Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants, vol 1

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I spend a lot of time showing this book to people that I meet, and have had the chance to get a lot of reactions. What follows are answers to questions, and reactions from the many people I have shown this Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants to.

"Medicinal herbs, ignored during some ages and even dismissed in others, have been waiting quietly and patiently for several thousand years for humanity to turn their eyes to them in order to know, to study, to use and - why not? - to love them.... After a period of brilliant scientific developments in which therapy science - the science of healing - has built al its hopes on the basis of sophisticated laboratories and highly technological devices, the interest in Nature's simple remedies is quickly growing. It is not only an interest in plants, but also in water (hyrotherapy), in sun (heliotherapy) and in medicinal use of muds and clays (geotherapy).... All human beings need some help for their many diseases and illnesses, and this help presently comes from nature, from simple country herbs. These humble plants, that almost forgotten wild tree, the "simples" - a former name for medicinal herbs - hide the best medicines that Nature may offer for mankind's health." - George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D.

Thus begins the introduction of this book. As promised, this book deals with more than just medicinal plants, it even includes instructions for natural remedies that dont need a medicinal plant, such as hydrotherapy.

One thing that you'll notice when using this book is that it is lavishly illustrated with real photos of the uses of the medicinal plants. Each medicinal plant is shown in a drawing that makes it easy to recognize. This is a large format book, the pages are 8.5" x 11", on good quality glossy (but not reflective) paper.

Volume 1 of the book covers generalities such as: The Vegetal World, including: Types of Leaves, Anatomy of Leaves, Types of Roots, Types of Stems, Types of Inflorescences, and Anatomy of a Flower.

Chapter 2 is about Gathering and Preservation of medicinal plants. It gives practical instructions on how to store and preserve medicinal plants to ensure their potency and efficacy (in other words, making sure they continue to work well).

Chapter 3 covers a wide variety of ways to prepare and use medicinal plants. The table of contents lists these sections: The Art of Preparing Herbal Teas, Advantages and Disadvantages of Extracts, Method of Application of Fomentations, The Safe Use of Medicinal Herbs. But the chapter goes into many more methods of using medicinal plants, and it gives in depth instructions on exactly how to do each use. The uses covered include: Baths, Cold Extracts, Compresses, Decoctions, Enemas, Extracts, Eyedrops, Eye Irrigation, Fomentation, Friction, Gargles, Herbal Teas, Infusion, Irrigation of the Eye, Irrigation (Vaginal), Juices, Liniments, Lotions, Powders, Ointments, Poultices, Steam Baths, Syrup, Tinctures, and Vaginal irrigations. The chapter ends with a colorful section titled "Safe use of Medicinal Herbs - The First Step is to Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle". It list 6 points to be aware of, and practical cases.

Chapter 4 covers Active Principles, such as Photosynthesis, Procedures to Obtain Essences, and Aromatherapy.

Chapter 5 covers Plant Toxicity.

Chapter 6 is "From the Plant to the Medicine", and includes these sections: How to Obtain the Best Results from Plants, A Pioneer of Modern Phytotherapy, Medicinal Herbs in America, How the Properties of Plants were Discovered.

Part two of Volume 1 starts with a description of the icons used on the pages, and the descriptions of plants pages. It then goes through each section of the body showing which medicinal plants are best for each section of the body. Sections of the body covered in Volume 1 include:

7. Plants for the Eyes
8. Plants for the Nervous System
9. Plants that Stimulate
10. Plants for the Mouth
11. Plants for the Throat, Nose and Ears
12. Plants for the Heart
13. Plants for the Arteries
14. Plants for the Veins
15. Plants for the Blood
16. Plants for the Respiratory System
17. Plants for the Digestive System
18. Plants for the Liver and the Gall Bladder

Volume 2 continues on with additional parts of the body:
19. Plants for the Stomach
20. Plants for the Intestine
21. Plants for the Anus and the Rectum
22. Plants for the Urinary System
23. Plants for the Male Sexual Organs
24. Plants for the Female Sexual Organs
25. Plants for the Metabolism
26. Plants for the Locomotive System
27. Plants for the Skin
28. Plants for Infectious Diseases
29. Plants for other Ailments.

