The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide by Easley, Thomas

This comprehensive, full-color guide provides detailed, easy-to-follow instructions for making and using approximately 250 herbal medicines at home, including practical tips and numerous effective formulas developed and tested by the authors, both expert herbalists with years of experience. Readers who appreciate the health-giving properties of herbal medicines but are discouraged by the high price of commercial products can now make their own preparations for a fraction of the cost. The authors tell you everything you need to know about harvesting, preparing, and administering herbs in many different forms, including fresh, bulk dried herbs, capsules, extracts in water, alcohol, glycerin, vinegar and oil, and even preparations like essential oils and flower essences. The book also covers topical applications of herbs as salves, lotions, poultices, tooth powders, ear drops and more, and includes an extensive chapter on herbal hydrotherapy.The beloved best-selling classic for the modern herbalist-a definitive guide to 250 safe and effective herbal medicines, preparations, and single-herb remedies to make at home.This comprehensive, full-color guide offers detailed and easy-to-follow instructions for making and using approximately 250 all-natural DIY herbal medicines. With practical tips, in-depth preparation techniques, and an inside look at some of the authors' own favorite formulas, The Modern Herbal Dispensatory walks beginners and advanced herbalists alike through-. The 12 major categories of herbs, from aromatic to sweet. Herbal preparations- the many ways to prepare and use herbs, from capsules and tinctures to standardized extracts and essential oils. Choosing the best dosage form for each category of herb. How to harvest, dry, and use fresh herbs. Extractions- terms, equipment, solvents, and calculations, plus how to extract herbs in water, alcohol, glycerin, and vinegar. Advanced techniques- like percolation extracts, fluid extracts, and soxhlet extracts. Preparations like oil-based extractions, topical applications, concentrates, lozenges, traditional Chinese methods, and more. Formulas and dosages- how to design herbal formulas and use herbs safely and effectively. Herbal insights and need-to-know wisdom, like why different preparations of the same herb affect the body differently; which herbs are medicinal when dry, but could be toxic when fresh; and why beginners typically see more potent results with formulations versus single-herb preparationsThe text includes multiple appendices, recommendations for further reading, in-depth full-color photo guides, and a helpful index. With advice on herbal preparations for 100+ illnesses and conditions and a comprehensive materia medica, The Modern Herbal Dispensatory is an enduring classic and beloved plant-medicine reference manual for herbalists, natural medicine practitioners, and anyone seeking safe, holistic, at-home care and inexpensive all-natural remedies.