David Hoffmann - Holistic Herbal - A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies

To Lolo, for now and always

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Preface

Introduction to the Third Edition

How to use this Book

A Herbal Medicine Chest for the Home

The Holistic Approach

Gaia—the Living Earth

Herbs and Ecology

Ecosystems and the Biosphere

Herbs in Healing

Homeostasis

Self-Healing

The Circulatory System

Prevention of Circulatory Disease

Herbs for the Circulatory System

Patterns of Disease

The Lymphatic System

The Respiratory System

Prevention of Respiratory Disease

Herbs for the Respiratory System

Patterns of Disease of the Respiratory System

Ears, Nose, Throat & Eyes

Herbs for Ears, Nose, Throat and Eyes

The Ears

The Nose

The Throat

The Eyes

The Digestive System

Prevention of Disease

Herbs for the Digestive System

Patterns of Digestive Disease

The Mouth

The Stomach

The Small Intestine

The Large Intestine

Liver and Gall-Bladder

The Nervous System

Herbs for the Nervous System

Patterns of Dis-ease of the Nervous System

The Skin

Herbs for the Skin

Patterns of Skin Diseases

Internal Causes

Internal Reactions to External Causes

External Causes

The Muscular & Skeletal System

Herbs for the Muscular and Skeletal System

Patterns of Muscular and Skeletal Disease

The Glandular System

Health and the Glands

Herbs for the Glands

Patterns of Disease in the Glandular System

The Pancreas

The Thyroid

The Adrenal Glands

The Reproductive System

Herbs for the Female Reproductive System

Patterns of Disease of the Female Reproductive System

The Menstrual Cycle

Pregnancy and Childbirth

The Menopause

Infections

Herbs and Sexuality

The Urinary System

Herbs for the Urinary System..

Patterns of Disease of the Urinary System

Infections & Infestations

Antibiotics

Herbs for Infections and Infestations

Treating Infections

Treating Infestations

Cancer

Herbs and Cancer

Nutrition and Cancer

Psychological Factors and Cancer

Wholeness and Prevention

The Chemistry of Herbs

The Actions of Herbs

The Preparation of Herbs

Internal Remedies

External Remedies

Gathering Herbs

Calendar

The Herbal

Bibliography

Repertory

Index

General Index

Index of English Names

Botanical Names

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

This is a beautiful and fascinating book, an enthralling gateway into a wonderful field. The beginner can understand and the expert really use it. David is to be congratulated on his achievement.

The Hermetic Wisdom laid down as first principle that the universe is Mind, an ocean of living Intelligence; and as second principle the Law of Correspondences—as above, so below; as in the greatest, so in the smallest; as in the macrocosm, so in the microcosm.

Holistic healing reveals the great truth. Thus reflexology can discover all imbalances in the bodily organism from the feet, iridology from the eye, and true phrenology from the conformation of the cranium. Every part contains the whole, as is so beautifully demonstrated by the shattered holographic plate. And now herbalism reveals all the secret gifts of nature for holistic healing.

Our minds are still overcoming centuries of conditioning to ‘apartness’ thinking. The holistic world view lifts beyond such separation. We learn to see Truth as a hovering crystalline structure of many facets. You pick up one glint, I another, and the separatist reason can too easily conclude that, since I know and can prove I’m right, you must be wrong. All the glints together make up the Truth and we are finding that true ‘conversation’ (a ‘turning-about together’) is an art of helping each other to see the wonder of the whole revealed in every part. This lifts it above intellectual discussion or that debased form of exchange called argument.

In holistic thinking we become eclectic and learn to draw our truth from many complementary sources. Thus herbalism opens up a wonderful field for natural healing and this beautiful book by David Hoffman will guide many into it, for it is an essential aspect of natural therapy.

In our age of drugs and chemicals, here is a path to safe treatment which respects the Oneness of Life. This book is delightfully illustrated and produced, and the Findhorn Press is to be congratulated. All who are drawn into our movement for regeneration will want to possess it.

George Trevelyan

Transformation is in the air. It is the keynote of all we see, do and hear. Our lives are being transformed from within and without, sometimes positively growing and other times painfully changing, but always in flux. The purpose of our lives and the direction of society are no longer what they were, as the basis of our collective reality and beliefs changes. It is a time of chaos, crisis and great opportunity. A fundamental change in perspective and context is occurring throughout society and as a result much has happened in the field of herbalism and holistic healing in the short time since the first edition of The New Holistic Herbal appeared.

Herbalism is based on relationship—relationship between plant and human, plant and planet, human and planet. Using herbs in the healing process means taking part in an ecological cycle. This offers us the opportunity consciously to be present in the living, vital world of which we are part; to invite wholeness and our world into our lives through awareness of the remedies being used. The herbs can link us into the broader context of planetary wholeness, so that whilst they are doing their physiological/medical job, we can do ours and build an awareness of the links and mutual relationships.

Consider, for example, the treatment of a stomach ulcer with herbs and with drugs. Comfrey, Marshmallow Root, Meadowsweet and Golden Seal can all be used to soothe and heal an ulcer and with the help of right diet and lifestyle it need not return. But there is also the chance here for people to become aware of the way in which the environment through plants is actively healing them, so that they can be more present in their world. Perhaps they can attune to the plants, visit the places where they grow, and establish a deeper rapport with nature through their healing process. Thus the treatment of the ulcer becomes part of a deeper transformative process.