Lesson 1: Introduction and main sources

Disclaimer

Through research and clinical experience, knowledge in medicine is subject to constant change. Our author Jeremy Ross has compiled and checked the diagnosis, safety, and therapy-relevant information in this online course to the best of his knowledge and belief. However, this does not release the users of this online course from their obligation to check other sources of information on this subject to see whether the information given there differs from that in this online course.

Where to find information Information on dose and dispensing can be found in three sections of this database:

• here, in this introduction to dose and dispensing
• in the articles on each of the individual herbs
• in the articles on each of the herb combinations

Safety
Correct dose and dispensing is an essential part of safe herbal treatment.

• The practitioner should read this article on Dose and Dispensing before using the herbs and herb combinations included in this database.
• If the practitioner is not sure of the recommended dose of a herb they should always check it before use: see Dose check before prescribing below.

Sections
This article is divided into the following sections (click for detailled information … ):

• dose levels (Lesson 2)

• dose and age (Lesson 3)

• dose and situation (Lesson 4)

• dose and forms (Lesson 5)

• recommended strengths for tinctures and liquid extracts (Lesson 6)

• conversion to grams (Lesson 7)

• separate dropper bottles (Lesson 8)

• dose check before prescribing (Lesson 9)

In this lesson, the majority of the references to books or journal articles are specific to a particular chapter of the materia medica. There are, however, some basic texts to which we refer so frequently that an abbreviation has been assigned to them, usually the names of the authors or editors.

Main sources

Abbreviations for source texts The majority of the references to books or journal articles are specific to a particular chapter of the materia medica; they occur little or not at all elsewhere in the database.
There are, however, some basic texts to which I refer so frequently that an abbreviation has been assigned to them, usually the names of the authors or editors. The aim behind this is to make the text clearer by avoiding long, constantly repeated title references. Below you will find the abbreviations and the corresponding full source citation.

Bensky  Bensky D, Clavey S, Stöger E. Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica. 3rd edn. Eastland Press, Seattle, Washington (2004)

BHC1  Bradley PR (ed). British Herbal Compendium, vol 1. British Herbal Medicine Association, Bournemouth, United Kingdom (1992)

BHC2  Bradley PR (ed). British Herbal Compendium, vol 2. British Herbal Medicine Association, Bournemouth, United Kingdom (2006)

BHP    British Herbal Pharmacopoeia. British Herbal Medicine Association. West Yorks, United Kingdom (1983)

B&M  Bone K, Mills S. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy 2nd ed. Curchill Livingstone. Edinburgh, etc. (2013)

BSH  McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R et al. American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida (1997)

Chang and But  Chang H-M, But PP-H (eds). Pharmacology and Applications of Chinese Materia Medica, vols. 1 and 2. World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (1986)

Christopher  Christopher JR. School of Natural Healing. BiWorld, Provo, Utah (1976)

Culpeper  Culpeper N. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal andEnglish Physician Enlarged. Meyerbooks, Glenwood, Illinois (1990)

Dioscorides  Dioscorides P. Kreutterbuch (1610). Reprinted by Verlag Konrad Kölbl, Munich, Germany (1960)

Ellingwood  Ellingwood F. American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 11th edn. (1919). Reprinted by Eclectic Medical Publications, Sandy, Oregon(1994)

ESCOP  ESCOP Monographs. 2nd edn. European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy, Exeter, United Kingdom (2003)

Felter and Lloyd  Felter HW and Lloyd JU. King’s American Dispensatory, vols 1 and 2, 18th edn. (1898). Reprinted by Eclectic Medical Publications, Sandy, Oregon (1983)

Gerard  Gerard J. The Herbal or General History of Plants: The Complete 1633 Edition as Revised and Enlarged by Thomas Johnson. Dover Publications, New York, New York (1975)

Grieve  Grieve M. A Modern Herbal, vols. 1 and 2. Dover Publications, New York, New York (1971)
Chinese Herbal Medicine Dictionary  Jiangsu New Medicine Institute. Chinese Herbal Medicine Dictionary (Zhong Yao Da Ci Dian 中药大词典) Science and Technology Press, Shanghai, China (1975)

Hildegard von Bingen  Von Bingen H. Hildegard von Bingen’s Physica. Healing Arts, Rochester, Vermont (1998)

Kloss  Kloss J. Back to Eden, 5th edn. (1939). Reprinted by Lifeline Books, Santa Barbara, California (1975)

PPMM  Ross J. Combining Western Herbs and Chinese Medicine: Principles, Practice, and Materia Medica. Greenfields Press, Bristol, United Kingdom (2003) German edition: Westliche Heilpflanzen und Chinesische Medizin – Kombination und Integration. Verlag für Ganzheitliche Medizin Dr. Erich Wühr GmbH, Bad Kötzting, Germany (2006)

Commission E  Blumenthal M (ed). The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. American Botanical Council, Austin, Texas (1998)

Lonicerus  Lonicerus A. Kreuterbuch (1679). Reprinted by Verlag Konrad Kölbl, Munich, Germany (1962)

Lyle  Lyle TJ. Physio-Medical Therapeutics, Materia Medica and Pharmacy. Originally published Ohio (1897). Reprinted by the National Association of Medical Herbalists of Great Britain, London, United Kingdom (1932)

Martindale  Reynolds EFJ (ed). Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 31st edn. Royal Pharmaceutical Society, London, United Kingdom (1996)

M&B  Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (2000)

M&B Safety  Mills S, Bone K. The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety. Elsevier, St. Louis, Missouri (2005)

Scott and Barlow  Scott J, Barlow T. Herbs in the Treatment of Children, Churchill Livingstone, St Louis, Missouri (2003) German edition: Kräutertherapie bei Kindern, Elsevier, Munich (2006)

Tabernaemontanus  Tabernaemontanus JT. Herbal Book (1731). Reprinted by Verlag Konrad Kölbl, Munich, Germany (1993)

Tisserand and Balacs  Tisserand R, Balacs T. Essential Oil Safety: A guide for Health Care Professionals. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (1995)

Weiss  Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine, English edn. Beaconsfield Publishers, Beaconsfield, United Kingdom (1988)

Wichtl  Bisset NG (ed). Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. English edn. Medpharm, Stuttgart, Germany (1994), from 2nd German edn. Wichtl M (ed) (1989)

Yeung  Yeung H-C. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas vol 1. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles