AN HERBAL MEDICINE CHEST

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LEARNING MORE

The herbs described above form my basic medicine chest, but that's not to say that I rely solely on herbs: Modern medicine has its place. I certainly don't try to mend broken bones, sew up my own wounds, or do any kind of surgery. But I do use my herbs more and more. Because of this I haven't had to go to a doctor in the last five years except for pregnancy and emergencies.

As you learn more about herbs, you'll realize that a lot of culinary herbs can be used medicinally, as well, and that some of your worst garden weeds can be your best healing friends. Maybe we can pursue some of these together later on. Remember, though, whenever you use an herb, do it with love, respect, and thanks for that part of nature that can help us to better help ourselves.

If you have any questions, I highly recommend consulting Michael Tierra's book The Way of Herbs. [EDITOR'S NOTE: You can order The Way of Herbs for $4.95 plus 75¢ shipping and handling from Simon & Schuster, Mail-Order Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.]It's the only book I've found that assumes you know very little about using herbs, so it's therefore extremely informative. Michael's also better than most other herb writers at giving specific formulas and dosages. He is a practicing herbalist in California and has used what he tells about in his book.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The herbal remedies in this article should not be used as substitutes for professional medical attention for any serious health disturbance or for any chronic warning symptoms. When in doubt, consult your physician.

From The Way of Herbs, by Michael Tierra, copyright© 1983 by Michael Tierra. Reprinted by permission of Pocketbooks, Inc.

Using Herbs Safely

The following general advice is excerpted from the very useful chapter "Cautionary Notes on Herb Use" in Michael Tierra's The Way of Herbs. Specific cautions for the seven herbs discussed in the accompanying article are given in the article itself.

When properly used, herbs are the safest and surest medicines available However, one must be well aware of the power of herbs both to heal and, if misused, to cause imbalance. Herbs produce no side effects when used in the amounts required to effect a cure. Negative effects occur only when one fails to observe the cautions that herbalists have recognized after many years of experience.

FDA EVALUATION OF HERBS

The Food and Drug Administration has surveyed some of the available literature on chemical composition and pharmacology of herbs and has suggested that some herbs, commonly used as herbal medicines, are "unsafe. "However, it must be realized that these herbs were not judged unsafe on the basis of proper usage, but only based on the presence of a known toxic substance or on the report of severe overdose reaction. Virtually all foods and medicines contain substances that are toxic in large enough doses, so this does not shed much light on the true toxicity of the herb ....

In addition, by extracting ingredients from some herbs and feeding very large doses to laboratory animals, tumors have been induced in these animals. These substances are very weak carcinogenic agents and there is no evidence that the use of the herb itself is at all a health threat. Among the herbs which have been shown to contain a weak carcinogen are sassafras, nutmeg, cloves, basil, and tarragon.

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