Customer Reviews

Making Plant Medicine

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Cech writes a book I've been waiting for - something truly in depth that talks about tinctures in more than just a paragraph or so. While saying it's perfectly fine to make tinctures in the 'simplers manner' - and he explains how to do this - his reasons for making consistent batches with measurements for continued accuracy and control makes perfect sense. He brings up the merits many herbalists do regarding the benefits of alcohol as a medium - besides preserving the herbal properties better than other products in nature, besides working better to extract from most herbs over glycerine and ACV, and besides bringing up how alcohol is such a wonderful carrier of herbs or other substances through the bloodstream into the body, he brings up the important points on how little of alcohol is consumed when taking the standard tincture dose, and eases some common misconceptions. Several chapters are devoted to tinctures alone, through various ways of extracting, detailed information on straining, pressing, and sifting. Things I've never read anywhere else were in here, quite a treat considering all the herbals I've read out there.

But of course that's not all. Full chapters are devoted to glycerites and which herbs are best suited for them, Vinegar extracts, Teas and Decoctions, Herbal Syrups and Succi, Oils, Salves, Creams, Poultices, Soaks, and Compresses. The best herbs for each are given, with examples, and it's hard to walk away without being more confident than if you read other standard herbals briefly brushing over this important aspect of herbalism.

A true gem of Making Plant Medicine is the Herbal Formulary, which showcases over 500 herbs with each having it's exact best method of preparation discussed, as well as ratio. Before reading this, for example, I hadn't known Astraglus was best extracted in water with just a bit of alcohol to preserve as an unusual type of tincture/tea, rather than just a tincture alone. Tidbits about my favorite herbs makes this book priceless. It's backed with contradictions and use of each herb, and even packs more punch by delivering personal testimonials, dosages, and - of course - a full chapter devoted exclusively to the mathematics of tincturing. Marvelous!

Written in a straight forward, down to earth, and enthusiastic manner, it's hard not to get excited about herbs all over again when you read the stories of Richo and his family, their adventures with the herbs, and how complex our plants and bodies really are. A book that does not merely skim the surface in any stretch of the imagination.

Are you ready to begin making your own tinctures, vinegar extracts, herbal infusions and teas as well as other decoctions? Richo Cech, long time herbalist par excellence describes how to macerate, use various solvents or menstruum solutions, and create complex combinations or medicinal compounds. Although Cech clearly prefers an alcohol-based menstruum, he supplies formulas for other approaches for those who cannot tolerate alcohol.

I have found the formulas which don't require alcohol provided by James Green in THE HERBAL MEDICINE-MAKERS HANDBOOK easier to execute and less costly because they don't use as much fancy equipment and my husband will use them, but Cech insists that to make long lasting solutions you will want to use grain alcohol or a good brand of Vodka as well as the "proper tools". I use essential oils for various purposes, and dried herbs in teas, and in my experience both hold up at least one year. We use them so fast I can't speak to longevity or shelf life (At this very moment as I type, I have applied an oil mix to my right hand to relieve pain from various causes such as arthritis and carpel tunnel, and it is working fine). I suppose if you are making up batches for sale you might have more concern with preservation, but I wouldn't worry about using an alcohol based formula on a child so much as tinctures are mostly diluted in water. (Cough syrup is an exception).

If you are a gardener (or not) and are wondering how to preserve some of nature's bounty for medicinal (compressesses, salves, creams and other medicinal compounds) you might consider buying both books (Cech and Green) and conducting your own experiments, to see which approach works for you. This book has a dearth of illustrations, or else I would give it more stars.

With relevant and interesting anecdotes, Cech describes the fundamentals of plant medicine making in this comprehensive book. Any beginning herbalist will appreciate how Cech covers the traditional/folk methods as well as scientific methods of making herbal medicine.
The love and respect Cech has for the plant world shine through. Reading this book is like being an apprentice to a knowledgeable and experienced herbalist of the highest caliber.

This is not a beginner's herbal book.There are some sweet cartoonish illustrations throughout this excellent herbal book,that might make a causal buyer think that their going to read a starter's book on herbs.I would not recommend this creative book for novice readers to start with.There are other excellent short books,like John Lust's 'The Herb Book',to begin your herbal studies with.Before you start making your tintures and remedies,you must know your herb of choice.You may not know the side-effects and the possible allergic reactions before you start experimenting.Some new readers may incorrectly think that the proper small dosage was good and therefore a large dose will produce even better relief.Herbal misuse and improper dosage can not only make you sick,it can be fatal.It's a great herbal book,yet one needs to have some advanced herbal training and proper advice beforehand.Then you can start with the herbal remedies,only at the recommended safe levels, as an alternative daily therapy.

I found this book at my local library and I fell in love with it. I have been learning to make herbal infused oils, balms, etc. for a couple years now and am always happy to read new information on the subject of herbs and how to use them. This is the best book I have found on the subject! Hands down. It not only has info telling what to use the herbs for, it tells many different ways to prepair the plants for use. Teas, compresses, oils, tinctures, etc. And you don't have to have expensive equiptment to make the products. The instructions, and information are very easy to understand. Richo has a very friendly, open way of writing that makes me feel like I'm learning from a family friend. (Bonus: his daughter draws the cutest little illustrations to open each chapter. So sweet.)
I would recommend this book to any person who wants to learn about herbs, for any reason. It is well worth the money and it will be in use at my house for years to come.

This is definitely a must have book for anyone who wishes to make tinctures. The instructions are clear and concise. Also, if you wish to make salves you will find simple instructions.

Richo is a wealth of great information for anyone looking to learn in depth details on plants and plant medicines. I highly suggest this book, especially if you are really interested in gaining a deep understanding of making plant medicines.

I don't give this book five stars, because I'm not a herbalist, and I think that few buyers are, and there is for me there is too much emphasis on tinctures which obviously often requires a tincture press.
And for a book which might be used often it is a bit too cheaply made and it might fall apart soon.
Anyway, I really can recommend this book, because it is precise and has a lot of information. It contains (at least as far as I know) all the necessary warnings and for each plant there are exact dosages. He obviously knows a lot about plants and there are hints on the differences of the varieties of one plant. It is very methodically organized and therefore for all the herbs all the necessary information is given.
Not a lot of space is wasted on tales, most of the book is pure information, I like this.
I would like the book a bit extended with growing hints beyond their herb catalog (horizon herbs), as some of the herbs mentioned are a bit tricky to germinate, and some hints on soils and climate would be good too.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in making their own plant medicine regardless of their level of experience in this field. I would consider myself to be on the beginner/intermediate end of the scale and have found this book to be highly informative. I've had some familiarity with basic medicinal herbs and largely consumed these as needed in the form of teas/decoctions and capsules from the health food store. The recipes are really straightforward and easy to follow and enabled me to begin making tinctures and cough syrup within days of receiving this book. I now consult this book more than the rest of my herbal texts combined!
One does not necessarily have to grow one's own medicinal plants to use this book, but this is also a great book for those of us who do. I have used this book extensively to aid in selection while preparing seed orders. Another plus is that virtually every plant detailed in the book is available from Richo's seed company, Horizon Herbs.
Regardless of the extent to which one would choose to delve into plant medicine, this book is worth purchasing for the stories and information regarding various aspects of the history of herbalism and methods of medicinal preparation from around the world. I am sure that I will continue to utilize this rich and unparalleled resource for years to come!

If I'm making a tincture and I need to know how much alcohol to herb for a particular herb, I turn to Richo Cech's Making Plant Medicine. If you've never made plant medicine before, you might find the book a bit challenging. The writing is clear and detailed, but it assumes some beginning experience with herbs. If you have the basics and need an herbal formulary that goes into specific detail for several dozen herbs, I know of none better.

Susan Lynn Peterson
author of Western Herbs for Martial Artists and Contact Athletes