A bit of history in the first couple:
OF PEOPLE & PLANTS The Autobiography of Europes Most Celebrated Herbal Healer by Maurice Messegue - (born 1921)In a remote French village in the province of Gascony, the young Messegue learned from his father the plant lore handed down by generations of his forebears the special healing properties of everyday plants and flowers such as linden blossoms, corn poppies, garlic, milfoil, and dozens of others that were to make up his pharmacopoeia. At first regarded as a simple peasant, and sometimes a charleton, Messegue gradually earned the respect of physicians and the praise of innumerable patients among them international celebrities such as Winston Churchill, President Herriot of France and the Cardinal who become Pope John XX111.
Of people and Plants is a combination of colourful anecdotes from Messegues life and detailed information about the use of specific plants in treating a wide variety of ailments. Its comprehensive appendices describe Messegues preparations for the principal chronic diseases and provide recommendations for the seasonal and nutritional use of plants for optimal health. Instructions are also given for growing beneficial herbs and vegetables and for gathering wild medicinal plants. This autobiography, flavoured both by Messegues rich French heritage and by the depth of his knowledge of native plant medicine, will be a fascinating addition to any herbal library.
So what does he say about Chronic Fatigue?Appendix I My Basic Preparations for the Principal Chronic Diseases this is really helpful & quite detailed on preparation of simple herbal remedies, including contraindications.
Appendix II Your Health in Your Garden what herbs to grow, how/when/where to cultivate them.
Theres no index in the back looks like youll have to read the book to find out what he prescribes for chronic fatigue. Since ME/CFS & FM are relatively recent terms, I wonder if he just prescribes herbs that are good for reversing fatigue ie stimulating or, he prescribes herbs that are calming and sedating allowing you to get a good nights sleep? It must be about 18 years since I read the book. At a guess, I would say calming & sedating like essential oils used in Aromatherapy.
GREEN PHARMACY The History and Evolution of Western Herbal Medicine by Barbara Griggs.
This is the book that greatly inspired my choice of subject matter when writing a thesis for my first formal studies in Herbal Medicine Certificate in Herbology. I summarised the History of Herbal Medicine since early man (from Neanderthal Burial sites, as did Barbara Griggs) to the early twentieth century herbalists. Turned out to be great fun & very interesting - delving into such things as protection against the Black Plague, to an amusing little story about the Chinese herbal medicine nicknamed Horny Goat Weed. The remedy for the Black Plague is safely stored in my thesis (in case of this old plague resurfacing and crossing the seas to Oz. Joke of course! A few herbs & spices how incredibly simple, but obviously a great protection against this deadly plague for the corpse robbers & grave attendants. And Horny Goat Weed - this remedy was discovered by observation of the amorous play of goats eating this weed in the fields, and I believe it is still used in herbal medicine up to the current day for sexual disfunction.
TALES FROM THE MEDICINE TRAIL (Tracking down the health secrets of shamans, herbalists, mystics, yogis, and other healers) by Chris Kilham, Medicine Hunter In Tales from the Medicine Trail, you are invited to join author Chris Kilham on a quest for the best natural healing remedies, both new and ancient, from the forgotten corners of the Earth. A gifted storyteller and herbal expert, Kilham skilfully combines adventure, history, and anthropology with the latest discoveries in natural medicine. Along the way, he teaches you how to put these discoveries to use right now - in your personal health program. Kilhams ability to communicate with, earn the trust of, and interpret the healing practices of indigenous people has earned him honour and respect throughout the world. Now, with the Medicine Hunter as your guide through the worlds most remote areas, you can harvest todays most potent healing information.
WHY: I enjoyed this book immensely. Nothing like an exhilarating travel adventure filled with fascinating facts about indigenous medicine & the indigenous cultures who use them.
Chris Kilham mentions essential oils in his first adventure.
