Comfrey, a Controlled Substance?: coming forward, going back

» LadyB - coming forward, going back

I feel like I've seen a swing from UTTER dependence on the doctors/pharmacists to a nearly frantic following of the shaman/healer/chiropractor/author to where folks were TAKING just ANYTHING they read about (which is NOT a good idea and which gave the big guys plenty of fuel as to the foolishness of it all). Slowly, I am seeing the movement towards self-wisdom, which is where I believe we SHOULD be. I don't spend a whole lot of time seething about the evil pharmaceutical dragons, I spend my time teaching people to take a sane and respectful approach to the healing plants.

TOP of the list there, is teaching people to self-test to determine what they should be taking (or not) at any given time. I learned this technique from a fine herbalist and brilliant bio-chemist named Hart Brent. I teach it to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen and what I see on people's faces when - they REALIZE that THEY KNOW what they need - is just amazing.
see http://www.ladybarbara.net and click on SELF-TESTING.

The Wise Woman Herbalists have always taught the people around them to care for themselves, to make their own preparations (and I hesitate to say 'medicines' as Wise Woman Herbalism is based more on NOURISHMENT than MEDICATING). The people who approach 'HERBS' as a pile of tablets and capsules will be at the mercy of the large factories who MAKE those things, but the folks who learn to use the healing plants in a sane and simple way will be just fine, I'm sure of it.

I'm so glad this discussion came back up, I was looking all OVER for it, as someone emailed me from New Zealand looking for the review of that research so he can fight to keep Comfrey from being made illegal there. I will see that he gets this entire discussion. Thanks!

-- posted by LadyB