HERB - The Medieval Health Handbook

[Keith E. Brandt, M.D.]

There have been a couple or requests to re-post this one, so here it is:

>From: Roos cc <Rooscc at aol.com>
>Date: Sat, 2 May 1998 12:48:36 EDT
>To: herbalist at Ansteorra.ORG
>Subject: HERB - Useful view
>X-Mailer: AOL 2.6 for Mac
>Sender: owner-herbalist at Ansteorra.ORG
>Reply-To: herbalist at Ansteorra.ORG
>
>In answer to promoting safe herb use
>
>One of the things that I have found helpful in teaching
>about herbs is to stress the old apothecary motto and 
>the four degrees.
>
>The old motto is "The dose makes the poison"
>A dose is not only the immediate quantity (how much),
>but also how often and for how long. What might be safe
>once a year as a spring tonic may not be safe taken
>daily. Also people need to realize that traditional use
>was not the concentrated forms available today.
>
>The medieval understanding was that everything
>affects the body. This is true! The four degrees
>are based on the observable effects. 
>
>The first degree is no observable effect--that didn't
>mean that there was no effect, just that it wasn't
>observable. (You can't *see* the body converting a 
>slice of bread into energy, but the flour does have a 
>nutritional effect.)
>
>The second degree was minor effect, especially
>if the plant is taken in quantity or over a long period.
>(Think of fiber in the diet or vitamins.)
>
>The third degree was a strong, usually immediate
>effect. (Onions make your eyes water.)
>
>The fourth degree was a strong immediate effect that
>was destructive. This would include something that
>raised blisters as well as plants that we call poisonous.
>(Watch out especially for plants described as cold
>in the fourth degree.)
>
>Then I remind them that:
>
>Plants in each of these degrees can kill you if you
>mistake the dose. 
>
>It's just that there a larger margin for error in
>the 1st and 2nd degrees.
>
>Alysoun de Ros
>Midrealm


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