Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Healing Herbs & Spices: From a Medical Anthropologist's Files, Here Are Nature's Own Healing Herbs and Spices for Hundreds

Heinerman gives a listing of herbs or illnesses, so you can look up either easily. Also, he gives ways of preparing the remedy yourself for each herb/spice. This is incredibly helpful because I can make my own remedies without having to for a manufactured version. No irritating 'take so much of this standardized pill containing only these certain parts' here. One of the remedies for sore throat was a sage tea. Heinerman gave the exact quantities of water, herbs, etc to use. It tastes gross (like pine sap) but it works super fast. I used it after I got strep throat for the 4th time in a year and was tired of going on antibiotics just to get a new infection a few weeks later. The sage knocked it out for good! Very good resource if you want practical info on which herbs to use on certain ailments and how to prepare them.

Not only does this book contain all the traditional herbal lore found in previous volumes down through the ages, but also cites and includes the most recent research into the nature of the herbs themselves and their chemical compositions. He tells you not only what the herb or spice is good for medicinally, but also *why*; which chemicals in the herbs are the active ingredients and what effect they have on the body's systems. This will enable the skilled herbalist to combine the most effective remedies and treatments for each individual person's needs and tolerances. I have found this book to be one that has replaced the use of several older herbals on my bookshelf.