The "Prescrption Drugs" thread got me thinking about Traditional Herbal Medicine vs. Modern Medicine. Although I am reluctant to take modern medication, I find myself more open to taking herbal medicines in the way that my grandparents would have taken care of my little aches and pains as a child. Agua de Manzanilla, Agua de Toronjil, Te de esto y del otro were common things that I would have taken when I was growing - perhaps, that is the reason I am more open to it and because herbs just seem more "natural" than medication created in a lab.

Herbs vs. Modern Medicine

by Dr. John R. Christopher

Ask almost anyone today what they think about herbal medicine and you'll most likely get a response saying how it's unscientific, primitive, unproved, ineffective, possibly dangerous and how it really doesn't have a place in our modern day and age.

However, after having studied herbs for over 30 years, and after having treated untold thousands of patients with every imaginable ailment, I can tell you with authority that there is another side of the story to these commonly accepted beliefs about herbs.

The most commonly accepted fallacy is that using herbs is really a primitive form of medicine. But what would you say if I told you that in 1965, over 130 million prescription drugs were written which came from plants? Or if I told you that over 75% of the hormones used in medicine today are derived completely from plants?

It hardly does justice to herbs to call them primitive and backward, and at the same time, to label drugs as advanced and modern, when so many drugs are in fact derived from herbs.

For example, everyone has heard of digitalis which is a drug used to stimulate the heart. Well, digitalis comes from an herb called foxglove. Another example is the effective anti-clotting agent called coumarol. That too comes from an herb--sweet clover.

Another one is reserpine, which is one of the most popular tranquilizers. It comes from an herb named snakeroot. They used snakeroot for thousands of years in India to calm people down.

Still another example is quinine. Quinine is very efficient in reducing fever, especially malarial fever. This drug comes from the Peruvian bark in South America.

After knowing all this, how can anybody label herbal medicine as "primitive" when herbs were used so effectively for thousands of years? Foxglove for the heart, sweet clover for anti-clotting, Peruvian bark for fevers, snakeroot for tranquilizers. The list is endless.

But there's more. All drugs which are extracted out of plants are not in a whole natural state. This is the reason there are so many side effects, which is a medical problem in itself. I'm sure your readers are fairly well versed with some of the side effects which are caused by drugs so I don't have to go into it. On the other hand, the herbs I use are completely safe, and do not have side effects because they are in a natural state.

You can take all the Peruvian bark tea you want and you won't have any problems. But take a little too much of the quinine extracted from the Peruvian bark and you will grow deaf. Take a still larger dose and you will die.

Another example is white willow bark. White willow bark contains a natural precursor to aspirin. Take a quart of it and you won't have any problems. But take a bottle of aspirin and you might never wake up again.

Now, don't misunderstand me and think there are no toxic plants. There are. But we herbalists know about these plants and stay away from them. Once in a while you may hear a story about someone venturing out into the woods, picking an unidentified plant, chewing it and then getting very ill. This is bound to happen when somebody is not an authority on plants, but it's certainly no reason to condemn the whole field of herbal medicine because of it. The same thing would happen if someone went into a drug store blind-folded, and took a few pills of whatever was on the shelf.

I think I have established the point that herbs are indeed not primitive and that herbs, when used with guidance, are not toxic and have no side effects. So, let me say a few words about the effectiveness of herbs as compared to drugs.

In my thirty years of experience, I have seen some of the sickest people you could ever imagine. You wouldn't believe the number of terminal conditions I have treated in my day. Case after case of people that didn't get will from standard medicines. I don't have to read research reports on whether drugs as a whole are effective or not. I just look at my long waiting list of patients. They are living examples of how effective drugs really are.

I certainly don't want to brag about my accomplishments, but I have helped a tremendous amount of people to get well with herbs. It's the best proof I can possibly offer you that herbs are effective in building a healthy body and alleviating disease.

As time goes on, more and more people are going to wake up to the fact that herbs really are the way of the future. No matter what disease you have, there is an herb growing somewhere which can get you well.

And there is just one more thought I would like to share with you. Please don't think that I'm pushing herbs on you just because I happen to be an herbalist, or that I'm against modern medicines just because I'm not a medical doctor. The only reason I have shared some of my thought with you now is because I just want you to be healthy and be able to lead a long, long life. To me there is nothing more important than to be happy in life and to make others happy. But you can't do this if you yourself are sick and weak. I don't want any of you to suffer like I did. I was born with crippling rheumatoid arthritis. For the first thirty-five years of my life I didn't know a single day of health. I was in a wheelchair most of the time.

If I can spare you any of the suffering I went through, I'll feel that I've accomplished something. I'm almost 70 years old now, and I feel healthier now than I ever have in my entire life. I give more than nine lectures a year and I am constantly on the go. If it wasn't for herbal medicine, I doubt I would be here today.

When the Lord said in the Bible, "...and the fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine", He meant you should only use herbs and plants to treat your ailments. I hope you follow that advice, because I doubt you'll ever regret it. I wish you the best of health.