herbal thymes...recent exchange on the nimh facebook forum has made me look at herbal thymes as...

Herbal Thymes

The in-house magazine for members of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists

Summer 2016

Published by the National Institute of Medical HerbalistsClover HouseJames CourtSouth StreetExeterDevonEX1 1EETel: (01392) 426022Email: [email protected]: www.nimh.org.uk

The Herbal Thymes is the in-house newsletter for Members and Student Affiliates of the NationalInstitute of Medical Herbalists. It is published for their use only and it is distributed only to them.

The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Editoror the NIMH.

All rights reserved. No part of this in-house publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recordingor otherwise, without the permission of the copyright owners and publishers.

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the editor and the NIMH will not be liable forany errors or omissions contained herein, nor will they be liable for any person acting or refrainingfrom action as a result of the information contained in this publication.

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the editor and the NIMH will not be liable forany of the following losses or damage (whether such losses where foreseen, foreseeable, known orotherwise): (a) loss of data; (b) loss of revenue or anticipated profits; (c) loss of business; (d) loss ofopportunity; (e) loss of goodwill or injury to reputation; (f) losses suffered by third parties; or (g) anyindirect, consequential, special or exemplary damages as a result of the information contained in thispublication regardless of the form of action.

© Herbal Thymes Summer 2016

Contents

Editorial 4

Regional Groups 5

Herbfest 2016, Tavira, Portugal 7

CPD Seminar Review Acute Infections 9

Appearing on Live TV 9

MSC in Nutritional Therapy 11

Health Cuttings 12from Brenda’s Newsletters

The Medical Herbalists - A brief history 19

Articles from the Archives 20Arthur Barker Part 2

Book Reviews 24

Communication links 24

Advertising rates 26

Deadline date for submission of articles for next edition is 15.08.16

© Herbal Thymes Summer 2016 3

Editorial

Coming to edit a second edition of Herbal Thymes as temporary editor, I thought I might change the cover photo to something more summery, but then I realised that there has been a bumper crop of dandelions this summer, and my “lawn” is awash with dandelions and their seed heads so it’s already a summery image. My “lawn” – bed of medicinal weeds would be a more accurate description. I used to call weeds my uninvited guests, but this crop is taking that beyond a joke. The trouble is, I find it hard to find the time to do some proper gardening. Perspective is everything. When you look at a field of dandelions you can either see a hundred weeds, or a thousand wishes. The difficulty is seeing a thousand wishes when it’s supposed to be your lawn. I’m not hung up on having some fabulous bowling green or croquet lawn, but a bit of actual grass in it would be useful.

One of the joys of being a herbalist is seeing medicines everywhere. One man’s weed is another man’s medicine. We are a strange breed us herbalists; we see something growing through the pavement or out of a wall and we’re thrilled.

So, instead of changing the photo, I added a new one here. Just for us herbalists.

What weeds are growing in your garden? By accident or design? Why not share your gardenthoughts and everything else herbal with your friends and colleagues here in Herbal Thymes. Arecent exchange on the NIMH Facebook forum has made me look at Herbal Thymes as another ofour altruistic actions – members selflessly sharing our experience and our experiences. What awonderful community we are.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue.


Regional Groups

Eastern Regional Group meetings March and April 2016We are a small but friendly and supportive group open to any herbalists in the Eastern Region withaccess to Cambridge. We meet monthly, on either the first Friday or Monday of the month (werotate Fridays and Mondays to allow as many as possible to attend at least bi-monthly if not everymonth). The meetings start at 9.30 and finish at noon. We try and organise a range of activities fromguest speakers, viewing and discussing webinars, herb walks, topics researched and led by groupmembers, tincture/tea tastings, debates on current issues and updates from seminars along withgeneral therapeutic discussions and case studies. On top of all that we experience the wonderfulwarm hospitality of Schia Sinclair in Cambridge, which includes compulsory sampling of her latesthealthy cake recipes and vast selection of teas!

