In the world today nearly three quarters of all medicine
taken will be herbal in origin.
In the Western world the profession of herbalists can trace its
origins back to 1864 when the National Institute of Medical Herbalists
was formed. The members of this group are trained in medical sciences
as well as botany and analytical techniques and although they
work in a more conventional manner they only prescribe herbal
medicines.
The general use of herbs goes back to the dawn of history, and
written records have the Chinese and Greeks utilizing herbs 3000
years ago.
Today’s modern pharmacological medicines owe a lot to the
active ingredient of traditional herbs that often been extracted
and then synthesized. Herbal medicine is at variance with this,
as the art of prescribing herbs will often include a mediating
action within the herbs to prevent the body over reacting.
Firstly the practitioner will take a detailed case history of
your problem, paying attention to the small details that are often
overlooked. They may take blood pressure and pulse rates and will
check what pharmacological drugs you are taking as well as getting
a general understanding of your lifestyle and habits.
The Herbalist will then try to find which organ or system is under
stress and malfunctioning, causing the problems. They will then
explain to you how they see the problem that you are experiencing
in terms that will be easily under stood. They should then set
out how they propose to address the problem and explain which
herbs they intend using.
Herbs can be used in a variety of different ways. In some cases
the Herbal extract is used, while in other cases an infusion (the
dried herb steeped in boiling water) is more appropriate and this
can be drunk as a tea. If the herb is to be used topically (on
the skin), then it is commonly dispensed in a neutral base such
as vegetable oil, lanolin or aqueous cream.
Since many of the problems dealt with by Herbalists are either
of long standing, or are the culmination of many year’s
problems, it is unlikely that a single visit will completely ‘cure’
any problem. What the Herbalist will be doing is getting the body’s
organs to function as they normally should and once that has occurred
then the bodies own homoeostasis (its ability to return to normal)
will begin to occur and the person will begin to return to health.
For example a lot of skin problems have their origin in liver
congestion, and if the liver is unable to cleanse the blood then
the skin is often the next means of getting rid of unwanted body
products. Treatment for the skin problem will inevitably have
to include support and treatment for the liver itself if the results
are to be more than just temporary.
Herbs are a gentle means of treating sick children. If the mother
is breast-feeding then the mother can take some appropriate herbs
herself and the medicinal effect will be passed on through the
breast milk.
If the child is a little older then it may be appropriate to use
infusions (teas), often sweetened with licorice, or the herbal
extract itself may be able to be administrated.
Some herbs may be made into lozenges that may be sucked (horehound
used for coughs is a good example).
Although some of the herbs that are used are the same as you would
find in the kitchen garden, such as parsley or garlic, in general
if the herbs are to be used medicinally they will be in a form
that makes them operate most efficiently.
For example if you are taking herbs for a sinus problem, it may
be the most efficient way to us the herbs as an inhalation. That
is to soak the herbs in boiling water and breath in the steam,
which is carrying the active part of the herb, to assist the nasal
area to get back to normal.
Other conditions require the herbs to be in an extract form, which
means the active ingredient of the herb has been extracted using
alcohol and in some cases pressing, and is then filtered before
use.
While it is true that we can grow herbs in New Zealand, the best
herbs for medicinal purposes usually come from the hot dry areas
of the world, especially from around the Middle East. Some of
the specialty herbs are grown specifically in the country of origin,
and care must be taken that the herb that is obtained is the herb
required. Ginseng is a herb in question, as the Chinese variety
is quite different in action to the Korean type, even though they
are both Ginseng. It is also important to obtain the extract of
the part of the herb that is required, for instance Dandelion
root is a gentle liver herb, but the leaves have very different
actions and are used for fluid retention problems.
As the demand for herbs and herbal products continues to grow,
it is unfortunate that the price for the more desirable herbs
reflects their scarcity and there is no doubt that in the near
future many of the best herbs will become unobtainable.
As with any thing that we eat or drink, if taken to excess the
problems may arise. This includes water, where an over consumption
can deplete the body of the very minerals that it needs for every
day living.
If the herbs are taken as prescribed by a competent and well-trained
Herbalist, herbal treatment is one of the safest medicinal systems
available to people.
One of the features of herbs is that within their complex chemical
make up they usually contain both stimulatory and suppressive
components. This means that the herbal action may both excite
and calm down the body as the herbs begin to work. An example
of this is Hawthorn (Crataegus) that may be used both to lower
hypertension and to improve low blood pressure because it has
a tonfying and amphoteric action on the heart and cardiovascular
system.
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Herbal Medicine....
An overview?