Noted herbalist Matthew Wood brings twenty-five years of clinical experience to this comprehensive book on medicinal plants. The first in a two-volume set, The Earthwise Herbal profiles Old World plants (volume two will treat American plants). Organized alphabetically, the book encompasses all of the major—and many of the secondary—herbs of traditional and modern Western herbalism. Author Wood describes characteristic symptoms and conditions in which each plant has proved useful in the clinic, often illustrated with appropriate case histories. In addition, he takes a historical view based on his extensive study of ancient and traditional herbal literature. Written in an easy, engaging, non-technical style, The Earthwise Herbal offers insight into the "logic” of the plant: how it works, in what areas of the body it works, how it has been used in the past, what its pharmacological constituents indicate about its use, and how all these different factors hang together to produce a portrait of the plant as a whole entity. Ideal for beginners, serious students, or advanced practitioners, The Earthwise Herbal is also useful for homeopaths and flower essence practitioners as it bridges these fields in its treatment of herbal medicines.

Introduction ixHerbalism and Holism xiReductionism and Holism xivDifferent Kinds of Holism xviiEnergetics xixPART IThe Practice of Traditional Herbal Medicine 1CHAPTER ONE - Energetics of Traditional Medicine 2Greek Medicine 2Ayurvedic Medicine 7Traditional Chinese Medicine 9Alchemical Medicine 13Physiomedicalism 17Integration: Pharmacology, Taste, and Energetics 20CHAPTER TWO - Herbal Actions 23Modern Actions 25CHAPTER THREE - Putting It All Together: The Art of Herbal Practice 29“A Key to Galen’s Method of Physick” 30CHAPTER FOUR - Preparation and Dosage 35Preparation 35Dosage 38PART IIMateria Medica 41Using the Materia Medica 42References 539Index of Herbs 561Index of Conditions 567