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]