There is also a glossary, units of measure, source of illustrations, bibliography, and alphabetical index.

Each volume then includes, at the beginning, a 4 page Index of Diseases. This will quickly help you find the medicinal plants for a certain condition. Here is an example of just some of the diseases mentioned: Abcesses, Ache, Kidney (see Lumbago), Ache, rheumatic (see Rheumatic pain), Ache, Stomach, Aches and Neuralgia, Acid, Uric, excess of (see Gout), Acidity, Stomach, Acne, Affections, Heart, AIDS, Alcoholism, Alimentary intoxication, see Salmonellosis, Alkalizing plants, Allergy, Alteration, heartbeat rate, see Arrhythmia, alternatives to coffeee, alternatives to tea, amebic dysentery (see Amebiasis), Amebiases, Anal eczema, Anal Fissure, Analgesic plants, anaphrodisiac plants, anemia, Angina pectoris, Ango pectoris, anorexia, anthocyanines, antidiarrheic plants, antirrheumatic plants, antiscorbutic plants, antispasmodic plants, atitussive plants, anxiety, anxiolytics, aphonia, aphrodisiac plants, appetite, excess of (see Bulimia), Appetite, lack of, Arrhythmia, Arteriosclerosis, Arthritis, Uric (see Gouty Arthritis), Arthritism, Arthrosis, ascitis (see fluid in the abdomen), asthenia, asthma, heart attack, back ache (see Lumbago), bad breath, bad taste in mouth, balsamic plants, skin beauty, etc.

The next four pages are an index of plants. The hundreds of plants listed in this book are shown here, some under multiple names to make them easier to find. Examples include: Aaron's Rod = houseleek, Abelmosk (Hibiscus abelmoschus), absinthe = wormwood, acacia, in false acacia, achilea = milfoil, aconite = monkshood, agave (agave Americana), agrimony = sticklewort, alder buckthorn (rhamnus frangula), alexandria senna (in Tinnevelly Senna), alfalfa (medicago sativa), allgood (Chenopodium bonus-henricus), aloe (aloe vera), Althea (althaea officinalis), amazon tea, in hemp agrimony, amboima, in turmeric, american ash tre, in Bird's tongue, American Elm Tree in Elm tree, American eupatorium species, in hemp agrimony, american ginseng, american linen, american mistletow, american pennyroyal, american sanicle, american senna, american solomon's seal, american viburnum, in cramp bark, Ananas = Pineapple, Anapsos, in Calaguala, Anemony = windflower, angelica (Angelica archangelica), Anise (piminella anisum), etc.

After showing these important resources, I then leaf through the book showing the beautiful illustrations of the parts of plants, types of leaves, anatomy of leaves, and types of roots. These are important to understand what parts of plants have been found to have medicinal properties.

One of the best features of this book is the attention to safety. I point this out in many places as I am showing the book. For example, page 47, has this information about fresh use that is required of some plants: "Some plants, soon after being gathered, undergo certain enzymatc-catalytic chemical reactions, which in some cases destroy their active components, and in others change them into poisonous substances, as occurs in the watercress, for example. These plants must therefore always be used fresh. They are the following: Cypress, Hedge garlic, Hemp agrimony, Hound's tongue, Houseleek, Ivy, Mouse Ear, Radish, Scurvy Gress, Tormentil, Vervain, Watercress." Six practical suggestions are given on how to gather medicinal plants. Instructions are given on the parts to be gathered, and extensive advice on preservation and drying is given, along with a list of plants that require a drying process that causes fermentation.

As I mentioned earlier, there is an extensive chapter on the methods for preparing and using plants. This section also includes information about dosages for herbal teas, and child dosages. One person I showed this book remarked at how impressed this book shows dosages, unlike many other herbal medicinal books which don't tell how much to use. There is a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of extracts, and excellent illustrations of things like the external uses of medicinal plants, how to dissolve them in a fatty substance to improve absorption, and how to give a hip bath, foot bath and hand bath.

