Review
"Dr. Tilgner has written an impressive well-researched guide on the use of herbs that professionals and lay people alike will find very practical and informative." ~ Christiane Northrup M.D.
"This is an important text for the budding herbalist, and a handy reference for the experienced clinician. Dr. Tilgner has done an excellent job of pulling together a large amount of information and making it easy to access. A most valuable and useful addition to anyone's herbal library." ~ Jill E. Stansbury N.D.
"Sharol's new book is an interesting and useful contribution, with some surprising new information, conveniently packaged." ~ Jim Duke, author of "The Green Pharmacy"
"A wonderful guide for those new to herbs as well as an excellent formulary for those already skilled in herbalism. Sharol Tilgner has combined her triple skills of healing, farming and medicine making in her unique work with the plants." ~ Rosemary Gladstar, author, herbalist, founder of United Plant Savers. --From the Back Cover
As a busy naturopathic physician who sees a wide range of patients, I found Dr. Tilgner's book invaluable in researching effective formulas. Combining both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine perspectives, this book will be useful to traditional herbalists as well as TCM practitioners. This would be a primary reference book for conventional medical offices who seek to work with their patients using natural therapies. But Herbal Medicine is not just for the professional. Dr. Tilgner's straight-forward writing style makes the book easy to use for those new to herbal remedies. Instructions on how and when to take, and not take, the herbs are clear and meet high standards for safe use. The directions for concocting and using formulas are concise. And I know from using them in my practice, the formulas are extremely effective. The section on making tinctures, salves, teas and capsules provides clear instructions and information for either creating your own remedies at home, or working in an herbal pharmacy. If you have to get one book on herbal medicine, this is it! No one who uses natural medicine should be without Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth. It just as appropriate on the bookshelf of any family or individual interested in safe and effective self-care as it is in the office of a professional health care provider. --Dr. Pamela L. Taylor
Herbal Medicine From The Heart of the Earth is broad enough in scope that it contains within it material enough for three books; One is an introduction to herbal medicine making and materia medica, a second on the art of herbal formulation and dosing, and finally a review of adverse effects and drug-herb interactions. The book contains the standard fare for introductory herbal texts: A glossary of herbal terminology, a dictionary of herbal preparations, herbal actions with examples, a materia medica section, tables for pharmacy, tincture making , dosing, and treatment by disease condition. But it also contains some very useful tables that I've hardly seen in print in modern books. A dose-and-duration chart shows how many days your tincture prescription will last, combining in the table drops per dose, times per day, and the number of ounces given to the patient. Another shows how many teaspoons are present, on average, in an ounce of roots, barks, seeds, leaves, and flowers. Charts and tables are also offered for harvesting time, best forms to tincture, and the best percentage of alcohol to extract the medicinal properties of the herbs. A significant offering in this book is found in the discussions of herbal side effects and potential drug-herb interactions. The past year has seen a flurry of books on these topics, but unfortunately not one of them has been written by a traditional herbalist with knowledge of the clinical traditions of herbalism. In Herbal Medicine, we find the best review of this topic in print, superior to other current texts in that it contains a thorough review of the scientific literature on side effects and drug-herb interactions, while also reviewing traditional indications, contraindications, and side effects. Another unique offering is the extensive section on herbal formulas. Most books published by herbal company owners don't give much away , the books or booklets describe the company formula, but don't usually give the percentages of the herbs or a clear rationale for the formulation. Sharol has been more generous with her section on formulas, giving us a lesson in formulation. Rather than giving a hard-and-fast formula, she lists potential herbs for a formula, giving percentage ranges that might be used for each, and a rationale for each herb, often with footnotes. In other words, she invites the reader to make and modify the formulas according to their own needs or those of their patients. Dosage charts accompanying the formulas also offer ranges. This rich storehouse of suggestions for formulas stand in contrast to the practice of most herbal authors to talk exclusively about single herbs. Dr. Tilgner is one of a small group of individuals in North America who combines in her experience the training of both the traditional herbalist and the natural physician. Thus, this book offers a combination of herbal and medical information unique in contemporary herbal literature. I hope it also serves to preserve the traditional knowledge presented in this new era when the foundations of traditional herbalism are being eroded by the dominant paradigm in medicine. --Paul Bergner, North American Institute of Medical Herbalism
About the Author
In my books I share the knowledge gained from 30 years experience as an herbalist/Physician, 35 years as an herbalist/herbal medicine maker, 20 years as an herb farmer and 20 years as a teacher/lecturer. My mission is to inspire and empower you with the healing wisdom of herbs. Learning about herbs gives us a tool to live a vital and energetic life. I have spent much of my life wildcrafting, growing, preserving and using medicinal herbs. This is my passion and I wish to share my life's experience with you in my books. Use the Look Inside the book feature to see a sample of what is in each book.
