Table of Contents Acknowledgments ..................................................... x Introduction ~ My Life with the Plants ................................. xi The Holistic Perspective ~ Living and Healing in Holism ............... xiii How to Use This Book. xvii SECTION ONE Fundamentals of Medicinal Herbalism The History of Herbalism and Early Medicine .......................... 1 The Great Mother / Goddess Traditions ...................................... 2 Ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian Herbal and Medical Traditions ............... 3 European Healing Traditions .............................................. 5 Mythological Beginnings ............................................. 5 The Roman Empire .................................................. 6 The Middle Ages ................................................... 10 The Renaissance ................................................... 13 The Development of Medicine and Herbalism in Modern Europe .............. 17 Unani: Islamic Herbalism and Medicine .................................... 19 Herbal Medicine in North American History ................................ 22 The Indigenous People of North America ................................ 22 Teachings from Dark Rain Thom ....................................... 23 Herbal Medicine in Colonial America .................................. 28 American Medicine and Popular Health Movements of the 1800s ............. 30 Thomsonian Medicine, Physiomedicalists, Eclectic Physicians, and Naturopaths .. 31 American Herbalism and Modern Medicine .............................. 34 Herb Regulation in the United States ................................... 35 The American Herb Market .......................................... 36 Herbal Research ................................................... 37 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ....................................... 40 Herbalism in the Ayurvedic Medical System of India .......................... 43 Nomenclature and Classification of Plants ............................. 48 The Binomial System of Naming Plants .................................... 49 International Standards of Taxonomic Names and Abbreviations ................. 49 Classifications of the Plant Kingdom ....................................... 50 Botany for Herbalists ................................................. 55 Roots .............................................................. 57 Stems .............................................................. 58 Leaves ............................................................. 62 Flowers ............................................................ 69 Fruit and Seeds of Angiosperms .......................................... 74 Endangered Medicinal Herbs ~ Botanical Sanctuaries to the Rescue ..... 77 Botanical Sanctuaries and United Plant Savers (UpS) .......................... 78 UpS “At Risk” Plant List ................................................ 78 UpS “To Watch” Plant List .............................................. 79 What You Can Do to Help Endangered Plant Populations ....................... 79 Cultivating Medicinal Herbs .......................................... 81 The Importance and Necessity of Growing Your Own Medicinal Herbs ............ 81 Grow Organically ..................................................... 82 Step One: Preparing the Garden .......................................... 83 The Initial Planning Stage ............................................ 83 Choosing the Location for Your Herb Garden ............................. 83 Keep a Garden Log ................................................. 83 Soil ~ the Ground Substance of Life .................................... 85 Components of Soil ............................................. 85 Soil Structure .................................................. 87 Soil Types and Textures .......................................... 87 Water Holding Capacity of Soil Types ............................... 88 Soil Analysis ................................................... 88 Compost Is “Black Gold” for Gardeners .................................. 89 Organic Fertilizers and Soil Conditioners ................................. 91 The Primary Nutrients ........................................... 92 Plant- and Animal-Based Fertilizers and Conditioners .................... 92 Mineral-Based Fertilizers and Conditioners ........................... 94 Balancing Soil pH .................................................. 95 Basic Gardening Tools .............................................. 96 Step Two: Designing the Garden and Establishing Beds ........................ 96 Deciding the Shape of the Garden ..................................... 96 Breaking Ground .................................................. 96 Soil Cultivation .................................................... 97 Making Beds and Arranging Plants ..................................... 98 Woodland Gardens ................................................ 99 Step Three: Propagating Herbs ........................................... 99 Starting from Seed ................................................ 100 Deciding Whether to Plant Seeds Indoors or Outdoors .................. 100 Potting Containers for Indoor or Greenhouse Planting .................. 101 Potting Mixes for Starting Seeds ................................... 101 Pretreating Seeds to Aid Germination ............................... 101 Light Requirements and Depth for Planting Seeds ..................... 102 Heat and Temperature Requirements for Seed Germination .............. 102 Planting Times for Seeds ......................................... 102 Handling Seeds in a Conscious Way ............................... 103 How to Plant Seeds in Containers and Greenhouse Beds ................ 103 Hardening Off and Transplanting Seedlings into Permanent Beds .......... 104 Sowing Seeds Outdoors ......................................... 104 Propagation by Root Division ........................................ 105 Propagation by Stem Cuttings ........................................ 106 Propagation by Layering ............................................ 106 Step Four: Tending Your Garden ......................................... 106 Mulch ......................................................... 106 Watering ....................................................... 107 Weeding ........................................................ 108 Pruning ........................................................ 108 Insect and Disease Control .......................................... 108 Sustainable Harvesting of Medicinal Herbs .......................... 109 Differences Between Harvesting Cultivated Herbs and Wildcrafting .............. 110 The Advantages of Harvesting Your Own Herbs ............................. 110 Correct Identification of Medicinal Plants .................................. 111 When to Harvest Herbs ............................................... 111 Harvesting Leaves and Flowers .......................................... 112 Harvesting Roots .................................................... 112 Harvesting Tree Bark ................................................. 113 Harvesting Seeds and Berries ........................................... 113 Harvesting Stems .................................................... 113 Preparation of Plant Parts After Harvesting ................................. 114 Guidelines for Safe and Ethical Harvesting and Wildcrafting ................... 114 Harvesting in a Conscious Way by Following Native American Traditions .......... 115 Drying and Storing Medicinal Herbs ................................. 116 General Drying Instructions ............................................ 116 Drying Tips for Each Part of the Plant ..................................... 117 Storing Dried Herbs .................................................. 118 The Shelf Life of Dried Herbs ........................................... 118 Creating Herbal Preparations ....................................... 119 Choosing Between Fresh or Dried Herbs When Making Preparations ............. 119 Basic Types of Herbal Preparations ....................................... 120 Understanding the Process of Herbal Extraction ............................. 120 Dried Herbal Preparations ............................................. 122 Powders ........................................................ 122 Capsules ........................................................ 122 Pills ........................................................... 122 Water-Based Preparations ............................................. 124 Tea ............................................................ 124 Syrups ......................................................... 126 Poultice ........................................................ 127 Fomentation, Compress, and Wash .................................... 128 Flower Essences .................................................. 128 Herbal Eyewash .................................................. 129 Herbal Nasal Spray ................................................ 129 Herbal Douches .................................................. 129 Herbal Enemas ................................................... 129 Herbal Suppositories .............................................. 129 Hydrotherapy ~ the Herb Bath and Sitz Bath ............................ 130 Alcohol-Based Preparations ............................................ 130 Tinctures ......................................................