Table Of Content

Praise for The Modern Herbal Dispensatory “The Modern Herbal Dispensatory relies on the solid foundation that comes from direct interaction with living, breathing botanicals. To this it adds a specificity gleaned from twenty-first century science: clear guidelines rooted in chemistry and physiology provide definitive answers to questions of extraction method, solvent, timing, and formulation. If you’ve ever wondered which extraction method to use for a given plant, or felt reluctant to try advanced techniques like percolation, this clear and concise reference guide will become a trusted companion. A must-have for herbal educators, clinicians, and manufacturers alike!” —Guido Masé, cofounder and codirector, Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism “Thomas Easley and Steven Horne have done it once again. In the Modern Herbal Dispensatory, historic traditions of medicine making have been captured and shared in a way that empowers the modern lay herbalist to capture the benefits of botanical medicine in the most accessible and potent form. Weaving together folk teachings and scientific perspectives, this book bridges the spectrum of herbal medicine to provide an inspiring, detailed, and practical handbook for herbalists at all levels of experience. This guide should be on the bookshelves of every herbal school, home apothecary, and herbal production facility.” —Emily Ruff, executive director, Florida School of Holistic Living THE MODERN HERBAL DISPENSATORY A MEDICINE-MAKING GUIDE THOMAS EASLEY STEVEN HORNE North Atlantic Books Berkeley, California Copyright © 2016 by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books. Published by North Atlantic Books Berkeley, California Cover art credits (clockwise from upper-left): (1) “Eupatorium perfoliatum. (bone-set. thorough wort).” New York Public Library Digital Collections. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-4fde-a3d9- e040-e00a18064a99; (2) “Common Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium).” Public domain.—www.briargate.org; (3) http://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/10575241163; (4) “Smilacina racemosa” New York Public Library Digital Collections. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dd-ef5a-a3d9-e040- e00a18064a99; (5) iStockphoto.com/Craig McCausland; (6) Mentha Piperita by J.H. Colen, taken from Illustrations of Medical Botony by Joseph Carson, M.D.; (7) iStockphoto.com/Craig McCausland; (8) “Poppy, California” New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed. http:// digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-9c7f-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99; (9) Anicula Europaea, plate 357 by Otto Wilhelm Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich u.d. Schweiz, Gera (1885). Cover design by Howie Severson/Diana Rosinus All photos by Terrie Easley unless otherwise noted MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The following information is intended for general information purposes only. Individuals should always see their health care provider before administering any suggestions made in this book. Any application of the material set forth in the following pages is at the reader’s discretion and is his or her sole responsibility. The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide is sponsored and published by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences (dba North Atlantic Books), an educational nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that collaborates with partners to develop cross-cultural perspectives, nurture holistic views of art, science, the humanities, and healing, and seed personal and global transformation by publishing work on the relationship of body, spirit, and nature. North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 800-733-3000. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Easley, Thomas, 1982– , author. | Horne, Steven H., author. Title: The modern herbal dispensatory : a medicine-making guide / Thomas Easley and Steven Horne. Description: Berkeley, California : North Atlantic Books, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016013141 (print) | LCCN 2016013649 (ebook) | ISBN 9781623170790 (print) | ISBN 9781623170806 (ebook) Subjects: | MESH: Plants, Medicinal | Plant Preparations | Phytotherapy—methods | Formularies Classification: LCC RM666.H33 (print) | LCC RM666.H33 (ebook) | NLM QV 740.1 | DDC 615.3/21— dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016013141 To my wife, Terrie. Two books in three years of marriage isn’t easy, and I couldn’t have done it, or anything for that matter, without you. —THOMAS I dedicate this book to the Utah midwives who taught the first class I attended on herbal medicine making and got me started in the wonderful world of making herbal products. —STEVEN Acknowledgments Thomas would like to thank his wife for the incredible photography. It really ties the whole book together. He would also like to thank his former intern and editor Esther Mack for making his contributions to the book more concise and understandable. Steven wishes to acknowledge the help of his staff at the School of Modern Herbal Medicine, including David Horne, Garret Pittario, and Kenneth Hepworth, for helping to compile and edit some of the material in this book. Contents Introduction: On Herbal Medicine CHAPTER 1 Getting Started: Basic Concepts in Herbal Medicine CHAPTER 2 Herbal Preparations: Understanding the Many Ways to Prepare and Use Herbs CHAPTER 3 Using Fresh Plants: Harvesting, Drying, and Using Fresh Herbs CHAPTER 4 Dried Herbs: Bulk Herbs, Capsules, and Tablets CHAPTER 5 Introduction to Extractions: Terms, Equipment, Solvents, and Calculations CHAPTER 