Herbs for the Home Medicine Chest by Rosemary Gladstar

Herbs for the Home Medicine Chest Reviews

• 
  Hilary

  My thoughts about this book are divided. On the one hand, it has the potential to be an excellent primer for someone just getting into the medicinal use of herbs. It explains when to use them, and when to seek medical advice, it explains the different methods of use (infusions, decoctions, salves, syrups, tinctures, etc.) and how to make them. It recommends ways to buy, grow and store your herbs, and marks out the ones considered at-risk. It explains what the simpler's method of measurement is (one part of this to two of that), and even has a section on creating your own herbal first-aid kit and one on the use of common kitchen herbs. The section on the herbs themselves gives the common and Latin names, explains which parts are used, the benefits, suggested uses - including some history, and flavor advice - and advises caution when needed.
  
  That's the good news. I do wonder if this has been dumbed down too much, because soaking berries in apple juice does not make the resulting spread a jam (and it certainly won't last as long), and green teas are not all stimulants, but those are relatively minor compared with the other problems.
  
  For example, you run across sentences that talk about how herbs don't upset your body's innate harmony and therefore have few or no side effects, or that claim aluminium pans are a proven toxic substance. Now, there often are reasons for avoiding aluminium pans, the primary one being that acidic substances like marmalade will have an altered flavor if an uncoated pan is used, but they are not *toxic*. But again, I could put that down to oversimplification. And then I came to the suggestion to place my newly-made tea in the moonlight to add a special touch from the energies of the stars and moon, the statement that *all* the nerve endings in the body pass through our hands and feet (anyone with a basic knowledge of physiology knows that's not true. Look up the buccal nerve if you don't believe me.) and that walking barefoot on grass will connect you to the electromagnetic forces of the earth...
  
  If I were flipping through this book in a bookstore, claims like the above would make me back away carefully and grab the next book as quickly as possible.
  
  Unfortunately I can't say I'd recommend this, not because of the slightly weird element but because it would be hard to distinguish proven claims from the unproven, and misleading advice can be downright dangerous. She recommends a catnip enema for reducing fever, particularly for children, (although does mention well after that you shouldn't perform an enema without expert guidance), and says to immerse minor burns in ice water, which can actually damage the skin. Medical professionals advise holding the burned area under cool running water for 10-30 minutes to continually take the heat away from the burn. Do not use ice.
  
  In addition, St John's Wort, while useful for treating minor depression, is not "wonderfully safe", and possible sensitivity to the sun is not the only side effect. It's dangerous for organ transplant recipients or people with HIV, may worsen the condition of people with episodes of mania or psychosis, and should not be taken by pregnant or breast-feeding women. It also has a number of interactions with regular allopathic medications, and can interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraception. None of these were mentioned, despite being fairly commonly known.
  
  Based on the dangers, then, I won't be holding on to this one. It's been deleted.
  
  Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  LOLA

  Love this stuff.
  Good for your brain.
• 
  Melissa

  I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
  When I decided I wanted to reduce my reliance on over-the-counter medications and take a more holistic approach to relieving common ailments I did an Internet search on herbs. I was completely and utterly overwhelmed at the amount of information and did not know where to begin. I am so glad that I found this book on Herbs by Rosemary Gladstar.
  
  The author begins with a general discussion about using the safest herbs for common ailments. Many people do not realize that not all herbs or all parts of an herb are safe for use or consumption and I was glad to see that she mentioned this at the beginning of the book. Just buying herbs can be a daunting task but the book includes a thorough guide for purchasing herbs and also how to properly store them. One of the most useful suggestions in this book is that herbs can be made into a tea. An herbal tea allows you to try the herb, learn about its flavor and what affect it will have on the body.
  
  The chapter on the home herbal pantry is thorough without being overwhelming for those who are new to herbs. With each herb there is a description of the parts of the herb that can be used, other common names for the herb, the benefits of the herb, and the suggested uses. The section on making your own all natural first aid kit was also very practical. The most useful part of the book is the recipes and suggestions for simple remedies for common ailments such at burns, cold and flu, upset stomach and insomnia. For those who want to explore the world of herbs in more depth there is a detailed resource guide at the end of the book with helpful websites, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of groups that can help with additional information. “Herbs for Common Ailments” is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to use natural remedies for common medical issues and I highly recommend it.
  
