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The Magic of Herbs PDF

202 Pages·2019·17.069 MB·English
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t h Herbalism is the earliest form of medicine known to humankind, e its origins largely intuitive since even ailing animals seek out m plants with healing virtues. Its subsequent development has been governed by meticulous observation and centuries of a practical experience. Today, despite the commercial dominance g of the pharmaceutical industry and the scorn of some health i c practitioners, more and more people are turning to the gentler, time-honoured remedies offered by nature. o f the magic This seminal work, originally published close to half a century h ago, has been updated by the author, a life-long practitioner of e herbal medicine. A concise natural history, with a description r of herbs of over one hundred of nature’s most beneficial plants, the text b 3F5F87 has been extended to include the most up-to-date information s about their therapeutic worth. In addition old and new recipes are provided not only for herbal remedies but also for wines and cosmetics, while attention is paid also to such historical curiosities David Conway as the Doctrine of Signatures, the Language of Flowers and the d role of astrology in the herbal pharmacopoeia. a v i d Here, then, is a book that offers precious insight into a body of c botanical knowledge sometimes at risk of being overlooked. It is o also a joy to read. n w a y the magic of herbs the magic of herbs David Conway The Witches’ Almanac Newport, Rhode Island First Published 1973 TWA Updated and Published Softcover 2019 Softcover published in 2019 by The Witches’ Almanac LTD. P.O. Box 1292 Newport, RI 02840-9998 Text Copyright © 2019 David Conway Illustrations, Layout and Design Copyright © 2019 The Witches’ Almanac, LTD. Address all inquiries and information to the witches’ almanac, ltd. P.O. Box 1292 Newport, RI 02840-9998 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Softcover: 13-ISBN: 978-1-881098-53-9 Y llysiau gwyrthol berchid am Eu lles yn fwy n’au llun Wondrous plants, valued for Their virtues more than their good looks Crwys, Y Border Bach magic of herbs contents Introduction 9 1 Botanical Medicine 15 2 Herbalism and Astrology 21 3 The Doctrine of Signatures 31 4 The Preparation of Herbs 37 5 Tonics and Physics 43 6 Cosmetics and Narcotics 57 7 Wines from Herbs and Flowers 75 8 The Language of Flowers 85 9 Herbal Materia Medica 97 Index of Ailments and their Herbal Treatment 190 7 introduction I was four years old when I discovered the medicinal use of herbs. Suspected of having caught worms from the family cat, I was made to drink a brew composed of broom, bilberry leaves and wormwood. (The cat was spared the medicine and left to harbour worms in peace.) From then on throughout my childhood I was dosed with other herbs whenever illness threatened. Their taste was rarely pleasant, but at least they worked. So well, in fact, that at an early age I resolved to learn all I could about them. Here I was fortunate, because we then lived in a rural part of Wales where people trusted herbs more than they did the modern drugs prescribed by doctors. And among the herbal experts people went to see was a good friend of my father’s, a widower named Mr. James Tan’rallt. Mr. James kept a farm on Plynlimon, a desolate range of hills just east of Aberystwyth. To my young eyes he seemed a larg- er-than-life character: tall, enormously stout and clad always in 9

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