Friday 4th March 2016Present: Desiree Shelley, Schia Sinclair, Julie Dore

Yes, there were the usual cakes, teas and good company but perhaps a first for an herbal gatheringwas Schia’s cat in the early stages of labour and needing regular reassurance! (A little boy kittenwas born later that afternoon ).

Schia led the meeting with a paper on Adrenal Fatigue basing her research on the book “AdrenalFatigue - the 21st Century Stress Syndrome” by J. Wilson. She produced a useful hand-out thatcovered the symptoms and signs, causes, diagnosis and treatment regimens including lifestyle, diet,herbs and supplements. It was quite salient to know that as adrenal fatigue worsens it often lays thefoundations for other conditions including chest infections, autoimmune disorders, adult onsetdiabetes and even alcoholism. The list of potential symptoms and signs and related conditions isquite extensive underlying the importance of good history taking and viewing the whole person, assingularly, these signs could be overlooked. However if more than three are present then the patientcould be suffering from adrenal fatigue. If adrenal fatigue is suspected there are more specificdiagnostic techniques including online questionnaires, iris contraction test (which we did not try) andSergent’s white line test, which is positive in 40% of suffers, was tried much to the amusement ofthose present. It involves drawing the blunt end of a pen across the skin of the abdomen about15cm long. First a white line appears which will redden in a few seconds but in hypoadrenia the linestays white and widens. One additional sign we added was teeth marks on the side of the tongue.We discussed laboratory tests on salvia for cortisol and DHEA-5 being more useful than blood testswhich only measure free hormones in the blood. Only about 1% of the total hormone in the body isfree but bound cortisol is the reserve that helps the body deal with extra stress. Timings of tests isalso very relevant due to natural circadian rhythms of cortisol.

It was very interesting to note that adrenal fatigue has been documented and treated for over 100years but in modern medical practice unless you are suffering from Addison’s disease it is notacknowledged, a classic case of lost knowledge in today’s doctors. Most do not know about thesalivary hormone tests only tests for Addison’s, leaving many patients undiagnosed and incorrectlytreated, if at all.

Schia’s paper gave lots of useful advice on treatment regimes, including relaxation therapies,laughter, proper rest, balancing blood sugar, need for salt but reducing potassium, lots ofvegetables, and few stimulants. For example goat’s milk was recommended as opposed to cow’sdue to lower lactose and lower in allergens. Patients need to keep detailed food diaries and useelimination diets to identify and then avoid any food allergens. Herbal treatment may need to start inlow doses to avoid over stimulation and the timing of doses complimenting the circadian rhythm. Aswell as adaptogens and antioxidant herbs the benefits of herbs such as ginger (cortisol modulator),gingko (neutralises free radicals) where mentioned.

Overall a very useful reference document and insightful discussions on treatment made for a highly informative meeting.

Julie Dore MNIMH


Monday 11th April 2016Present: Beverley Meredith-Bailey, Desiree Shelley, Schia Sinclair, Thelma Kristjansdottir

In addition to Schia's usual edible delicacies, Des trialed a recipe for nettle cakes topped withraspberry cream cheese frosting. They were absolutely delicious and very 'in season' herbally!

Hosted once again by Schia, this month's topic was 'Historical Herbal Prescriptions' presented byDes who (as some of you may know) has a passion for the history of all things herbal! Des also hasaccess to an enviable number of ancient texts from which to gather information, leading to a bit ofinformation overload, so she decided to focus her presentation on historical prescriptions and advicefor coughs and colds.

Covering the years from 1567 to 1938 and a variety of herbalists, it was apparent that many of ourcurrent respiratory tract infection herbs have a good solid history of use. The usual suspectscropped up: Coltsfoot, Hyssop, Liquorice, Meadowsweet, and Lobelia to name a few. There werealso a few surprise herbs (to me) such as Feverfew, Dwarf Elder, Jelly Ear Fungus, Wood Betony,Bay tree, Hazelnut. Most amusing was the herbalist John Wesley writing in the Primitive Physic, ashe had annotated remedies according to the results he obtained when he tried them on himself!Around the 1800's cough and cold remedies became much more commercial with the arrival of thephysiomedicalists such as Isiah Coffin who had agents selling his products in many towns. Herbalrecipes and prescriptions became a lot more streamlined. Many later herbalists published recipesfor cough pills or composition powder which were in fact direct copies of previous recipes. Rather than just giving herbal formulae, patients were also advised to take rest, steam inhalations,mustard foot baths and cold bathing followed by rubbing with a coarse cloth. Past herbalistsrecognised the need for individuals to maintain good health and prevent infection, something whichwe collectively felt the modern population would do well to move towards!

