n. a place where medicines are made up by a pharmacist according to the doctor’s prescription and dispensed to patients. A dispensary is often part of an out-patient department in a hospital.
Prescriptions. While specimen combinations appear for each specific disease in this book, medicines from the dispensary may be varied many times during the course of treatment. The practitioner will adapt a prescription to a patient’s individual clinical picture by adding and subtracting agents according to the changing basic needs of the case. For instance, a first bottle of medicine or blend of powders may include a diuretic to clear the kidneys in preparation for the elimination of wastes and toxins unleashed by active ingredients.
The reader should never underestimate the capacity of herbal medicine to regenerate the human body, even from the brink of disaster.
Acknowledgements. I am indebted to my distinguished mentor, Edgar Gerald Jones, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England, to whom I owe more than I could ever repay. I am indebted also to the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, and to the British Herbal Medicine Association, both of which bodies have advanced the cause of herbal medicine. I have drawn heavily upon the British Herbal Pharmacopoeias 1983 and 1990, authentic publications of the BHMA, and have researched major works of ancient and modern herbalism including those pioneers of American Eclectic Medicine: Dr Samuel Thomson, Dr Wooster Beach, Dr Finlay Ellingwood and their British contemporaries. All made a vital contribution in their day and generation. I have endeavoured to keep abreast of the times, incorporating the latest scientific information at the time of going to press. For the purposes of this book I am especially indebted to my friend Dr John Cosh for checking accuracy of the medical material and for his many helpful suggestions.
A wealth of useful plants awaits further investigation. Arnica, Belladonna and Gelsemium are highly regarded by European physicians. It is believed that these plants, at present out of favour, still have an important role in medicine of the future. The wise and experienced clinician will wish to know how to harness their power to meet the challenge of tomorrow’s world.
Perhaps the real value of well-known alternative remedies lies in their comparative safety. Though largely unproven by elaborate clinical trials, the majority carry little risk or harm. Some have a great potential for good. The therapy is compatible with other forms of treatment.
The revival of herbal medicine is no passing cult due to sentimentality or superstition. It indicates, rather, a return to that deep devotion to nature that most of us have always possessed, and which seems in danger of being lost in the maze of modern pharmacy. It is an expression of loyalty to all that is best from
the past as we move forward into the 21st century with a better understanding of disease and its treatment. I believe the herbal profession has a distinguished and indispensible contribution to make towards the conquest of disease among peoples of the world, and that it should enjoy a place beside orthodox medicine.
Who are we to say that today’s antibiotics and high-tech medicine will always be available? In a world of increasing violence, war and disaster, a breakdown in the nation’s health service might happen at any time, thus curtailing production of insulin for the diabetic, steroids for the hormone-deficient, and anti-coagulants for the thrombotic. High-technology can do little without its specialised equipment. There may come a time when we shall have to reply on our own natural resources. It would be then that a knowledge of alternatives could be vital to survival. ... self medication
Indicated: antibacterials. Pulsatilla (American Dispensary)
Alternatives. Teas. Cornsilk, Marshmallow leaves.
Decoction. Marshmallow root.
Tablets/capsules. Pulsatilla, Saw Palmetto. Echinacea. Goldenseal.
Powders. Formula. Equal parts, Saw Palmetto, Pulsatilla, Black Willow, pinch of Cayenne. Dose: 500mg (two 00 capsules or one-third teaspoon) 3-4 times daily.
Liquid extracts. Alternatives. (1) Formula: equal parts: Black Willow, Echinacea, Pulsatilla. Dose: 30- 60 drops. (2) Echinacea 2; Saw Palmetto 2; Thuja 1. Dose: 30-60 drops. 3-4 times daily.
Topical. Scrotal ice packs. Cold Dogwood poultice. ... epididymitis
Action: antilithic, diuretic, sialagogue.
Uses: Used by the Cherokee Indians for gravel in the urine. Survived to be an important medicine in the modern herbalist’s dispensary. “As many as 120 calculi have been known to come from one person under its use.” (Mrs M. Grieve) Prostatitis (important agent). Incontinence, catarrh of the bladder, uric acid diathesis, blood in the urine, diabetes (supportive to primary treatment).
Combines well with Barberry bark (equal parts) for prostatitis; with Gravel root (equal parts) for gravel.
Preparations: Average dose: 2-4 grams. Thrice daily.
Decoction. 1 teaspoon to each cup water; simmer gently 20 minutes. Dose: half a cup. Often taken as a preventative by those prone to form stone.
Liquid Extract. Quarter-1 teaspoon in water.
Tincture BHP (1983). 1:5 in 45 per cent alcohol. Dose: 2-10ml in water. ... hydrangea
Causes: injury, mumps, or infection from other parts of the body, as from epididymitis.
Symptoms: testicles enlarged and painful; fever. Nausea. Sensation of weight.
Treatment. Analgesics, anti-inflammatories.
Teas: Clivers, Fumitory, Burdock root (decoction). Freely.
Tablets/capsules. Poke root. Echinacea. Prickly Ash. Pulsatilla. (Pulsatilla useful: American Dispensary)
Formula. Equal parts: Pulsatilla, Lobelia, Poke root. Dose – Liquid extracts: 30-60 drops. Tinctures: 60-120 drops. Powders: 375mg (quarter of a teaspoon). Thrice daily.
A. Barker, FNIMH. Dec Jam Sarsae Co Conc BPC 1oz. Liquid Extract Wild Carrot 1oz. Liquid Extract Corn Silk half an ounce. Mist Senna Co BP 2oz. Water to 8oz. Dose: 2 teaspoons in water thrice daily after meals.
External. Slippery Elm or Black Bryony poultice. Camphorated oil. Ice pack. ... orchitis
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