HERBS
The great remedial properties of herbs have been recognized and appreciated since time immemorial. Herbs were mentioned in the Bible from the beginning of creation. Herbs are nature's medicine and have been put here by an all -wise Creator. See Psalm 104:141 and Ezekiel 47:12. There is an herb for every disease that a human body can be afflicted with (mankind just does not know them all ).
The father of medicine, Hipprocates, was an herbalist. Herbs were used extensively until about 1500 A.D. At that time a man by the name of Hohemhein started the practice of using chemicals for the treatment of disease. Hohemhein burned in the public square all the herb books of Hippocrates. Having this valuable information out of the way, the medicine men followed the error of Hohemhein, who was the first to give the damaging drug Mercury.
In public, the medical establishment puts down herbs as quackery. What hypocrisy! What no one ever tells you is that some of today's biggest drug companies such as E. I. Lilly, Squibb, and Parke Davis started out selling herbs. E. I. Lilly himself started out picking flowers and herbs by the side of the road. His one formula with the herb cascara sagrada earned him enough money to launch his company.
Today, things are changing again - but it's happening quietly and no one is talking about it too much. Did you know that in a recent year, over 130 mil ion prescription drugs were written which came from plants? Or that over 75% of the hormones used in medicine today are derived completely from plants.
In private, the drug companies are some of the biggest users of herbal research libraries. That's what a head librarian told a fellow researcher. He said the drug companies were looking for old forgotten formulas for which they can get "grandfather" rights.
According to my understanding, "grandfather rights" means that the formula was used before a certain date in the early 1900's for a certain disease. Then, under certain conditions, a drug company could sell the same formula today - without having to spend $50 to $200 mil ion to get it approved by the government.
You see one big reason - $$$$$ - why the drug companies might be interested in old-time herbal formulas.
Drugs erode the general state of one's health. "It is known that about 40 percent of people undergoing medical care suffer side effects from the medications given them, and these reactions can leave a person "blind or deaf, afflicted with kidney, liver or brain damage, bone necrosis, ulceration of the bowel, intestinal hemorrhage, skin scars, extreme sensitivity to sunlight or other disabilities that may last for months or years(1).
You may be surprised to learn that even today over forty percent of prescription drugs sold in the U. S. contain ingredients derived from nature; and a full twenty-five percent of drugs contain at least one compound derived directly or through chemical modeling, from flowering plants.
Rules For Using Herbs
When you are sick - use herbs. When you are well , leave them alone. A person doesn't take medicine when he is well , neither should you take herbs when you are well , as they can throw the body off balance. Herbs can be taken internally in different ways: capsules, tinctures and tea form. The very best way is in tea form, as most all capsules are made from gelatin which comes from an animal by-product. Tinctures are very concentrated and have alcohol in them for a preservative. When you make your tea, always use distilled water or reverse osmosis filtered water as it will absorb more of the medicinal properties out of the herb than any other type of water. When using the leaves or flowers of the herb, bring the water to a boil; remove from the heat and add the herb. Let it steep for 20 minutes or longer, then strain and drink it. When using the part (???) or bark you need to boil them for 30 – 40 minutes then can strain and use. As a general rule you would put one to two teaspoons of herb per eight ounces of water. It is best not to mix/two herbs together at one time, as you have an interaction of the herbs with one another. If you mix six herbs together just imagine how many different combinations you can come up with! It would be the same as taking six numbers and seeing how many ways you can write them down. If I'm using two herbs, they should each be made separately and taken at different times. There are many poisonous herbs, which we would never want to use and there are some herbs that have side effects, and need to be used with discretion. W^ can never be too careful in our use of herbs.
There are many herbal books on the market that one can purchase. Of course, you will find many contradictions (as you do in any field). A safe rule of thumb is to buy 4 or 5 herbal books; look up the herb you are thinking about using in each one. If they all agree, then try it. A great herbal book in print today that I would recommend is Medicinal Plants (1990) by Steven Foster and Dr. James A. Duke, Houghton-Mifflin Company, Boston. This book is authored by two individuals - an herbalist and a scientist.
Listed here are just a small portion of herbs and some of their uses that I have personally used and seen results with. According to the World Health Organization, as much as eighty percent of the world's population still relies on traditional forms of medicine such as herbs. Only those who know the value of herbal remedies can appreciate the wonderful effects of the herbs that many tread under foot daily.
HERBS AND SOME OF THEIR USES
(1) L. Laner, Defective Medicine