The Natural Medicine Chest: Natural Medicines To Keep You and Your Family Thriving into the Next Millennium [Illustrated] (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A clear explanation of botanical herbal medicine as practiced in this country. While the authors make clear that these substances can offer real benefit, they make equallyand often inadvertentlyclear that self-diagnosis and treatment is not a reliable route to take. Naturopath Zampieron and Kamhi (a nurse with a doctorate in public health) give a brief, accurate history of botanical medicine in Americaincluding a fresh outlook on Andrew Carnegie's ``medical thug,'' Abraham Flexner (Flexner's 1910 Carnegie-funded report on medical education is revered in the allopathic establishment as a cornerstone of our current medical education and treatment systems, but it stopped the development of herbalism and other alternative therapies cold). Many herbalists work under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner; interested readers can follow guidelines here for tracking down such herbalists. The authors discuss safety: natural does not mean safe, they point out, and give careful alerts as to interactions between herbal and pharmaceutical drugs, as well as the possibilities for abuse and allergic reactions. After describing what is known of the medicinal components found in herbs and how they are extracted to form useful preparations, Zampieron and Kamhi describe an extensive list of herbs and other plants (aloe, St. John's Wort, parsley; also bananas, guava, pineapple, among many others). Intriguing and well-presented. Readers who wish to follow up can find helpful pointers on where to go next. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Open your medicine cabinet and take a look inside. How many pills, tablets, and bottles of syrups do you have that contain chemicals you can't even pronounce? For every ache and ailment, there is a medical prescription. But what about the cures that have been working for centuries? What about nature's medicines? The Natural Medicine Chest is a beautifully illustrated guide which provides the history, descriptions, research, and uses of over 100 healing herbs, foods, and nutrients.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: M. Evans and Company, Inc.; illustrated edition edition (September 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871318822
• ISBN-13: 978-0871318824
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,011,562 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars more than just another book on herbal medicine, December 11, 1999

By A Customer

I waited several months after this book came out before I bought it. Now I am devouring it like I would a good novel, and wonder why I waited so long to get myself a copy. Ellen Kamhi brings to the book all her knowledge that only a microbiologist would have (besides her knowledge as a clinical healer for several decades). Dr. Zampieron brings to the book his years of treating people in his clinic of naturopathic medicine. As an example of the quality of the information: a friend and I wanted to get the real truth about using ephedra. In all other literature we only ran in to warnings to stay away from ephedra. This book gave a history of benefits of ephedra and guidelines for using it safely. The information is researched in great detail, and the authors continually cite refereed journal articles to show the reader what science has done up to now to validate these traditionally-used herbal remedies. You also get detailed instructions on how to make tinctures, poutices, castor oil packs, etc. Bottom line, with this book you are on your way to health and wellness with the gifts the planet has given us, in the form of plants.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compendium of Natural Medicine, December 31, 2005

By	Silvio Pan (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

A well rounded reference guide on the history, properties, description and applications of healing herbs used in natural pharmacopoeic prevention and treatment. This book offers a comprehensive, easy to read and practical overview of the most popular medicinal herbs and healing foods. The authors provide somatic-based analysis and recommendations on preparing do-it-yourself natural medicines, including infusions, tinctures and salves to name a few. The book is replete with detailed explanations, photographic descriptions and a handy reference index on each herb to make it a valuable source for both novice and experienced naturopath alike. The Natural Medicine Chest is an excellent introduction into the myriad world of natural medicines and home remedies - of great value, not to be missed.