Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine
by David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG
Healing Arts Press, One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767 USA
Hardbound, 2003, $60, 665 pp.
As a textbook, Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann offers an education for medical practitioners who wish to integrate herbal therapies into their practices. But this book serves another purpose, and that is to bridge the shrinking gap between what we know as alternative medicine and orthodox medicine. For as he most aptly puts it, "Within the context of the patient's needs, all medical modalities are complementary."
Hoffmann dedicates the first part of this comprehensive volume by providing a context within which to view modern herbal medicine. Holistic medicine provides the philosophical basis for current practices in herbal medicine. Historically, all cultures of the world have turned to plant remedies for healing. Though different cultures have devised different systems that utilize their indigenous plants, the goals and effects are the same. Common to these systems is a respect for the ecological relationship between plants, animals and humans and the healing power of nature.
Plant therapies are increasingly finding a context in the scientific literature. Research on plants and their constituents for their effects on human health constitute a growing body of research. The author does an exceptional job of educating the reader about the methods used to assess herbs and he explains the vocabulary relevant to plant research.
Another consideration of context for herbals used in medicine is the fact that it must be recognized they are potentially finite. Decline and extinction threaten many medicinal plants so resources for reversing this trend are included.
Hoffmann is thorough in his desire to establish a strong scientific foundation for his students in this text. His statement that "the fundamental physical nature of herbal medicine is chemical, as is the fundamental physical nature of the human body" forms the core of this book. In chapters on phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, he builds an understanding of the activity of plant metabolites and their effect on processes in the human body. In these discussions, he assumes a basic understanding of chemistry on the part of the reader but offers aids in the form of glossaries in the appendices.
The second part of the book addresses the practical applications of herbal medicine. Here it is assumed the reader has a fundamental understanding of physiology and pathology. Hoffmann provides a model that illustrates for us the many considerations of developing a holistic herbal medicine protocol. Based upon a five-stage process: herbal actions; system affinity; specific remedies for illness; herbal biochemistry and intuition, the model illustrates the elegance and complexity of herbal medicine.
Chapters that follow address each of the body systems, common health problems, risk factors, holistic considerations and finally, specific ailments and sample herbal protocols. Also included in this text is an herbal material medica of the 150 most commonly used plants in Europe and America. The selection is based primarily on the author's clinical experience in Western herbal medicine so many of the plants used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda are not included.
In this book, the author states that the practice of herbal medicine is at the same time very simple and very complex. This becomes obvious in the book but while imparting the vast wealth of knowledge that supports this field of medicine, he utilizes various formats such as graphs, charts and even personal comments that serve to keep the material from getting too dry.
Practitioners of orthodox medicine may come to this book with the idea that herbal medicine is the practice of substituting plant constituents for pharmaceuticals and possibly even assume that the substitutions are inferior or dangerous. But this text makes clear that herbal medicine is a well-developed discipline that is ever more dynamic as the research continues to grow. At well over 600 pages, Medical Herbalism is an endeavor that will likely become a staple as an educational tool and indispensable reference for many.
review by Katherine Duff
COPYRIGHT 2004 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
