Sunday, January 9, 2011

Classic Herbals of Traditional Medicine: The Primary Sources

With the growing interest in natural curatives, there is certainly no shortage of herbals (herb reference books) on the shelves.  With virtually every cultural tradition represented, and every new herbal touting newly-discovered ancient “secrets,” it’s difficult for the novice to decide which sources to trust–but decide you must.  And while many modern publications such as The Natural Guide to Medicinal Herbs and Plants, by Frantisek Stary, and Jude’s Home Remedies, by Jude C. Williams are fine secondary reference sources (used for cross-referencing), they haven’t the authority nor tried-and-true dependability of the classic herbals upon which these present-day compilations are based.  And one rule any aspiring herbalist should adopt from the start is not to trust what’s found on the Internet, developing the habit of seeking reliable information as close to the source material as possible. To that end, here are the accepted “primary” sources every herbalist must acquire.  Read more . . .