Following Des' presentation, Schia discussed a long term patient with chronic fatigue who hasongoing issues with sleeping. Typically, the patient begins to feel better and either reintroduces toomuch activity or neglects the herbal prescription and takes a step back with their health.

Bev Meredith-Bailey MNIMH

The next scheduled meetings are on Monday 6th June and Friday 1st July. We welcome new facesfrom the Eastern Region so if you’d like to join us, please contact Schia by email [email protected] or phone on 07941 944974.


mailto:[email protected]

Herbfest 2016, Tavira, Portugal

A flyer sent through with NIMH’s April mailing served as the fortuitous reminder that a) I had alwayswanted to go to Herbfest but had not gotten around to buying a ticket yet again this year b) myfriend who I hadn’t seen for ages was a guest speaker c) IT WAS IN PORTUGAL! Without muchhesitation I hurriedly went online, sent some texts and emails to set the wheels in motion.Apparently the gods of cheap-last-minute-flights-and-arranging-time-off-work were with me on this: Iwas finally going to Herbfest!

To say that I wasn’t feeling smug as I boarded my early morning flight two weeks later, wrapped in ahuge blanket, would be a bare-faced lie. Sleet and snow were imminent. The UK was poised for agrey week of freezing temperatures. That Ryanair flight wasn’t just another intercontinental budgetairbus; it was a rescue plane for those in desperate need of vitamin D. I clambered on withoutglancing back.

When I stepped onto the tarmac on the other side, the air was deliciously warm, the sun was blazingand all the tension in my muscles immediately melted away as my body thawed out. I spent acouple of days relaxing on the near deserted beach which was a convenient 5 minute bus ride fromthe airport. Faro beach turned out to be located within a protected nature reserve called RioFormosa and flanked by a peaceful lagoon. Aside from hosting rare migrating birds, apparentlythere are species of wildlife and plants which can only be found here. This pre-conference pit stopalso allowed for evening rambles on the cobbled streets of Faro Old town.

On the Friday, groups of us were picked up at Faro airport and whisked inland through a myriad oforange groves and whitewashed square houses. As we pulled into Monte Mariposa half an hourlater, the whole mini bus started cooing with delight. We were suddenly surrounded by a lush greenlandscape of exotic plants and trees, most of which were in full bloom. The purpose built retreatcentre was nestled in a verdant valley pulsing with life. The air was thick with a blend of floralperfume. It appeared that we had landed in paradise.

Anne McIntyre, Maureen Robertson and Beatriz Linhares formed the lovely welcoming party whochecked us in and showed us to our respective accommodations. My home for the next few dayswas to be a charming little log cabin in the shade of a pink peppercorn tree with cacti growing nextto wild lavender in my ‘front garden’. Access was by crossing a little bridge. Surround soundbirdsong started from early morning. I had an easy-going but unexpected roommate in the form of alizard who thankfully, preferred sleeping on the back of the front door.

Lunch was the first of many colourful and vibrant meals, mainly macrobiotic and lovingly preparedby the team of four working magic in the kitchen all hours. The atmosphere was buzzing withexcited chatter interspersed with shrieks of joy as old friends reunited. We ate al fresco in thecourtyard of palm trees with wisteria and jasmine dangling from the spiky leaves before theconference opened officially that afternoon, when most of us had arrived.

