/1C water. 1-2 cups/day. Tinctures 20-60 drops at a time, as needed. For children, small, frequent doses. VI CONSTITUENTS OF MENTHA PULEGIUM. (The American pennyroyal has similar constituents.) Sources: Potter's, Malcolm Stuart, Tierra, & David Hoffmann. Volatile oil (0.5-1%) of which approx. 85% is a ketone, pulegone; also isopulegone, menthol, isomethone, limone, piperitone, neomenthol. There are also misc. bitters, tannins, & flavone glycosides. Pulegone is described as a toxic compound, "notorious for causing abortions". It is present in both Mentha pulegium & Hedeoma pulegioides. VII ADDITIONAL MEDICAL INTERPRETATIONS: Tierra in _Planetary Herbology_ collectively describes Hedeoma pulegioides & Mentha pulegium ...in much the same way as mentioned above. He does add the following: The Energetics are spicy, bitter, warm . The Meridians/organs affected are liver & lungs. In David Bellamy's & Andrea Pfister's _World Medicine_ they have a large section called The Families of Healing Plants. Mentha pulegium is listed with two sources of information: The 1907 British Pharmaceutical Codex and Book I of Avicenna's _Canon_. The BPC states that Oil of Pennyroyal (Ol. Pulegii) is given as an emmenagogue. During excretion, it mildly irritates the kidneys & bladder, and reflexly excites uterine contractions. Avicenna lists the herb as Mint (Podina in Urdu). The leaves are the part used. The herb's Temperament is described as Hot & Dry in the 2nd Degree. VIII HOW DEADLY IS DEADLY...AND WHICH PENNYROYAL ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? Simon Mills in _Out of the Earth_ issued the strongest warning that I found in my trawl of herbals. There are a number of herbs which should be avoided altogether because they can damage the fetus or provoke a miscarriage. In many popular herb books the term emmenagogue is found, widely but erroneously, having come to refer to a gynecological remedy. In fact, the effect of an emmenagogue is to bring on a delayed menstruation: it takes little imagination to realize that the most common reason for a delayed menstruation is pregnancy and that emmenagogues are thus abortifacients. Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is among 21 herbs Simon Mills lists. This information was part of a short section of herbs in pregnancy..those quite safe, and those not so. In his first book, _The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism_ written 6 years earlier, Mills quite carefully does NOT list emmenagogue among the actions. He does include uterine stimulant with this caution: The second most complete, cautionary listing was found in Earl Mindell's _Herb Bible_. He is talking about American pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides). Richard Mabey in _The Compete New Herbal_ warns <...the oil taken internally can be highly toxic and there are a number of cases of the deaths of women who tried to procure abortions by taking the oil.> Tierra in _Planetary Herbology_ goes further in his explanation. Malcolm Stuart raises an important, tangential danger. He then goes on to state: IX PS ON PESTS And just to round things out, he adds that the plant may cause contact dermatitis which is certainly worth noting before rubbing crushed, fresh leaves on your skin to avoid mosquito bites. He adds that the pennyroyal leaves are also good for insect bites after-the-fact. They act as a rubefacient...that is drawing more blood to the area which improves its cleansing action on the affected tissue. X ODDS AND SODS While some herbalists maintain that a fresh herb/plant is medically more efficacious, I have not seen any preferences specified for either Pennyroyal or American Pennyroyal. Most herbals referred to the dried herb...so by omission one can assume dried is the preferred state. Why? I don't know. Forms of internal dosage: The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Mrs. Grieve, & Potter's call for a liquid extract to be taken. Hoffmann & de Baiiracli Levy use infusions. Lust calls for a tincture to be used. As a reminder, the differences are: Tincture: solution of substances (both active & inactive therapeutically) extracted from medicinal plants by the maceration or percolation of the plant with alcohol or alcohol-water solutions. Liquid extract: product obtained by treating plant material with a solvent or mixture of solvents designed to extract the desired constituents. Infusion: made by pouring a given volume of boiling or just boiled water over a given quantity weight of herb and letting it steep/infuse for a given time. Always cover to keep the volatile oils in the infusion...otherwise they'll escape...evaporating into the air. ========== 2.1.18 Cat's Claw ----- From Kris Gammon Latin name: Uncaria tomentosa. Peruvian name: una de gato. Cat's Claw is a thick, long, slow growing woody vine that grows between 400 and 800 meters above sea level in the Amazon jungle. This vine gets its name from the small, sharp thorns, two at the base of each pair of leaves, which looks like a cat's claw. These claws enable the vine to attach itself around trees climbing to a height of 100 feet or higher. In 1959, Nicole Maxwell made a journey to the Rio Putumayo. She painstakingly began her collection of specimens and data of medicinal plants in the Amazon. This was her first long jungle trip although she had made previous excursions. Her findings are well written in "Witch- Doctor's Apprentice: Hunting for Medicinal Plants in the Amazon". She describes a number of plants and their applications, among which is una de gato. Research began on Cat's Claw in the early 1970's. Mr. Klaus Keplinger filed the first patent in the US on Uncaria tomentosa in 1989 when the plant's alkaloids were isolated and tested. There are mainly six oxindole alkaloids most prevalent in the Cat's Claw bark, known as: isopteropodine, pteropodine, mitraphylline, isomitraphylline, ryncophylline, and isorynchophylline. Three of these have been proven to be effective immuno-stimulants. Ryncophylline has been shown in laboratory testing to display an ability to inhibit platelet aggregation and thrombosis. This means this alkaloid may be useful in the prevention of stroke and reducing the risk of heart attack by lowering blood pressure, increasing circulation, and inhibiting both the formation of plaque on the arterial walls and formation of blood clots in the vessels of the brain, heart and arteries. As well as these alkaloids, Peruvian and Italian researchers have discovered other beneficial phytochemicals inherent in the plant, including proanthocyanidins, polyphenols, triterpines, and the plant sterols: beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol. These might explain the antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-tumor and anti- inflammatory properties attributed to this plant. In 1991 there was a new study to isolate the chemical compounds found naturally within the plant that would be responsible for anti- inflammatory principles. This led to "the isolation and characterization of a new quinovic acid glycoside called glycoside 7 as one of the most active anti-inflammatory principles to be uncovered." Many species of the genus Uncaria exist in nature...more than 30. It is the tomentosa species that offers the most promise as a therapeutic agent. Uncaria guianensis is frequently confused with Uncaria tomentosa. Consumers should check the Cat's Claw bottles they buy for "Uncaria tomentosa" and choose from a reputable company. Cat's Claw is available in capsules, extract and the raw bark for brewing tea. Cat's Claw is used for: Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, leaky bowel syndrome, colitis, hemorrhoids, fistulas, gastritis, ulcers, parasites, intestinal flora imbalance, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, environmental toxic poisoning, organic depression and those infected with the HIV virus. Most of the clinical research which show these alkaloids to be antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating, antimutagenic, antioxidant, etc., are tests done "in-vitro" (proven in the test tube) not "in-vivo" (proven in the human body). Cat's Claw root should never be used as the medicinal qualities are most prevalent in the inner bark and harvesting the root kills the plant. Consumers should refuse to buy any Cat's Claw root products in order to ensure the plant is not destroyed. Peruvian law is now in place to help protect Uncaria tomentosa. ========== 2.1.19 Golden Seal appeal - and Goldthread too ----- Please use alternatives to Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) whenever possible. If you have to use Goldenseal please grow your own. Here's why: ----- From Michael Moore (hrbmoore@rt66.com): The condition of Golden Seal is DISASTROUS these days. Most of what is on the market is being illegally poached from the grimly diminished wild populations, since the floods and heavy precipitation of the last couple of years has ruined a large part of the Golden Seal that was in cultivation. Golden Seal and Echinacea preparations are the BEST selling herb formulas over the last several years, with every product line brainlessly adding to the problem by HAVING to include another one in THEIR product line...meanwhile the plants are disappearing from the wild at an ever-quickening pace to feed our nitwit lemming marketing fads. Sorry...I am NOT down on wildcrafting...I have done it for almost 30 years, and taught it for over 20 years...but EVERY GODDAMN STAND of Golden Seal that I coppiced for years in the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks (I use primarily the secondary leaf for fresh plant tincturing, and rarely gather roots unless to transplant) has been wiped out in the last four years...three years ago I found perhaps a dozen plants that still survived in SEVEN localities in SIX counties in TWO states... there had been thousands the year before. ----- From Anita Hales : There are some other plants that contain berberine, an active constituent of Goldenseal. I use them regularly in place of Goldenseal. They are Goldthread and Oregon Grape, roots of both. Goldthread is very common in my area and it is a small prolific plant. It is a very potent medicinal plant and is good for maybe most of the things one would use Goldenseal for. ----- From luna@bbs.tsf.com: Like Michael, I found not a single plant of wild goldenseal last summer, despite rambling and foraging at least 400 miles last summer on foot through some of the most remote mountainous areas of the Northeastern US. I found a few ginseng plants, quite a few wild orchids, but not ONE specimen of goldenseal. They MAY still be out there..... we can only hope...... Like Anita I have been using gold thread (Coptis trifolia) the past two years in place of goldenseal. Gathering goldthread is a labor of love; carefully following those tiny threads through the rotting leaf mold on the forest floor takes time, if one is not to disturb the surrounding plants. But what a way to spend a fall day... out of the wind, sitting on the forest floor cushioned by newly fallen leaves, soaking up the fading sun's warmth, and gathering medicine for the coming winter. It's not a "grab it and dash off" kind of plant. Maybe that "difficulty" in gathering gold thread will save it from the destructive overharvesting that has decimated the goldenseal population? Praying for spring and the return of things green, here in the frozen north... vicki - luna@bbs.tsf.com ----- From hrbmoore@Rt66.com (Michael Moore) If you want to see what Coptis (Goldthread) LOOKS like, I have three JPEGS of Goldthreads that can be viewed on my web site. The 800 or so images are all listed by genus, although I plan on getting up a linkpage by common name pretty soon. Goldthread, in my opinion, is possibly the queen of remedies for stomatitis and slowly healing mouth sores (Myrrh and Anemopsis being preferable for acute problems). If you ever get a chance to gather some, be sure to use the leaves and stems as well...all parts of the plant are active. The constant reference to Goldthread Roots is a clumsy remnant of the crude drug trade of a century ago...the dried roots could be stored in burlap bags for a DECADE, the foliage lasted but a year or two. With drastic loss of wild places in the last century, we need to revamp our often wasteful use of herbs, gathered according to standards set in greener (and profligate) times. Michael Moore (hrbmoore@rt66.com) http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE ========== 2.1.20 Ma Huang or Ephedra sinensis ----- Someone wrote: I am just curious, is Ephedra really as dangerous as they say it is? From callie@writepage.com (Callie): If you use the leaves occasionally, as a weak tea for clearing congested lungs, it's a great plant. If you buy the ephedra concentrate capsules from the corner market or the "health food" store ... the ones that claim "energizers", pop a few of them so you can dance all weekend .. and drink ... and not sleep ... it can be dangerous. These mixes often contain caffeine (guarana) and other stimulants. Not good to totally bankrupt your energy reserves by forcing the body to ignore exhaustion. When you crash, you will crash big time, and while you are "up" you can hallucinate. It's not a fun trip for some people ... and you can die. That, of course, really ruins your life. Callie (http://www.writepage.com) thatjoeguy@nortexinfo.net (Maven) wrote: Ephedra, Ma Huang, Mormon Tea - All herbs containing ephedrine. Ephedrine- an herbal stimulent similar to epinephrine. Epinephrine - another name for adrenaline, this was how it was explained to me by an herbalist. From: awest@mail.net-connect.net (August West) Ephedrine is a moderately powerful stimulant. In fact, it's molecular structure is VERY SIMILAR to methamphetamine. (SPEED!) When it is used in it's natural form, the herbs also contain other alkaloids that keep the heart rate and blood pressure down, making it a bit safer than MINI-THINS (ephedrine hcl). Still for sensitive people, people with thyroid problems, heart disease, high blood pressure etc, it should be avoided. If you are already high strung, you shouldn't need this stuff anyway. Personally, I find it creates a "crash" that leaves me worse off than I started. Even in herbal form. Hope this helps :). ----- On Ma Huang and drug tests: From "Michael M. Zanoni" : Ma Huang (the Chinese variety Ephedra chinensis, not the American Ephedra plant) can produce a positive urine test for amphetamine metabolites that will also be read by the mass spec as being meth metabolites. It is because of the combination of both l- and d- forms of ephedrine. Things such as Ephedra nevadensis have only the non-psychoactive form of ephedra. If someone were to take a moderate amount of Ma Huang for a few days it is possible that the serum titer could go high enough to be beyond the threshold level of detection used by most labs for gas chromatograph screening. Pseudophedrine found in OTC drugs will not test as a meth metabolite. ========== End of part 3 of 7 ========== -- Henriette Kress HeK@hetta.pp.fi Helsinki, Finland http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives... ========== Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.26) Part 4/7 From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress) Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:03:02 GMT -------- Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part4 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 1997/02/22 Version: 1.26 URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== 2.2 Herbs for specific things ========== 2.2.1 Herbs for mosquitoes and other bothersome bugs ----- Actually this isn't medicinal - if you don't count doing something for the bites. But it's asked every year come bug time, so I'm including it anyway. ----- REPELLING THEM ----- >I'd heard rumors of vitamins and herbs that naturally repel insects, though I'm not sure which ones.. any help is greatly appreciated From Aine Maclir (amaclir@unibase.unibase.com): There are a couple of things that I know of. 1. Wear Citronella essential oil (which isn't the greatest smelling stuff around, but I guess it beats Off). 2. Take the equivalent of 1500 mg of fresh garlic clove (a 15 mg capsule of garlic powder or 3 x 5 mg capsules) orally every day. Taking garlic will cause your skin to secrete a natural insect repellent. For best results, do both. Don't wear perfumes or scented deodorants and wear light-coloured clothing as darker colours attract bugs...this is particularly true of blue denim jeans. To make sleeping more comfortable, burn either an insect coil or a couple of sticks of citronella incense in your cabin before going to bed, making sure that all the doors and unscreened windows are closed, so no more of them get in. If you do get bitten, applying a small dab of ammonia to the bite immediately after being bitten can help ease the itching. And there's always the old favorite...calamine lotion...if you're not going to be anywhere that being coated in pink polka dots will be unfashionable (g). Aloe vera and witch hazel will also soothe insect bites. If you are going to be in an area that's also known for tics, just be on the lookout for them whenever you've been in a wooded area and if you find one stuck to you, use rubbing alcohol to make it let go and carefully remove it with a pair of tweezers. Salt applied to a leech will get rid of it (in case you're around water that has any of those "suckers" (g)). I think that should about cover every blood-thirsty creature you're likely to run into at a summer camp, recalling my own experiences. I've been on canoe trips through Algonquin Park, Ontario (known for having some of the biggest and thirstiest mosquitos, blackflies and leeches in Canada) and I live in Saskatchewan, where we could make mosquitos our provincial bird! From sfrye@interaccess.com (amethyst): I've had good results taking B-complex supplements daily. Seems the bugs like the odor of B-1 about as much as I like the taste of it. ;P From starla lacy (lacys@cadvision.com): Here in Canada, we struggle with flies the size of horses! This essential oil mix has always worked great for me: 3 parts lemongrass (or citronella) 1 part thyme 2 parts lavender 1 part peppermint (or eucalyptus) Mix together in a new plant sprayer (you may dilute with springwater if desired). This mix also has the advantage of smelling pleasant and is safe for use around kids and pets. Shake the mixture well before using if you decide to dilute it with water. ----- From HeK to above: Remember to dilute essential oils in carrier oils (like almond, jojoba, olive ...). The only essential oils you can use neat are lavender and tea tree, and go easy on the tea tree. As a general rule you should not ingest essential oils. ----- From Mateo Rutherford (mcrutherford@lbl.gov): I have used tobacco tea to kill lice and gnats. It is easy to prepare. Buy a cigar or some rolling tobacco and boil the hell out of it in a liter or so of water. When cool shlop it on your hair and cover your hair with a plastic shower cap or something like that for 20 minutes then shampoo. One application should be enough, but I would often do a follow up about three or four days after the first application. From fukada@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Mach T. Fukada) However, keep in mind that nicotine that is extracted from the tobacco is also toxic to humans (people don't get too much of it when the smoke it because it burns up). It should be used with care if there are cuts on the scalp which may increase the rate that it is absorbed into the bloodstream ----- > I was wondering if there are any herbals that can be taken to reduce the attack of mosquitos. I happen to live in an area where they are abundant. From amy.winans@psl-online.com (Amy Winans) to above: I do well know what you mean! Here's what I've gathered on that subject, and keep (all) on hand as needed: 1. You can join the rest of America and buy a caseload of Avon's Skin So Soft. I have about a dozen friends who worship it religiously. 2. You can stock up on anything containing Citronella, although I fear it may still be too new to really know if there is Life for it after the Candles. I'm seeing a lot of oils and lotions saying it's in there, though. 