Herbal Medicine
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Volume 25 • Issue 4 • 2013 Herbal Medicine A publication of the National Herbalists Association of Australia Australian Journal national herbalists of Herbal association of australia Medicine The Australian Journal of Herbal The NHAA was founded in Enquiries: Office Manager PO Box 45 Medicine is a quarterly publication of 1920 and is Australia’s oldest Concord West NSW 2138 the National Herbalists Association of national professional body of Email: [email protected] Australia. The Journal publishes material herbal medicine practitioners. Street address: 4 Cavendish Street Concord West NSW 2138 on all aspects of western herbal medicine The Association is a non profit member Follow us on facebook: and is a peer reviewed journal with an based association run by a voluntary Board https://www.facebook.com/pages/ of Directors with the help of interested Editorial Board. Australian-Journal-of-Herbal- members. The NHAA is involved with all Medicine/1416725668550367 Members of the Editorial Board are: aspects of western herbal medicine. Editor: Jane Frawley The primary role of the association is to sup- Jane Frawley MClinSc BHSc(CompMed) DBM port practitioners of herbal medicine: Email: [email protected] GradCertAppSc Telephone: (02) 8765 0071 • Promote, protect and encourage the study, Katoomba NSW Australia + 61 2 8765 0071 practice and knowledge of western herbal Stuart Glastonbury MBBS BSc(Med) DipWHM medicine. Fax: (02) 8765 0091 Toowoomba Queensland Australia + 61 2 8765 0091 • Promote herbal medicine in the community Website: www.nhaa.org.au Erica McIntyre BSocSc(Psych)(Hons) BHSc as a safe and effective treatment option. DipBM • Maintain and promote high educational Editorial Committee: Blackheath NSW Australia standards for practitioners of herbal Erica McIntyre (Blackheath NSW) Andrew Pengelly PhD BA DBM ND medicine. Jane Frawley (Katoomba NSW) Laurel Maryland United States of America • Encourage the highest ideals of Proofreaders: Amie Steel PhD, MPH, GradCertEd, ND professionalism and ethical standards for Greg Whitten (Hobart TAS) Brisbane Queensland Australia practitioners of herbal medicine. Kath Giblett (Perth WA) Janelle Wheat PhD MMedRadSc(Nuclear • Advocate ethical and sustainable methods Medicine) MHSc(herbal medicine) BAppSc(ra- of growing, harvesting and manufacturing diography) herbal medicines. Wagga Wagga NSW Australia • Provide peer support for practitioners and Dawn Whitten BNat students of herbal medicine. Hobart Tasmania Australia Hans Wohlmuth PhD BSc Ballina NSW Australia The Editorial Board advises on content, structure and standards for the Journal, keeping it relevant to the profession of herbal medicine. Peer reviewers will come from the Editorial Board as well as being sourced globally for their expertise in specific areas. Contributions are invited to the journal. Instructions for contributors can be found on the inside back page. 20132008/2009 Corporate Corporate Members Sponsors ISSN 22003886 ABN 25 000 009 932 PP 23692/00006 CorporateTitle Page Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine 2013 25(4) This page is given to NHAA Corporate members who so generously support the NHAA. The NHAA is very grateful for their ongoing support. © National Herbalists Association of Australia 2013 161 Editorial Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine 2013 25(4) Editorial Jane Frawley Editor, Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine PO Box 45 Concord West 2138 [email protected] Welcome to the last edition of 2013. I have thoroughly Mr Jason Rainforest, Mr Rob Santich, Dr Jerome Sarris, enjoyed my first year as Editor and thank you for the Ms Janet Schloss, Dr Madhu Sharma, Dr Joshua Smith, support and feedback I have received since embarking Mr Michael Thompson, Dr Graeme William Tobyn, Dr on this role. The Editorial Board and I have learnt an Kyril Turpaev, Mr Mark Webb, Mr Greg Whitten, Dr enormous amount about the journal’s readership during Jenny Wilkinson and Dr Hans Wohlmuth. this time and as a result have endeavoured to publish I would also like to extend my personal gratitude to clinically relevant research and review articles, together the Associate Editors who contribute significantly to the with topical commentary and discussion pieces. I have no quality of the journal: Dr Andrew Pengelly, Dr Amie doubt that the journal will continue to evolve throughout Steel, Dr Janelle Wheat, Ms Dawn Whitten and Dr Hans 2014 and beyond. Wohlmuth. It was evident from the NHAA member surveys The current issue contains two articles with a historical conducted earlier in the year that many practitioners focus. The first by Justin Sinclair, entitled ’The alchemy would like to learn more about writing for publication. of herbal medicine: spagyric tinctures, elixirs and the In response