Anne introduced Fernanda Botelho, a Portuguese herbalist who gave a wonderful talk on localtraditional folk medicine. This kicked off the conference which had simultaneous options of manytalks and practical workshops. The difficulty, as always at all conferences, was choosing andavoiding the dreaded FOMO (that twenty first century affliction ‘Fear Of Missing Out’). Herbfestwelcomes all who love herbs and it was exciting to see so many attendees who weren't‘professional herbalists’. The programme was designed to be all-inclusive and therefore for me, I gotto enjoy a different aspect of learning about herbal medicine. Yes I attended sit-down lectures on theacademic subjects of Ayurvedic and TCM principles but I also watched a demo on cooking authenticAyurvedic kicheree (which can be used as part of a healing protocol for many illnesses), madenatural deodorant and toothpaste, sat through a guided plant meditations and stared with renewedwonder through a hand lens at plant families’ identifying characteristics and learnt how to startfermenting veggies. Then there was the fascinating and inspiring discussion on the Portuguesepolitics of CAM where we learnt about the ongoing battle with government for naturopathy andherbal medicine. Not to mention the wonderful herb walks which allowed us to explore Monte


Mariposa’s rich plant flora and fauna. We smelt neem flowers, spied almonds, squeezed aloes andgot introduced to a host of medicinal plants and fruits we’d never seen or heard of previously.

Those few days were to pass with a boisterous blur of lectures and classes held indoors andoutdoors (if Carlsberg made classrooms…), sunrise meditation and yoga, catching up with oldfriends and meeting new ones, musical evening entertainment, luscious food and a generalcelebration of nature and those things we all so dearly loved: herbs. So did I manage to avoid theFOMO? Unfortunately not but admittedly, the odds were stacked against me from the start. Amongstmany things, I missed the double soap making workshop, a talk on the gardens of Vergil and theone everyone was buzzing about: ‘An Afternoon with Calendula”…but then again, with the glisteningpool and inviting sun loungers calling, I have never felt so justified ‘bunking class’. And that’s thebeauty of Herbfest: it was like a holiday come health retreat in the sunshine, with like-mindedpeople, eating food that nourishes body and soul, with the added bonus of lectures and learning ontop! I’ll be on that Ryanair shuttle next year for sure…meet you by the peppercorn tree?

Nathalie Chung MNIMH


CPD Seminar Review: Acute Infections Seminar led by Steve Kippax

The seminar was well attended, filling a warm University of London Union room in Malet Street.Steve began the day by getting everyone out of their chairs and doing a bit of gentle exercise towake us up and get things going.

What followed was an eminently practical approach to the treatment of various acute infectiousconditions using herbal medicines. As a practitioner of both western herbal medicine and TraditionalChinese Medicine (TCM), Steve was able to present a very broad approach to the treatment ofinfectious diseases. Attendees were introduced to the oriental concepts of external pathogenicfactors, the signs and symptoms of wind invasion and the six energetic layers as an adjunct to themore familiar western approach to pathology.

With a philosophical framework for treatment defined, Steve went on to systematically reviewtreatment strategies for a number of infection conditions, starting with conjunctivitis and moving onto sinusitis, bronchitis, hepatitis, gastritis, arthritis, various bowel pathologies, cystitis and finishingwith acute dermatological conditions. Accompanying herbal formulations drew widely from familiarwestern herbs and also introduced many Far Eastern plants traditionally used in TCM, such as Xinyi hua (Magnolia flowers), Bai zhi (Angelica dahunica) and Cang er zi (Xanthium sibericum) in thetreatment of sinusitis. To aid in this process, Steve brought along a number of tinctures for tasting,which were passed around at various points and experienced en masse, with the group feedingback their sensed impressions of individual herbs. This added a further dimension to the seminarand allowed the group to experience often unfamiliar extracts.

Practical TCM relies heavily on pulse and tongue diagnostic techniques and Steve presented anumber of slides outlining the basics. Participants were then let loose on their immediateneighbours, checking for hot or cold tendencies along with more specific indications. To tie togetherthe various aspects of treating infectious conditions, Steve presented a number of case historiesillustrating treatment rationale along with patient outcomes. Discussion as a group of various casehistories helped to further illustrate various practical approaches and potential problemsencountered when treating acute infections of various kinds.