3. Continue to use the old standby's with DEET in them, like Off's Offtastic, or whatever, or Cutter's. Have heard personal testimonials on Cutter's. 4. Investigate local ancient customs; as I discovered when I read the area's native Indians, the Karankawas, employed an effective remedy to a problem which was (unbelievably) much more horrid than it presently is; that is, they killed them an alligator, skinned him, liquified the fat and slathered it on! Kept quite a few things away, one of which WAS mosquitoes! Seriously, though, there is probably something in that we could replicate today with something similar but more sweet-smelling. So, if anyone has any ideas, as well as things to ingest that might make your "scent" less attractive to mosquitoes, please post! ----- AND NOW YOU'RE BITTEN... ----- From EderChiro@aol.com: Use lavender oil (small drop) applied directly on mosquito bites. From: HeK Lush Stellaria media does the trick, too - just roll into a ball and let the juice drop onto your bite(s). ----- From Noel Gilmore (ngilmore@gate.net): Allow me to pass on my husband's rather simplistic (and annoying) remedy to keep mosquito bites from itching and swelling...DON'T SCRATCH 'EM. For years I suffered all summer while he did not and he would always tell me it was because he disciplined himself not to scratch. Last year we went to the Yucatan jungle for vacation and I couldn't bear to cover myself from head to toe each day with repellent, so I asked him to help me remember not to scratch, and I have to admit it worked! From Tim Keenan (tkeenan@uoguelph.ca) to above: As someone who has lived and worked on the arctic tundra and in the boreal forest for decades, I have to agree...I never use DEET or any other repellent. If the bugs are so thick I can't breath without inhaling them, I use a "SkeeterGuard" fine-mesh net jacket, with a net hood that zips across the throat. Otherwise, I hit 'em if I feel 'em. If I don't feel 'em, I hardly ever develop any reaction. If I have a reaction, usually if I get bit somewhere where the skin is thin (over a wrist bone, etc.) I generally ignore it and it goes away. I never get a bump _unless_ I scratch. This goes for black flies, too. I think the best answer is to get bit early and often, and you will become acclimatized to it. Rubbing and scratching causes all sorts of local histamine response, which really aggravates the situation. From Lane@monty.rand.org (Janis Lane) to above: I have been getting TERRIBLE spider bites. The doctor told me that I was having a chemical reaction (arm was burning hot and swollen). He told me the SAME thing..."do NOT scratch". I stopped scratching and it seems that the bites are not swelling but are just turning to bruises. Any suggestions for THIS? From Sharon Rust (ntlor@primenet.com) to above: For spider bites I have used fresh papaya and when I haven't had the fresh stuff papaya - pineapple enzymes, these work for bee and wasp and scorpion stings as well. I chew up the enzyme tablet to make a paste and stick it on the bite , the papaya I just stick a chunk on . When I use to live where plantain (Plantago rotundifolia, or lanceolata) grew I used it for bites, it seemed to work on bee, spider and mosquito bites. To use plantain I would get a fresh leaf and chew it up with my front teeth, taking care not to swallow the juices and then stick this wad of chewed up plant on the bite(s). When my daughter and niece stepped into a swarm of yellow jackets luckily it was in a field filled with plantain, I started chewing up and applying the plantain to my daughter and my sister-in-law did the same for her daughter, the bites on my daughter were disappearing but my niece was getting no relief, so when I was finished with my daughter's bites, I started applying plantain to my nieces, the ones that I worked on were also disappearing , the key was that my sister-in-law was swallowing the juices released from the plant and I was not. I suppose you could use a blender or something but most of the time I feel that this is the fastest and simplest way to treat a bite. ========== 2.2.2 Herbs for migraines ----- by Eugenia Provence, Eprovence@aol.com What are migraines? A whole variety of headaches associated with vascular constriction and dilation make up the unpleasant world of migraines. The two most common are classic migraine and common migraine. They may first appear in childhood, but usually in the late teens or early twenties. More women than men are subject to them, and they frequently end after menopause. Classic migraines start with warning signs (called the aura by medical folks). Before the headache begins, you may temporarily lose some of your vision, see flashing lights and feel very strange altogether, maybe even feeling a burning sensation or muscle weakness. The pain usually begins on one side of the head, but can spread. The headache may take hours to develop and several days before it goes, leaving a desire to sleep (replacing the desire to die!). You may experience nausea and sensitivity to light and noise. I've had only one of this kind and never want another. I thought I was losing my vision (along with my wits and my lunch). Other symptoms may include muscle numbness, tingling, scalp tenderness, dizziness, dry mouth, tremors, sweating and chilliness. Common migraines don't begin so dramatically, but a few hours or days before onset, you may feel tired, depressed (or paradoxically) have a burst of energy, be anxious or feel hyper. The common migraine may begin more slowly and last longer than the classic type. Except for the aura, the symptoms are the same. What causes migraines? The exact range of mechanisms producing migraines isn't well understood, but is believed to be an upset in serotonin metabolism that causes dilation of cerebral arteries, followed by vascular spasm in extra-cranial blood vessels. Migraine triggers are as varied as the individuals afflicted by them. About 70% of sufferers have family histories of migraine. Food triggers are common, and can be nearly anything. Some of the most frequent food triggers are anything aged, canned, cured, pickled or processed or that contain tyramine or nitrites. Aged cheese, bananas, caffeine, chicken livers, MSG, alcohol (especially red wine,) yeast products (including bread), chocolate, red meat, shellfish are common, but the list is extensive and individual. Try eliminating these first. If that doesn't work, see if you are sensitive to citrus, lentils, nuts, any kind of green beans or peas, vinegar or yogurt. Stress, strong emotional reactions and fatigue may be triggers, in addition to compounding the symptoms. Weather or altitude changes may contribute to them. There's a hormonal trigger for some women, causing migraines prior to or during menstruation or when using birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy. There seems to be an association with sluggish liver function from eating too much fatty food or heavy drinking. How can they be prevented or treated? If you can catagorize your migraines as being related to physical stress or emotional upheaval, stress reduction techniques, meditation and biofeedback have been found to be helpful, as have acupuncture and bodywork. Chiropractic or Osteopathic treatment may help if there is a structual problem in the neck. Again, it's very individual and complex issue, and you may need the assistance of a professional conventional or complementary practioner. HERBAL THERAPIES: * To ease pain, David Hoffmann suggests that at the first sign of attack equal parts of Black Willow, Meadowsweet, Passion Flower, Valerian and Wood Betony may be helpful. * For migraine associated with stress, use equal parts of Hawthorne berries, Lime Flowers, Wood Betony, Skullcap and Crampbark. * Nervine tonics, such as Oats and Skullcap are appropriate long-term therapy, accompanied by Siberian Ginseng as an adaptogen. * Massage Lavender oil into the temples at first sign of an attack. * If the migraine is accompanied by nausea or vomiting, Chamomile, Meadowsweet or Peppermint may help. * If migraine is associated with hormonal problems, long-term treatment should include herbs to try to balance the hormonal system. Vitex, Black Cohosh, or Wild Yam may be useful. * European herbalists emphasize the importance of liver support in migraine treatment. Herbs like Burdock, Dandelion root or Milk Thistle would be ideal. The following delicious Migraine Tea from Ana Nez Heatherly of Gatesville, Texas, appears in the July 1995 Mother Earth News. She prepares a cold infusion of: 6 parts Rosemary leaves 4 parts Peppermint leaves 4 parts Lemon Balm leaves 4 parts Sweet Violet 3 parts Feverfew 1/2 part sweet Violet Flowers ----- Please also check the 'Feverfew and migraine' -entry (2.1.9) above; and then you could search the net for the Natural Migraine Treatment FAQ by Catherine Woodgold - archive name: medicine/migraine/natural-cures. ========== 2.2.3 Herbs for vivid dreams ----- From Colette Gardiner, on mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) as a dream enhancer: There's quite a bit of info out there about this topic, probably recently discussed on this list as well. I've used it to induce more vivid dreaming for years and have seen strong effects in many people. Some people have been known to wake up in the night cursing loudly and toss the pillow across the room, they were dreaming so vividly. A bundle of it hanging near your head at night works as well as a pillow of the cut and sifted stuff available in stores. It's also useful as an incense or in incense blends before any divinatory work such as tarot, rune reading etc. Just take a small amount of the dried herb and toss it on top of a wood stove or on a small charcoal disc that's been lit (available in magic stores or sometimes in catholic supply stores). Mostly I'd recommend simply getting some and trying it out for yourself. I've heard a lot of stories over the years from students who've used it. Other herbs for vivid dreams: Plantain- Plantago majus or P. lanceolata - tea in evening. Watercress - Ingested at daybreak to increase dreams that evening. Peppermint - Mentha spp. burned as an incense at sunset and thru the evening for visionary dreams. ----- From Dennis McClain-Furmanski (dynasor@infi.net): Calea zacatechichi (Dream Herb) is a shrub from the Chiapas region of Mexico, related to the mint family. It has been used by the Chontal people as a divinitory for many years. Traditional use as a tea brings about a drowsy dream state, in which answers to questions are revealed and lost objects are located. Clinical testing in double blind studies have been shown to induce sleep and vivid dreaming, with the subjects reporting profound meaning in the dreams. Preparation is almost invariably as a tea. However, zacatechichi is intensely bitter and soapy tasting and little can be done to mask the taste (though mixture with the sweetener herb Stevia or preparation by taking Miracle Berry which makes everything taste sweet sound like reasonable suggestions). My experience has been to mix a rounded teaspoon of zacatechichi with an ounce of kava kava and preparing it as normal kava. The berries/seeds seem to have more effect, though the leaf material itself is potent. Little empirical or pharmacologic data exists so far, one notable study being Lilian Mayagoitia's (1986) "Calea Zacatechichi: Psychopharmocologic Analysis of an Alleged Oneirogenic Plant" in vol. 18 of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. ----- Please also see the entry on Kava kava, 2.1.11, above. ========== 2.2.4 Herbs and weight loss ----- From Patricia Harper : Many herbs are used for temporary weight loss, including some that you can buy at an herb store. However, there are many herbalists who consider weight loss formulas to be harmful, and will not make them for their clients. Typically, herbal diet pills use herbs with the following properties to cause weight loss: 1. Stimulants: encourage the body to burn more calories. 2. Diuretics: cause the body to excrete water through excess urine. 3. Cathartics: cause evacuation of the bowels, reduce calorie consumption by impeding full digestion. 4. Appetite suppressants: reduce hunger by expanding in the stomach, altering mood, or satisfying taste. They may also use herbs to increase perspiration, (more "water weight" loss), and kill pain, or balance nerves. Some formulas are definitely going to be better balanced than others, but in general, we are not talking here about gentle herbs that nourish and support you, as you bring your habits into balance. Herbal weight loss formulas may have drastic physical effects on your body. "Effective" diet pills --herbal or not-- are potent, depleting, and temporary, if effective. They do not cure overweight conditions. There are herbs which can be used as supplements while you diet, but weight loss involves your whole lifestyle. Why not consider using herbs to change your lifestyle? Instead of just using dried, capsulated, herbal products, start including *whole* herbs in your life. Eat them everyday, as fresh as possible, (e.g. take walks, check out the vegetable stand, or tend a garden), everyday. Instead of taking a capsule, eat a handful of fresh parsley. Experiment with tasting each of your favorite culinary herbs made up as "diet" tea. Collect dandelion leaves, plantain, mints, lettuce, whatever, and whip it up in your blender as special diet "green drink." Almost no calories in most herbs. Also, get to know specific weeds and plants in your neighborhood. Learn their names and uses; look at them. Watch how they grow, Think about their growing condition and responses to it. You can even keep a journal noting everything you learn about each plant. Spring is the perfect time to bring herbs into your lifestyle. Eating and living with herbs can bring you a lifestyle which may be more conducive to weight loss. ========== 2.2.5 Herbs to make you sleep ----- Also see Valeriana (2.1.1). ----- > I REALLY need some herbs to take for insomnia. My doctor says I am in excellent health, and I am not depressed, but insomnia has been a terrible problem for me since I was a child. Can anyone recommend some herbs to me that either taste good-ok (not valerian--it smells so bad to me :( ) OR tell me how to make a herbal sleep pillow? From trowan@ivory.trentu.ca (The Literate Tomboy): Rub a little lavender oil under your nose and breathe deep as you lie in bed... From burleigh@tcg.anl.gov (darin) Organic chemistry textbooks. It was a surefire thing in college. From dsm2@ix.netcom.com (sherree moore) Okay, I've been lurking around reading the herbal newsgroup and I JUST have to give my remedy for insomnia. When I can't sleep I make a tea from chamomile (of course), valerian, hops, and a smidge of passion flower. Works every time. Of course, this combination might become a bit too much every single night! Therefore, a hops pillow might help. Make a small pillow and fill it with hops. Really doesn't smell bad at all. Oh yes, the tea is an acquired taste, but honey helps. From carl.mork@nwcs.org (Carl Mork): The various mints are good in tea for making you relax. I make a nice mix of peppermint, cat mint and apple mint to brew up the tea. A pillow is simple to make. Use the same mints plus lavender. There are other herbs that are used for sleep, but those are the ones I know from practical experience. The mix for tea and pillows should be to your taste. Oh and I suggest honey in the tea. ========== 2.2.6 Aphrodisiacs ----- From Peter L. Schuerman : Try this: 2 parts safflower (or 1 part saffron) 2 parts hibiscus flower 2 parts rose flower in tea (1 tsp. per cup) or capsules (1-2 OO caps). According to Ayurvedic philosophy, the floral structures of plants have their medicinal effects on the reproductive system. This formula is made of three flowers; the first is an aphrodisiac, the second exerts an influence on the sexual chakra and the third exerts and influence on the heart chakra and acts to harmonize the blend. From Back in Black , to above: If you find the effect of this mixture too overwhelming (depending on your constitution, it might be) you can also add 1 part myrrh to soften the effect. Without the myrrh, it has quite a punch, with the myrrh, it has a much more diffuse effect, spread throughout the entire body rather than being so focused on the lower two chakras (or at least, those are the effects it had on me). Personally, I couldn't stomach this mixture as tea -- capsules are preferable -- but it's also not bad in vanilla yogurt, if you don't have capsules. ========== 2.2.7 Herbal Abortives and Birth Control ----- Disclaimer. This is not anything you should try at home without supervision from a knowledgeable herb person. ----- From Colette Gardiner : Current and reliable information on herbal birth control is rare. In the Western tradition much information on birth control as well as safe birthing techniques was destroyed during the European Witch hunts circa 1450-1700. Having such knowledge was proof positive that you were a witch. Other historical information is often incomplete, with only a local common name, or no exact dosages. Researchers often discard supportive techniques such as fasting or ritual as mere superstition. Current studies tend to be anecdotal rather than strictly lab controlled data. This does not mean they are not of value, but again pertinent info may be missing. Such as was the woman pregnant in the first place? Anecdotal info can give us ideas on where to start and what the possibilities are. They have also shown us that herbal abortives are not themselves without side effects, often severe. All herbal info on abortives should be thoroughly researched before use. Some herbalists feel that herbal abortions are more dangerous than clinical abortions. Abortive herbs are toxic and do have side effects. They are not safer because they are natural. Clinical abortions are certainly more effective. Most importantly an herbal abortion should never be undertaken unless a women is willing to follow up with a clinical abortion if the herbs fail. EFFECTIVENESS Varying success rates have been claimed for herbal birth control. Estimates vary from 20%-80%. It is important to remember that most of these rates are based on the incidence of successfully bringing on a delayed period, not in aborting a definite pregnancy. Since many herbs seem to work the best close to the time of the first missed menstrual period, many women have not had a pregnancy test at the time they took herbal abortives. Studies on the success rate of herbal abortives in non-confirmed pregnancies is quite high (70%-80%). Success rates with confirmed pregnancies is substantially lower, 20% or less. Also there's not as much research on herbal abortives with confirmed pregnancy. SPECIFICS Rina Nissim, founder of the Dispensaire des Femmes in Switzerland claims a success rate of 60%-80% in women who believed they were pregnant (non-tested). Their method involved the use of at least two herbs at a time. Generally one emmenagogue (bleeding stimulator) with an oxytocic (uterine contraction stimulator) for no more than six days starting as soon as a woman's period is late. They have found that starting the herbal regimen later than six days overdue drops the success rate to 20%. In a survey I conducted (appendix A) with a small group of women there appeared to be a high success rate (about 75%). However only one of the women had a positive pregnancy test, so actual success rates were certainly much lower. My experience with women where there has been more complete information, such as positive pregnancy tests and follow up leads me to guess at a realistic success rate of 20% at this time. In a highly quoted New Mexico study, Cotton root bark had a very high success rate, with a fairly low toxicity. However it appears that very few of the women were actually pregnant based on blood tests and screening. Less info is available on prevention of pregnancy with herbs. In an informal study (appendix B) by Robin Bennett with Wild Carrot Seed used on a semi- regular basis as an implantation preventer she had a 98% success rate with few side effects. There is also a much quoted seven year study involving one hundred women in Alaska that also claimed high success rates for wild carrot seed. But no one seems to have any specifics on it. SAFETY In general many herbal abortives are mildly poisonous to potentially fatal in large doses. Almost all women report at least one of the following side effects: * Increased bleeding * Dizziness and nausea sometimes extreme enough to cause fear. * Visual disturbances * Sweats or chills * Diarrhea Less commonly reported side effects: * Incomplete abortion * Irregular cycles for 1-3 months The above can also occur in clinical abortions. * Kidney irritation * Breast Lumps (Tansy) Almost all women reported heavier bleeding and clotting than normal and felt that this was an indication of an aborted pregnancy. While this is indeed a sign of aborted pregnancy it's also common with use of emmenagogues. Common sense would indicate that when using emmenagogues there would be the chance of hemorrhage, but it appears to be a not very common side effect compared to the other effects. Most side effects appear to be of short duration. I do know of one case where a women experienced severe long term endocrine imbalance after using herbal abortives. SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS The most serious side effects seem to occur when women use herbal abortives, remain pregnant and attempt to carry to term. There is a high enough rate of reported instances to call for extreme caution. * Incomplete or low implantation of the placenta (reported frequently by many practitioners) * Premature detachment of the placenta before or during birth Consequences of these side effects can be severe and potentially fatal. Severe hemorrhage can and does occur under these circumstances. In one case a women lost 1/3 of her blood volume before bleeding could be stopped. Treatment consists of total bed rest and staying close to a hospital. The risks to both mother and fetus are extreme. * A few isolated reports of toxaemia possibly related to herbal abortives. ONE FINAL VERY SUBJECTIVE NOTE Clinic workers who see many clinical abortions note that women who used herbal abortives on their current pregnancy seem to have darker, thicker blood with more clotting. USE OF HERBAL ABORTIVES AS A LABOR FACILITATOR A few of the herbs that are used as herbal abortives maybe safely used in the last trimester of pregnancy under specific conditions to help facilitate healthy labor. While safe if properly used they should not be used unless a problem exists and only with the help of a practitioner. HERBAL SPECIFICS There are two main types of herbs used as abortives. Emmenagogues and oxytocins. EMMENAGOGUES Emmenagogues stimulate blood circulation to the pelvic area and uterus and help to stimulate menstruation. * Vitamin C - no buffers or fillers. Dose: 500 mg every hour for 12 hours up to 5 days. Toxicity: possible kidney irritation, loose bowels. * Ginger - Zingiber officinale, Dose: 1 oz. fresh or dry root to pint of water. Toxicity: possible light-headedness. * Pennyroyal - Mentha pulegium & Hedeoma pulegiodes, Dose: 1/4 cup of herb to 1 quart water once a day for no more than 6 days. Toxicity: nausea, numbness in hand and legs, liver irritation, kidney and bladder irritation, diarrhea, The essential oil is fatal internally. Contraindications: kidney conditions. * Angelica root - Angelica archangelica, Dosage: 1/4 cup herb to 1 quart water as tea. Tincture - 10-20 drops every two hours. Dried root less toxic than fresh. Toxicity: irritant to kidney and liver, not studied as much as pennyroyal. Contraindicated in diabetes as it raises blood sugar levels. * Mugwort Leaf - Artemisia vulgaris, Dosage: 3 teaspoon per cup tea, 3 cups per day, for no more than six days. Toxicity: higher doses can cause liver damage and convulsions. Nausea. Contraindications: Uterine inflammation or recent pelvic infection. * Black Cohosh Root - Cimicifuga racemosa, Dosage: 3 teaspoons per cup, 4 times a day. Tincture 20 drops every 6 hours. Toxicity: Diarrhea, dizziness, headache, decreased pulse rate, tremors, fatalities can occur in large enough doses. * Tansy - Tanacetum vulgare. Note: Do not confuse with tansy ragwort, Senecio jacobaea, which is a poisonous plant known to cause death in cattle thru liver failure. Dosage: Tea, 4-8 teaspoons per qt. sipped throughout day. 10 drops tincture in warm water every two hours til bleeding commences, for no more than 5 days. Toxicity: breast lumps, possible hemorrhage, liver irritant. Essential oil is fatal - do not ingest. OXYTOCIC HERBS They imitate oxytocin in the body to stimulate uterine contractions and release prostaglandin hormones. All oxytocic herbs are toxic to some degree. Women can experience very painful contractions. They are generally hard on the liver. Women with a history of liver disease such as hepatitis may wish to avoid them all together. * Blue Cohosh root - Caulophyllum thalictroides, Dosage: Tea - 3 teaspoons herb per cup, 3 cups per day, tincture - 20 drops every 4 hours, for six days or til bleeding commences. Toxicity: nausea, vomiting, headaches, convulsions in large doses, kidney and liver irritant, Contraindications: low blood pressure. Some of the constituents of Cohosh are more soluble as tincture. * Angelica - see emmenagogues. * Cotton root bark - Gossypium herbacetum, Dosage: 12 teaspoons per quart, 1/2 - 1 quart thru day. Tincture 10 drops every few hours til bleeding commences, for no more than 6 days. Toxicity : seemingly low based on the New Mexico study. Cotton is a heavily sprayed crop with pesticides that are only used on non food crops. Those pesticides can cause liver irritation, and other problems. Organic cotton root bark may be difficult to find. OTHER HERBS USED * Wild Carrot Seed - Daucus carota, used as a preventative. Dosage: 1 teaspoon a day chewed and washed down with fluid. Believed to work as an implantation preventor by making the uterine lining unsuitable. See appendix B. Toxicity: So far appears to be low toxicity, long term effects unknown. Identification must be absolute as many wild members of this family look similar and can be fatal. * Trillium root - Trillium spp. Dosage: tincture 30 drops 3-4 times a day. Tea 3 teaspoons per cup, 1 quart per day. Trillium root is used by midwives to facilitate softening of the cervix and is often used as a labor adjunct in the case of rigid os or as a preparatory agent before trying to induce labor with stronger herbs. It occasionally will start labor on it's own. As an abortive there is not a lot of current use info on effectiveness and side effects. Trillium root should only be harvested from garden grown plants as it is rare in the wild due to habitat destruction by logging and urban growth. * Parsley - Petroselinum spp. Used as a fresh plant vaginal insert for 24 hours. Personally I have heard of no cases of even bringing on a delayed period with this method. Toxicity: low. Misc. Herbs listed as abortives: Agave, Osha, Mistletoe, Rue, Peyote, Sweet flag, Papaya seed, Feverfew, Motherwort, Wood Sorrel, Damiana. The above is by no means an exhaustive list, many mild emmenagogues are listed as abortives in literature both scientific and folkloric: Marjoram, Oregano, Beet, Celery, Papaya fruit, Peppermint, Valerian, etc. While they may help facilitate onset of a slow period, such as the type where there's cramping and pelvic heaviness but bleeding has not yet commenced, it's doubtful they would act as abortives. Dosages mentioned above may be on the conservative side in many cases. However, since the serious side effects show up at higher doses it's best to be cautious. I've seen better results with tea than with tincture and with mixing 2 -3 herbs together in a blend. Herbal abortives effects may be enhanced by a day of fasting, working with ritual, and massage of the uterine acupressure points along the ankles several times a day for at least ten minutes at a time. Again the success rate is very low for actual pregnancies. Ideally if a woman wished to use herbal abortives I would recommend finding a clinic that does early pregnancy testing of the type that can detect pregnancy within a few days of conception, preferably one that can see women on a walk in basis so you don't have to wait for an appointment. Then if you are not pregnant you can use a mild emmenagogue such as marjoram, without stressing your body. Since early testing is not 100% accurate and if you are fairly sure you are pregnant, you may wish to use one of the less toxic abortives such as Vitamin C. Since most of the abortives are so hard on the body they should only be used in cases of confirmed pregnancy. Why put your liver thru more stress than it already gets in today's world? APPENDIX A SURVEY ON HERBAL BIRTH CONTROL AND ABORTIVES Colette Gardiner Of the 10 women in the study: None had used herbs preventatively as contraception 6 had previously been pregnant 8 could tell very accurately when they ovulated 8 of the women had used herbal abortives 1 women had delayed ovulation time with herbs use 1 women was a practitioner who counseled about herbal abortives 6 of the women had side effects 6 of the 8 women who used herbal abortives brought on a delayed period with herbs. Only one of these women had a confirmed pregnancy, but all the women felt they were pregnant. Two of these women were a few weeks late. A few of these women had unsuccessful herbal abortive attempts at other times. Time Frame Abortives Used: Brought on period with herbs at: Three weeks overdue - 1 women Two weeks overdue - 1 women When period was due - 4 women Many of the women reported friends who used herbal abortives successfully, but I did not use those accounts in my survey. In general the second hand reports were very similar to the survey results. A practitioner reported that several women in her area were drinking sassafras tea as a contraceptive. She didn't give details on safety or effectiveness. One women reported that either Vitamin A or Goldenseal seemed to delay ovulation. I've heard no other instances of this. My next project is to do a larger survey on herbal abortives with women who have had a positive early pregnancy test. For info or to participate contact me at: coletteg@efn.org or P.O Box 10914 Eugene,Or. U.S.A. 97440 APPENDIX B Wild Carrot Seed as an Herbal Contraceptive Survey conducted by Robin Bennett In Robin's info she stresses that it was a small study, and that she did not use scientific, double blind methods etc. In her survey there were three dosage regimes 1) Every day 2) Daily for 7 -8 days surrounding ovulation 3) For 7 days following intercourse The dosage for all women was one teaspoon daily chewed and washed down with fluids. Half of the women in the study used it as their only form of birth control. The study lasted for one year. Out of the ten women in the study: one became pregnant and had a clinical abortion. She became pregnant when she used the seeds for only three days around ovulation instead of the recommended 7-8. She had a clinical abortion. Two other women suspected they were pregnant and used herbal emmenagogues to bring on their period. One of these women was using the seeds daily. The other women was using them for 7-8 days surrounding ovulation. One of the women discontinued seed use in order to become pregnant and did. There were some mild side effects such as gas and slightly earlier periods. Some women felt that anything less than the full dose actually enhanced fertility. None of the women reported any symptoms of uterine irritation and subsequent exams showed no signs of it. In her handout Robin mentions some lab studies using WCS as an implantation preventor in mice, but did not give details. Her address: Robin Bennett R.R. 2 - Box 301 Garrison, N.Y. U.S.A. 10524 ========== 2.2.7.1 Herbal Abortives and Common Sense ----- Somebody wrote: >> A friend of mine does not use birth control. Is there an natural form for the abortion process? Somebody else tried to be helpful: > Here is a formula that is intended to induce a miscarriage: > 20 drops blue cohosh > 20 drops black cohosh > 20 drops pennyroyal > Measure the tinctures into a cup of warm water ... And finally some Common Sense; Jonathan Treasure replied to above: It is debatable whether using herbal medicine to cause uterine rejection of a conceptus is any more "natural" then an a D&C. Herbs can be potent and potentially dangerous - just because they grew out of the ground doesn't confer the status "natural" on anything they may be used for especially when the only alternative is orthodox procedural medicine. However the answer is YES, herbal abortion is possible, in certain circumstances. It would however be quite insane to take a recommendation from an internet list and simply believe that is the end of it....we are not talking about a common cold here. The reply giving cohosh/pennyroyal recipes was just plain daft - how late is she, how old is she, what is her general health, nutritional status, psychological state, emotional strength, domestic situation, support network etc etc etc etc etc. All these questions come before some generic formula can be given. Then the formula given was not related to strength of tincture, dried or fresh plant used, etc. The dose pattern given was potentially excessive. It might harm or her or it may not work at all. Would you then write to this list again? Grow up! I would urge your friend to consult someone who is experienced in the herbal management of ob/gyn if there is a real need (e.g. legality/finance) to go this route. ========== 2.2.8 Herbs and female infertility ----- By Roy Upton (herbal@got.net). There are a number of options to try for . I have worked with infertility for many years with a decent degree of success. As I do not know what is specifically the cause of infertility; i.e. inability to conceive, incompatibility with sperm, low level infection, inability to maintain the pregnancy due to insufficient progesterone levels, etc. I will provide some general rules of thumb. Most of what I will outline is based on traditional Chinese medicine. Gynecological imbalances are considered to be associated with poor pelvic circulation which prevents the gynecological system from being as healthy as it can be. Most botanical formulas are geared to promoting pelvic circulation. The most commonly used are formulas that include at least four herbs; Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis), Ligusticum, Rehmannia, and White Peony. This is a classic Chinese formula known as Dang Gui Four and can be found in any Chinatown and some health food stores. There are many variations of this formula. Another is called Women's Precious, or Eight Precious Pills. Either would be a good general formula to try. They should not be used during bleeding, menses, and generally not during pregnancy. Another botanical to use in conjunction with any Dang Gui-based formula is Chaste berry (Vitex agnus-castus). Vitex is a progesterone agonist which can help to minimize the risk of miscarriage. In addition, it can also stimulate ovulation. It works specifically by enhancing pituitary function, thus improving ovarian function. A few other herbs that I add either to the Dang Gui formula or to the Chaste Berry are False unicorn, Partridge Berry and Cramp Bark. I sometimes recommend a thyroid glandular as well, and insure the women is not anemic or borderline anemic. The basic protocol is to utilize the Dang Gui Four formula in conjunction with Chaste Berry throughout the month except during menses. We could get fancy and give one formula during the estrogenic phase of the cycle, and the Chaste Berry for the progesterenic phase, but this is seldom necessary. I use custom- blended teras or ready made commercial formulas. My suggesting would be to go to a health food store, TCM practitioner or naturopathic physician and ask what the best Dang Gui/Chaste Berry products they have. You have to be diligent in getting a decent product. There are many Dang Gui products consisting of only Dang Gui, or which are not put together that well. There is also a lot of bogus chaste berry floating around on the market, especially that available from Chinatown. One of the more popular capsuled products is 85% millet, and is largely ineffective. Lastly, it is important to encourage those trying to conceive to look at conception just as you would look at a garden. Before you ever plant a seed you cultivate the soil. In this case, you do not want to attempt conception for at least three cycles, ideally six cycles. Both the man and women should be brought into this process by recommending the man use herbs that increase sperm count and motility (Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Kidney tonics, avoiding excessive sexual activity and hot tubs, etc.). The woman should also be exercising regularly, focusing on improving abdominal tonicity. Kegels are excellent exercises to try. This is to insure adequate tonicity of tissue internally so implantation can hold. Focusing on nutritional well-being is very important for obvious reason, even if the women is not anemic. This basic protocol has worked in dozens of women that I have worked with, with conception taking place anywhere from 3 weeks to four months. I do not know of anyone specifically that it has not worked for, but this may be due to the fact that if it didn't work they may not have come back to me, or went on to try something else. I have had several women who continued to use the Dang Gui formula even after conception, one for up to six months because she forgot that I told her not to use it during pregnancy. The reason it is generally contraindicated is because it increases blood flow, something you do not want to do in pregnancy. However, once the system is healthy and conception takes place, nothing short of a strong abortive is going to dislodge the fetus. She had a normal pregnancy, and the baby was apparently healthy and happy. I hope this helps. Best of luck. ========== 2.2.9 Herbs, ADD, and replacing Ritalin ----- >Does anyone know of any viable substitutes for Ritalin for ADD? I have heard of a substance called Pycnogenol. Are there any other substitutes for taking Ritalin? How long does a person need to take Pycnogenol in order for it to take effect? From herbal@got.net (Roy Upton): I have seen at least 70 children weaned of Ritalin. I usually recommend weaning off of Ritalin for a 2-3 week period, while administering the herbs. Usually, the program consists of dietary modification, exercise, and nutritional and herbal supplementation. Though treatment is similar, differentiate between ADD and ADHD. ADD might be a direct result of under/poor nourishment. The brain is the most energy intensive organ of the body. If the body is deprived of energy, the brain is first to suffer. In ADHD there is often a rapid heart beat that may have varying underlying causes such as specific allergies. DIETARY * Elimination of most simple sugars including fruit juices, foods with colors and preservatives. Concentrate on a whole foods diet. * Magnesium supplementation. Dosage based on weight, age of child. * I have used a combination of the following herbs with significant success (according to parents and teachers): Chinese zizyphus, chamomile, lemon balm, catnip, hawthorn berry, and gotu kola flavored with cinnamon, anise, and a touch of cloves. Usually this is prepared as a glycerite extract (approx. 1:3-1:5 concentration). 20 drops 2-3 daily. I alternate this with Hawthorn berry syrup, 1 tsp 2 x daily. * Exercise is a must for ADHD. In Germany, Chamomile tea, and small doses of valerian root are utilized. I think it is important to note that ADD and ADHD is one of the most frequently diagnosed conditions in children, and that is rising dramatically, much to the concern of many practitioners who feel that the diagnosis is handed out much too casually. I believe the makers of Ritalin have done an excellent job of marketing. There have been a series of articles (and a few books) I have seen over the past number of years on the need to provide a "proper diagnosis" of these children rather than labeling them as 'bad". Teachers have become the prime target for providing the initial grounds for diagnosis. Oftentimes, a child will be diagnosed in kindergarten or early grade school and not adequately reassessed for a number of years. The inherent problem in both of these is obvious. I also do not believe the diagnosis should be made until all lifestyle protocols (including supplementation, diet, exercise, etc.) have been attempted and failed. I am of the firm belief, from many of the parents that I have seen, that it is often the parents that primarily require the help, the children secondarily. This is especially true of ADHD. Relative to the energy levels of the majority of exhausted, "burned-out at the end of the work day" parents, the majority of children are "hyperactive". We try to force them to be little adults before they have developed the coping mechanisms or social skills we design to stifle their natural impulses. We expect them to sit still when they have boundless physical energy. We ask (tell) them to pay attention to educational materials that mean little to them. This is an indictment of our education system as well. Also, the typical American child is raised on nutritionless foods, challenged with numerous stresses, and spends an average of six hours a day in front of the television, when they should be expending the physical energy. While I believe that medicating, especially with amphetamines, is beneficial for some, by-and-large, it should be a last resort. I hope this is of some help. ========== 2.2.10 Herbs for sunburn ----- From Howie Brounstein : I have found plant tannins to be the best sunburn treatment. Tannins are found in most plants, and are particularly high in many plants. They bind with alkaloids and proteins. This is helpful in the case of burnt skin --- broken proteins. The tannins bind with the broken skin proteins to form a layer of tanneoproteins, or was that proteotannins (it's a little late). This layer is protective and soothing. I generally throw some Manzanita leaves into water and boil. If you're preparing a wash for sunburn and are primarily concerned with extracting tannins, you can just boil it, no matter what the herb. You can wash the sunburn with the tea when it cools. Some astringents with tannins (to name a few): * Manzanita * Uva ursi (kinnikkinik) * Polygonum roots (bistort) * Heuchera (alum root) * Currant and Gooseberry Bark (Ribes) * Geum * Potentilla * Rosa's Bark and roots * Rubus (blackberry root) * Ceanothus bark and root * Cornus Dogwood Bark * Chimaphila Prince's Pine pipsissewa * Pyrola * Black Tea These contain salicylates which may have some topical analgesic effects: * Willow Bark * Oak Bark * Poplar Bark * Spirea ----- From Satin : I use an aloe and comfrey lotion on sunburn. I am a strawberry blonde with my red-headed Mom's complexion - I don't tan. It's either burn or nothing. So I wear sunscreen and keep the aloe/comfrey lotion on hand. ----- From Craige Roberts : For some reason, aloe vera hasn't proven to be the miracle for my skin that it is for some people's. One of the best burn treatments I know of is lavender essential oil, applied neat. The aromatherapy literature is full of references and documentation of its use in this connection and the impressive results. Since lavender e.o. is quite benign and doesn't sting, this would be quite good for a child. In my experience, the burning and redness begin to subside quite soon after application. In contrast, the aloe takes much longer and at least initially the relief seems to be due more to the cooling effect of its evaporation. Another therapy that has been used for burns, as well as infected wounds, for thousands of years is human urine, or its derivative, urea. There are a number of articles on this and other medicinal uses of human urine and its derivatives in the contemporary establishment medical literature, such as The Lancet and JAMA, for those who find this reassuring. (As usual, a simple, inexpensive remedy doesn't receive the press or research money that patentable, synthetic drugs do.) I haven't tried this myself on burns yet, but apparently one applies urine or urea-soaked compresses to the affected area, keeping them wet with fresh applications of urine. Though urea is said to sting a bit, straight urine supposedly does not. Craige Roberts ----- From Mary Jo Gilsdorf : For burns, I find oatmeal poutices and cold tea bags works best to take out the sting and stop the rash like effect. Also know some who swear by taking two to three regular aspirins. Mary Jo ========== End of part 4 of 7 ========== -- Henriette Kress HeK@hetta.pp.fi Helsinki, Finland http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives... ========== Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.26) Part 5/7 From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress) Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:03:26 GMT -------- Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part5 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 1997/02/22 Version: 1.26 URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== 2.3 Processing herbs ========== 2.3.1 Distilling oil ----- This info is copyright by the Australasian College of Herbal Studies, Aromatherapy Certificate Home Study Course. Posted with permission. From Dorene Petersen : >I would really be interested in finding out how to make essential oils. The most important production method for Essential oils is distillation. The basic principle of distillation is the same but it is carried out in different ways depending on the botanical material and the condition of the material. Three types of distillation are used: 1. Water 2. Water and steam 3. Direct steam Distillation is basically, producing steam. The steam is passed through the herbal material. The steam carries the Essential oil from the plant in suspension which means the droplets of Essential oils are not dissolved in the steam but remain separate as droplets of oil. When the steam is cooled it reverts to the liquid state which is water and in most cases the oil floats on the surface of the water. The oil is then separated from the water by dripping or pouring. 1. Water distillation is used when the plant material has been dried and will not be damaged by boiling. It is also used for powdered materials such as powdered almond, and flowers, such as orange and rose, that need to float freely as they tend to lump together when just steam is passed through them. The material comes into direct contact with the boiling water and much care needs to be taken that the water does not boil away and cause the plant material to burn. Another example of an oil prepared by this method is turpentine gum. Turpentine gum is collected from a species of Pine (Pinus palustris) and the gum, wood chips and pine needles are placed in the distilling chamber with rain water. This mixture is heated until the plant and oil are condensed in the condensing chamber. Turpentine oil is not affected by very excessive heat. 2. The second method of distillation is water and steam. This is used for either fresh or dried plant material that would be damaged by boiling. The plant material is supported on a perforated grid. The water level is below the grid and low pressure, wet steam passes through the plant material. The most important aspect of this method is that the steam is never really hot and always at low pressure. Cinnamon and clove oils are prepared by this method. 