• 
  Melankalia

  This book is packed with a variety of recipes and formulas for herbal use, and I very much appreciate that so many different delivery methods are included. There are many choices provided—everything from teas, to oils, salves, tinctures, candies, etc.
  
  My main issue is that I found it a bit lacking in information on the herbs themselves, dangers, and dosages. I realize that this is a Basics series title, but it is a times, more simplistic that I would like. On one hand, this would be a good read for an absolute beginner to get a taste of what herbalism is, as it imparts information in very relatable, easy to understand way. On the other hand, I think it’s quite possible that a newbie, having read ONLY this book for herbal knowledge, could be a danger to themselves.
  
  One other thing, not really a criticism, just a notation? The introductory part of this book is a tad more…witchy…than I was expecting. There are a few instances of mentions of faeries and magic, not so much in a metaphysical or pagan way, than it is just chatty folksy. I wasn’t bothered by it, although it did surprise me, but I can see how it might weird some people out. It did seem a bit out of place in a book that, for the most part, is trying for a more scientific approach.
  
  
  [ARC received courtesy of Netgalley]
• 
  AJ

  On one hand, lots of very good information about herbs, especially for beginners like me. On the other hand, don't believe a single non-herbal medical fact you see in here without cross-checking it elsewhere. Lots of errors, some of them harmless, some of them irresponsible.
• 
  Amy

  An excellent primer on medicinal herbs and how they can be used. It is easy to read and understand. The first 3/4 of the book goes through each herb individually giving you the parts of the plant that is used, the benefits, and suggested uses. The last part of the book goes through common ailments e.g., athlete's foot, cold and flu, constipation, sore throats, listing one or more remedies for each.
  
  I'm shifting the way I think about medicine. I'm looking at building health, then taking preventative measures, and when I have to treat something, I want to look to the least invasive option. Many herbal remedies are made from things that are healthy to eat anyway, and if a food item (especially one that I've grown in my garden) can treat an issue effectively--why, I'm going to try that first. If not, then off to the doctor or to my medicine cabinet.
  
  Plus, these new skills will come in really handy after the zombie apocalypse...assuming I survive the initial outbreak of course.
  
• 
  Jo

  Excellent introduction to common remedies for a novice such as myself.
  A bit disturbed by the moonlight energy and a few other little things, but I can differentiate fact and personal belief so it was worth the read.
• 
  Katie

  I recommend this book for every human. precisely zero herbal background required. may all your future colds be garlicky and brief, or avoided entirely with rosemary's help.
• 
  Lorraine Bailey

  Anything written by Rosemary Gladstar is wonderful. This little book did not disappoint. Some very useful remedies for some common ailments. Like what to do if you have a burn, or sore throat.
• 
  Lizy

  Not sure I trust all the advice here but overall, pretty informative.
• 
  Sara Diane

  I got this through NetGalley to review.
  
  I've been curious about more natural healing methods for a while, so I jumped at the chance to review this one. I have to say, Gladstar makes herbs rather accessible. She sets it out in plain English how to use herbs in teas and other forms. She sets out in a very understandable way what herb helps with what ailment, and she makes it clear that there are times when more advanced medical care is needed. I'm a big fan of that last thing, because sometimes, you do need more help than an herb can provide.
  
  The only thing lacking was pictures--I would have really liked having pictures of each herb. Granted, I don't have to go searching in the woods for my herbs, but it would have been a nice resource to have them pictured as well!
• 
  Lesley

  This is a very basic book on homemade herbal remedies but I believe it is good info. I will report that if you want to know if you should take it with any prescription medicines this book does not say if harmful or not. But I assume most that use this kind of book are trying to go the nature way before taking drugs. I knew some of this info but learned a lot of new stuff. Its a keeper to have on hand.
• 
  Serity

  Clear, concise, it has descriptions of the basics and recipes for me to make them easily at home. I need to get this book.