Overall this was an informative and thought provoking seminar, rooted very much in the practicalapplication of herbal medicine to treating acute infection. The take home message was that herbalmedicine has much to offer in this area, and this seminar provided a number of practical tools forsuccessfully tackling these conditions.

David Bescoby MNIMH

Appearing on Live TV

The build-up to appearing on The Saturday Show, live, was probably my scariest moment as aherbalist (bar that final clinical exam!). Initially, I was asked to speak about the latest research onRosemary, in a few days time. The date soon changed to potentially a week later, and the topicchanged numerous times, with all being confirmed less than 48 hours before live TV with GabyRoslin. THEN they threw in that Dr. Christian Jessen “The TV Doctor”, would also be present, andthat his thoughts on herbal medicine would be included.

I first thought “no problem”, but soon, certain worries crept in about whether this appearance wouldturn into more of a live TV battle with a doctor, over the use of herbs, plus whether I’d go blank onlive TV! As much as I did feel nervous, I’m usually one to try to push beyond the boundaries of mycomfort zone, and I’m glad I did!


Things were quite chaotic in the preparation, whilst juggling things around being in clinic, my retailside of Caley’s Apothecary, young family & my appearance finally being confirmed at short notice,but once things were confirmed, it was surprisingly quite smooth-sailing. A car was sent to pick meup, and I was sent into make-up prior to appearing on TV (not your average day as a herbalist, atall!). After hours of waiting behind the scenes & a little practice run with someone working for theshow, I was wired up and ushered into the studio during a break. The kitchen area was cleared, andherb plants (supplied by The Saturday Show… some unusual variety choices!) and dried herbs, oils& tinctures (supplied by me!) were all put in place as props. The lovely director came over andquickly said “This is your power-position. You know what you’re talking about, you’re the expert, theyhave no idea. Feed them the information, and you’ll be fine”, followed by shouting “we’re back on in50 seconds...” whilst everyone rushed around, and my heart pounded! They put down a glass ofwater for me, I heard the director shout “on in 28 seconds..on in 15..”, everyone rushed into place,the music blared out, and The Saturday Show was back on TV! I was pretty nervous at this point,but soon Gaby Roslin and Sunetra Sarka (from Casualty) came over to talk herbs, whilst MattBarbet, Stacey Solomon & Dr. Christian were on the sofa. What completely surprised me most wasthat (as clichéd as it sounds), once I started talking about the herbs I forgot the cameras were there!That’s not saying that I wasn’t nervous, at all, but in those 7 short minutes, it’s easy to becomeengrossed in herbal-chatter, talk about what you love, and become less anxious. They did throw aquestion over to Dr. Christian, who had been sticking pictures of the herbs mentioned to areas ofStacy Solomon’s body, that they were relevant for! He quite simply said he didn’t think peopleshould just launch into herbal medicine, they should get a diagnosis first and always tell their GP ifthey were taking herbal medicines, as they can interact with drugs. Gaby proceeded to question meabout herbs used for sleep, but at the soonest opportunity (and before they could finish the “HelpfulHerbs” piece!), I squeezed in something along the lines of “I completely agree with Dr. Christian;people should tell their GPs what herbs they are taking. When people come into clinics of herbalistsregistered with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, we always ask “are you taking anymedication?” so that we can look out for those interactions”. Phew, I was glad to get that in! It sooncut back to the break, people were saying “well done, that was great”, and Gaby Roslin turned to meand said “ooh, we could have mentioned sage for sore throats!” (The make-up artist tells me Gabyis quite into “all of this”!).

Speaking to NIMH office the Monday after the show was great (Hi Heather! ), as it was reassuringto have it confirmed that all I’d said was fine by NIMH standards, too, and not solely considered fabby non- herbalists, and possibly biased friends & family!

All in all, despite the nerves, it was a great experience. I would tell anyone to go for it, given theopportunity, as I think we all need to raise the profile of herbal medicine; and not have what we doforever confused with Chinese Medicine or Homeopathy, but a well-known therapy, in its own right.