3. Direct steam distillation is similar to the second method but the steam is hotter and passed through the plant material at a higher pressure. This method is used for fresh plant material that has a high boiling point such as seeds, roots and wood. It is also used for fresh plant material such as peppermint and spearmint. The crop is cut and placed in a metal distilling tank on a truck. It is then taken to the distilling tank on the truck. Steam is forced through the fresh herbs and the oil droplets are carried by the steam through a vapor pipe at the top of the tank onto a cool condensing chamber. Cold Pressing or Expression: This method is mainly used to prepare citrus oils such as orange, lemon and tangerine. One method involves puncturing the oil glands by rolling the fruit over sharp projections that actually pierce the oil glands. The fruit is then pressed which removes the oil from the glands. It is then washed off with a fine spray of water. The juice is extracted by another tube. The oil is then separated from the water by rotating it at a very high speed. Another method involves separating the peel from the fruits and then cold pressing them. The Essential oil is collected along with small amounts of juice, which is separated. Enfleurage: This is an old method which was used in the production of perfumes and pomade extracts for perfumery. Flower petals such as rose or jasmine are layered onto warm oils, cold fat or wax. This process is repeated each day until the base is saturated with the Essential oil. The resulting waxes or pastes contain up to 1 percent of Essential oil. The Essential oil is then extracted from the wax with a volatile liquid such as ethyl alcohol. In the final step the ethyl alcohol is evaporated at low temperatures and reduced pressure so that the pure Essential oil remains as a fairly thick liquid. Cold enfleurage has the advantage that even the most delicate components of the flower oils are preserved. The disadvantages are that it is not very effective and it is very expensive. Flower oils prepared with this method do not contain terpene-hydrocarbons, which indicates that these compounds are not present as such in the flower, but form during distillation. Solvent Extraction This is the most widely used modern method to prepare oils from flowers. The petals are mixed into a volatile solvent such as petroleum, ether or benzene, until the Essential oil is completely dissolved in the solvent. The solution is then filtered and the solvent is evaporated at reduced pressure. The result of solvent extraction is a concrete. The solvent is removed from the concrete by vacuum pressure without the use of heat to avoid any harmful effect to the oil. The concentrated essence that results is called an absolute. Absolutes are highly concentrated flower products without the natural waxes. The main advantage of extraction over distillation is that uniform temperatures are maintained throughout the process. High temperatures during the distillation process can produce altered chemical composition of the oil which alters the natural odor. However, this method is expensive compared to distillation, and chemicals or solvents used in the process may still be present after evaporation. I know this is kind of lengthy but it is not a quick topic. Hope this helps. Dorene Petersen Australasian College of Herbal Studies 1(800)48-STUDY ----- From Rusty Taylor (rustytay@orca.esd114.wednet.edu): Quoting 'Herbal Preparations and Natural Therapies' by Debra St. Claire: 'Glycerin will extract the following - sugars, enzymes (dilute), glucosides, bitter compounds, saponins (dilute), and tannins. Absolute alcohol will extract the following - alkaloids (some), glycosides, volatile oils, waxes, resins, fats, some tannins, balsam, sugars, and vitamins.' I am very much still a student, but it seems to me that you would use the solvent that will give you the healing properties that you need out of the plant. And for those that don't like the alcohol taste, or bite, the tincture can be mixed in hot water and left for a few minutes to evaporate most of the alcohol off. It has worked well for me, and my children. ========== 2.3.2 Pointer to the How-to of Tinctures ----- Go get the latest edition of Michael Moore's Materia Medica from his WWW site: http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE (also see 6.1 below). If you wish to use anonymous FTP go to sunsite.unc.edu or to sunsite.sut.ac.jp and cd to /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/SWSBM/ Go for the manuals. ========== 2.3.3 Herbal Oils ----- From Dorene Petersen : I have made quite a lot of infused oils and the following is from the Aromatherapy Certificate Correspondence Course offered by the Australasian College of Herbal Studies. It's not that technical but hope its helpful: HOW TO PREPARE YOUR OWN INFUSED OILS AT HOME There is nothing more satisfying than gathering a basket of fresh jasmine, honeysuckle or rose blossoms on a warm summers day and then preparing your own infused oil. There are three methods for preparing an infused herbal oil. You can use fresh or dried herbs. Flowers are best fresh, although the perfume of some flowers intensifies with drying such as gardenia, daphne and boronia. If using fresh, double the quantity as all recipes given are for dried herbs. If using fresh herbs for any of these methods leave the herbs to wilt for six hours to reduce their water content which will spoil the final product. WATERBATH METHOD 15 gm (1/2 oz) dried or if fresh use 30 gm (1 oz) herb (this is the total amount so if you are using a blend make sure you do not have more than this) 1 cup of oil Measure the herbs and oil and mix the oil to the herbs in a stainless steel bowl. Heat over water bath (a saucepan 1/4 filled with water) also known as a double boiler, which should be simmering. Make sure the bowl is not sitting on the bottom of the pot but is floating in the water. Keep the lid on the oil. Stir occasionally and simmer for 30 minutes. Watch the oil does not get too hot. It should not smoke or bubble. It can burn easily and will develop an acrid smell if it overheats, which is very difficult to disguise. Strain through four layers of butter muslin or some other very fine non-metal strainer. Strain twice if necessary as it is important to get all herbs out of the oil to prevent the herbal oil from going rancid or moldy. Essential oils can be added at this stage for perfume and added therapeutic benefits. SOLAR METHOD Use the same quantities of herbs and oil as for the waterbath method or approximately 3 tablespoons of finely cut herbs to 300ml (10 oz) of oil. The quantity of herb can be increased to produce a stronger oil. Put the herbs in a jar with a tight fitting lid and pour over the oil. Make sure the herbs are completely covered with oil. Add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white wine to help break down the plant material. Leave the jar to sit in the sun all day and in a warm cupboard at night for two weeks. Strain through four layers of muslin. This process can be repeated two to three times to give a stronger oil. The final product should be strong enough to leave an aroma when massaged on the skin. Always test infused oils on the skin. Don't rely on just your nose. CROCKPOT METHOD Use the same quantities of herbs and oil as for Waterbath method. Place the herbs and oil in a crockpot and leave on a low heat for two hours. Follow the recipe above for straining. TO PRESERVE OILS This is only necessary if you are preparing large quantities that you intend to store. 1. Add 1/4 tsp. simple tincture of Benzoin to 1 cup vegetable oil. Tincture of Benzoin is prepared from the gum of an Indonesian tree, Styrax Benzoin. Make sure it is simple tincture of Benzoin. Compound tincture of Benzoin, also known as Friars Balsam, is not suitable. 2. Add 500 I.U. of natural mixed Tocopherols or Vitamin E to 1 cup of vegetable oil. Dorene Petersen ========== 2.3.4 Balms and liniments ----- > >Hi,I just wonder if anyone has any info about how to make your own balms and liniments. From: Shannon Brophy : To make a liniment: First infuse the plant in oil. Do this by baking at low heat (120-170 degrees) in a glass pan with herb and oil together, stir occasionally. Then strain with cheesecloth and a funnel to separate plant material from the oil. Squeeze out the cheesecloth. Then grate beeswax and add to hot oil, maybe heating again over a double boiler on the stove. Pour the viscous green stuff into jars and allow to cool. Can keep in the fridge for a longer shelf life. Also, adding vitamin E oil to the mixture helps preserve it. Shannon Brophy, Midwife visit the Roots & Wings Website at http://www.yoga.com ----- From: Andy & Sharon : One of the most popular liniments for muscle-, head- and backache is Tigerbalm. Tradition will have it that the Mongolian Horsemen from Genghis Khan, roaming the plains of central Europe, had a very effective ointment against saddle and back ache. Part of this ointment came from the Siberian Birch Tree. A mixture was made out of lard, camphor and birch tree oil. For ages this ointment was in use and got quite famous. At the end of the last century many products were replaced by synthetic components. The useful part of the birch oil (methyl salicylate) and from the camphor oil (the crystals) were available in synthetic form. This made the ointment cheap and within reach for everyone. A Chinese merchant composed a mixture of methylsalicylate, camphor crystals and petroleum jelly which he called Tigerbalm. It became famous throughout the Orient and parts of Europe under this name. How to make it: First you have to make the oil. You can use it pure or add it to petroleum jelly (vaseline) later on to make the balm. Tigerbalm Oil - Natural - Recipe 1 Wintergreen oil 45 ml Camphor oil 15 ml Eucalyptus oil 7 ml Lavender oil 5 ml Peppermint oil 8 ml Almond oil 20 ml Tigerbalm Oil - Natural - Recipe 2 Peppermint oil 25 ml Camphor oil 15 ml Wintergreen oil 20 ml Lavender oil 15 ml Eucalyptus oil 15 ml Jojoba oil 10 ml Tigerbalm Oil - Partly natural Methyl salicylate 25 ml Menthol crystals 5 g Camphor crystals 10 g Eucalyptus oil 10 ml Lavender oil 5 g Paraffin oil 45 ml Tigerbalm To make tigerbalm take 100 gram Petroleum Jelly (vaseline) (acid free) and melt this by placing, for instance a glass with Vaseline in a pan hot water. The Vaseline will melt quickly (or use the microwave). Once melted place the glass in a pan cold water and as soon as on the side of the glass the Vaseline hardens again, add 20 ml of your Tigerbalm oil . Stir until cooled down. If you prefer the balm to have a colour, add a drop of chlorophyll. It is used for headaches, apply a little bit to the forehead, for muscle pains and after insect bites. ----- >I find tiger balm/vaseline, to be too greasy for me. I created a simple rub for my lower back pain (due to herniated disk) that provides some relief. It consists of essential oil of Wintergreen, oil of St. John's Wart, added to a base of Aloe Vera gel. >The Aloe Vera gel is non-greasy and absorbs completely (to the touch). This mixture also feels like it absorbs completely, and no staining of my clothes as of yet. >Can I make the above "Tigerbalm", but use the aloe vera gel?? As well, my herb book indicated that oil of wintergreen is good for pain and inflammation. Could you also post what the other herbs are targeted for?? From: email.naturesway@ukonline.co.uk to above: I cannot see any reason why you should not use your gel; the vaseline is used to hold the oils together. Here are some ways the oils react with your skin; as you can see lavender detoxifies, while eucalyptus vitalizes, peppermint refreshes etc. Essential oils and how they affect your skin 1. GREASY SKIN Sage : relaxes, improves blood circulation Peppermint: refreshes, cools Valerian : calms Clove : disinfects Camphor : Disinfects, sedating Cypress : Refreshing, relaxing 2. UNCLEAN SKIN Cajeput : Improves perspiration Rosemary : Improves blood circulation Valerian : Calming Camphor : Disinfects, sedates 3. THICK, PALE AND WEAK SKIN Oregano : Widens the blood vessels Melissa : Refreshes, tonic Geranium : Refreshing Linden blossom : Soothing 4. INFECTED SKIN Juniper : Disinfects Lavender : Healing Cajeput : Improves perspiration Fir : Refreshes, regulates 5. SENSITIVE, THIN, QUICKLY IRRITATED SKIN Cypress : Relaxes, refreshes Pine : Balances, refreshes Melissa : Against cramps Chamomile : Sedating Therebinth : Softening 6. TIRED SKIN Lavender : Detoxifying Eucalyptus : Vitalizing Cajeput : Improves perspiration Verbena : Calming Lemongrass : Improves blood circulation 7. BODY CARE (GENERAL) Oregano : Strengthening Thyme : Disinfecting Mint : Tonic Geranium : Refreshing ========== 2.4 Pointers to related documents ----- I appreciate updates on below WWW / ftp addresses. Drop me a note if you notice changes: HeK@hetta.pp.fi. Thanks. ========== 2.4.1 Tinnitus FAQ pointer ----- The tinnitus FAQ is found at http://www.cccd.edu/faq/tinnitus.html. ========== 2.4.2 Plants by Mail FAQ pointer ----- Here you'll find lots and lots of catalogs to get living plants, and some seeds, too: http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ/ ========== 2.4.3 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome WWW page pointer ----- Take a look at the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Home Page at http://www.netaxs.com/~iris/cts and specifically, at http://www.netaxs.com/~iris/cts/compfort.html ========== 2.4.4 Hint for Kombucha posters ----- Please subscribe to the Kombucha list (see 8.4). Do not post on alt.folklore.herbs about Kombucha. There is also a nice www page on kombucha (actually there's lots, just use a search engine): http://www.mindspring.com/~kir/kombucha/manna/ Then there's the Kombucha Homepage, which should answer anyone's questions about the subject: http://www.sease.com/kombucha ========== 2.4.5 Hint for Essiac posters ----- You can find a wealth of info on Essiac at this web location: http://lablinks.com/sumeria/health/essiac2.html ========== 2.4.6 Thinking of growing herbs for sale? ----- Visit this site first: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ It's the Gateway to the NewCrop Resource Online Program at the Indiana Center for New Crops and Plant Products at Purdue University; it has lots of information about different plants. Then go get the 'herb-growing.faq' at sunsite (see 7.1 below). ========== 2.4.7 Saw Palmetto and Prostata Problems: Newsgroup/FAQ pointer ----- Try news:alt.support.prostate.prostatitis, where they also have an excellent FAQ posted periodically. ========== 2.4.8 Natural High FAQ pointer ----- Go get it by ftp from the alt.drugs archive at hyperreal.com /drugs/faqs/ - and take the other interesting stuff as well while you're there. ========== 2.4.9 Natural vision FAQ pointer ----- This interesting document can be found by WWW: http://www.usyd.edu.au/~vicc/home.html or http://silver.ucs.indiana.edu/~aeulenbe/home.html, or email vicc@extro.ucc.su.oz.au It's posted roughly monthly to sci.med, sci.med.vision and alt.self-help. ========== 2.4.10 Smoking herbs document pointer ----- You'll find Howie Brounstein's herbal smoking mixtures -booklet on Howie's Homepage: http://www.teleport.com/~howieb/howie.html or by FTP on sunSITE: ftp to sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp, logon as anonymous, use your email address as password, go to directory /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/Howie_Brounstein/ It's about 47 kB. ========== 2.4.11 Gout FAQ pointer ----- The Gout FAQ is on the Rheumatology Page: http://www.crl.com/~fredt/rheum.html ========== 2.4.12 Pointer to herbal-medical glossary ----- I got email 'yes but what does MAO inhibitor and adrenergenics and cholinergics mean?' ... so here's a pointer to Michael Moore's medicinese - English dictionary: http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/ManualsMM/MedHerbGloss2.txt you get there from Michael Moore's Clinical Herb Manuals page: http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/ManualsMM/MansMM.html ========== 2.4.13 Pointer to criticism of 'Herbal Roulette' in Consumer Reports 11/95:698-705 ----- There was an article in Consumer Reports called 'Herbal Roulette'; here's the introduction to the criticism by Mark D. Gold: >I decided to type up a quick & dirty response to the inaccurate information and somewhat dangerous recommendations presented in a magazine article (entitled "Herbal Roulette") in the November 1995 issue of Consumer Reports about herbs. >I hate to see people suffer because they don't realize that Consumer Reports didn't consult with any real experts and because they don't realize that Consumer Reports has a long-standing, extreme bias on this issue. You'll find the full response on Mark's homepage: http://www.tiac.net/users/mgold/health.html or on SunSITE, together with the second response I saw, by George M. Carter, on the paracelsus list: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/faqs/herbroul.html If you read the Consumer Reports article, or are otherwise exposed to the results of it, read above responses. Both will help you see thru the inaccuracies in the original article. ========== 2.5 Other topics that are frequently discussed ========== 2.5.1 Melatonin ----- from Paul Bergner , Editor, Medical Herbalism: I'm not surprised that melatonin is gone in Canada, and I predict that it will go the way of DHEA here in the U.S. -- meaning that it will be a prescription-only controlled item, treated like opiates. I've just researched and written a lengthy article about melatonin, and frankly I am shocked that natural healers would use this substance casually like a sleeping pill. Melatonin is a powerful hormone that affects the entire metabolic cycle, not just the sleep- wake cycle. We rail against hormone-replacement therapy with estrogen- progresterone, and then casually offer patients enough melatonin to raise blood levels 10-20 times their normal levels. This is bound to be a Devil's bargain, and it is only a matter of time till regulatory agencies throughout the world discover this and rightfully take measures to protect the public. For instance: melatonin production by the pineal gland appears to be an important part of the aging clock. The pineal glands of young mice, transplanted to old mice, make the old mice "younger" and they live about 1/3 longer. On the other hand, the pineal glands of older mice, transplanted into younger mice, immediately makes them "older" and they live about 1/3 shorter lives. So what happens when some guy named Joe in Iowa takes ten mg of melatonin (about twenty times what you need to achieve normal blood level peaks) to sleep most nights for three years (this is actually happening all over the place today) and then can't get the melatonin? Will his pineal have lost its ability to produce the same levels as previously? Most hormones have a negative feedback loop of one sort or another -- would levels that high reduce endogenous production over time? Will poor Joe then age ten years over the next few months? I think melatonin has a proper place in natural medicine, in the treatment or palliation of cancer, used for brief periods for jet lag, and possible for the elderly, and may be a few more uses. But IMO over-the-counter status is inviting health disaster. ========== 3 General Info ========== 3.1 Introduction to side effects, safety and toxicity of medicinal herbs ----- by Jonathan Treasure (jonno@teleport.com) This introduction concerns WESTERN medical herbs and their clinical use. Some herbal agents are common to different traditions but the indications and methods of use may vary between e.g. TCM, Ayurvedic and Western practices. The purpose of these notes is to provide a general understanding of the actions of herbal medicines, and hence a background for understanding questions of safety and toxicity - NOT to provide a list of problematic herbs. A brief bibliography gives sources of reliable information on the safety of herbal medicine and further reading. ----- Conventional medicine considers that if a drug is to be effective, it will inevitably have side effects. The medical establishment considers herbal medicines as drugs, and as such, they must either have side effects - or ergo be ineffective. Paradoxically tens of thousands of people every year turn to herbal medicine because they regard plant remedies as being free from undesirable side effects. Herbal medicines are considered to be generally safe AND effective agents. Although there is a spectrum of viewpoints in western herbal medicine, most herbalists reject the view that plant medicines are naturally occurring analogues of the pharmaceuticals used in orthodox clinical medicine i.e. drugs. This is ultimately a rejection of the dominant paradigm of orthodox clinical science. It is necessary to outline the elements of the alternative paradigm shared by most herbalists, before questions of toxicity and safety can be discussed in context of clinical herbal therapeutics, rather than of orthodox medical science ========== 3.1.1 Medicinal plant actions cannot be reduced to the effects of their isolated 'active constituents' ----- There ARE a few plants that are almost "drug like" and whose action approaches that of pharmaceuticals. Digitalis is the classic example. Herbalists use these plants in near allopathic treatment strategies if at all, and in some countries e.g. UK, their availability is restricted by law. The number of herbs in this category is relatively few. The vast majority of medicinal herbs contain dozens of different compounds, often of great complexity, mucilages, tannins, polysaccharides etc. that buffer, modulate and modify the effects of any "active principles". Study after study has shown that effects produced by extracts of whole plants cannot be mimicked by administering isolated purified constituents of the plant. (It is ironic this proposition even has to be asserted given that biological sciences have for some time used a systems theory model in which the whole being greater than the sum of the parts is axiomatic - this simply reflects the inherent conservatism of the medical establishment. However for most herbalists the view of the whole being greater than the parts is derived from vitalism, not systems theory!) ========== 3.1.2 Medicinal herbs act 'multi-systemically' ----- Pharmaceutical drugs are designed to elicit very specific reactions. Their associated "side effects" are undesired actions, usually traded as a "risk" against the "benefit" of the primary effect. Herbs tend to have several broad actions on a number of whole physiological systems at the same time. These actions are usually oriented in the same general therapeutic direction, and are usually complementary or synergistic, often non-specific, and very rarely adverse. Herb actions cannot be adequately described using the vocabulary of "drug" action terms, e.g. diuretic etc. - they are too complex. The clearest example of this is the coining of the term "adaptogenic " used to describe the multiple non-specific effects of herbs such as Ginseng. ========== 3.1.3 Herbs act on the healing processes in the body ----- A pharmaceutical drug addresses symptoms caused by specific disease mechanisms as understood by scientific pathology. Herbal medicines are directed towards aiding the body's own healing processes. These approaches are diametrically opposed. Herbal medicines act gently, usually attempting to "nudge" or "support" systems and processes that have become deficient or help remove excesses that have become preponderant. Symptom relief is only a component of herbal therapeutic strategy. This is a crucial difference. For example, serum arthritic conditions are conventionally treated with steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. These have widespread and disturbing side effects, which at sustained high doses become intolerable and potentially