Susun S. Weed
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 I tincture it—fresh or dried, it makes no difference—in 100-proof vodka in a brown glass bottle until it turns orange (the color of immune strength). herbalist Cascade Ander-son-Geller intensifies the strengthening and tonifying properties of usnea by boiling it briefly in water before tincturing it. if Exercise is an excellent way to tonify the immune sytem. A number of clinical trials have shown regular exercise to be strongly linked to heightened immunity and resistance to cancer. The emphasis is on regular. |
| Swiss herbalist Rina Nissim says: "Clay works wonders, but may increase breast pain initially."
• Pure essential oil of orange peel {Citrus reticulata) or lavender {Lavendula vera) is said to dissolve breast lumps and stop the replication of abnormal cells. Some women dilute 20-50 drops of either one in an ounce/30 ml of olive oil, and apply it morning and night for several months. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 Kaslof, an herbalist and author of The Traditional Flower Remedies of Dr. Edward Bach.
Flower remedies are available in some health food stores and through mail order (refer to the resource list on page 635). For information on preparing and administering flower remedies, see page 37.
See also Anxiety; Panic Attacks
Poor Body Image
Sure, people say you're attractive. Nice features and all that. But when you stare into the bathroom mirror, you see someone entirely different— someone who just doesn't measure up in the looks or weight department. |
| When I wrote my book Herbs and Things in 1969, my editors took 'aromatherapy' out of the index because nobody knew what the word meant," says San Francisco herbalist Jeanne Rose, chairperson of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy and author of Aromatherapy: Applications and Inhalations, a practical guide to using aromatherapy at home. |
| Flower remedies are not directly used to treat physical conditions, says herbalist Leslie J. Kaslof, author of The Traditional Flower Remedies of Dr. Edward Bach, but "physicians note that when emotional and psychological stress are stabilized, functional and other disorders, which have strong emotional and psychological components as their underlying causes, often resolve themselves or can be treated more easily. |
| A Caution for Pregnant Women
All flower remedy concentrates contain a very small amount of alcohol as a preservative, says Leslie Kaslof, an herbalist and author of The Traditional Flower Remedies of Dr. Edward Bach. But even though many experts say it's unlikely alcohol would be harmful in such a small dosage, Kaslof recommends that pregnant women consult a health professional before using a flower remedy.
Besides the 38 Bach remedies, some practitioners also use the essences of flower species native to California, many of them traditional Native American cures. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 The famous herbalist Dr Weiss stressed that the action of bitters was most pronounced after continued use (probably because it is a conditioned reflex).165 He described how a physician in Vienna noted that dyspeptic patients liked wormwood tea and kept asking for it, despite the taste. Another Viennese paediatrician considered bitters to be an excellent remedy for anorexic children. Weiss claimed that bitters neutralize the negative influence of higher mental functions on digestion, which usually results from chronic stress. |
Maesimund B. Panos, M.D. and Jane Heimlich
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 But the self-help herbalist has no way of knowing what constitutes a "safe" dose, since this information is seldom provided in herb books. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, a doctor recently reported three cases of poisoning, one fatal, resulting from three young women, independently, dosing themselves with large amounts of oil from the pennyroyal plant.
Homeopathy bears no relation to the free-spirit approach and practices of herbalism. Homeopathy is scientific medicine; its rules were developed by following the procedures of the scientific method. |
Frances Darragh and Louise Darragh Law
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 In these cases, we advise you to only use herbs in consultation with a Medical herbalist.
Resistance and Immunity onsta n t exposure to processed and chemically treated food, frequent use of prescription drugs, environmental pollution, and radiation all weaken the immune systems of our bodies. A weakened immune system contributes greatly to disease and poor recuperation. We can help our own and our children's immune systems by making appropriate changes to our lifestyles and by making good use of natural substances as described in this book.
DIET
1. |
Sharol Tilgner, N.D.
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 The past year has seen a flurry of books on these topics, but unfortunately not one of them has been written by a traditional herbalist with knowledge of the clinical traditions of herbalism. Most have been written by physicians or pharmacists who are sadly ignorant about the vast literature of traditional herbal medicine, even that practiced by physicians. By throwing out all information on herbal indications from that literature, they have also thrown out the recorded empirical data of herbal traditions on contraindications and side effects. |
| Tilgner is one of a small group of individuals in North America who combines in her experience the training of both the traditional herbalist and the natural physician. Thus, this book offers a combination of herbal and medical information unique in contemporary herbal literature. I hope it also serves to preserve the traditional knowledge presented in this new era when the foundations of traditional herbalism are being eroded by the dominant paradigm in medicine. |
Kathi Keville
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 The botanist defines an herbaceous plant as one with a fleshy stem that dies back in the winter. The herbalist, however, considers all medicinal and cosmetic plants as herbs. This broad definition of herbs includes trees, shrubs, mushrooms, lichens and, of course, fruits and vegetables that have medicinal properties. In many of my recipes, you will find items that you consider food rather than herbs, such as apple juice or shiitake mushrooms.