On a final note, I’d like to thank my good ol’ friends, Skullcap, Chamomile & Lavender, for getting methrough the nerves, Katherine Bellchambers- Wilson (who I didn’t get to speak to, but whose email made me laugh!), Andrew Hoyle (see you at the NEC!), and Laura Stannard (so calming & reassuring; thanks for telling me to take skullcap and go to bed! Ha ha!)

Note from Laura – It was a pleasure, but I actually told you to take Borage for courage as well. You did brilliantly and that’s the official response not from biased supporters – well done and thank you!

Stephanie Caley MNIMH


MSc in Nutritional Therapy

With a sigh of relief, I finally completed my MSc in Nutritional Therapy at the University ofWestminster last summer. Why do a masters in Nutritional Therapy? Basically it appealed to mythrifty instincts – two for the price of one, get a masters and train in a second therapy at the sametime. In the end though, I got much more than that.

So what did I learn? Well, first there were the things you’d expect. I learned about vitamins andminerals. I memorised the calories in a gram of carbohydrate, and protein and fat (4, 4 and 9respectively, since you ask). I got to know the ins and outs of different types of fibre and all aboutthe metabolism of essential fatty acids. Even in terms of basic factual knowledge though, thereturned out to be a lot more than I’d expected. It’s one thing to know that antioxidants are a GoodThing, another to understand what they do and how they do it. The Krebs cycle comes up a lot, andI spent a whole afternoon in the library at one point trying to get to the bottom of the electrontransport chain. Then there’s the diurnal rhythm of cortisol secretion…

Going beyond nutritional theory though, I learned how to be a Nutritional Therapist – which turns outto be surprisingly different from being a herbalist. This meant doing a clinic module. Imagine goingback into a training clinic now as a student, observed and assessed by experienced practitioners.Scary, but brilliant – masses of feedback, some positive, some ‘constructive’, but all invaluable.Taking a case history, listening to someone’s symptoms without automatically thinking about herbswas very, very hard at first. There were also new skills to learn. Nutritional therapists have to be ableto persuade their patients to make changes to their diets – much harder than just getting someoneto take a medicine three times a day (which can be hard enough sometimes). There’s a hugeemphasis on educating, coaching and motivating: we had to work up and practise explanations ofcommon health problems and create handouts for patients. I’m still using many of those – my sheeton how to increase dietary fibre intake is a thing of beauty.

There is a huge step up between undergraduate and masters level study and I tripped over it andnearly fell flat on my face. My first piece of coursework was a case history. To me, ‘case history’meant writing out my case notes nice and neatly and adding a paragraph or two about my rationale,so I left it till the last minute. Then I read the guidelines…oh dear. What I eventually submitted cameto over 10,000 words plus 6 appendices. It had to come on holiday - for two weeks I got up at 7.30every morning, took my laptop, a cup of tea and a banana out onto the balcony of our apartmentand slogged away until 11 or so when the rest of the family emerged from their beds. The day wearrived home I still had to organise the appendices and proof read it, finally submitting it by email at4am – 4 hours after the deadline.

I had a proper sulk about being made to do the Research Methods module, and I certainly didn’tenjoy it. However the pressure of having to pass the dreaded in-class test forced me to knuckledown and learn it properly, and with hindsight it was invaluable. It gave me the skills to tell a goodpaper from a poor one, to work out what can reliably be learned from it – and what can’t. I alsoturned me into a PubMed junkie.

Another thing I didn’t want to do was a Research Project. I felt I’d learned all I needed aboutnutrition, thank you, and this was just another hurdle – the final one - I’d have to jump to get thatMSc. I had no idea what I wanted to research, and eventually came up with ‘something about dietand migraine’ because I’d done a pathology essay about migraine in the first year of my herbaldegree and found migraine an interesting subject.