dangerous if not lethal. The herbal approach to these conditions uses dietary modification of metabolism; facilitation of elimination via kidneys and hepatic/ biliary routes; stimulation of circulation in the affected regions, moistening of dry synovia, etc. Topical treatments for acute joint pain or systemic anti-inflammatory herbs that help joint pain are used as required, but this is not the thrust of the treatment strategy. Lay persons often make the related mistake of seeking a "natural alternative" to a pharmaceutical they have been prescribed rather than challenging the diagnosis and therapeutic strategy. ========== 3.1.4 Herbs act multi-dimensionally ----- Herbal medicine is a wholistic therapy, it integrates mental, emotional and spiritual levels seamlessly into its understanding of both human function and of the plant remedy, while respecting the planetary and ecological dimensions of natural medicine provided by plants. Although subject to differing interpretations this view is held in one form or another by most herbalists . Life style, mental, emotional and spiritual considerations are part of any naturopathic approach, herbalism included. Flower essences, homeopathic preparations and drop doses of standard herb extracts all demonstrate that herbal agents can produce consistent and powerful effects at subtle levels in ways quite inexplicable by the pharmacokinetic model underlying orthodox pharmacology. Centuries of medicinal plant usage overarch even the Graeco - Roman heritage of medical thought, itself already forgotten by its amnesiac infant technological medicine, extending into magical, esoteric and religious domains of prehistory. The great Asian systems of medicine have continued uninterrupted for thousands of years to today, integrated into profound cosmological and philosophical systems. From any serious study of the application of herbs to healing a perspective emerges that reveals modern doctors to be tragicomically "like educated peasants running around pretending to be chiefs" (Grossinger). ========== 3.1.5 Side effects vs. contraindications ----- Many herbalists would tend toward the radical homeopathic view that the "side effects" of orthodox medicine are in fact iatrogenic developments of the very disease for which the pharmacological intervention was intended. The symptoms simply change, and the real underlying dysfunction is further obscured - or driven further into the interior to manifest in deeper and more intractable ways. Notwithstanding this iatrogenic view of side effects, we have seen that the use of herbs anyway does not generally involve "drug" actions or adverse effects. Of course, if the body processes are nudged in the wrong direction for long enough, then imbalances can worsen rather than improve. Hence the need for informed knowledge of the effects of herbs as well as a clinical training to understand their appropriate medical application. Herbalists learn about the CONTRAINDICATIONS as well as the indications for using a herb. This term is more useful and appropriate than "side effects". CONTRAINDICATIONS are incongruences between the metabolic/systemic predisposition (constitution) of the individual - and the spectrum of multi-systemic actions of a given herb agent or class of agents. Essentially, herbalists use their in depth knowledge to devise a mix'n'match prescription tailored precisely to fit an individuals unique profile. This approach is most sophisticated in the tonic energetics of the Oriental medical traditions, but is empirically applied by most herbalists. Contraindicated remedies can account for apparently idiosyncratic "bad reactions" to a herb. Valerian is a classic example, its powerful autonomic effects can make it "disagree" with stressed adrenergically hyperactive individuals, who paradoxically are often those seeking sedative treatment for insomnia. Anyone experiencing such reactions to a herb for more than a couple of days should stop taking it and seek further advice. However a second and vital aspect of contraindications especially today is the question of DRUG INTERACTIONS. Many people seeking herbal medical treatment are already involved in pharmaceutical therapies. Herbal remedies may act either as agonists or potentiate some drug therapies, and an understanding of conventional drugs is an essential prerequisite for effective herbal therapeutics. In many cases, herbalists would not treat the primary presenting symptom undergoing drug treatment - be it ulcers treated with Zantac or cardiac arrythmia treated with Digoxin - but rather concentrate on supporting other systems and functions stressed by the primary symptom. This allows the body to recover its strength and healing potential so it can then direct these capabilities toward repairing the presenting condition. In other cases, it can be a priority to wean someone off drugs, e.g. steroids, in which case supportive therapy to restore adrenal function is vital. ========== 3.1.6 Safety and toxicity of herbal medicines ----- The definition of *toxic* is a ultimately a matter of viewpoint. Many ordinary foods contain constituents that could be regarded as poisonous, such as the alpha gliadin produced by gluten in wheat oats and rye, the cyanogenic glycosides in many fruit seeds, the thiocyanates of the brassica vegetables, alkaloids of the Solanaceae and lectins of many pulses including soya and red kidney beans. Nonetheless these foods are generally regarded as safe. Similarly, both water and oxygen - can kill in excessive amounts, so quantity is often an important consideration. In practice however, three groups of herbs can be identified from a safety point of view. Firstly there are a handful of herbs that contain near pharmaceutical concentrations of poisonous constituents which should on no account be taken internally by unqualified persons except in homeopathic potencies. Examples are Atropa belladonna, Arnica spp, Aconitum spp, Digitalis spp. In many countries availability of these herbs is limited by law. Regulations vary from country to country and the appropriate regulatory authorities or Herb Organisations can be consulted for details. Wildcrafters should be unshakably confident in their identification of the local variants of these species, and children warned to avoid them. Fortunately this is a numerically tiny category. Secondly, are herbs with powerful actions, often causing nausea or vomiting, (that usually were traditionally prized for this action). They are perfectly safe used under appropriate conditions. Some of these herbs are restricted in some countries but freely available in others. Lobelia and Eonymus spp are examples. There is some inconsistency here, for example Ephedra is restricted, perhaps with justification, in the UK, but is freely available in the US. Finally, there is an idiosyncratic grouping of herbs which have been alleged, with some scientific support, to exhibit specific kinds of toxicity. The best known is the hepatotoxicity of pyrrolizidine-alkaloid-containing plants such as Comfrey (Symphytum). Other examples are Dryopteris (Male Fern), Viscum (Mistletoe) and Corynanthe (Yohimbe). Although much of the evidence is contentious (see below), lay users would be advised to avoid internal consumption of these herbs. The vast majority of medical herbs are safe for consumption, but for those without specialised knowledge, it would be prudent to follow simple but sensible guidelines in self treatment: * Use only herbs recommended in respected herb books, especially in countries like the US where there are few restrictions on availability. * Avoid new or unproven *wonder remedies*. * Do not persist with a remedy if no benefit or result obtains after a moderate period, and if adverse reactions take place, stop the treatment and seek experienced advice. * Do not persist with a treatment that has brought improvement without testing to see if continued further consumption is necessary to maintain improvement. * Do not engage in self treatment for complex conditions without experienced advice. Drug interactions and contraindications must be considered on an individual basis and herbal treatment strategies are often involved and multifaceted. Unfortunately, training and licensing of herbalists is not internationally consistent. In the US the situation is especially complex - no recognised herbal licensing exists. ND's are licensed in a few states, but their herbal training could theoretically be less than that of an unlicensed but experienced herbal practitioner. In the UK, the NIMH accredits herbalists who have trained at approved courses: practitioners are recognised by MNIMH or FNIMH qualifications. ========== 3.1.7 Pregnancy ----- It is axiomatic that pregnancy should be a time of minimal medical intervention, and herbalists in particular regard pregnancy as a "contraindication" to taking herbal medicines. Nutritive "food herbs" such as nettle, and uterine tonics such as raspberry leaf are encouraged, and perhaps gentle treatments against typical symptoms such as constipation or morning sickness are in order. There is NO evidence of teratogenicity in humans arising from herbal remedies, but since such evidence would be hard to come by, erring on the side of caution is regarded as prudent. ========== 3.1.8 Understanding toxicity research - politics and ideology ----- Medical orthodoxy at best does not understand herbal medicine, and at worst, sees it as a threat which it attempts to rubbish, regulate or ridicule. Quackery has a fascinating role in the history of medicine and its institutions, but much of the hostility towards herbal medicine comes from its apparently greater proximity to orthodoxy than say acupuncture or homeopathy. This is the unfortunate political context in which toxicity and safety of herbal medicines are debated. Additionally, both professional herbalists and regulatory authorities exhibit differing degrees of education, organisation and aptitude in different countries. In the United States, the situation is particularly lamentable, with scare mongering stories regularly aired in medical, scientific and popular press, whilst the lack of accredited professional herbalist training means that well intentioned self-appointed spokespersons for herbalism can cause more harm than good, and the quixotic federal regulatory stance on herbs as foodstuffs means that the potential of lay self-iatrogenesis with freely available OTC herbal products is a serious possibility. Toxicity of herbal medicines needs to be seen in context however. As Paul Bergner, Editor of the journal Medical Herbalism and author of several articles on herbal toxicity recently pointed out: *Approximately 8% of all hospital admissions in the U.S. are due to adverse reactions to synthetic drugs. That's a minimum of 2,000,000. At least 100,000 people a year die from them. That's just in the U.S., and that's a conservative estimate. That means at least three times as many people are killed in the U.S. by pharmaceutical drugs as are killed by drunken drivers. Thousands die each year from supposedly "safe" over-the-counter remedies. Deaths or hospitalizations due to herbs are so rare that they're hard to find. The U.S. National Poison Control Centers does not even have a category in their database for adverse reactions to herbs.* Similar figures apply in the United Kingdom, and even hepatoxicity, where perhaps the strongest case against some herbs lies, the statistics are horrendously clear - over 80% of cases of fulminant hepatic failure presenting for liver transplant (or death) over ten years in the UK were due to poisoning by freely available OTC non-prescription NSAID's, such as paracetomol and aspirin. Not one case was due to ingestion of medicinal herbs. For the lay person, analysis of so called "scientific evidence" about toxicity is clearly problematic. Some of the most useful sources of information are to be found in review presentations made by representatives of the herbalist community to regulatory authorities such as the FDA or MCA. Informative reviews of the literature in defence of Comfrey and Mistletoe have been made in this way. Herbalists justifiably point out that scientific studies with isolated compounds, on non human or even non mammalian organisms, or in vitro, with doses tens or even hundreds of times the equivalent medicinal dose, simply have no arguable extrapolation to the clinical situation using whole herb at appropriate medicinal doses. Lack of herbal knowledge by some scientific investigators (let alone journalists or self appointed defenders of the public) leads to often ludicrously misleading results - one of the commonest mistakes being the failure to verify the actual identity of plant material used in their experiments, let alone the detection of contaminants! These points beg the question of what paradigm can be used for research into the safety and efficacy of herbal therapies. That shibboleth of orthodoxy - the double blind placebo controlled clinical trial is open to a range of criticisms from the paradigm employed by herbalists - but that, as they say, is another story. ========== 3.1.9 Further reading ----- HERBAL /MEDICAL CONTRAINDICATIONS: Synergistic and Iatrogenic Potentials when some herbs are used concurrent with Medical Treatment or Medical Health Care by Michael Moore, 1995, on line at http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE HERB INFORMATION RESOURCE: The Information Source book of Herbal Medicine: David Hoffmann, Crossing Press 1994. TOXICOLOGY: Brinker F : An Introduction to the Toxicology of Common Botanical Medicines, NCNM 1983 AMA Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants AMA, Chicago 1985 NAPRALERT database at UIC. Example REVIEWS OF PROBLEMATIC HERBS: In Defence of Comfrey: EJHM1.1 1994 11-17 The Case For Mistletoe: EJHM1.1 1994 17-22 EJHM = European Journal of Herbal Medicine (see 4.3 below) HISTORY: Planet Medicine - Richard Grossinger, North Atlantic Books 1990 The Magical Staff, Matthew Wood North Atlantic Books, Berkely 1992 GENERAL HERB BOOKS: (as in 4.1 below): J.A. Duke, CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. C. Hobbs, many booklets. D. Hoffmann, The Herbal Handbook. S. Mills, Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbalism. M. Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. M. Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West. M. Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. R.F. Weiss, Herbal Medicine. ========== 3.2 Wildcrafting Ethics ----- by Howie Brounstein (Howieb@teleport.com) (posted with permission) This are the guidelines I teach to my students. It is copyrighted material that took me years to develop. Please respect this copyright. I ask you not to publish it without permission. Happy Herbing. ========== 3.2.1 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 ========== 3.2.2 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 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 receives 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!! ========== 3.2.3 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 ========== 3.2.4 United Plant Savers ----- From Gregg Pond : United Plant Savers - Statement of Purpose These are exciting times for herbalists. The current "herbal renaissance" in American health care is accompanied by an ever growing demand by the American public for herbs an herbal products. While positive on one hand, this situation has endangered a unique new set of problems for the wild plant world and for herbalists who love plants. The pressure on our wild medicinal plant communities is growing yearly. Vast numbers of plants have been and continue to be taken, and indiscriminate wild harvesting has devastated many areas of former abundance. Perhaps even more disturbing, native North American medicinal plants are being exported to meet the demand in other countries, where wild plant populations have already been gravely depleted. United Plant Savers was formed in a spirit of hope, as a group of herbalists committed to protecting and re-planting threatened species and to raising public awareness of the plight of our wild medicinal plants. Our membership reflects the great diversity of American herbalism and includes wildcrafters, seed collectors, manufacturers, growers, botanists, practitioners, medicine-makers, educators, and plant lovers from all walks of life. Our Goals * Identify and compile information on threatened medicinal plants in each state and/or bioregion. * Make this information accessible to herbal organizations, communities and individuals. * Provide resources for obtaining seeds, roots, and plants for replanting and restoration. * Secure land trusts for the preservation of diversity and seed stock for future propagation efforts. * Raise public awareness about the tragedy of over-harvesting and the current plight of native wild herbs. * Identify and disseminate information on the therapeutic alternatives to threatened species. * Encourage more widespread cultivation of endangered medicinal plants and greater use of cultivated plants. * Develop programs for school systems and communities to re-plant threatened plant species back into their native habitats. For Membership information send E-mail to: gpond@integ.micrognosis.com, check this webpage: http://members.aol.com/upsavers/, or snailmail to: United Plant Savers P.O. Box 420 East Barre, VT 05649 USA ========== End of part 5 of 7 ========== -- Henriette Kress HeK@hetta.pp.fi Helsinki, Finland http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives... ========== Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.26) Part 6/7 From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress) Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:03:47 GMT -------- Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part6 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 1997/02/22 Version: 1.26 URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== 3.3 Different schools of Herbal Healing ========== 3.3.1 Traditions in Western Herbal Medicine ----- by Peter Cook, DBTh, FETC This Article is taken from The Herbalist, newsletter of the Canadian Herbal Research Society. COPYRIGHT June 1989. Thanks to Jonathan Treasure for sending this one over. 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 (Felter, 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 Ayurvedic Medicine - an introduction ----- by Dr. Duane Weed, D.C. (drweed@delphi.com) The Ayurvedic system traces its roots to the Himalayan Mountains of India over five thousand years ago. According to legend, a conference was held in a Himalayan cave in which the greatest sages of India--some after having traveled thousands of miles--met to discuss their knowledge of their healing arts. These scholars and teachers possessed traditional knowledge about the medicinal plants of India that had been handed down orally by the tribes of the Indian forests since the beginning of history. At this conference, these sages compared and combined their knowledge into one body which they called the Ayurveda, from two Sanskrit words; Ayus, or "life", and Veda, or "knowledge". "Ayurveda" has been translated as "the knowledge of life", and as "the science of life". It has been suggested that a more appropriate translation would be "the knowledge of life span". After this historic conference, the Ayurvedic knowledge was passed orally from teacher to student for over a thousand years, continuously growing as each Ayurvedic physician added his insights and experiences. It was finally written down in the first century A.D. by the Ayurvedic physician, Charaka. By that time--and hundreds of years before the birth of European medicine--Ayurveda had specialists in psychiatry, pediatrics, gynecology, ear nose and throat, ophthalmology, surgery, toxicology, virility, and fertility. Ayurvedic medicine probably predates any other healing tradition in existence today--even Chinese medicine. Even before the Ayurvedic conference, knowledge of the medicinal plants of India had spread to other continents. Seeds from plants indigenous to India have been found in the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. Travelers had carried information about Indian plants through Tibet into China, and Arabs had traded for Indian herbs before the birth of Islam. At the time of King Solomon, the Queen of Sheba traded herbs and spices of India to the Israelites. Ayurvedic medicine began to be studied by Arab physicians and knowledge of the plants of India was passed on to the Greeks and Romans. By the first century A.D., when Charaka was writing Ayurveda's first written records, Pliny was already describing the plants of india to the Roman Empire in his NATURAL HISTORY. And much more recently, as any American school child can tell you, a Portuguese sailor by the name of Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492, while searching for a trade route to India to acquire her herbs and spices. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, health is dependent upon one's ability to live in harmony with one's self and with the external universe. As much attention was given to illnesses of the mind as to illnesses of the body. The Ayurvedic physician taught that in order to avoid illness and pain, the patient must control the destructive (and self-destructive) nature. Living in harmony with the environment was recognized as essential to one's mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Ayurvedic physicians taught that prevention was more desirable than a cure. Their ideal was to develop an individual's natural resistance to disease to the point where one's immune system could function as one's best medicine. Their goal was to maintain an individual in his or her optimal health throughout life, so that the ultimate goal of life--the awareness of his or her connection with the life principle--could be pursued. Today's Ayurvedic physicians, like their predecessors, recognize three major body (or physiology) types which they refer to as the three DOSHAS: VATA, PITTA, and KAPHA. One's body type is also referred to as one's PRAKRITI, and is determined by heredity. Most people are actually a combination of types; a VATA/PITTA type for example. Ayurvedic physicians evaluate their patients using such techniques as observation, interview, and pulse diagnosis to determine the patient's body (or physiology) type. They then determine the imbalances that are present in the body and make recommendations according to the patient's body type. Dietary and herbal recommendations make up a large part of their treatments; but many other techniques such as meditation, hatha yoga, aroma therapy, and music therapy are also employed. Thanks to the Ayurvedic tradition, many herbal combinations based on centuries of accumulated knowledge are available to today's eclectic herbalists and natural health enthusiasts. Ayurvedic herbal formulations, like Chinese herbal formulations, are combinations of many different herbs that work synergistically. Single herbs are rarely if ever employed. Even though there are competent Ayurvedic physicians in practice today, one does not have to see an Ayurvedic physician to use an Ayurvedic herbal combination, as long as the recipe of an Ayurvedic master is carefully followed. Some of the most common herbs currently used in Ayurvedic formulations are: Acacia catechu Adhatoda vasica (Vasaka) Andrographis paniculata Aegle marmelos (Bel) Alpina galanga Alstonia scholaris Apium graveolens Ashwagandha root Azadirachta indica (Margosa) Boerhaavia diffusa (Hogweed) Boswellia serrata Caesaipinia crista Clerodendrum indicum Commiphora mukul (Indian Bedellium) Curcuma longa (Turmeric) Cyperus rotundus Enicostemma littorale Fumaria parviflora Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice) Gymnema sylvestre Hedychium spicatum Hemidesmus indicus (Ind. Sarsaparilla) Holarrbena antidysenterica Inula racemosa Momordica charantia (Bitter Gourd) Myrica nagi Ocimum sanctum (Holy Basil) Paederia foetida Phylianthus emblica Picrorhiza kurroa Pimpinella anisum Pistacia integerrima Pterocarpus marsupium Rubia cordifolia (Indian Madder) Sida cordifolia Smilax china Swertia chirata Syzygium cumini (Jamun) Terminalia belerica Terminalia chebula (Chebulic Myrobalan) Tinospora cordifolia Trachyspermum ammi Tribulus terrestris Trigonella foenum-graeceum Vitex negundo Withania somnifera (Winter Cherry) Zingiber officinale (Ginger) REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL READINGS: * THE GARDEN OF LIFE, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HEALING PLANTS OF INDIA by Naveen Patnaik, Doubleday, New York, 1993. * PERFECT HEALTH, THE COMPLETE MIND/BODY GUIDE by Deepak Chopra, M.D., Harmony Books, New York, 1991. * PERFECT WEIGHT, THE COMPLETE MIND/BODY PROGRAM FOR ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT by Deepak Chopra, M.D., Harmony Books, New York, 1994. * RESTFUL SLEEP, THE COMPLETE MIND/BODY PROGRAM FOR OVERCOMING INSOMNIA by Deepak Chopra, M.D., Harmony Books, New York, 1991. * RETURN OF THE RISHI by Deepak Chopra, M.D., Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1988. ----- From Robert Hensley (Hensleys@aol.com): Ayurveda is the world's oldest science of health care. The written tradition dates back around 5,000 years, but the oral tradition in India is timeless. The basic principles of Ayurveda include: 1. Mind, body, emotions, and spirit are more than connected, they are one. 2. There are 3 fundamental principles of nature: called Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which govern all processes in all levels of our life. 3. Vata governs all movement, Pitta all heat and transformation, and Kapha all growth, structure and lubrication. 4. Everything we experience influences these governing principles. 5. If these principles that guide the processes of our body, mind, etc get "out of balance" due to poor diet, activity, etc. they can become overactive, and disease results. 6. If vata gets out of balance, for instance, it leads to overactive mind, poor circulation, poor nerve conduction, loss of memory, irregular elimination, uncomfortable menses, etc. - all things related to movement. 7. If pitta is out of balance, we can get excessive digestive fire, resulting in heartburn, excess stomach acid, a hot temper, inflammations, etc. -all things related to heat and digestion. 8. If kapha gets out of balance, it can lead to chronic congestion, weight gain, cellulite, cholesterol buildup, acne, oily skin, etc. - all things related to structure and lubrication. 9. Herbs in synergistic combination, diet, routine, meditation, etc are used to restore balance to restore proper operation of the various systems. Balance restores health. 10. Ayurveda does not focus on decreasing symptoms, it focuses on increasing health. Where there is health, there is no room for disease. 11. Symptoms are only used as one of eight ways to determine the underlying imbalance or weakness that has allowed the disease to occur. Due to foreign intervention in India for hundreds of years, Ayurveda became fragmented, and it has been revived over the past 35 years by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. As a result of growing scientific verification at major research institutions, it is the worlds' fastest growing health care system. ========== 3.3.3 Pointers to homeopathy sites and stuff ----- Check these sites: The HomeoWeb: http://antenna.nl/homeoweb 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 or so...) Drop me a note if you notice a changed address - thanks. ========== 3.3.4 What is Traditional Chinese Medicine? ----- From Suzanne E. Sky, L.Ac. (temporarily without email) Traditional Chinese Medicine is a phrase used to describe a complex system of medicine developed in China that has now spread around the world in its various forms. This system is over 3,500 years old. Its fundamental basis is a philosophy which views humans as a microcosm of the universe and inherently connected to it, to Nature and to all Life. Chinese Medicine is actually a part of what is called Oriental Medicine, because there are many different styles practiced, with the same origins and medical foundation, in China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. This medicine spread to America and Europe as practitioners migrated and settled in different countries. Now Oriental Medicine is practiced and taught all around the world. I. HISTORY & CURRENT USE The history of Chinese Medicine is very long, complicated, and fascinating. There have always been many different styles of practice and theories of medicine in China. The early Communist leaders destroyed much of the old information but finally decided that Chinese Medicine was a valuable method. The principles were simplified and began to be taught in colleges. Before this, Chinese Medicine was passed down through generations of families, through apprenticeship and training that began at a young age. Now there are several well established Colleges in China that train Chinese Medicine practitioners. Westerners can study there as well. In Chinese hospitals, Chinese Medicine is practiced alongside modern Western Medicine. For example, cancer patients in China receive radiation treatment or chemotherapy, and they also receive Chinese herbal medicine to ameliorate the side effects. II. WHAT MODALITIES DO CHINESE MEDICINE PRACTITIONERS USE? Chinese Medicine is a large area of study and practice. Some of the modalities it includes are: * Herbal Medicine: An advanced and effective system of herbal medicine. * Acupuncture & Acupressure: Use finger pressure or special fine needles to harmonize and activate the body's own healing ability. * Moxibustion (moxa): Special therapeutic warming techniques. * Diet & Nutrition: A unique and effective system which teaches the energetic qualities of food and how it effects us. * Chi Kung and Tai Chi: Systems of movement and breathing that promotes health. Chi Kung is also an ancient healing method. * Tui Na: Chinese medical massage Practitioners are trained in several or many of these modalities and specialize in one to a few areas of expertise. III. SCHOOLING AND PRACTICE Many schools in America and Europe are fully accredited and confer Master's Degrees in Oriental Medicine. Schooling takes 4 to 6 years. The requirements include Western science and medical courses along with about 2,000 hours in Chinese Medical Theory, techniques and practice. This includes in-depth study of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and other modalities. In addition, anywhere from 800 to 1,200 hours of clinical observation and internship are required in an acupuncture clinic. The traditional way of learning, apprenticeship, is still in existence, but is less common today. In America about 20 states certify or license Acupuncturists for practice, through an examination process. There are over 30 schools in America and many schools and practitioners in Europe. IV. ACUPUNCTURE IS RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes over 250 illnesses successfully treated by acupuncture and the list continues to grow. Among these are included: PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome), gynecological disorders, anxiety, depression, arthritis and joint problems, colds, flus, sinusitis, cough, bronchitis, headaches, numbness and poor circulation, stress, fatigue, recovery from injuries. V. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR ACUPUNCTURIST * How and where (or with whom) did they study? (School or apprenticeship) * How long was their training? Currently some health professionals can attend what amounts to a weekend class and then practice acupuncture under their medical license. They may know where to stick a few needles, but they are not trained in Oriental Medicine. * What modalities do they use? * How long have they been practicing? VI. INTERNET RESOURCES A great Acupuncture page with lots of resources: http://www.acupuncture.com/ Foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine: http://www.demon.co.uk/acupuncture/index.html Australian Medical Acupuncture Society: http://www.ida.com.au/amas/ ========== 3.3.5 Bach (and other) Flower essences ----- From Suzanne E. Sky, L.Ac. (temporarily without email) Flower essences are liquid preparations, containing only minute traces of actual flowers, which convey the vibrational pattern and essence of specific flowers. Because of this, their action is subtle and extends beyond the physiological. Their action is not biochemical, but is vibrational. These gentle essences enjoy a reputation of being very safe. They have no side-effects and are non-toxic. Some people state they don't 'feel' any change or effect from using flower essences. However, many people find the flowers provide an essential factor in their healing process. Each person responds to flower essences according to their inner rhythm and needs. Research in the modern field of psychoneuroimmunology shows a clear interrelationship between physical illness, stress and emotional/mental outlook. Flower essences help address issues which often underlay stress and health problems, helping to 'untie' or release these mental/emotional energetic knots. Flower essences can help transform emotions, attitudes or patterns of behavior to enhance one's development, growth and awareness. Flower essences expand our understanding of health care, recognizing the interweaving of spiritual, mental, emotional and physical aspects of wellness. The name most closely associated with flower essences is that of Dr. Edward Bach, the English physician who first discovered them. In the 1930's, he introduced his set of 39 Bach Flower Essences that changed the world of natural medicine forever. Dr. Bach's Life and Discovery of Bach Flower Essences Dr. Edward Bach was a remarkable man. He was an early pioneer of natural medicine who discovered results when he treated the person rather than the disease. Born in 1886, Bach entered the medical profession from a sincere desire to help others. Early on in his practice he noticed that the patients personality or temperament was more helpful in deciding which medicine would be most effective than any other factor. Early in his career, Bach studied bacteriology and became fascinated by the connection between a person's colon flora and their health. He discovered that a vaccine made from the patient's intestinal bacteria, and injected into their blood stream, gave excellent results, especially in chronic diseases. When Bach discovered homeopathy, he modified his method and made homeopathic preparations known as nosodes (remedies made from pathological tissues). He classified the intestinal bacteria into seven main groups and made preparations still known today as Bach's Seven Nosodes. Soon, he found that when a patient entered his office, he could immediately tell which type of flora would be predominant in that person, and which nosode they would need. From this Bach correlated seven main personality types and began prescribing the Nosodes solely on the basis of the patients personality, rather than laboratory tests. The results were even greater than he expected, and he saw clearly the importance of treating the person rather than their disease. While Bach had great respect for homeopathy and its founder, Dr. Hahnemann, he refuted the basic premise of homeopathy, that like cures like. Bach states "It is obviously fundamentally wrong to say that 'like cures like'. ...Like may strengthen like, like may repel like, but in the true healing sense like cannot cure like. ....And so in true healing, and so in spiritual advancement, we must always seek good to drive out evil, love to conquer hate, and light to dispel darkness. Thus must we avoid all poisons, all harmful things, and use only the beneficent and beautiful." (Collected Writings, page 113) Bach became dissatisfied with using the intestinal Nosodes, desiring to find a natural method which would not require using pathological material. He felt herbs would provide the most suitable material and began investigating the plant world. As Bach continued to work with and observe people, he became even more convinced that a person's temperament and personality were the factors that determined what illnesses they were prone to and what medicines would help them. The first two plants he discovered and used in his practice, that are still Bach flower essences today, were Impatiens and Mimulus. The third one was Clematis. This was in 1930. Bach was so pleased with the results, he decided to give up his use of nosodes altogether and seek out other herbal remedies to add to his repertory. Dr. Bach gave up his successful, lucrative and prestigious Harley Street office and set out for Wales to discover new healing plants. Little did he know he was about to discover a whole new form of natural medicine and herbal preparation. Tromping around Wales for many years led him to discover the remaining 36 Bach flower remedies. Bach was very particular in his selection of flowers and where he found them. Each of his remedies is a specific botanical entity, and substitutions are not equally effective. Bach was a sensitive as well as a medical researcher and physician. This blend made him search out only non-toxic plants that offered the highest vibratory patterns. Of the 39 essences we attribute to Bach, 37 are from plants, trees and bushes. One remedy, Rock Water, is from a special spring. The 39th, is a combination of several remedies, used for acute and emergency situations. Bach found great results using the flower essences with people who came to him from all over. No matter what illness the person had, he only gave remedies in accord with their mental/emotional state of being. Bach himself became ill several times and only recovered after discovering and using the appropriate flower essence. He discovered several essences in this way. Dr. Bach died in his sleep in 1936, feeling his lifes work was complete. He stated that the 38 flower essences he discovered would cover every possible area of need. His goal was to discover a safe, effective system of medicine that even the simplest person could use to help themselves, without a doctor. He felt he achieved this goal with his system of the Bach Flower Remedies, which anyone can learn and apply with a little study. IMPORTANT NOTE Flower essences work most beneficially as part of a wholistic program of health care, including exercise, nourishing diet, stress reduction, inner work, play, and rest. They are not a substitute for medical attention or professional psychological counseling. If you are ill, please consult a qualified physician. ----- This entry was much longer - but this is the medicinal herbFAQ, so for the full entry go to my www / ftp sites: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/faqs/bachflow.html ftp sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== 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 idiot@morons.are.us, forward the message with a piece of your mind to postmaster@morons.are.us. You will be doing everyone a favor. Gloria Mercado-Martin desidia@community.net ===== Been bothered by all those magazine subscription ads in your email inbox? Here's who's responsible for those: ID: KL950105 Name: Kevin Jay Lipsitz a.k.a. Krazy Kevin Address: 350 Richmond Terrace #5-P, Staten Island, NY 10301 PO Box 990, Staten Island, NY 10312 Phone: 718-967-1234, 718-967-1550 (fax), 718-967-1144 (fax) Email: krazykev@escape.com, krazykev@kjl.com lipsitz@ingress.com I suggest you start pestering HIM the way he's pestering US, either by email or by snailmail. More info on this abusive type found here: http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/BL/kl_info.txt - the info on these pages is updated daily, so if this pest decides to move or change telephone / fax number you'll see it here. You'll find info on other spammers and mailbombers here: http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~cbrown/BL - I say it's time we told these guys they're NOT welcome in our email inboxes or non-commercial newsgroups. ========== 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 extrapolations being histidine gene mutagenicity equals ultimate carcinogenic action, and salmonella bugs equals people.) This is of course acknowledged by pathologists - but seems not to be understood by the rank and file scare mongers who like to appear to be *scientific* in their attacks on herbalism. jonno@teleport.com (Jonathan Treasure) ----- From: Kevin Jones <100621.17@CompuServe.COM> There are several drawbacks to the Ames test which basically make it worthless on its own. Firstly carcinogens are divided into those which require to be metabolised in a cell (activated) and those which don't. Obviously the metabolism of a bacterial cell is going to differ from that of a mammalian cell. Compounds which are activated in a bacterial cell may therefore show no activity in a mammalian cell and vice versa. Secondly carcinogens act by reacting with genetic material. The type which are metabolically activated generally form free radicals which then react with DNA. Many carcinogens have an affinity for a specific sequence of nucleotides. Obviously the number of sequences that are shared between mammals and bacteria are going to be very small! There may well be many chemicals which cause mutations in bacteria but which have absolutely no effect on mammals. In short, all the Ames test does is show that a chemical produces a mutation in Salmonella bacteria. It might possibly indicate the potential for being carcinogenic in higher organisms - and then again it might not. It also is quite possible that the Ames test could declare a chemical safe which is quite powerfully carcinogenic in mammals simply because it does not affect bacteria. In any case, relying on the Ames test shows a distinct lack of understanding of the nature of cancer and cell growth. Mammalian cells are programmed to die. Only chemical messages keep them alive and keep a particular gene turned off. It's like a dead man's handle. The moment a genetic error is detected the cell is told to stop dividing. If the error is serious, this gene is turned on and the cell destroys itself. This gene and its backup copy have to fail before a cancer can develop _or_ the chemical messenger system has to become defective and keep it turned off _or_ the self-checking mechanism has to become defective. Many cancers have genetic defects in one or more of these command chains. Presumably it is also possible for an error to develop in the signalling system between the self-destruct gene and the lysosome - the dead man's handle is released but the grenade doesn't go off. Another gene which codes for ras protein is part of the cell division mechanism. If it is defective the cell goes on dividing. Similarly other parts of the cell division command chain (growth hormone receptor, cytokines etc) can have errors. Some viruses (eg: Epstein-Barr in some circumstances) cause a proliferation of growth hormone receptor on the cell's surface which keeps the cell dividing. The more a cell divides, the more the chance of a mistake and therefore the higher the risk of a cancer developing. Now the likelihood of being able to show that these specific genetic defects are going to be caused in humans from a bacterial model is laughable. A bacterium is a single-celled organism. It has no use for programmed cell-death! The Ames test may have some value as an initial screening test, but only as long as its limitations are acknowledged. To rely entirely on it as definite proof that a compound is carcinogenic is not only laughable - it is also bad science! ========== 3.6 Trying out the placebo effect ----- > It's really hard to judge whether the effects were the result of the ..herb.., or whether I just thought these effects were occurring because I was seeking for them to happen (constantly checking myself to see if I notice any change - a bit like the placebo effect I guess). It's nice to see someone wondering whether they were subject to the placebo effect! Too many people seem to be a bit too convinced by their own personal experiences. If you are concerned about a placebo effect you might want to try your own little experiment. Get some large empty gelatin capsules from a health food store. Put sugar in half of them and your ginkgo capsule (which should be small enough to fit) in the other (with sugar to fill up the rest of the space. Have a friend label some bottles with numbers (the more bottles your use, the more likely it will be that you aren't just guessing right). The numbers will correspond with whether the bottle contains the sugar or the ginkgo but only your friend will know which is which. Then have your friend put the capsules in the bottles. Complete one bottle and then go on to the next. Don't look at the capsules as you take them and be aware of any subtle ways that you might be discerning the difference (e.g. weight, aftertaste etc.) You might want to use a rating scale of your alertness. Be aware that if you choose the ginkgo, it might simply be a coincidence, so make sure that the difference in ratings is big. MORAVCSIK@clipr.colorado.edu (Julia Moravcsik) ========== End of part 6 of 7 ========== -- Henriette Kress HeK@hetta.pp.fi Helsinki, Finland http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives... ========== Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.26) Part 7/7 From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress) Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 18:04:08 GMT -------- Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part7 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 1997/02/22 Version: 1.26 URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ ========== 4 Good Printed Sources ----- Additions, opinions and missing details are welcome: drop me a note. ========== 4.1 Good Books on Herbs and Herbal Medicine Please also check Jonno's Herbal Bookworm page: http://www.teleport.com/~jonno/ and the Herbal Hall book page: http://www.herb.com/pub.htm. ----- I've now updated the list. There are so many good herbals ... any I've left out, except for those mentioned on Jonno's list of stinkers? First, the best: * 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 his homepage or sunSITE, too; see 6.1 and 7.1 for details. And, if you ever decide to do a book on medicinal uses of your local flora, go see how it is done in his book 'Los Remedios - Traditional Herbal Remedies of the Southwest'. Then, the rest (these are in alphabetical order, by author): * 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. * James A. Duke: CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. 