| Chinese records verify the fact that the renowned Chinese herbalist Li Chung Yun reached 256 years of age. He was born in 1677, and in 1933 the New York Times announced the death of this remarkable man. Professor Li gave a course of twenty-eight lectures on longevity at a Chinese university when he was over the age of two hundred. Those who saw him declared that he did not appear older than a man of fifty-two; that he stood straight and strong, and had his own natural hair and teeth. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
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 A popular term that an herbalist might use for agents that clean up the bloodstream is an "alterative," meaning the constituents of the blood are gradually being changed from a state of poor health to one of wellness. The herbs facilitate the filtration of toxins and wastes while killing poisons and balancing nutrients and plasma substances.
A number of herbs have a similar purpose in the blood purification and liver detoxification process. |
| The late John Christopher, M.D., herbalist and founder of the School of Natural Healing, sug-gested holding grape juice in the mouth and "chewing" and swishing the liquid to increase saliva secretion. Individuals with "dry mouth syn-drome" often report an excellent response from this simple, low-cost therapy.
20. Acupuncture has helped many SS patients successfully cope with the symptoms of dry mouth. In a Swedish study of oral diseases, 70 patients between ages 33-82 with dry mouth showed significant increases in salivary flow after 6 months of acupuncture treatment (Blom et al. 2000).
21. |
Walter Last
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 The Hoxsey mixture must generally be made up individually, but a local herbalist should be able to do it. The exact quantities are kept secret and may vary, but an independent analysis revealed the following quantities in 5 ml of the Hoxsey tonic: potassium iodide (150 mg), Stillingia root (10 mg), burdock root (10 mg), red clover (20 mg), buckthorn bark (20 mg), berberis root (10 mg), pokeroot (10 mg), prickly ash bark (5 mg), licorice (20 mg), and Cascara amarga (5 mg). Cascara amarga is difficult to obtain, and the mixture can be made without it. |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
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 The English herbalist Gerard described the aroma produced by this plant with the following phrase, "for the smell thereof makes the heart merry, delighteth the senses; neither doth it cause headache, or loathsomeness to meat, as some other sweet smelling herbs do."4 The term "Spiraea," used in a former binomial name, comes from the fact that the fruits have a twisted appearance.3 Established growths of meadowsweet often completely dominate the marshy areas in which they grow, making another common name, Queen of the Meadow, very appropriate. |
Walter Last
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| Harry Hoxsey, the cancer herbalist, was arrested about 200 times within two years for practicing medicine without a license. The brother of the district attorney who initiated these arrests had advanced cancer. Unbeknownst to his lawyer brother, he went to Hoxsey and was cured. On learning about this, the district attorney quit his job and became Hoxsey's defense lawyer. The Hoxsey clinic and all other alternative cancer clinics eventually had to relocate to Mexico. (For a list of such clinics worldwide, see: www.cancure.org. |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
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 A trained herbalist can provide the necessary expertise and assistance.
•For Menstrual Pain...The most common treatment for menstrual cramps is dong quai, although a mixture of other remedies can also be used. herbalist Christopher Trahan recommends a tincture of equal quantities of angelica sinensis, viburnum opulus, and the Chinese herb corydalis for treating severe cramps. The muscle-relaxant American wild yam, also known as dios-corea, is incorporated into the tincture, along with a small amount of black haw, also known as viburnum. |
Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA
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| Ginseng has been used by the Chinese for centuries to help control diabetes, and recent studies confirm that it can reduce fasting blood glucose as well as improve mood and help in weight reduction. herbalist Donald Brown recommends a standardized extract with a 5 to 7 percent ginsenoside content. More or less can throw blood sugar off rather than bring it into balance. For this use, ginseng is probably best taken as a liquid extract.
One of the Ayurvedic herbs of choice in India for lowering blood sugar, now available in the United States, is called gymnema sylvestre. |
| In the 1800s, herbalist Culpeper prescribed hyssop for ear infections and "all griefs of the chest and lungs." It's an excellent aid for getting tough mucus moving up and out of the body. You can make a hyssop tea by adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb to a cup of boiling water and allowing it to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink a cup of this infusion up to three times a day. Children should take a smaller dose: half a cup of infusion three times daily for kids aged six to 12 and one-quarter cup for kids aged two to six. |
The Complete Book of Alternative NutritionSelene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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| Guarding Your Heart with Garlic
A decade or two ago, garlic was the herbalist's best-kept secret. Today garlic's benefits are so well known that major pharmaceutical companies are producing and selling garlic capsules. But herbalists feel that to get the full healing potential, you need to eat the real thing—and that means adding some garlic cloves to your menu.
Why the renewed interest in a funny-looking herb that's so odoriferous that it's sometimes called the stinking rose? After all, garlic has been around for as long as anybody has kept track of plants and their uses. |
Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D.
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 The king's maiden daughter, Medea—a master herbalist and sorceress—had fallen deeply in love with Jason, under a spell cast by Eros and Aphrodite. She knew that even if her beloved survived the bulls, he would be slaughtered by an army of soldiers that would sprout from the dragon's teeth.43 She appealed to her patroness, the goddess Hecate,44 for a potion that would save Jason. Hecate showed Medea where to find an herb that would make Jason invincible. |
Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 If you can't find the standardized version, I recommend consulting with a reputable Chinese herbalist to make sure you get a quality product and take the proper dosage. Panax ginseng, like the other ginsengs, is typically taken for 3 weeks straight. Some herbalists recommend taking a break every 4 to 8 weeks before resuming its use.
°^ Siberian Ginseng
In most studies where Siberian ginseng has been proven effective, people take 8 to 10 milliliters of an alcohol extract two to three times daily.
I have also seen good results with a standardized capsule extract containing 0. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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 Beginning with Hippocrates, teachers through the ages have guided every student doctor, herbalist, and nurse toward a deeply caring support of the patient. Today's emphasis on holistic medicine is an attempt to correct the tendency in modern medicine to equate "health care" with the treatment of disease entities.
Holism is not limited to any medical technique or theory. Rather, it provides a context in which the whole person is considered—his or her physical as well as mental and emotional health, including quality of life and relationships. |
Gary Null
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| Only 12 percent saw or had their herbs prescribed by an herbalist or other health practitioner.56
Tough and his group in Alberta, Canada, examined the frequency of use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) for patients with cancer of the colon and rectum. The results showed that 70 percent (871) of 1,240 participants completed the questionnaire, and 49 percent used CAM. CAM therapy usage in order of frequency were psychological and spiritual therapies (65 percent), vitamins and minerals (46 percent), and herbs (42 percent). |
| Hyperthyroidism is a serious condition, so you should be sure to see a qualified medical herbalist for supervision of these treatments. Remember that herbs, like antithyroid drugs, must not be abruptly withdrawn. Herbs must be slowly tapered off after you achieve remission.
Some herbs may react with your medications. Please consult your physician before starting any herbal therapy if you are taking prescription medicine.
Homeopathic preparations, especially Kelpasan, Coffea, Natrum muriaticum, and Thyroidinum, may be useful, or homeopaths may prescribe Iodum 30C twice a day for two weeks. |
Andrew Pengelly
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 Unlike secondary metabolites, which are the main compounds of relevance to the medical herbalist, fixed oils are universally present in plants—particularly their seeds—varying only in their abundance and chemical composition. Apart from their nutritional value, these oils are widely used for specific therapeutic purposes, associated with cardiovascular, autoimmune and numerous other chronic diseases.
Fixed oils are composed of fatty acids, hydrocarbon chains with a methyl (CH3) group at one end (il end), and a carboxyl group (COOH) at the other (8 end). |
| Kerry Bone
Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences (Herbal Medicine), University of New England, Armidale Director, Research and Development, MediHerb, Warwick
PREFACE
This is a book about plant chemistry written by a herbalist with no claims of being a chemist. Having a driving ambition to understand the nature of herbal medicines—in particular what makes them work—I delved head first into the previously alien world of atoms, molecules and bonds. |
John Heinerman
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 Feeling especially glum, the judge decided he had nothing to lose by conferring with a medical herbalist. (In Great Britain medical herbalists are protected under a special charter granted to them several centuries ago, which allows them to diagnose and prescribe just as regular doctors can. They receive extensive training in herbal lore and general medicine before receiving their licenses to practice.) The individual to whom Magistrate Wascombe presented himself prescribed five tablespoons of a garlic-and-onion mix (equal parts of each) every day. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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| Also called herbalist."
From a very broad perspective, I define an herb as a plant in relationship with humanity. Thus, herbalism becomes the study and exploration of the interactions between humanity and the plant kindom (see box on page 9). Such a point of view highlights the range and depth of human dependence on plants. This relationship is at the core of agriculture, forestry, carpentry, construction, clothing manufacture, medicine, and so on. In fact, as coal is geologically processed wood, this broad view includes the petrochemical industry as a subset of modern herbalism! |
C. P. Khare
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 The Irish herbalist K'Eogh reported in i735:"A woman had a swelling for a year or more on her right side. It was cured by three or four times rubbing the grieved part with the oil made of Melilot."