There turned out to be a lot more to it than I had thought – all I knew was that coffee, cheese,chocolate and red wine can trigger attacks – but the research I found was far wider ranging. I foundstudies of all kinds of dietary interventions showing huge potential to reduce the burden sufferingand disability created by migraine. But at the moment it is only potential - my own study found thatno one knows about this research, not migraine sufferers, not GP’s, not even neurologists whospecialise in migraine. In fact, it’s starting to look as though the only person who knows about it is


me. That’s no use, so now I’m on a mission to raise the awareness amongst the people who need toknow about it – patients and healthcare professionals.

I turned a summary of my findings into an article that was published by Migraine Action (themigraine charity who helped me recruit participants for my study) in their magazine for migrainesufferers, and have since contributed more articles on nutrition research. I’ve also given a talk to aconsultant-led patient group in Cumbria, with another coming up in Cheltenham for July. Inconjunction with a group of osteopaths who aim to raise the profile of migraine treatments of alltypes, I’ll be speaking at the Institute of Osteopathy’s annual conference in November.

The MSc has given me the resources and the confidence to do that. It’s taught me so much morethan how to be a nutritional therapist, though that would have been enough. It’s sharpened up myconsultation skills, got me hooked on research and increased my belief in my abilities as apractitioner – of herbal medicine as well as nutrition. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Natalia Kerkham MNIMH

Editor’s note Congratulations Natalia on your MSc! See advert at the back of this issue if you are interested in following Natalia’s example and enriching your nutrition knowledge.

HE A L T H C U T T I N G S

From Brenda’s Newsletters

Signs of Spring were apparent on New Year’s Day. A survey by the Botanical Society of Britain andIreland has discovered that 612 species of wild flowers were in bloom on New Year’s day, includingdaisy, dandelion and gorse. Cowslips and cow parsley were appearing 4 months early. This isunprecedented, probably a result of the changing climate. December 2015 has been the secondwettest for the UK, and the UK average temperature during December has been a record-breaking8oC, around 5 degrees warmer than normal.

Terrible things are happening throughout the world, including the horrifying epidemic of babies bornwith microcephaly as a result of the mosquito-borne Zika virus outbreak in Latin America, which hasbeen declared an international public health emergency. The Zika virus is also being linked withhundreds of cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is a rare condition in which the immunesystem attacks tissue surrounding the nerves.

ORGANIC FOOD REALLY IS BETTER FOR YOUA major study has found that eating organically farmed meat and milk is better for health than non-organic produce because it contains around 50% more omega-3 fatty acids. A key reason for this isthe greater use of grazing, with animals eating a more natural grass-based diet. Researchers foundthat organic food had a nutritional edge over non-organic products. Organic milk contains 40% moreconjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, certaincancers and obesity. It has lower levels of iodine, but higher concentrations of iron and vitamin E.The research is published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

FOODS TO HELP PREVENT ALZHEIMER’SNew research has found that the ‘superfood’ blueberries (bilberries) improved the cognitive functionof 47 adults aged 68 or over who already had mild cognitive impairment, a risk factor for Alzheimer’s


disease. It has also been found that a daily nutritional drink containing fatty acids, vitamins andother nutrients improved the memory of people with prodromal (early) Alzheimer’s. After 2 yearstheir memory was improved and they had reduced brain shrinkage in some areas including thehippocampus.

COCOA CAN ALSO IMPROVE YOUR BRAINA study which started in the mid-1970s of more than 1,000 people in New York State has led to anew finding about chocolate. People who eat chocolate at least once a week tend to perform betterin cognitive tests than those who do not eat chocolate. It is thought that the flavonols in cocoaincrease blood flow to the brain, and the methylxanthines improve concentration levels.