1985, CRC Press, Boca-Raton, FL. I don't have it, but have heard good things about it. Expensive, like all CRC books. * 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... It's on the WWW too, scanned and OCR'd in full by Ed Greenwood: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html * 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 thorough description of Chinese plants (with growing instructions) for us Westerners. Good Stuff. (I LIKE books with more than 2 pages per plant. These guys use about 6 pages per...) * Rosemary Gladstar: Herbal Healing for Women - simple home remedies for women of all ages. 1993, Fireside Books, Simon & Schuster, New York ISBN 0-671-76767-4 (softcover); list price USD 12.00 A good book on herbs and women's health. * James Green: The Male Herbal: health care for men and boys 1991, Crossing Press, Freedom, CA. ISBN 0-895-94459-6 (hard cover). The only book about herbs for males that I've seen. * James Green: The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook 1990, Simplers Botanical Co., Box 39, Forestville, CA 95436 listprice (paperback) USD 5.00. This I don't have, but one reputable source said it's a good one. * Christopher Hedley and Non Shaw: Herbal Remedies. A beginner's guide to making effective remedies in the kitchen. 1996, Parragon Book Service Ltd., Unit 13-17, Avongridge Trading Estate, Atlantic Road, Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9QD, England. ISBN 0-7525-0093-7. GBP 7 or so. This one will go down thru the ages - it has roots. All recipes are tried and work, it's down to earth and well-written, and you'll get to know (and probably expand) your spice rack in ways you didn't expect when you bought your spices ;). * 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. Good buy! This search engine will yield articles by Hobbs, among others: http://www.healthy.net/Architext/AT-Completequery.html * David Hoffmann: The New Holistic Herbal 1990 (3rd edition), Element Books Ltd, Longmead, Shaftesbury, Dorset, England. ISBN 1-85230-193-7 (softcover) From healingpgs@aol.com (HealingPgs): New edition with more color pictures being released under the title "Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal"; ISBN 1-85230-758-7; Release date: May '96 * David Hoffmann: An Elders' Herbal - natural techniques for promoting health and vitality 1993, Healing Arts Press, Vermont. ISBN 0-89281-396-2 (softcover); list price USD 14.95. From healingpgs@aol.com (HealingPgs): Emphasis on the treatment of the elderly by herbal medicine. Unique. * David Hoffmann: The Herbal Handbook: A user's guide to medical herbalism. 1988, Healing Arts Press. USD 10.95. Quite thorough for a beginner's herbal. This search engine will yield articles by Hoffmann, among others: http://www.healthy.net/Architext/AT-Completequery.html He's also made a CD-ROM, see below. * 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, Bantam Books, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. ISBN 0-553-26770-1. Listprice USD 6.99. LOTS of tables you can look up things in. * Simon Y. Mills: Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbalism. 1992, Viking Press. From healingpgs@aol.com (HealingPgs): The Penguin softcover was released under the title "The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine". This is still in print, $15.00. ISBN 014-019309X. * Anne McIntyre: The Complete Women's Herbal - a manual of healing herbs and nutrition for personal well-being and family care. 1994. Gaia Books Limited, London. American edition 1995 (this is the one I have). ISBN 0-8050-3537-0. USD 25.00. A very good book; it covers everything, and does it well. * Debra Nuzzi: Pocket Herbal Reference Guide 1992, The Crossing Press. ISBN 0-89594-568-1. USD 5.95 It is pocket size, with lots of tables you can look up. * Penelope Ody: The Complete Medicinal Herbal. Dorling Kindersley, USD 29.95. Has most everything the beginner needs and then some. * Jeanne Rose: Jeanne Rose's Modern Herbal. USD 9.95 * 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. ISBN 0-941524-27-2. Listprice USD 17.95 A gem. * Michael Tierra: The Way of Herbs. 1990, Pocket Books, New York. ISBN 0-671-72403-7 (paperback). Listprice USD 6.50. What would this one be in Japanese? Herb-do? (grin) Nice book. You'll find Michael Tierra's website at: http://www.planetherbs.com/ - lots of goodies, so go have a look. * Maria Vanderham, Hrsg.: die Heilkräuter-Kalender -Serie. Yearly calendars with quality herbal articles, in German. éditions tréves, Postfach 1550, D-54205 Trier, Germany. ISBN (1997): 3-88081-383-3. Preis 12,80 DEM. Ich habe diese Serie seit 1982; sie liefert regelmässig Qualitäts-Artikel über Heilpflanzen. * Susun S. Weed: the Wise Woman Herbal series (Healing Wise, Menopause, Childbearing Year, and maybe more) Ash Tree Publishing, PO Box 64, Woodstock, NY 12498, USA. Healing Wise: 1989, ISBN 0-9614620-2-7. Childbearing Year: 1986, Ash Tree Publishing. Menopausal Years: 1992, Ash Tree Publishing. Interesting approach to herbal healing, but good stuff, it wouldn't be listed here otherwise. * Rudolf Fritz Weiss, MD: Herbal Medicine. 1988. Listprice USD 55. 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. (kathjokl@aol.com) Way too expensive, unless you are a MD and need the herbs in the format presented. * Terry Willard: the textbooks for the Wild Rose College of Natural Healing (nowadays the Coastal Mountain College of Healing Arts?). #400, 1228 Kensington Road, NW Calgary, Alberta T2N4P9, Canada He's also working on a CD-ROM. I have heard nothing but praise for these books; now perhaps I should try to get them, too? ----- East-Asian traditional healing (ETH) (also called TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine): * 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. >starting a course of acupuncture and Chinese herbology -- does anyone know any good books on this subject? From healingpgs@aol.com (HealingPgs): Read Ted Kaptchuk's The Web That Has No Weaver. Most of the Seattle acupuncture schools use this as a first year text and it's a lovely, intelligent explanation of the basics of TCM. The herb book that is most popular with our local acupuncturists is Dagmar Ehling's Chinese Herbalist Handbook. It's laid out in a very user-friendly fashion. The big herbal reference works for most Western trained acupuncturists are the Eastland Press books by Dan Bensky -- they are probably available through your school bookstore. ========== 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 (or the various ailment descriptions) - time to go shopping for some heavier stuff: ----- * 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. This one is REALLY good. * 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 descriptions and photographs of the herbs, with lists of constituents, indications, side-effects, delivery system, method for authenticating the herb (usually a TLC), 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. (kathjokl@aol.com) * 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, but still a good reference - for pharmacognosists. Herbalists? Naaa... * 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. (kathjokl@aol.com) * Andrew Pengelly: The constituents of medicinal plants - an introduction to the chemistry & therapeutics of herbal medicine. 1996, Sunflower herbals, "Athlone", Dorset Rd., Muswellbrook NSW 2333, Australia. ISBN 0-646-28498-3. Listprice AUD 25.00. As far as I know this is the first book on phytopharmacognosy by a practicing herbalist since the eclectics went away. It covers the main points of plant chemistry, and does it nicely. Then you need: * 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 (good to put you to sleep, too). * 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 Merck Manual (16th edition) is now on the net: http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/html/sectoc.htm * 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. ========== 4.3 Good Periodicals ----- * The European Journal of Herbal Medicine. National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), 56 Longbrook Street, Exeter, Devon, EX4 6AH, UK, Europe. Phone + 01392 426022, fax + 01392 498963. 3 issues per year, GBP 17.50/year (UK), 20.00/year (EC), 25.50/year (overseas). They don't take Visa, but check or money-order is OK. Good Stuff on Herbal Medicine. * The Modern Phytotherapist. Published by MediHerb; their webpage is at http://www.peg.apc.org/~mediherb/ Three issues /year, ISSN 1322-2775, $40/yr or free of charge to customers of MediHerb. MediHerb has two other publications for practitioners: the MediHerb Monitor (quarterly) and the MediHerb Professional Newsletter. These are also excellent. * Medical Herbalism Good stuff. Sample copy available on Herbal Hall: http://www.herb.com/medhrb.htm. Bergner Communications, P.O. Box 33080, Portland, OR 97233, 503-255-5976. Quarterly, USD 29/yr (Canada USD 34/yr, Foreign USD 39/yr). They don't take credit cards. * Australian Journal of Medical Herbalism National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA), Office Manager, P.O. Box 61, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia. Email: nhaa@real.com.au. Quarterly. Full members (practitioners) $140/annual plus a $30 joining fee; Student members $45/annual plus a $10 joining fee; Companion members (companies & individuals with some aspect of medical herbalism) $60/annual plus $20 joining fee. * The Herbalist American Herbalist Guild, Box 746555 Arvada, CO 80006, USA. email ahg@earthlink.net, URL http://www.healthy.net/herbalists phone (303) 423-800 - Fax: (303) 423-8828. Professional USD 85 /year; Associate USD 50 /year; Student USD 35/year; Benefactor USD 500+. Please add USD 15 for foreign subscriptions. * 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 used 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. http://www.herbalgram.org, custserv@herbalgram.org Quarterly, ISSN 0899-5648, USD 25/yr. (Foreign USD 35/yr). Technical and scientific, ethnobotany, latest medical research. One BIG but: they push Varro Tyler something fierce. Just ignore that and you'll find it's a nice journal. (And no, don't buy any books by Varro Tyler. Go get the good stuff listed in good books above instead.) * The American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter P.O. Box 1673, Nevada City, CA 95959 USA. Subscriptions: USD 35/supporting, USD 20/regular membership per year. * The Eclectic Medical Journals P.O. Box 936, Sandy, OR 97055 USA. Subscriptions: USD 84/yr for 6 issues. Comment stolen from an article by Jonathan Treasure: '... the articles in The Eclectic Medical Journals, while giving a useful insight into the grass-roots of the Eclectic movement, hardly justify their annual cost of USD 84 subscription to the average practitioner.' * North East Herb Association Newsletter. P.O. Box 146, Marshfield, VT 05658-0146 USA. Subscriptions: USD 30-USD 100/yr depending on what you can afford. * The Protocol Journal of Botanical Medicine Herbal Research Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 721, Ayer, MA 01432. Phone:(800) 466 5422. fax:(800) 717-1722. USD 96/yr professional, USD 120/yr international. A word of warning from Robyn Klein at rklein@sunrise.alpinet.net about this one: "Though this journal (a hefty 250 pages each issue) is extremely valuable and I use it A LOT, it is incredibly reductionistic. That is, it IS meant for advanced students and clinicians WHO HAVE HAD APPROPRIATE TRAINING IN HERBALISM. I suspect that many people who read this journal DO NOT have appropriate herbalist training and are probably taking a lot out information of context." * United Plant Savers (dedicated to replanting endangered and threatened medicinal plants), P.O. Box 420, East Barre, VT 05649 USA. USD 35 - USD 100 sliding scale. * 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). * 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/herbal-references/literature/herb-journals; the Herbal Hall also has a list of periodicals at the bottom of their publications page: http://www.herb.com/pub.htm ========== 5 Other sources ========== 5.1 Napralert - online commercial database ----- There's an introduction to NAPRALERT on this www page: http://info.cas.org/ONLINE/DBSS/napralertss.html ----- 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 quinn@pcog.pmmp.uic.edu (Mary Lou Quinn). ========== 5.2 Medline - online commercial database ----- From krishna@posnet.co.uk: You can get free Medline access from HealthGate: http://www.healthgate.com/HealthGate/home.html The text of the page indicates that this is only available to US residents but it is not clear this is enforced. I registered at my UK address and E-mail and was able to access Medline just fine. It is a strange registration interface. You can choose any country but then you have to choose a US state as well. ----- Comment by Mark D. Gold (mgold@laraby.tiac.net): "I find it (Medline) a very useful tool. But it is 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 camilla@primenet.com, corrected by DSaari@ntis.fedworld.gov: > 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 commercial services like PaperChase, etc - more costly). Step 1: Get a user ID/password. You can call the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at 1-800-638-8480 or write them at NLM, MEDLARS Management Section, Bldg. 38A, Rm 4N421, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894. 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) $$$: NLM charges for access to its MEDLARS databases (NTIS writes the bill and does the collecting though); 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. ========== 5.3 Demo or shareware herbprograms ----- Go get these and choose for yourself. They're all on sunsite, too: ftp sunsite.unc.edu /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/programs/ and on the mirror in Japan: ftp://sunsite.sut.ac.jp/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal- medicine/programs/ * "Healing Powers of Herbs" by Klaus Hoferichter, found by ftp at oak.oakland.edu (or mirrors) in /SimTel/msdos/food: 891879 Mar 15 18:00 herbp21.zip Graphical DOS interface - mouse essential. * "Herb Power v. 2.0", by Klaus Hoferichter, found by ftp at oak.oakland.edu (or mirrors) in /SimTel/msdos/food: 795135 Mar 10 18:19 hph2.zip. Graphical DOS interface - mouse essential. * Demo of the "Herbal Browser", by Marvel C. Stalcup, found at aol and compuserve: demoherb.exe (self-extracting file, size 248436). DOS - interface, mouse recommended but not essential. Really jiffy jumping function, easy to browse. * "Herbage for DOS v.1.0", by Tim Johnson, found by ftp at oak.oakland.edu (or mirrors) in SimTel/msdos/biology: 205081 Feb 25 02:15 herbage1.zip. DOS - interface, no mouse needed. Nice 'export text' -function. * "Illustrated Medical Herbal Encyclopedia" - demo version, found by ftp at oak.oakland.edu (or mirrors) in /SimTel/msdos/food 226983 Apr 22 03:05 medherb1.zip DOS - interface, no mouse needed. I got email from Clarke Hoover about a program called NaturBase (for Win31), found at http://www.3dtx.com. It's a nice program, if a bit big, so go get it if you have space for it (about 9 MB unzipped and setup, 2.8 MB zipped). Herbal Hall has links to the mirror files in Japan; if Robbee thinks the links are too slow he'll mirror them on Herbal Hall at http://www.herb.com/soft.htm. ========== 5.4 Commercial Herbprograms ----- From: Jim Bardon <73052.1606@CompuServe.COM>, 21 May 96, on Paracelsus: There are 2 "state-of-the-art" packages to investigate which--I believe--will prove much more depth in the long-run for you as your needs grow: * GlobalHerb (Windows or Mac) - $400 from Chris Blackburn at Global Healthfinders. Phone # 1-707-585-3677 (voice) or fax 1-707-585-3678. Snail-mail: Global Health Finders, 4332 Grace Court, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. Just call him and ask for literature and a free "demo disc". The demo disc--though not updated to show all the features of the newest "GlobalHerb" version, will still give you a taste of the real "power" in this program. No CD-ROM program I've seen can touch its WESTERN herb database. Note: Although it does contain SOME Chinese patent herbal formulas, they are few-and-far between. It is basically a 99% WESTERN approach to herbology. Very well done--search by symptom, dose, toxicity, etc. Get the demo disc and see for yourself. * Green Medicine Database" (Windows or Mac) - $500 from Redwing Books. Phone: 1-800-873-3946 (Brookline, MA). Internet: redwing@oa.net. This is 100% oriented to CHINESE HERBAL FORMULAS -- has very little in terms of Western herbology. But it's by far the easiest to use and most complete Chinese Herbal Formula software I've ever found. Redwing will sell you a demo disk for just $10 (Windows or Mac)--well worth the ten dollars to see what a serious "Chinese Herbal Software" program can do for your practice. It's written by Daniel Weber, a Chinese Herbalist who lives in Australia--of all places. I've found this program to be easier to use than the "Formulary" Chinese herbal program--although you might find it the other way around. So, just for the record, here's how to investigate the "Formulary"... * "Formulary" - just visit Dr. Christopher Jayne's "CHIRON" web home page -- he acts as a "clearing house" selling MANY different software packages for holistic practitioners and serious students. A definite "Must Visit" web site for anyone on the Paracelsus list! Here's the address: http://www.olympus.net/chiron Or you can contact the "Formulary" producers directly: EAST WEST HEALING ARTS CENTER, Park Boulevard Professional Building, 4174 Park Blvd., 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 531-4346. (no demo disc, unfortunately) ----- From Paul Bergner 29Jun96: * Christopher Hobbs' Herbal Prescriber. Info: Botanica Press, 10226 Empire Grade, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (408) 457 9095 - Its not CD-ROM, and Windows only. About 36.95 USD. It's the best software yet on medical herbalism. It's thorough, clinically based, and inexpensive. It has therapeutic information from the Eclectic works, and also from German texts that have not been translated into English. ----- CD-ROMs: ----- * "The Herbalist", ver.2.0, by David L. Hoffmann, CD-Rom database, listprice USD 54.95 (USD 45 now?), just under 50 MB, DOS, Windows31, Mac. Available from Hopkins Technology, 421 Hazel Lane, Hopkins, MN 55343-7116. Phone 612-931-9376 or 800-397-9211. More info found at http://www.hoptechno.com/herbmm.htm. It's the CD I park most often in my CD-ROM drive. It's made before crosslinking really took off, but instead it has an index/search engine. If you need fast access to thorough plant / ailment information this one is excellent. As a bonus there's pronounciations of some plant Latin - the British way ... (groan - good thing you can read the names as they speak, and there's a replay button). For the next version I'd like more pics, more crosslinks, more physiology and how which plant affects it, and more plants; but then, which reference work ever has all the information you want? * "Traditional Chinese Medicine & Pharmacology". Hopkins Technology (as above). Listprice USD 54.95. More info found at http://www.hoptechno.com/cherbal.htm. Well worth the price, if you do have some basic knowledge about Traditional Chinese Medicine. I can't say how good it is if you really know your Chinese herbs, but for my knowledge of TCM (basic) it's perfect. ========== 6 Teachings and stuff If you know of any good additions please let me know. Also check the Herbal Hall. Robbee's got a LOT of schools on: http://www.herb.com/school.htm. Or go for the Herbnet listing: http://www.herbnet.com/university.html; but do read below comments first, otherwise you might end up taking a correspondence course at Clayton. From EProvence@aol.com (Eugenia Provence): Both the American Herb Association (AHA), PO Box 1673, Nevada City, CA 95959 and the American Herbalist Guild (AHG), http://www.healthy.net/herbalists, publish directories of schools and classes in the US. You will be sure to find one that appeals to your approach to herbalism, whether that's a folk or a scientific approach. ========== 6.1 Apprenticeships offered lately ----- Howie Brounstein, Columbines and Wizardry Herbs, Inc. (howieb@teleport.com) You'll find his offer on his homepage: http://www.teleport.com/~howieb/howie.html The rest of the stuff on his homepage is readable, too. Go get a laugh at Fad herbs, or read up on smoking herbs, or mugwort. Have fun. ----- Michael Tierra, The East-West Herb Course, is at http://www.planetherbs.com/. I have heard nothing but praise for this course. ----- Michael Moore, Southwest School of Botanical Medicine, Bisbee, Arizona. His offer is found on his homepage: http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE. He's taking a sabbatical 1997. So get prepared for 1998... but while you're on site have a good look at all the goodies; if you are not a beginner, get the big textfiles - Herbal Materia Medica, Herbal Repertory, Herbal/Medical Dictionary, Herbal-Medical Contraindications, Specific Indications, Herbal Tinctures, Herbal Energetics, and anything else that might have been added. But _do_ download the Herbal Energetics. These are summaries of how to prepare and use plants you already know in ways you already know (even though you didn't necessarily know that you can use THAT plant in THIS way before reading the stuff). Then go get the plant folders - GOOD stuff. Funny, too, like most of the more wordy stuff (watch me look up some strange medicinese word in his Dictionary and start to grin over those descriptions ... whew.) Then get the Classic Texts. And read them, too. And then all the pictures and illustrations and whatever else you might find - most of it is Well Worth Downloading. I think that ftp is better for downloading the LOADS of stuff you can get from this site (get * instead of save-ok-yes-save-ok-yes-save-ok-yes...), so I asked would he want an FTP mirror. Yes he would. Michael Moore updates the files on his WWW site all the time; I download the new stuff to SunSITE once a week or at least once every second week. Use FTP to go to sunsite.unc.edu (or sunsite.sut.ac.jp) and cd to /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/SWSBM/ ----- Roy Collins, Tidewater Institute of Herbal Studies. (ac956@osfn.rhilinet.gov) He offers an annual apprenticeship program (non-certificate) with is held once per month for twelve months (on Sundays, starting in fall). He is 3-1/2 hours from NYC and 1 hour from Boston. If interested send e-mail to him or send snail mail to Tidewater Institute of Herbal Studies, 101 Van Zandt Ave., Warwick, RI 02889. ========== 6.2 Pointers to schools ----- On the herblist July 1995: From Roy Collins, ac956@osfn.rhilinet.gov: Although I've heard a lot good things about Dominion Herbal College (in Burnaby, BC) it is basically a correspondence school. Nothing beats hands on field work and direct interaction with a flesh and blood teacher. There are numerous schools that offer *certificates* of graduation from herb schools, but the herbal profession is not a licensed practiced in the U.S. and legal repercussions can occur, as it is defined as a form of medical practice. This is not true in England and the European countries, however, and licensing is commonplace. One way of getting around this is to find a good Naturopathic School (which incorporates the use of herbs) and to become a licensed Dr. of Naturopathy (N.D.) and set up practice. I believe many states (including Connecticut) *allow* this alternative medical art to be practiced. The names and addresses for both herbal schools and schools of Naturopathy are regularly published in the advertising sections of health, herb, and vegetarian magazines. ----- You might want to check out the Australasian College of Herbal Studies: http://www.herbed.com; based in New Zealand, this School has branched out into Oregon. Contact: australasiancollege@herbed.com. ----- A chinese herbal school: the Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute at http://www.ronan.net/~rmhi/ PO Box 579 Hot Springs MT 59845 USA contact: Roger W. Wicke, Ph.D. rmhi@ronan.net 406-741-3811 ----- From: Rosemary, Healing Pages Bookstore (healingpgs@aol.com) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs Date: 1 Dec 1996 00:15:18 There's a new school that just opened in Albuquerque, NM, called the National College of Phytotherapy. According to the article in Herbalgram 38, they are currently seeking accreditation for a three-year bachelor's degree in phytotherapy. Faculty includes David Hoffman, Simon Mills, and Michael Moore (go see the Henriette's recommend book lists to see the number of great herbal books authored by these guys). Also a number of NDs and a MD listed on staff. Looks good, and I'd love to hear from anyone attending their classes or with more information on the school. School phone number is given as (505) 265-0795, address: 120 Aliso SE, Albuquerque NM 87108. ----- From: Cathy Weigl To: Paracelsus@teleport.com Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 09:52:49 -0600 There are several herbal schools in Canada, depending on your focus of study. Many of the community colleges now offer courses for the public to take for general interest, as well. There are two schools that have developed programs for "clinical herbalists". Dominion Herbal College and Coastal Mountain College of Healing Arts. Both are in Vancouver, B.C. These are 3 year programs at the schools, no correspondence for these programs. Very intense an very educational, but also fairly pricey. Dominion Herbal College, 7527 Kingsway Avenue, Burnaby, B.C. V3N3C1, Canada, (604) 521-5822 Coastal Mountain College of Healing Arts, Inc., 1745 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1M2, Canada, (604) 734-4596, Fax (604) 734-4597 There are also two other very good programs for herbal education: Wild Rose College, #302 - 1220 Kensington Road, N.W. Calgary, Alberta T2N 3P5, Canada, (403) 270-0936 Emerson College of Herbology, 582 Cummer Avenue Willowdale, Ontario M2K 2M4, Canada (If this address isn't correct, contact Global Botanicals @ 1-800-887-6009) The Canadian Association of Herbal Practitioners is developing an educational review committee to maintain certain standards for herbal practitioners. Please contact them at (403) 270-0891 if you have any questions regarding educational requirements. ========== 6.2.1 ND degrees and accreditation ----- From Eric Yarnell : There are three naturopathic medical schools in the United States which are accredited or in the process of being accredited. The accrediting agency is the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). The CNME can be contacted at: 402-391-6714, POB 11426, Eugene OR, 97440. The CNME is accredited by the US Department of Education and is the only recognized licensing agency for naturopathic medical schools in the US. Bastyr University was the first accredited school in the US. The school can be contacted at: 206-523-9585 144 NE 54th St, Seattle WA 98105 The school will be relocated to a new campus in summer 1996 (Ed. note: I don't have the new address yet, but it's still Seattle, WA). The school offers a certificate in Chinese herbal medicine, degrees in acupuncture and nutrition, and other offerings besides the ND degree. National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) is the oldest continuously operating naturopathic medical school in the US. It can be reached at: 503-255-4860 11231 SE Market St, Portland OR 97216 It offers an ND degree. The Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences is the newest naturopathic medical school. It can be reached at: 602-990-7424 6535 E Osborn Rd, Ste 703, Scottsdale AZ 85251 The campus will be moving eventually, perhaps in 1997. The school offers an ND degree. States which offer licenses to people who have graduated with an ND from one of these three schools, after passing the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam (NPLEx): Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Montana, Oregon, Washington There are additional recognized ND licenses in Utah and Florida. No new licenses are being granted in those states, however. The naturopathic medical school in Canada considered legitimate by the above groups is the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine: 416-251-5261 60 Berl Ave, Toronto ON M8Y 3C7 British Columbia and Ontaria currently license NDs who pass licensing exams and who have graduated from any of the four legitimate naturopathic medical schools with an ND. Botanical medicine is an important part of naturopathic therapy. NDs are the only health care professionals licensed specifically to treat using medicinal herbs, and who are explicitly trained as physicians in the use of said agents. Other resources: Federation of Naturopathic Medical Licensing Boards, Inc. 602-937-4756 5002 W Glendale Ave, Ste 101, Glendale AZ 85301 American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) 206-328-8510 2366 Eastlake Ave E, Ste 322 Seattle WA 98102 ----- From: tim@thorne.thorne.com (Tim Birdsall, ND), on 23Mar96: Just as of last week, Utah passed a naturopathic licensure bill, which has been signed into law by the governor, so Utah is now on the list of licensed states. Web pages: American Association of Naturopathic Physicians: http://infinity.dorsai.org/Naturopathic.Physician/ ----- about Clayton's 'ND' correspondence courses - which are 'accredited': From: Paul Bergner Subject: Clayton School Someone recently posted that the Clayton School had obtained "accreditation". By what body, may I ask? Is it something recognized by the Department of Education, or is it some form of gratuitous self-accreditation? The test of legitimacy is whether students are eligible for government student loans. ----- From: tim@thorne.thorne.com (Tim Birdsall, ND) I have absolutely no quarrel with distance learning. However there is a substantive difference between getting an MBA by home study and getting a health care degree! How can you learn physical diagnosis without someone standing over your shoulder saying "No, the spleen is here." or "Yes, this person's liver feels enlarged." To the best of my knowledge, no other health care profession has any legitimate degrees offered exclusively via home study. ========== 6.3 Correspondence courses in the UK ----- from David Powner Details of Correspondence courses in the UK. As far as I'm aware, there is only the one college that offers proper qualifications via mail. The School of Phytotherapy Bucksteep Manor Bodle Street Green Nr. Hailsham BN27 4 RJ Phone: (0)1323 833812 Fax : (0)1323 833869 This college does several courses: Four year full time residential course. This now leads to a B.Sc. Honours Degree in Phytotherapy, and one is legally permitted to practice as a Medical Herbalist upon qualification, and to apply for membership of a professional body such as NIMH (National Institute of Medical Herbalists). Current Fees: GBP 3,900.00 per year ----- Four year correspondence course. Similar to above, with a Diploma in Herbal Medicine. Also permits the practising of Herbal Medicine, and to apply for professional membership. Current Fees: 160 sterling per quarter excluding books, seminars, exams etc. There is also a requirement to undertake 500 hours of clinical training at about 2.50 sterling per hour - spread over the four years. Also yearly seminars at a cost of 140 each (excluding accommodation) Overseas students can arrange to have their clinical training with an approved herbalist in their own country, but the 5 day seminars are only held in the UK - one each year, and are obligatory. This is the course that I'm aiming at taking; it involves 20/30 hrs per week studying, but I reckon it's good value for money. Depends what you want out of it! ----- One Year correspondence course: leads to a Certificate of Herbal studies, but does not permit the practicing of Herbal Medicine. It is necessary to attend an examination/seminar at the end of the year if the certificate is required. Current Fees: 130 sterling per quarter or 475 if paid in full in advance. The weekend seminar is 80 sterling (excluding accommodation) ----- There are other courses for GPs & Osteopaths etc., and Introductory and Preliminary courses in Biology & Chemistry. The college has recently had degree status granted for their four year residential course, as herbal medicine is regaining worldwide acceptance. David Powner ========== 6.4 Etc. ----- Conference: Prairie Medicinal and Aromatic Plants '97 Host: Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre Location: Royal Oak Inn, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada Date: Sunday, March 9 - Tuesday, March 11, 1997 Theme: Production, marketing, and use of medicinal and aromatic plants that can be grown on the Canadian Prairies or in greenhouse operations here. Speakers: J. Moes, J. Wahab, S. Blade, and C. Jackson (agronomists), M. Mirza (greenhouse horticulturalist), R. Gaudiel (aromatics researcher), L. Donais (wildcrafter and producer), R. Rogers and B. Toews (herbalists), M. Lipsett (business consultant), L. Burridge (science librarian), J. Simon (herb producer/marketer), R. Marles (pharmacognosist), B. Barl (phytochemist), R. Miller (herb marketer), T. Willard (herbal college director). Target Audience: Herbalists, aromatherapists, naturopaths, homeopaths, farmers, greenhouse operators, agronomists, phytochemists, pharmacognosists Contacts: http://www/docker.com/~gordona/conf.htm Dr. Scott Wright or Mr. Clayton Jackson, Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre, E-mail: cjackson@mail.techplus.com Mr. Al Gordon, Wheatbelt Community Futures Development Corporation, E-mail: wheatbelt@docker.com Dr. Jack Moes, P.Ag., New Crops Agronomist, Manitoba Agriculture, Soils and Crops Branch, E-mail: newcrop@access.tkm.mb.ca Dr. Robin J. Marles, Botany Department, Brandon University, E-mail: marles@brandonu.ca ----- The 8th Annual Symposium of the American Herbalists Guild Co-Sponsored by the American Botanical Council and the Lloyd Library and Museum Cinncinati, OH Oct.17-20,1997 "Integrating Medicinal Herbs into America's Health Care, from Field to Pharmacy, Forest to Patient - Facing the Challenges of the Herbal Renaissance" ...bringing to mind the achieved height of herbal medicine today, our parallels with the past, and our challenges for the future. ----- International Conference on Medicinal Plants Conservation, Utilisation, Trade & Cultural Traditions Central Theme: Medicinal Plants for Survival Dates: 16th to 20th February 1998. Venue: National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore - 560 012, India. To receive copy of detailed announcement, please write to: Foundation for Revitaliation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), No.50, 2nd Stage, MSH Layout, Anandanagar, Bangalore-560024, India Phone: +91-80-3336909/0348; Fax: +91-80-3334167 e-mail: darshan@frlht.ernet.in ========== 7 Check these sites: ----- Among the goodies you'll find herbal mailing list and newsgroup archives, Michael Moore's files, and some nice WWW pages. ========== 7.1 FTP sites with info on medicinal herbs: Sunsite Herb archives ----- All files in the /pub/ directory tree on SunSITE.unc.edu are mirrored on the server in Japan: SunSITE.sut.ac.jp. Under http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/ or ftp sunsite.unc.edu /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ or ftp sunSITE.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ you'll find below mentioned newsgroup and mailing list archives, LOTS of pictures, and a mirror of all the SWSBM files (Michael Moore's stuff). There's other herbal stuff, as well - just go have a look. If you have homeless herbal files drop me a note: HeK@hetta.pp.fi The archives for alt.folklore.herbs and the culinary and medicinal herblists are found here: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/archives.html or ftp sunSITE.unc.edu /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/archives/ or ftp sunSITE.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/archives/ The herbfaqs are found here: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/faqs/herbfaqs.html or ftp sunSITE.unc.edu /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ or ftp sunSITE.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/ A lot of gardening faqs (including the growing herbs for sale faq), and the archives for rec.gardens, are found here: ftp sunsite.unc.edu /pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening/ or ftp://sunsite.sut.ac.jp/pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening/ or ftp sunsite.unc.edu /pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening-faqs/ or ftp://sunsite.sut.ac.jp/pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening-faqs/ And you'll find a wealth of herb information here - unfortunately not very well organized, but if you do have the time to browse you'll find it is a treasuretrove: http://sunSITE.unc.edu/london/Herb_Archives.html or ftp sunSITE.unc.edu /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-references/ or ftp://sunSITE.sut.ac.jp/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-references/ Ftpmail: send e-mail to ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu for helpfile on ftpmail usage WAIS: also available by telnet; follow login instructions ========== 7.2 Interesting WWW pages ----- I'll only list the most important herbal WWW pages here. You'll find the rest of the good stuff from the links on Howie's and my pages. And you should use a search engine to look for information on specific plants. Michael Moore's homepage: http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. Lots of goodies. All things found here are also available by ftp or gopher on sunsite. See 6.1 above. Howie Brounstein's homepage: http://www.teleport.com/~howieb/howie.html Columbine and Wizardry Herbs. Lots of goodies. See 6.1 above. The Herbal Hall, Rob Bidleman: http://www.herb.com/herbal.htm The home of the professional herbalists' discussion group, it's got loads of goodies. Jonathan Treasure's Herbal Bookworm page: http://www.teleport.com/~jonno/ All you need to know about herb books: a list of must-read books, a list of stinkers, and a Reality Check. Michael Tierra's page: http://www.planetherbs.com/ Nice setup, lots of goodies. Henriette's Herbal Homepage: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/ Culinary and medicinal herblist archives, alt.folklore.herbs archives, herbfaqs, pictures, programs, and things. A Really Neat Site. (Tehehe. Who says you can't plug your homepage in a FAQ?) ========== 7.3 Herbal online discussions on the WWW Any I left out? Drop me a line, and I'll add them. ----- The newest, and probably (given time) highest quality WWW medicinal herb discussion site is: * Michael Tierra's PlanetHerbs Online Forum - http://www.planetherbs.com/forum/goforum.html One of the oldest (and very high-volume) herbal chat page is: * Algy's Herb Talk - http://www.algy.com/herb/index.html. Topics discussed include gardening of herbs, culinary and medicinal uses. Next, point your browser to the dayspa page - http://www.dayspa.com/, or go straight to one of their 'herb bar' pages: * Recipes for Herbal Breads & Butters - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/breads.html * SeedSwap - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/seedsavers.html * Pediatric Herbalism - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/youthherbalism.html * Herbs for Elders - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/herbsforelders.html * Herbs for Chronic Immune Disorders - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/herbsforimmune.html * Suggested Herbal Reading - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/herbalreading.html * Herbcrafting, like making wreaths and things - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/herbcrafting.html * Events & Seminars Around the World - http://www.dayspa.com/dayspaNews/get/herbevents.html ========== 8 Mailing lists Mailing lists have a distinct advantage over the online WWW chat pages: you don't have to be online. Just pull down your email from the server, and read and reply at leisure. It's lots cheaper for those of us who pay by the minute. ----- In addition to the lists mentioned here there's Herbal Hall, a low-volume, high-quality list for professional herbalists, but that's by invitation only. How do you get invited? Easy. Ask a friend who already is on Herbal Hall to introduce you to the list. Or post quality stuff on the herblist (or on alt.folklore.herbs) for a while - you'll probably get noticed and invited. ========== 8.1 The Herblist, the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants discussion list ----- A flammable list, with lots of knowledgeable herbalists on it. The flames should go down now, I'm acting as listmom (as of Feb97), with rights to unsub. To subscribe: write to listserv@trearnpc.ege.edu.tr with the following text: SUBscribe HERB (your full name) Be sure to read the Rules of the Game before posting there: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/archives/herblist/rules.txt Archives found on my www pages / in my ftp space: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/ ========== 8.2 The Aromatherapy list ---- To subscribe, write to list@idma.com with the following text join aromatherapy ========== 8.3 The Holistic lists: Holistic Discussion Groups ---- There actually are two holistic lists nowadays: 8.3.1 The Holistic list for laymen To subscribe: write to listserv@siu.edu with the following text: SUBscribe HOLISTIC-L (your full name) 8.3.2 The Holistic list for professionals To subscribe: write to Listserv@Citadel.Net with the following text: SUBscribe HOLISTIC-L (your full name) If you decide to subscribe you will have to submit an introduction wherein you clearly state that you are a healthcare professional. ========== 8.4 The Kombucha list ----- To subscribe: write to kombucha-request@relay1.shore.net with the following text: SUBSCRIBE END (If this doesn't work try HELP to the same address.) ========== 8.5 The Paracelsus Mailing list ----- Subscription is limited to practitioners, educators, researchers and students in alternative and conventional medical fields. To subscribe: write to majordomo@teleport.com with the following text: SUBSCRIBE PARACELSUS and, as part of the subscription approval process, send a biographical note indicating training, practice and interests to paracelsus@teleport.com. ========== 8.6 The Chinese Herblist - The Chinese Herb and Health Discussion Forum ----- It's quite dormant. Please start posting. To subscribe: write to Majordomo@geog1.hkbu.edu.hk with the text: SUBSCRIBE herb emailaddress (like SUBSCRIBE herb joe@abc.edu) They also have a WWW page: http://www-geog.hkbu.edu.hk/health ========== 8.7 The Homeopathy List ----- To subscribe: write to homeopathy-request@lyghtforce.com with the text: join homeopathy The archives for this list and a FAQ on homeopathy are kept on http://www.dungeon.com/~cam/homlist.html ========== 8.8 The Phytopharmacognosy List ----- Membership to the phyopharmacognosy discussion group is limited to academics, industrialist, healthcare practitioners and others who have -expertise- in medicinal plants. To subscribe: write to: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk Subject: (leave blank) Text: join phytopharmacognosy First-name Last-Name The list is moderated. Here's a WWW page for this list: http://www.mdx.ac.uk/www/pharm/ ========== 8.9 The Culinary Herblist ----- This is the list for the gardening and use of culinary herbs: To subscribe: write to: herbs-l-request@q7.com with the text: subscribe Archives found on my www pages / in my ftp space: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/ ========== 8.10 Napronet ----- The purpose of NAPRONET is to provide a scientific forum to discuss chemistry and biological activity of natural products. To subscribe: write to: listproc@bilkent.edu.tr with the text: SUBSCRIBE NAPRONET It's a low-volume list. ========== 8.11 The Altmed-res -list ----- Very low volume list, with no welcome message outlining the purpose of it, so I guess some folks could just take it over, eh? To subscribe: write to: Majordomo@virginia.EDU with the text: subscribe altmed-res ========== 8.12 The HerbMed -list ----- An alternative medicinal herblist, also formed because of the many flamewars on the medicinal herblist (see 8.1 above). This list is moderated, but still rather small. List moderator: carey@zz.com To subscribe: send a blank message to: herbmed-request@zz.com ========== 9 Related newsgroups ----- You might want too check * misc.health.alternative * rec.gardens * rec.food.preserving * bionet.plants * sci.med.* * alt.support.cancer.prostate * alt.support.sinusitis * alt.support.prostate.prostatitis * alt.support.* * alt.aromatherapy (comes complete with the usual complaint: 'my site doesn't carry this one' - well mine doesn't so I can't say what they talk about over there) ========== THE END ========== -- Henriette Kress HeK@hetta.pp.fi Helsinki, Finland http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives...