Number 22 The Journal of the AMERICAN BOTANI CAL COUNCU.. and the HERB RESEARCH FOUNDATION Hawthorn -A Literature Review Special Report: Black Pearls - Prescription Drugs Masquerade as Chinese Herbal Arthritis Formula FROM THE EDITOR In This Issue his issue of HerbalGram offers some good news and some herbal combination for use in rheumatoid arthritis and related bad news. First the good news. Our Legal and Regulatory inflammatory conditions, this product has been tested repeatedly Tsection is devoted to a recent clarification by the Canadian and shown positive for the presence of unlabeled prescription drugs. Health Protection Branch (Canada's counterpart to our FDA)of its Herb Research Foundation President Rob McCaleb and I have willingness to grant "Traditional Medicine" status to many medici­ spent several months researching the latest resurgence in sales of nal herb products sold in Canada under the already existing approval this and related products. We have made every attempt to follow up process for over-the-counter remedies. This announcement has on many avenues to determine whether these products contain un­ been hailed as a positive step by almost everyone with whom we labeled drugs, and whether or not they are being marketed fraudu­ have talked, both in academia and in the herb industry. lently. Herb marketers and consumers alike should be concerned More good news is found in the literature review on Hawthorn. whenever prescription drugs are presented for sale as "natural" and Steven Foster has joined Christopher Hobbs in preparing a compre­ "herbal." You will find our report on page 4. hensive view of a plant with a long history of use as both food and In addition, we present the usual array of interesting blurbs, medicine. As with our previous articles on Sarsaparilla, St. John's clips, research reviews, and other herbal tidbits. Rob and I are sure Wort, Feverfew, and Valerian, this review of Hawthorn is one ofthe you will find this issue as stimulating and informative as our last one. most comprehensive in the English language, and will surely pro­ Further, we are grateful to all of those who have written with vide the basis for other writers and researchers for yet more articles compliments and constructive comments. We wish we had room to on this herb. print them all. And now for the bad news. Since 1980, many of us who are Finally, our thanks to the many retailers who have begun to familiar with the issues surrounding the sale of herbal products have place Herba/Gram on their shelves so more readers can further their been aware of a product called Chuifong. Represented as a Chinese herbal education.-MB LETTERS Allergy Relief? several hours or overnight. Remove the tea cal trials ... have demonstrated feverfew's anti-inflammatory effects." Actually, tests I am a registered nurse interested in bag and refrigerate tea when cooled. Drink on feverfew extracts and some constituent alternative methods to promote wellness. 4 - 6 ounces as often as needed to relieve sesquiterpene lactones have indeed demon­ Last spring I met ... a woman who has spent symptoms. You may dilute in half with strated a variety of activities, some of which the past ten years growing and using herbs. water and add lemon or honey if desired. A could reasonably be expected to have an (She) suggested that I try an herbal remedy glass jar with a spigot works well as a dis­ anti-inflammatory effect-for example, to help relieve my allergy symptoms. I am penser. allergic to molds, pollens, house dust, and Julie Ann Long animal dander. I have been able to control Wimberley, Texas See Letters, page 34 my allergic symptoms to these allergens by (Ed. -In view of recent findings inpotential drinking an infusion of comfrey, mullein, long-term toxicity ofcomfrey, publication of and catnip. this letter does not constitute an endorse­ ment of the remedy by ABC, Herb Research Impressed by the relief I obtain. from Foundation, or HerbalGram.) using these herbs, I have told many nurse friends and other acquaintances. Every one who has tried this remedy for relief of al­ lergy symptoms has told me that they, too, Feverfew Feedback have been helped. I have, for some time, been aware of the I am writing to you in the hope that most impressive list of distinguished scien­ others may find this herbal remedy an alter­ tists on the Professional Advisory Board of native to the use of over-the-counter medi­ the Herb Research Foundation. It is with cations. This remedy is anecdotal and I do some disappointment, therefore, that I read not profess to know how or why it works. If Christopher Hobbs's review of feverfew in your research has determined any of these HerbalGram No. 20, Spring, 1989. herbs as unsafe for use as an infusion, please While Mr. Hobbs