Jungle Unguent Having to deal with various scrapes, cuts, and bites in the Amazon, I settled on an unguent formula that I found to be highly effective. First, any area to be treated should be cleaned. Then put a dollop of a good herbal salve into your hand. I prefer Herbal Eds Healing Salve by Herb Phar, but other salves can be used. Add a few drops each of tea tree, sandalwood, clary sage, and chamomile essential oils. If there is an infection, add some bacitracin or triple antibiotic ointment. Apply this gooey but wonderful concoction liberally. I found it helps to heal most topical problems including unifentifiable creeping tropical fungal crud remarkably quickly
When you read my article on Aromatherapy you will see that Ti Tree (as we spell it in Australia) is effective against all 3 categories of infectious organisms bacteria, fungi & viruses.And then
The inner bark of the jatoba tree, which grows from Brazil up through Central America, is used in the Amazon Rainforest as a folk remedy for cystitis, bladder infections, cough, fever, and much else. But jatoba is also reputedly an energy enhancer, and its sold in the US for that purpose, usually as a tea.
Catuaba and Muirapuama the most respected healer in Manaus, claims you will have the sexual vitality of a much younger person using these 2 plants.
An Amazon Super Sex Drink (see p78 of the book) youll have to read the book, as all I will say is that it has guarana seed powder in the recipe. In Australia, it seems every fizzy power drink has guarana in it now, as well as in chocolate. No wonder our teenagers are constantly reprimanded for bullying in schools theyre supercharged with guarana!
Ashwagandha the star of Ayurveda and Indias most widely used medicinal plant.
Having tried a bottle of this tincture myself (I think it has liquorice & something else in the tincture), I can attest to its amazing surge of energy. I only took the one 10 day course of the tincture as I thought it a bit expensive this was at a time when I was looking for a wonder remedy for my lack of energy (at minimal price).
Aromatic herbs and spices in an Indian masala or curry. In particular curcumin extracted from the tumeric root.
I tried a months supply of curcumin before ever reading this book, having read of its anti-inflammatory action. Inflammation is one of my greatest challenges to cure with alternative remedies (not synthetic drugs). Sometimes my application of essential oils helps, other times not. I didnt notice any difference with curcumin, but maybe I didnt take it for long enough. I notice there is fresh tumeric root in my organic fruit/veg stall at the local food market havent bought any yet, but fresh tumeric root is on my list of things to try.
I was a great fan of Indian curries for over 25 years, but IBS eventually pushed them into the corner & my favourite Indian recipes are gathering dust. Shame about that, as my Indian curries (mainly vegetarian) were reknown as being better than in an Indian restaurant. I gave away the recipes, but the patience & challenges of dry roasting the separate spices first, seemed to be beyond most of the highly regarded cooks I knew.
And Maca, another sex-enhancing remedy. (Im skimming through the book to find the herbs/spices Chris hunts for it seems indigenous people are happy to share their sexual disfunction remedies with the Medicine Hunter).
And for Cort (if hes read this far in the post), theres Kava natures valium without the side effects. I believe this is quite popular in the US. Have tried it myself (using my favourite NZ brand Thompsons), but didnt notice any appreciable effect on my disturbed sleep habits or insomnia. The Thompson brand has only 60 grm of kavalactones in each tablet, and have read that a dose should be at least 70 grm of kavalactones extract in powder or liquid form to deliver the Kava effect. I tried two tablets for a few days, but didnt seem to notice much difference. Chris Kilham says that you cannot eat enough ground-up Kava root to get any benefit, so I wonder if I should try another brand in powder or liquid form?
Chris Kilham recommends taking it with a friend its a social substance. Apparently, you put a full teaspoon of it in a few ounces of water. Slug it down, immediately. Your tongue will be numb for a few minutes & then youll feel the wave of Kava effect.
Wait about 25 minutes before having a second cup.
Medi-herb (an Australian herbal medicine supplier) whose newsletter I used to subscribe to when studying herbal medicine 18 or so years ago, says:
Kava (Piper methysticum) A safe, effective herbal treatment for anxiety and insomnia. At the recommended dose it will not cause tolerance and is not habit-forming. Kava is analgesic, a local anaesthetic and relaxes skeletal muscle. It was traditionally used for urinary tract infections.
If you've got this far in my post, you must be nearly asleep.......