German Commission E recognized the efficacy of Melilotus officinalis in: I Blunt injuries
> Haemorrhoids
þ Venous conditions. |
Kevin Trudeau
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 You can go to the Yellow Pages and lookup naturopath, oriental medicine, chiropractor, herbalist, colon therapist, massage therapist, etc. You can go to your local health food store and inquire. I believe it is important to be looked at by several people and get several different opinions. Even though I personally believe I know huge amounts of information when it comes to the prevention and curing of disease naturally, I also know that getting other opinions is valuable and necessary. Do not, however, in my opinion, see or be treated by a doctor who uses drugs and surgery. |
| You can go to the Yellow Pages and look under naturopath, alternative medicine, herbalist, oriental medicine, and headings such as that.
It is important to know that you cannot be treated by somebody over the phone or via e-mail. Every condition is different and all medical conditions can be caused by a number of different things. A good example of this is someone called me on the phone and said, "I have fibromyalgia. What's the cure?" My response was Fibromyalgia is one of dozens of "diseases" that are really just a label for a series of similar symptoms. |
| If you have never had a consultation with an herbalist at least once, you have no idea what you are missing. When you take recommended herbs in a specific recommended dosage that is customized specifically for you, the physical benefits that you can receive are enormous. d. See a homeopathic practitioner.
Homeopathy is a form of medical treatment that gently brings the body into balance and can cure physical problems. A good homeopathic doctor does not treat symptoms, but he treats the whole person. Highly recommended. e. See a naturopath. |
Dr. Michael Heinrich, Joanne Barnes, Simon Gibbons and Elizabeth M. Williamson
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 Similar nationwide surveys conducted in the USA have indicated that the proportion of adults who had self-treated with herbal medicines, and those who had consulted a herbalist, had increased significantly during the period 1990-1997 (Eisenberg et al 1998). In addition, market research data reveal high levels of expenditure on herbal medicines, although it is difficult to obtain precise figures for sales of such products since some are classed as food supplements and are sold through numerous outlets. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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| Such cases inevitably lead the herbalist to conclude, "The whole is more than the sum of the parts."
The herbal remedies of the world vary in strength from potentially lethal poisons to gentle tonics that might be considered to be foods. This variation in the potency of pharmacological impact is chemically based and has a profound effect on the therapeutic selection of herbs for any individual. Herbs may be loosely categorized into the following broad groups.
Normalizers. These herbs gently nourish the body in ways that support natural processes of growth, health, and renewal. |
| A medical doctor may be a holistic practitioner, as can a medical herbalist or an osteopath. A framework that embraces a whole range of therapeutic modalities—whether labeled orthodox or alternative— becomes apparent. These modalities may all be used in a relevant and coherent way in the treatment of the whole of a person, not just symptoms or syndromes.
Bearing in mind that this is a time of flux, we can articulate some provisional ideas about holistic medicine. Holistic medicine emphasizes the uniqueness of the individual coming to the healer for care. |
Leslie Taylor, ND
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 David Hoffman recommends it as an excellent remedy for dyspeptic conditions, to stimulate production of saliva and digestive juices, and to increase the appetite (as well as for lice infestations and threadworms). He also notes, "It may safely be used in all cases of lack of appetite such as anorexia nervosa and digestive sluggishness."
PLANT CHEMICALS
Chemicals in amargo make it fifty times more bitter than quinine!
Amargo bark contains many active constituents including bitter principles reported to be fifty times more bitter than quinine. |
Bruce Fife and Jon J. Kabara
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 Recently one of my clients told me about a treatment for cataract she found in a book by noted herbalist John Heinerman. The author advised putting several drops of coconut milk* from a fresh coconut into the eyes, then apply hot wet cloths that have been wrung out over the eyes, and lay down for 10 minutes. My client tried it on herself and reported that it worked! According to the book even one application is enough to get significant improvement.
Medical researchers and health care workers are discovering new health benefits associated with coconut oil all the time. |
David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG
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| These range from the plethora of scientific techniques used in pharmacognosy to the traditional skills employed by the herbalist.
The term pharmacognosy is derived from two Greek words, pharmakon (drug) and gnosis (knowledge). The scope of this field encompasses the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical, and biological properties of drugs, drug substances, and potential drug substances of natural origin, as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources. |
| However, the point must be made that a medical doctor who completes a short training in acupuncture does not suddenly become an acupuncturist, just as a chiropractor who attends a brief workshop on herbs is not transformed into a medical herbalist overnight.
COMPLEMENTARY, ALTERNATIVE, OR ORTHODOX?
The terms alternative and orthodox are often applied in attempts to differentiate among various therapeutic modalities. However, given the rapidly changing cultural climate affecting the healing professions, it is a mistake to talk of phytotherapy as a form of "alternative" medicine. |
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