Helen Mayhew

A Guide to Herbal Remedies Helen Mayhew

According to calculations made by the World Health Organisation the use of herbal remedies throughout the world exceeds that of so called conventional drugs by two or three times. This despite the existence since the beginning of this century of a worldwide and influential pharmaceutical industry. We also know that medicines derived from plants predate any other form of medication and that until the last few centuries all human experience of medicine is based upon them. It is now understood that even animals choose to eat certain plants for 'medical' purposes. Given this overwhelming dominance it is perhaps surprising that the use of herbs as remedies has such a low profile in English speaking countries and that a book like this should be necessary. However, following the Industrial Revolution, Britain and the United States (unlike other European cultures) have turned their backs on Nature's remedies and over the last century or so we have lost many of the simple skills of our forbears. The current return to these skills is very welcome; and at the same time considerable scientific evidence has accumulated for the efficacy of herbal remedies. They have their own advantages which complement conventional drugs. This book lays out very clearly what these advantages are. A GUIDE TO HERBAL REMEDIES contains: Herbal Remedies in common use and where to obtain them. How to select and use herbal remedies An alphabetical list of Symptoms with herbal remedies A Herbal First Aid Herbal remedies for Children A full glossary