Victoria
OF PEOPLE & PLANTS The Autobiography of Europes Most Celebrated Herbal Healer by Maurice Messegue - (born 1921)In a remote French village in the province of Gascony, the young Messegue learned from his father the plant lore handed down by generations of his forebears the special healing properties of everyday plants and flowers such as linden blossoms, corn poppies, garlic, milfoil, and dozens of others that were to make up his pharmacopoeia. At first regarded as a simple peasant, and sometimes a charleton, Messegue gradually earned the respect of physicians and the praise of innumerable patients among them international celebrities such as Winston Churchill, President Herriot of France and the Cardinal who become Pope John XX111.
Of people and Plants is a combination of colourful anecdotes from Messegues life and detailed information about the use of specific plants in treating a wide variety of ailments. Its comprehensive appendices describe Messegues preparations for the principal chronic diseases and provide recommendations for the seasonal and nutritional use of plants for optimal health. Instructions are also given for growing beneficial herbs and vegetables and for gathering wild medicinal plants. This autobiography, flavoured both by Messegues rich French heritage and by the depth of his knowledge of native plant medicine, will be a fascinating addition to any herbal library.
So what does he say about Chronic Fatigue?Appendix I My Basic Preparations for the Principal Chronic Diseases this is really helpful & quite detailed on preparation of simple herbal remedies, including contraindications.
Appendix II Your Health in Your Garden what herbs to grow, how/when/where to cultivate them.
Theres no index in the back looks like youll have to read the book to find out what he prescribes for chronic fatigue. Since ME/CFS & FM are relatively recent terms, I wonder if he just prescribes herbs that are good for reversing fatigue ie stimulating or, he prescribes herbs that are calming and sedating allowing you to get a good nights sleep? It must be about 18 years since I read the book. At a guess, I would say calming & sedating like essential oils used in Aromatherapy.
GREEN PHARMACY The History and Evolution of Western Herbal Medicine by Barbara Griggs.
This is the book that greatly inspired my choice of subject matter when writing a thesis for my first formal studies in Herbal Medicine Certificate in Herbology. I summarised the History of Herbal Medicine since early man (from Neanderthal Burial sites, as did Barbara Griggs) to the early twentieth century herbalists. Turned out to be great fun & very interesting - delving into such things as protection against the Black Plague, to an amusing little story about the Chinese herbal medicine nicknamed Horny Goat Weed. The remedy for the Black Plague is safely stored in my thesis (in case of this old plague resurfacing and crossing the seas to Oz. Joke of course! A few herbs & spices how incredibly simple, but obviously a great protection against this deadly plague for the corpse robbers & grave attendants. And Horny Goat Weed - this remedy was discovered by observation of the amorous play of goats eating this weed in the fields, and I believe it is still used in herbal medicine up to the current day for sexual disfunction.
TALES FROM THE MEDICINE TRAIL (Tracking down the health secrets of shamans, herbalists, mystics, yogis, and other healers) by Chris Kilham, Medicine Hunter In Tales from the Medicine Trail, you are invited to join author Chris Kilham on a quest for the best natural healing remedies, both new and ancient, from the forgotten corners of the Earth. A gifted storyteller and herbal expert, Kilham skilfully combines adventure, history, and anthropology with the latest discoveries in natural medicine. Along the way, he teaches you how to put these discoveries to use right now - in your personal health program. Kilhams ability to communicate with, earn the trust of, and interpret the healing practices of indigenous people has earned him honour and respect throughout the world. Now, with the Medicine Hunter as your guide through the worlds most remote areas, you can harvest todays most potent healing information.
WHY: I enjoyed this book immensely. Nothing like an exhilarating travel adventure filled with fascinating facts about indigenous medicine & the indigenous cultures who use them.
Chris Kilham mentions essential oils in his first adventure.
