The complete medicinal herbal : a practical guide to the healing properties of herbs

758 Pages·2017·6.42 MB·English

by  Penelope Ody

Copyright © 2017 by Penelope Ody Text copyright © 1993, 2000, 2015 Penelope Ody All rights reserved.
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.
Cover design by Rain Saukas
Cover photographs: iStockphoto.com
Interior images: iStockphoto.com except as follows: p. 60, Harpagophytum procumbens: H. Zell p. 63,
Hypericum perforatum: courtesy of Penelope Ody p. 81, Nardostachys grandiflora: Joseph Dalton Hooker
p. 126, Withania Somnifera: Wowbobwow12
Print ISBN: 978–1-63450–843–8
Ebook ISBN: 978–1-5107–1157–0
Printed in China
I N
MPORTANT OTICE
The recommendations and information in this book are appropriate in most
cases. However, the advice this book contains is general, not specific to
individuals and their particular circumstances. Any plant substance, whether
used as a food or medication, externally or internally, can cause an allergic
reaction in some people. Neither the author nor the publishers can be held
responsible for any injury, damage or otherwise resulting from the use of
herbal medicines. Do not try self-diagnosis or attempt self-treatment for
serious or long-term problems without consulting a medical professional or
qualified practitioner. Do not undertake any self-treatment while you are
undergoing a prescribed course of medical treatment without first seeking
professional advice. Always seek medical advice if symptoms persist.
CONTENTS
I
NTRODUCTION
H P & P
ERBS AST RESENT
Origins of Western Herbalism
A Science of Life
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Out of the Dark Ages
North American Traditions
From Plants to Pills
Medicinal Meals
A–Z M H
OF EDICINAL ERBS
Arranged by Latin name, a visual directory of more than 100 herbs
Ayurvedic Herbs
Bush Herbs
Fungi
South American Herbs
H R
ERBAL EMEDIES
Harvesting & Drying Herbs
Making Herbal Remedies
Other Herbal Remedies
Herbal First Aid
H R
OME EMEDIES
Aches & Pains
Headaches & Migraines
Infections
Respiratory Problems
Ears, Eyes, Mouth & Throat
Skin & Hair
Heart, Blood & Circulation
Digestive Problems
Allergic Conditions
Urinary Disorders
Nervous Disorders
Gynecological Problems
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Male Reproductive Problems
Problems of the Elderly
Endocrine & Glandular Problems
Children’s Complaints
Ayurvedic Tonics
Chinese Tonics
Qi Tonics
Blood Tonics
Yang Tonics
Yin Tonics
Western Tonics
Energy Tonics
Nerve Tonics
Mind Tonics
O M H
THER EDICINAL ERBS
C H
ONSULTING AN ERBALIST
G
LOSSARY
I
NDEX
INTRODUCTION
One of the earliest Chinese herbals – Shen Nong’s Materia Medica, dating
from the first or second century AD – lists 365 healing remedies, most of
them plants but including a few mineral and animal extracts. The Greek
physician Dioscorides, writing in the first century AD, mentioned about 400
herbs. Today, the list of plants with known medicinal properties is much
longer: around 5,800 in the Chinese Materia Medica, 2,500 known in India,
at least 800 regularly collected from the tropical forests of Africa, almost
300 currently detailed for the medical profession in Germany (one of the
few Western countries with official herbal monographs), and many
thousands more known only to traditional healers in the more remote
corners of our world. To produce a truly complete medicinal herbal would
fill many volumes and be the work of several lifetimes. Yet, despite this
bewildering array of healing plants, the average Western herbalist generally
finds that a working knowledge of 150 to 200 plants is more than enough to
cope with most human ailments.
Herbs may be defined as any plant that can be put to culinary or
medicinal use and include those we associate with conventional drugs, such
as foxglove and opium poppy, as well as everyday plants, such as garlic or
sage. The herbs in this book are a representative cross section of these
potent plants, ranging from exotic Eastern herbs, such as ma huang and
ginseng, to more mundane apples and cabbages.
Interest in herbal remedies has grown steadily in the past decades. In the
years since 1993, when the first edition of this book appeared, there has
been a significant increase in sales of ready-made herbal remedies and more
interest from the conventional medical profession in using herbal extracts as
an alternative to powerful and potentially hazardous drugs. That interest has
been fueled by concerns over the growing number of antibiotic-resistant
micro-organisms that conventional treatments find increasingly difficult to
tackle. In the West, people often cite the risk of side effects from powerful
conventional drugs as a reason for turning to gentler, plant medicines. In the
developing world, a lack of hard currency to pay for pharmaceutical imports
is encouraging a reappraisal of traditional folk remedies.
This trend towards more natural medicines has gained added impetus
from our growing concern with environmental issues, such as the
destruction of rain forests and the loss of rare species. Although the