Bob said:
>metal contamination, of which I will mention only three: lead, selenium,
>and zinc.  Lead is a COMMON contaminant when the herbs come from
>countries where leaded gasoline is commonly used (several herbal products
>have been recalled for this very problem).  Even something as innocuous
>as tamarind fruit has been recently found heavily contaminated with lead.
>Selenium, as those living in the Central Valley of California have
>discovered, is a common contaminant secondary to unregulated agricultural
>practices.  Both lead and selenium tend to be accumulative poisons--the
>longer you use them, the more damage occurs.  It doesn't matter that some
>herbalists may grow their own pure herbs; the truth is, most people who
>try out herbal drugs use untested, unregulated, unknown products with a
>dubious history.  They don't know that they are getting, how much, or
>what quality.  And THAT is the bottom line.
 
I ADD: I agree.  The soil in different parts of the country is very
different.  I can have an assay done on my north property, and it will be
different from the south side.  This is why many naturopaths do a heavy
metal hair analysis using a reputable lab.  We use Great Smokies out of
Tennessee.  It is part of our intake.
 
I think by now we can respect each other and go to our respective
corners.  When I joined this list it was never my intention to "cram" the
use of herbs or my beliefs down someone's throat.  Merely to educate and
provide a safe alternative, was my main goal.  I never mentioned the herb
"ephedra".  It is an herb that is not used, grown, or touched by me.
Since I did all of the ordering for my pharmacy (an AMA pharmacy) for 4
years, Edhedra was banned from that store.  When drug reps would call and
tell me about new products, I would carefully take them down the list of
ingredients asking why it was in there.  BTW many of them did not know
why.  Ephedra was not used by any of us.  Ma-huang, by the way, is
included in many natural women's remedies.  If it is don't buy it.  My
shelves had little handwritten notes with all of the cautions listed for
each herb we carried.
 
I think one of the problems here is the use of the word "drug."  The
pharmacy board here in Maryland classifies it as "any substance which
causes a change in the human body..." that's why I had to change the sign
on my natural pharmacy and take off the word "pharmacy." So I think we
may need to add the word "pharmaceutical drugs" to better understand
things.  Pharmaceuticals actually "suppress" disease.  This is the basis
for the whole philosophy of homeopathy and the miasmic theories of
disease.  We know this because now we have drug-resistant strains of
bacteria.  If you've ever had a cold or sinus infection and it came back
after you stopped your meds, you know what I'm talking about.  Naturals,
give the body enough of an irritant so that it retrains itself, after a
period of time, to make it's own recovery.  Sort of like an innoculation.
AMA medicine is based on Pasteur's germ theory, which tells us to kill
the germs.  But many times they grow back.  Natural medicine is based on
a contemporary of Pasteur, A Bechamp, who told us that the state of the
body determines one's wellness or susceptibility to disease.  Again a big
discussion point.
 
Aspirin originally came from White Willow Bark, but it is also in
Meadowsweet.  Both herbs countain "coumarins" and are not to be used with
blood-thinners.  Licorice should never be used by folks with high blood
pressure.  Echinacea is banned from use for those with auto-immune
diseases.  The list goes on and on which is why those of us who *care*
about safe use of drugs, put out cautions, and why many of us are
frustrated over the credentialing and licensing some states practice.
 
The "care and intention" reference comes from American Indian medicine.
I had a very good shamin teacher.  My husband's family is from the Black
Foot Tribe.  Many American Indians believe in "Mother Earth," rather than
a God.  When they take a plant for the making of a remedy, they thank
mother earth with the intention of doing good.  They then give each plant
a drink of water.  It may seem wierd to many here, but if you go out with
the shamin to the field, or grow your own medicines which give you their
medicinal constituents year after year, it makes sense.  The tribes teach
great respect for the land and for the gifts of mother earth.  You can
take it or leave it.  I just put it out there.
 
In "The Pet Ferret Owner's Manual," Judith Bell states on page 62:
>Drug interactions can cause complex and sometimes harmful results.
>There are no drugs specifically labelled for use in ferrets.
 
So my concern is-- what happened to all of the ferrets that
pharmaceuticals were first tried on?
 
Were they then stopped, or challenged?  Thank God Sukie was involved in
the beginning of some of them.  But for others....I wonder what happened
when a pharmaceutical was bad, or too strong.  Is this how we get
approved drugs for animals?  At least herbs, many of them, if used by
those who know what they are doing, are natural and more easily
recognized and assimilated than drugs.
 
I wish to thank Bob for a very challenging discussion.  It's been a long
time since I went to my own shelves and pulled down a ton of books to
find references.  Alternative-medicine asks only for an open mind, and
the willingness to consult a professional if one is thinking of using
natural products.
 
Warmly ~
Mary
[Posted in FML issue 3935]