does a thorough job of let me know. covering the literature, his review makes Allergy tea: Place two tablespoons each serious scientific misstatements, and a of dried catnip, mullein, and comfrey in a tea number of errors which should be obvious to bag or nylon jelly bag. Place bag in a one a careful reviewer. gallon glass canning jar. Pour one gallon of Firstly, the Summary states that "many boiling water into the jar and let sit for laboratory tests and two double-blind clini- Page 2 - Herba/Gram No. 22 -Spring 1990 Alv\ERIGAN BotANICAL ~ COUNCIL The Education Publication of the American Botanical Council and the Herb Research Foundation Board of Trustees Mark BlumeDihal. Execulive Director James A. Dub. Ph.D. Norman R.. FlmSWOf1h. Ph.D. FEATURES Black Pearls Lose Their Luster ................................... .4 Chuifong, prescription drugs masquerade as Chinese herbal arthritis formula HEQB The Lloyd Library ...................................................................... 6 John Uri Lloyd and his brothers; their contributions to the herbal QE&EAQCH movement; and their library, an important modem resource Hawthorn ................................................................................... 19 Black Pearls, page 4 FOUNDATION A literature review by Christopher Hobbs and Steven Foster President - Rob McCaleb DEPARTMENTS HRF Proresslooal Advisory Board Glenn Appelt, Ph.D. Herb Blurbs ................................................................................. 8 Professor of Pharmacology Spicy Eyes: Yellow Root for Pinkeye?; Rats! Wormwood in the Paper; Bovine Aromatherapy; Sesame Flowers for Treatments of Jolm A. Beutler, Ph.D. Warts; Onions and Red Wine : Cancer Diet?; Juglone Kills Algae Natural Products Chemist and Fish; Whars in a Name? Robert A. Bye, Jr., Ph.D. Professor of Ethnobotany Media Watch ............................................................................. 10 Organic Herbs in The Furrow; A New Look at Botanical Medicine; SuiWlti Dhannananda, Ph.D. Hobbs Profile in Supplement; Science Notes Medicinal Plant Director, lnsliiUte for Research; New York Times Slant on Herbs Lloyd Li brary , page 6 Traditional Medicine James A. Duke, PhD. Marbet Report .......................................................................... 12 Plmt Taxonomist Nonnan R. Famsworth, Ph.D. Research Reviews .................................................................... 14 The Search for Soma; Motherwort for the Heart; Ginkgo for Brain Resean:h Professor Damage?; Natural Oral Contraceptives; Herbal Extract Speeds of Pharmacognosy Fracture Healing ; Tannins as Free Richard I. Ford, Ph.D. Radical Scavengers; Eclipta Alba Research Professor of Etlmobotany Leqal and Requlatory .............................................................. 18 Hmiet Kulmlein, Ph.D. Canadian HPB Update· "Traditional Herbal Medicines· in Current Professor of Nutrition Drug Category Albert l..eun& PhD. Pharmacognosist Conferences .............................................................................. 36 Walter Ph.D. European Congress on Phytotherapy; International Mushroom Cover Feature: Lewis. Conference Hawthorn, page 19 Professor of Biology Ara Der Manlerosian, PhD. Potpourri ................................................................................... 40 Professor of Pharmacognosy Natural Products On·line Data Base; Plowman Fund Established; C. Dwayne Ogzewalla, Ph.D. The Pores Have It; Age Has Nothing to Do With It; Shoo , Bossy !; Professor of Pharmacognosy French Set Up Extract Association : Bastyr College Wins Final James Ruth, Ph.D. Accreditation Professor of Medical Chemistty ~ E. Jolm Staba, Ph.D. DIRECTORIES Professor of Pharmacognosy ' Vmo E. Tyler, Ph.D. Professor of Pharmacognosy Letters .......................................................................................... 2 Phil Weber, M.D. Boob Reviews ........................................................................... 43 Physician Access ............................................................... .......................... 46 Andrew Weil, M.D. Ca1endar ..................................................................................... 47 Ginkgo for Brain Physician, Author Classifieds ................................................................................. 49 Damage, page 16 Summary of Bacb Issues ........................................................ 51 Each issue of HubalGram is reviewed by the Herb Research Foundation Professional On the cover: Hawthorn, Crataegus oxyacantha, from The Flowering Plants, Advisory Board pior to publication. Grasses, Sedges, and Ferns of Great Britian. Anne Pratt, 1897. This issue of HerbalGram is printed on recycled paper. ---------------------Special Report-------------------