There are countless different herbs and combinations of herbs that are used for health and healing. |
| The mushroom soup recipes provided here are thanks to my friend and fellow herbalist Christopher Hobbs. He says that he has seen soups like these restore vigor and health to adults and children who were weak and ill. It will also benefit your urinary tract, especially if you are prone to bladder infection. Barley is an old European remedy for this problem, garlic treats infection and mushrooms boost the immune system. The Mushroom Barley Soup has been adapted from Hobbs's book Medicinal Mushrooms. Here, too, it is a basic soup made using Chinese herbs. |
| When I told him I was an herbalist, he opened his briefcase to show me a bottle of blackberry brandy next to the calculator, tape recorder and pens. He said that his father and his grandfather had been salesmen, and of all the tricks they taught him, the secret of blackberry was the best. He added that this trick was why his dad and granddad could pride themselves on never missing an appointment, even when traveling south of the border. |
| It is no surprise that doctors, who are trained to use drugs, are hesitant to study herbs. herbalist Michael Moore, author of Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest, sums it up well: "I have known perfectly intelligent physicians whose sole regularly used reference manuals were the Physician's Desk Reference and Goodman and Gillman, both of which are drug manuals. Their patients have come to expect, and receive, prescriptions as their only therapy."
Obviously, doctors are not the only ones who consider drugs their first option for treatment. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 If you are sensitive to the effects of caffeine and other stimulants, you may want to consult with a qualified herbalist before using ginseng.
AROMATHERAPY
For specific instructions on how to use aromatherapy, see PREPARING AROMATHERAPY TREATMENTS in Part Three.
¦ Essential oil of basil, elemi, geranium, lavender, patchouli, peppermint, pine, thyme, and vetiver have energizing and stimulating properties. Add one or more (up to three different ones) of these essential oils to bath water or massage oil, use them as inhalants, or diffuse them into the air in your home. |
Kathi Keville
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| In fact, a well-known nineteenth-century American herbalist, Edward E. Shook, N.D., preferred glycerites for most of his medicines.
One friend of mine preferred giving her baby glycerites instead of alcohol-laden tinctures. After discovering that her baby—-and many others—turned up her nose at anything that even hinted of alcohol or vinegar, she started a business making herbal glycerites designed just for children.
There are two types of glycerin: One type, derived from animal fat, is a by-product of soap making; the other is derived from vegetable oil. |
Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
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 The patient claimed an herbal remedy given to her by an Ajibwa Indian herbalist cured her cancer.
The Essiac formula consists of Indian rhubarb, sheephead sorrel, slippery elm, and burdock root. Many companies have since modified it and added cat's claw, kelp, blessed thistle, red clover, and watercress.
According to a report issued in 1993, Essiac strengthens the immune system, reduces toxic side effects of many drugs, increases energy level, and has anti-inflammatory effects. |
Christopher Hobbs
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 Gerard (1633), the English herbalist, used it in much the same way, suggesting a dose of 1-2 drams in powder form or 2-5 drams in decoction. Interestingly, Gerard felt that the best agaric would be white-colored, loose and spongy in texture, easily broken, and have a sweet taste; he considered heavy, blackish, and fibrous agaric to be poisonous. He also noted that since it is purgative and may cause nausea, the best way to take agaric is with syrup of vinegar and ginger, to prevent any negative reactions. |
| This action has been disputed by one well-respected Chinese herbalist (Dharmananda, 1994), and it has not been proven by any scientific studies. See the monograph on this species for more details.
Fomitopsis was used as a panacea, according to Dioscorides' prescription, for the next 1600 years or so. Gerard (1633) reported that agaric was still used in his time to cleanse the intestines and for jaundice, menstrual difficulties, edema, asthma, chronic fevers, and to restore healthy complexion, among other things. |
Glenn W. Geelhoed, M.D. and Jean Barilla, M.S.
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 We know how difficult it can be to find out how to prepare many herbal remedies, and unless you have a friendly neighborhood herbalist to consult, you've probably been confused, too. The thing is, most of these preparations are pretty easy to make and can be concocted using tools you probably already have handy in your kitchen. Let's take a look and learn how to do it!
Poultice
Though it sounds like something exotic, a "poultice" is simply a mash of herbs applied to the body. |
| Fo-Tl-TlENG According to the Chinese government, a thorough investigation confirmed that the famous Chinese herbalist, Li Chung Yun, lived to be 256 years old. He died in 1933. Li claimed that his secret of longevity was his daily use of Fo-Ti-Tieng, an herb found in the Eastern tropics that is currently being studied by Western researchers. He used the herb to make a tea, which he mixed with ginseng root. He drank this tea, and ate only fruits and vegetables grown above the ground. |
Dr. John Heinerman
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 I don't believe in homeopathy because I feel it is an art inspired from dark sources. An herbalist is one who uses herbs in their entirety and not fractioned portions of them. A homeopath, on the other hand, uses extracted parts of herbs in combination with non-plant agents, some of which are deadly poisons, i.e., black widow spider, cobra venom, arsenic, lead, etc.)
A few years ago, she wrote this: "A very effective treatment for mange can be made by giving whole (minced) garlic and by making a lotion of garlic and rubbing it on the animal's body every day. |
| Although the illness usually occurs in pups 6 to 16 weeks of age, it can strike at any age.
An herbalist friend of mine, Cheryl Jarman of Lufkin, Texas, related the following case to me by telephone recently:
"I had gotten a four-month-old puppy. It was an ail-American cur cross, but mostly cur breed. Within 24 hours the dog became sick. It was running a high fever, passing blood in its stool, and vomiting excessively. I had tried all of the usual antibiotic shots prescribed by our local vet here, but nothing worked. I was desperate and didn't want to lose my puppy. |
| A Botanical Formula from "Down Under"
Jackie Fitzgerald is an accomplished herbalist from Australia who works a lot with pets and their owners. While she is certainly an enthusiast of homeopathic preparations (just the opposite of what I am), she also uses herbs in their natural state. A formula she shared with me a few years ago has considerable merit in getting rid of intestinal parasites; it is especially useful in treating heartworms in dogs. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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 Consult a naturopathic physician or qualified herbalist.
HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES
• Take combination homeoparhic medicines formulated for headaches; these are available in health food stores. Individualizing your remedy may bring the best results.
OTHER THERAPIES
• Headaches of all varieties can often be treated successfully with acupressure or shiatsu. While you are seated, have a friend apply pressure with a thumb under the base of your skull on the outside of the muscle that runs along the left side of the spinal column. You can feel a slight indentation. |
Kathi Keville
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| Curiosity about using those herbs for purposes other than cooking soon sent me searching for information on practical uses for herbs—and eventually led me to a career as an herbalist.
Herbs were not as "in" then as they are now. Today, more and more people are rediscovering the art of healing with herbs. Some are undoubtedly attracted by herbalism's wholesome yet somewhat mysterious image. Others are simply looking for a more efficient, less dangerous alternative to conventional drugs.
Herbs can effectively treat many medical problems, but there is also a great deal herbs cannot do. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 GOTU KOLA: Encourage Cell Growth
The herb gotu kola may help fight age spots by stimulating the growth of new, healthy cells and the production of collagen, the protein that holds skin together, says Brigitte Mars, an herbalist and nutritional consultant in Boulder, Colorado. She recommends daily use of a tincture or capsule form of the herb. Add one dropper of tincture to % cup of water and take three times daily, or take one or two 60-milligram capsules a day. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Herbalist rate myrrh particularly high as a topical antiseptic for wounds, hemorrhoids, and bedsores.
• Congestion. Myrrh contains many volatile oils that make it suitable for promoting free breathing during congestive colds, and for clearing mucus-clogged passages. It increases circulation and restores tone and normal secretion.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR USE
In the United States, myrrh is most commonly used as an essential oil or tincture, although it is also included in toothpastes and incense sticks. Dosages are imprecise. |
| Herbalist Andrew Chevallier calls saw palmetto the "plant catheter" for its ability to strengthen the neck of the bladder and to reduce enlargement of the prostate, allowing for the free passage of urine. Saw palmetto's action in this regard has been demonstrated by research. In a double-blind study of thirty men, Italian investigators found that one month's treatment with saw palmetto extract increased urine flow 1,700 percent more than placebo. |
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