to this we delivered a workshop in Sydney vegetable stone’, discusses the evolution and history of entitled ’Writing for Publication’ which provided a general spagyrics and details the principle steps in manufacturing overview of preparing a manuscript, with particular focus the spagyric tinctures, elixirs and Lapis vegetablis on writing case studies. It was clear from the feedback (vegetable stone). Phillipus Aureolus Theophrastus prior to the event that many members from outside the von Hohenheim (Paracelsus, 1493-1541CE), often Sydney area would also like to attend similar workshops considered a father of modern toxicology, was the first and we are investigating ways to do this. In the meantime, to write extensively on the subject of spagyrics. The please continue to provide input on how we can continue second article is by Karen McElroy and is entitled to make the journal worthwhile and relevant. ‘Anthroposophic medicine: deepening our understanding I would like to extend a very wholehearted thank you of herbs, healing and the human being’. Anthroposophic to all the reviewers who have contributed their expertise medicine is a philosophy and system of medicine that hails to the journal in 2013. The strength of the journal lies from Europe and was founded by the Austrian scientist with the reviewers who give their time and skill to and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Steiner’s improve the quality of our publication. Thank you to Dr studies varied widely and included the natural sciences, Abigail Omolayo Aiyepola, Ms Diana Bowman, Mr Ian botany, chemistry and physics. He was also significantly Breakspear, Mr David Casteleijn, Mr Greg Connolly, influenced by the German philosopher, politician, writer Mr Rik Danenberg, Dr Michael Evans, Dr Stuart and naturalist, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749- Glastonbury, Ms Assunta Hunter, Ms Catherine Johnson, 1832). Steiner devised a framework for understanding the Ms Lisa Marasco, Dr Mradu Gupta, Dr Paulo Moraes, universe and our distinct interconnectedness to all things. Ms Annette Morgan, Ms Helen Padarin, Ms Anita This system of medicine aims to collate ancient medical Pierantozzi, Dr Sokcheon Pak, Ms Jeannie Radcliffe, knowledge with contemporary scientific research. 2013 Corporate Members 162 © National Herbalists Association of Australia 2013 To the Editor Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine 2013 25(4) To the Editor Dear Editor, at Southern Cross University that nursing education Thank you for publishing the two articles by Dr moved away from the hospital system (vocationally- John Wardle in last month’s edition of the Australian based education) and into the university system, perhaps Journal of Herbal Medicine. The article ‘Independent with the goal of fostering critical thinking skills among registration for naturopaths and herbalists in Australia: nurses. Even legal disciplines adopted alternatives with the coming of age of an ancient profession,’ was timely the introduction of alternative dispute resolution and a and provides a comprehensive overview of the past and tiered, user-focused system. current situations. The primary goal of registration is to So, is the private college education of naturopathic safeguard the public; however, it does bring benchmark subjects actually better than that of a university? It is standards to our profession, particularly in relation to possible that presenting the college-based education as education and practice. It brings a known place within superior is mainly furthering the vested interests of private the general health care system by removing us from the college owners rather than actually providing excellent ‘unregistered practitioners’ category. It is apparent that education for naturopaths and Western herbalists. What naturopathic colleges tend to provide vocationally based is the impact on the profession considering that the qualifications compared to university Bachelor degrees, education of many members was and is vocationally based which also aim to develop critical thinking skills. It and critical thinking skills are not developed or valued? It was interesting to read how private colleges protected is ironic to think that our profession may largely contain their own financial interests by investing in a fighting practitioners that use a mechanistic vocational approach, fund to resist the development of a degree education for that follow instructions and rules in much the same way naturopaths and Western herbalists. I wonder how the an apprentice builder learns how to build a house or a educational background of members has influenced the hairdresser learns how to colour hair, while only those collective consciousness of our profession, particularly exposed to a university education may have learned how if most members have obtained