6 Making Basic Extracts: Extracting Herbs in Water, Alcohol, Glycerin, and Vinegar CHAPTER 7 Advanced Extraction Techniques: Percolation Extracts, Fluid Extracts, and Soxhlet Extracts CHAPTER 8 Topical Preparations: Oil-Based Extractions, Topical Applications, and Local Applications CHAPTER 9 Other Preparations: Concentrates, Lozenges, and Traditional Chinese Methods CHAPTER 10 Aromatherapy and Flower Essences: Two Unique Ways to Extract and Use Herbs CHAPTER 11 Formulas and Dosages: Designing Herbal Formulas and Using Herbs Effectively CHAPTER 12 Sample Formulas: Some of Our Favorite Formulas CHAPTER 13 Single Herbs: Instructions for Preparing and Using Single Herbs Appendix 1: Herbal Hydrotherapy: Combining Herbs and Water for Healing Appendix 2: Recommended Suppliers: Sources for Herb Plants and Seeds, Bulk Herbs, Bottles, Glycerin, and Other Supplies Recommended Reading Index About the Authors INTRODUCTION On Herbal Medicine Herbal medicine is one of the most ancient of the healing arts. It is, and always will be, the medicine of the people. No matter which political party is in power, no matter what is deemed legal versus illegal, not even the FDA in all of its regulatory glory can prevent someone from stepping out their door and using nature’s free medicine. Herbal medicine exists, and always has, because we live in symbiosis with plants. As herbalist Sam Coffman says, with every breath we take we perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with nature. Plants have been here longer than we have. They have learned their lessons and adapted to their environment, and they have produced a beautiful language to communicate those lessons with other plants, animals, and fungi. The chemical compounds that plants produce, their biochemical language, is so complicated that we haven’t even scratched the surface in the thousand or so plants that have been researched, let alone the remaining tens of thousands of plants around the world that are used as medicine. Although we may not understand how plants act chemically in our body, we have a long and well-documented history of their use as food and medicine. As we move toward a more sustainable world with clean energy production, locally grown organic foods, and nature conservation, we must look at our current model of medicine through the same filter of sustainability. A world that remains totally dependent on high-cost chemical medicines, controlled by multinational pharmaceutical companies whose main purpose is profit, is dependent upon the very institutions that created the environmental problems that are poisoning this world. Modern medicine and the judicious use of pharmaceuticals are essential for treating many serious illnesses. But although it is a great disease-care system, modern medical care is not a health care system. Any system of medicine that is separated from the greater whole of health, including food production, ecological health, social health, and emotional health, can only put a bandage on a bullet wound, conveniently masking the real issues that are slowly bleeding us to death. Rising costs for disease care and lack of access to care are taking a toll on everyone, and minorities and underprivileged groups bear the brunt of that burden. In America, disease care is the primary cause of financial ruin: Nearly two million people file bankruptcy every year because of medical bills. USING HERBS AS MEDICINE Medicinal plants grow everywhere and are easily available for harvest or purchase for a fraction of the cost of modern pharmaceuticals. Learning how to make your own herbal medicines is as easy as learning how to cook. The goal of this book is to empower you to use herbs to help yourself, your family, and others. Mastering herbalism involves a lot of work. Different herbs with entirely different medicinal actions can have the same common name. Conversely, the same herb can be called many different names depending on what book you are looking at. Learning the Latin (botanical) name of a plant is a good place to start to identify the correct herb, but identifying the right plant is just the first step. Different parts of a single plant can have different actions on the body. The root of dandelion is a wonderful digestive tonic and gently stimulates phase one liver detoxification. Dandelion leaves, on the other hand, are a strong diuretic; and the flowers, prepared as a flower essence or a wine, are specific for helping overachievers who are tense and stressed to learn to go with the flow. How you use an herb makes a difference in how it affects the body. Different constituents are soluble in different mediums. Some constituents of plants are exclusively alcohol soluble, whereas others only come out in water. Yarrow is a great herb for fevers when it is prepared as a hot infusion (tea) of the flowers. A hot infusion draws out the aromatic qualities of yarrow that stimulate circulation and promote perspiration, whereas a decoction extracts more of the bitter and astringent principles. Many Native Americans used a cooled decoction of the whole herb (flowers and leaves) as a digestive tonic for weak digestion. The dried leaves make an excellent styptic for cuts and wounds, and encapsulated yarrow clears the lymphatics, stimulates innate immunity, and helps relieve urinary tract infections. Yarrow essential oil is anti-inflammatory, but most of this oil is lost when the herb is dried. Yarrow flower essence is used to help sensitive individuals who overidentify with other people’s problems (a characteristic that comes naturally to many herbalists). Some books list yarrow as being good for toothache; the Diné (Navajo) and other Native Americans use yarrow for this purpose. But swallowing a capsule