Chapter 5 is about cautions of plant toxicity, and is a chapter devoted to safety with medicinal plants. It gives cautions related to arterial hypertension, breast feeding, children, colitis, digestive dysfunctions, gastritis, genital-urinary dysfunctions, heart dysfyunctions, heart-circulatory dysfunctions, hemorrhoids, hyperthyroid goiter, intestinal occlusion, liver dysfunction, menstruation, nephritis, nervousness, pregnancy, prostate adenoma, stomach, urinary dysfunction, and weakness.

Chapter 6 has an interesting discussion about the discoveries of medicinal plants and their properties. This chapter again keeps safety in mind by debunking many common urban legends concerning medicinal plants.

The first 123 pages of volume one with all the information just highlighted could easily be a practical and valuable book all on their own. But the book does not stop there. Part Two of Volume 1 is where the listings of the medicinal plants begin. The encyclopedia uses a number of icons and tables that describe plants, body organs and ailments. There are icons to show with parts of the plants are to be used, and icons for various anatomical parts of the body that the medicinal plants work with.

The discussion of plants in part two groups the plants by section of the body according to their most common or best use. Each section of the body begins with a list of diseases and the medicinal plants specific to those diseases, and the effect each plant has on the disease. For example:

Chapter 7 Plants for the Eyes
Disease: Conjunctivitis and Blepharitis: Plants: Cornflower, carrot (invigorates and moisturizes eye mucosa), red eyebright, herb robert, tea, bennet, oak tree, witch hazel, yellow melilot, common plantain, garden violet, woodruff, fennel, german camomile, perslane, grapevine, rose, elm tree, brier hip, black elder, etc.
Disease: Keratitis: Carrot, Red eyebright, grapevine
Disease: Sty: Cornflower, oak tree, grapevine
Disease: Diminished Vision: carrot, bilberry

The article on cornflower is a good example of the detail given for each plan. Two pages cover Cornflower "A good remedy for your eyes". A full page length illustration of the plant is given, as well as an actual photo of the plant. 5 different methods of preparing and using cornflower are described. There is a general introduction to the plant "Cornflower covers the golden grain prairies from late Spring onwards with its gracious blue flowers. From ancient times, the seeds of crops have been mixed with cornflower seeds, and have been dispersed all over the world...." Properties and indications (reasons to use it) are described. For each condition, there is a list of which of the 5 preparation methods should be used.

As is done with every plant in this encyclopedia, synonyms are given (in this case, bluebottle, cyani, bachelor's button, bluebonnet, blue centaury), as well as names in French (Bleuet), and Spanish (Azulejo, Aciano, Ojeras). Habitats and a botanical description, along with the parts of the plant used medicinal, is given.

As I mentioned earlier about safety, this book has the latest information available about interactions, or overuses of the medicinal plants. Every plant with any such issue has a warning box prominent on each page. For example, the page on Peppermint has a ping warning box saying: "Warning: Peppermint essence, in high doeses, can provoke insomnia and irritability. When inhaled in high doses it can cause laryngeal spasms in children." For Butterbur, there is this warning: "Butterbur contains variable amounts of alkaloids which may be toxic for the liver. Due to this, the German Commission E for Human Medicine, phytotherapy section, does not recommend its use, although they do not ban it."

This book is designed with a focus to allow you to safely use medicinal plants.

Many doctors are beginning to realize that health is not about how many pills they give you. They are realizing that natural medicine, and safe use of medicinal plants, works as well for many patients as expensive pharmaceuticals. This is the book you need on your journey to use natural medicinal plant alternatives.

Many doctors and nurses have bought copies of this book from me for their offices and homes. Some of my customers have included a trauma surgeon, head nurse of a cardiac unit, and the head nurse of a Kaiser hospital. Most of my customers are ordinary people who desire to learn how to take better care of their own health. This book can be an excellent springboard to discussion with your own doctor about any conditions that concern you.

This book is so descriptive and so thorough, it's awesome! The last reviewer gave a detailed list of the chapters, so I just want to add that it is written in a very engaging and easy to read way. This is volume 1, so it only covers through chapter 18. Volume 2 covers chapters 19-29. They are both excellent investments if you're looking for natural remedies for almost every ailment!