Jungle Unguent Having to deal with various scrapes, cuts, and bites in the Amazon, I settled on an unguent formula that I found to be highly effective. First, any area to be treated should be cleaned. Then put a dollop of a good herbal salve into your hand. I prefer Herbal Eds Healing Salve by Herb Phar, but other salves can be used. Add a few drops each of tea tree, sandalwood, clary sage, and chamomile essential oils. If there is an infection, add some bacitracin or triple antibiotic ointment. Apply this gooey but wonderful concoction liberally. I found it helps to heal most topical problems including unifentifiable creeping tropical fungal crud remarkably quickly
When you read my article on Aromatherapy you will see that Ti Tree (as we spell it in Australia) is effective against all 3 categories of infectious organisms bacteria, fungi & viruses.And then
The inner bark of the jatoba tree, which grows from Brazil up through Central America, is used in the Amazon Rainforest as a folk remedy for cystitis, bladder infections, cough, fever, and much else. But jatoba is also reputedly an energy enhancer, and its sold in the US for that purpose, usually as a tea.
Catuaba and Muirapuama the most respected healer in Manaus, claims you will have the sexual vitality of a much younger person using these 2 plants.
An Amazon Super Sex Drink (see p78 of the book) youll have to read the book, as all I will say is that it has guarana seed powder in the recipe. In Australia, it seems every fizzy power drink has guarana in it now, as well as in chocolate. No wonder our teenagers are constantly reprimanded for bullying in schools theyre supercharged with guarana!
Ashwagandha the star of Ayurveda and Indias most widely used medicinal plant.
Having tried a bottle of this tincture myself (I think it has liquorice & something else in the tincture), I can attest to its amazing surge of energy. I only took the one 10 day course of the tincture as I thought it a bit expensive this was at a time when I was looking for a wonder remedy for my lack of energy (at minimal price).
Aromatic herbs and spices in an Indian masala or curry. In particular curcumin extracted from the tumeric root.
I tried a months supply of curcumin before ever reading this book, having read of its anti-inflammatory action. Inflammation is one of my greatest challenges to cure with alternative remedies (not synthetic drugs). Sometimes my application of essential oils helps, other times not. I didnt notice any difference with curcumin, but maybe I didnt take it for long enough. I notice there is fresh tumeric root in my organic fruit/veg stall at the local food market havent bought any yet, but fresh tumeric root is on my list of things to try.
I was a great fan of Indian curries for over 25 years, but IBS eventually pushed them into the corner & my favourite Indian recipes are gathering dust. Shame about that, as my Indian curries (mainly vegetarian) were reknown as being better than in an Indian restaurant. I gave away the recipes, but the patience & challenges of dry roasting the separate spices first, seemed to be beyond most of the highly regarded cooks I knew.
And Maca, another sex-enhancing remedy. (Im skimming through the book to find the herbs/spices Chris hunts for it seems indigenous people are happy to share their sexual disfunction remedies with the Medicine Hunter).
And for Cort (if hes read this far in the post), theres Kava natures valium without the side effects. I believe this is quite popular in the US. Have tried it myself (using my favourite NZ brand Thompsons), but didnt notice any appreciable effect on my disturbed sleep habits or insomnia. The Thompson brand has only 60 grm of kavalactones in each tablet, and have read that a dose should be at least 70 grm of kavalactones extract in powder or liquid form to deliver the Kava effect. I tried two tablets for a few days, but didnt seem to notice much difference. Chris Kilham says that you cannot eat enough ground-up Kava root to get any benefit, so I wonder if I should try another brand in powder or liquid form?
Chris Kilham recommends taking it with a friend its a social substance. Apparently, you put a full teaspoon of it in a few ounces of water. Slug it down, immediately. Your tongue will be numb for a few minutes & then youll feel the wave of Kava effect.
Wait about 25 minutes before having a second cup.
Medi-herb (an Australian herbal medicine supplier) whose newsletter I used to subscribe to when studying herbal medicine 18 or so years ago, says:
Kava (Piper methysticum) A safe, effective herbal treatment for anxiety and insomnia. At the recommended dose it will not cause tolerance and is not habit-forming. Kava is analgesic, a local anaesthetic and relaxes skeletal muscle. It was traditionally used for urinary tract infections.
If you've got this far in my post, you must be nearly asleep.......
Victoria