Herbal Medicine [Paperback]

Rudolf Fritz Weiss (Author), A. R. Meuss (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1988 | ISBN-10: 0906584191 | ISBN-13: 978-0906584194

The English translation of the current sixth edition of "Lehrbuch der Phytotherapie", this book takes account of present-day research findings in the field of herbal medicine. This new edition has further suggestions for prescriptions, as well as indications for new areas of application. The main part of the book studies the large body of plant drugs, arranged on a basis of clinical diagnoses relating to particular systems - digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary, nervous, female reproductive, the skin and the eyes. There are separate chapters on influenza and colds, rheumatic conditions, some metabolic and endocrinal disorders, the use of herbal medicine in cancer, the treatment of wounds and other injuries, and the therapeutic use of herbal baths. In every case the relevant plants are discussed, with information on their occurence and botanical features, differentiation from related species, constituents and medicinal actions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Acclaim for Herbal Medicine, Second Edition:

"A seminal work in the annals of modern phytotherapy one of the chief standards against which all future publications will be measured." --from the foreword by Mark Blumenthal, Founder and executive Director, American Botanical Council, Editor, HerbalGram

"Still one of the best manual on clinical Western herbal medicine, if not the best available." --Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., fourth-generation clinical herbalist

"The definitive text of herbal medicine from the conventional medical approach." --Michael Tierra, L.Ac., O.M.D., author of Way of Herbs

"A scientific and authoritative work based on the authors' decades of real-life clinical experience. The practical formulas and well-referenced data sets this work at a quantum level beyond any other herb books on the market. I plan to use this excellent text in the training of my medical students." --Dr. Jill E. Stansbury, N.D., Chair Botanical Medicine Department, National College of Naturopathic Medicine

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Volker Fintelmann, MD is a licensed doctor of internal medicine and gastroenterology. Former Chairman of the German Commission E, his work focuses on the practical and methodological development of herbal medicine.

Rudolf Fritz Weiss, MD (1895-1991), author of the first edition of HERBAL MEDICINE is highly regarded as the "founding father" of modern German phytotherapy. He studied botany and medicine at the University of Berlin, qualifying as a doctor in 1922 and subsequently taking additional qualifications in internal medicine. A teaching post in herbal medicine was interrupted by war service as an army doctor, followed by seven years in Russian captivity as a doctor in prisoner-of-war camp hospitals. After retiring from clinical practice in 1961, he devoted his life to the scientific development and acceptance of herbal medicine. Weiss was appointed as a member of the German Commission E in 1978. He was founder and editor of the ZEITSCHRIFT FUER PHYTOTHERAPIE, and lectured on current advances in the subject at the University of Tuebingen. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Medicina Biologica (June 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0906584191
• ISBN-13: 978-0906584194
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #816,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best books on herbalism available, March 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Herbal Medicine (Paperback)

The letters "MD" on the cover of a book about 'alternative' medicine are always reassuring. Weiss combines the thoroughness and concern for verifiability one would expect from someone trained in modern medicine with a refreshing sensitivity to its limits and to the contribution that more traditional types of medicine can offer.

The bulk of the book is devoted to detailed examinations of systems of the body, characteristic diseases, and herbs used in their treatment. Chapter subjects include: the cardiovascular system, the urinary tract, rheumatic conditions, the nervous system, gynaecological conditions, cancer, and skin diseases.

In all these chapters, Weiss "limits himself to a very few remedies that have been shown to be really effective" and goes into each herb in detail, explaining how its chemistry and use differ from those of other, related herbs. Thus, the 100-page chapter on the digestive system starts with a full, properly-referenced, 14-page section on "acute stomach conditions". This is devoted almost entirely to three herbs: chamomile, peppermint, and balm (melissa). The subsection on chamomile tells us where chamomile grows and how to identify it, and then details the different varieties. The author summarises past research into the chemical make-up of chamomile and its use in medicine, and concludes with dosage details, even including advice to doctors on how to write their prescriptions. He then gives the same treatment to the other herbs, and proceeds to explain when we should use chamomile and when peppermint or melissa; when we should combine one of these with another herb; whether the tea is best or a tincture or standardized herbal extract or even essential oil; and so on.

In an age when information arranged in bite-sized pieces is the norm and coffee-table books with numerous colour photos abound, the plainness of this book is one of its charms. And, ultimately, it actually makes it easier to read. With many books available now, the reader has to jump around from section to section, reading profiles of individual herbs, introductions to body systems, indices of complaints, etc, and still not really know what the best remedy is or why a particular combination of herbs was chosen in preference to another. With Weiss, if you've got a digestive problem, you read the relevant chapter (or section if you've no time) and you know everything you need.

The author prefers to refer to herbal medicine as 'phytotherapy'. He is concerned to distinguish 'scientific phytotherapy', on the one hand from folk medicine and on the other from orthodox medicine. The former suffers from "the vast and often highly imaginative range of indications...[often] with no scientific foundation at all". The latter tends to "recognize only those phytotherapeutic agents...which can be statistically confirmed [and] gives preference to fast-acting powerful drugs". An example of his approach comes in the section mentioned above on chamomile, where he gives a table of its chemical constituents and their medicinal effect, while noting that "it is the sum of all the constituents that produces the medicinal action...we do best to use the whole plant drug".

One criticism: While I applaud Weiss's decision to focus on a small number of herbs, one problem with his approach is what to do if you can't obtain his favorites. While the translator sometimes slips in helpful comments for British readers, some may have problems getting hold of Eau de Melisse des Carmes and some of the more obscure herbs mentioned.

1.0 out of 5 stars A completely different book!, June 22, 2011

By 

Karin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Herbal Medicine (Hardcover)

The two five-star comments are about the paperback edition, as you can see, and that book does NOT have a "co-author" Fintelmann, like this hardback edition!

I suggest you read in the comparing review "Reweissing Weiss", about the "improvements" that has been done to the original text:

[...]

The book you will want is the re-released classic edtion!

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'd like to see more books written by this guy!!, October 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Herbal Medicine (Paperback)

I really like this book, I wish he'd do a book focusing on women's reproductive issues. He's thourogh and explains things well. I highly recommend this book.