IS CANCER JUST BAD LUCK?New research has made some significant discoveries about cancer. It’s not down to bad luck assome would have it: sugar and insulin play a key role in its development. Two new studies areproviding more evidence that cancer feeds on sugar. Researchers have found that people with highinsulin levels have faster-growing tumours that also spread. In the second study researchers havediscovered that glucose plays a key role in the survival of cancer cells. Researchers have noted thatwomen with breast cancer were more likely to die of the disease if they had high levels of insulin. Aconstant diet of processed foods causes the pancreas to produce high levels of insulin all the time,causing a person to become hyperglycaemic. The Nobel Prize-winning scientist Otto Warburgobserved over 80 years ago that sugar can encourage the start of cancer, and then feed the cancercells and help them grow and spread. As part of Otto Warburg’s research into cellular respiration hediscovered that cancer cells are anaerobic – they don’t need oxygen, but instead use fermentedsugar as an energy source.

HIGH BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS CAUSE ARTERIES TO NARROWIt has been found that high levels of sugar in the blood cause arteries to contract and becomenarrower; and the higher the amount of glucose in the blood, the more the blood vessels contract.This can overwork the heart and cause high blood pressure. People whose glucose levels are veryhigh when they are suffering a heart attack are therefore at greater risk of dying.

NEW REVOLUTIONARY CANCER THERAPY Immunotherapy is one of the greatest advances in cancer treatment in decades. The aim is tostimulate the body’s own immune defences to identify and destroy cancer cells while leaving healthycells untouched. Patients with advanced blood cancers who were not expected to live beyond fivemonths have shown complete remission after eighteen months of follow-up checks with no signs ofthe disease returning. Patients’ own T-cells were engineered in the laboratory to identify and attacktumour cells. In one trial more than 90% of the patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia wentinto remission. In two other trials involving about 40 patients with either non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma orchronic lymphocytic leukaemia, more than 80% of patients responded to the treatment and abouthalf of them have been in complete remission.

LOWER DOSES OF CHEMOTHERAPY MIGHT BE BETTERA new study has suggested that cancer might be better controlled by administering low-doses ofchemotherapy rather than using toxically high doses that damage the body but still allow drug-resistant tumour cells to spread.

GUM DISEASE INCREASES RISK OF CANCERNew research has discovered that women with periodontal (gum) disease were 14% more likely todevelop breast cancer. The risk of lung cancer in women who smoked and also had periodontaldisease was much greater than that expected from the sum of each effect separately. Men had asimilar risk. The most dramatic increases in risk associated with gum disease included pancreaticcancer (by 54%), kidney cancer (by 49%), lung cancer (36%), and cancers of the blood such asleukaemia (30%). Italian research is showing that patients with even mild gum disease have highlevels of inflammatory markers in their carotid arteries and thickening of blood vessel walls, a sign ofhardened arteries.


THE SECRET CAUSE OF DIABETESDr. Patrick Kingsley argues that obesity and insulin resistance are not the only causes of diabetes.He points out that since one-fifth of people with type 2 diabetes are not overweight, it cannot becaused solely by overeating and under-exercising. He thinks that the secret cause of diabetes ishidden inflammation, which indirectly causes insulin resistance. Dr. Kingsley suggests that the mostlikely cause of inflammation is what people eat and drink. He has found that everyone hasindividualized, idiosyncratic reactions to different foods. Sugar is not the only culprit. Many peopledo not react normally to the glycaemic index, and wholemeal bread can cause a higher rise in bloodsugar than white bread or even sugar. Dr. Kingsley describes how to detect food sensitivityreactions, and advocates a four-day rotation diet in WDDTY, February 2016.

THE REAL CAUSES OF HEART DISEASECardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack, heart disease, angina, heart failure and stroke,is still the number one cause of death in the West. A new book has been published by WDDTY:“Heart Disease: Drug-free Alternatives to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” (Hay House, 2016,£9.99, also available online). It is still believed by many that heart disease is caused by a high-fatdiet and high cholesterol. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the real causes are manyother factors: sugar, the wrong kind of fats, processed meats, chronic severe stress, inflammation,high levels of homocysteine, gum disease, vitamin C deficiency, chromium deficiency, and lack ofexercise.

PROBIOTICS REVERSE MILK ALLERGY IN TODDLERSThe gut flora of an allergy sufferer is significantly different from that of a non-allergic person.Researchers have found that infants with cow’s milk allergy had their problem reversed when givena probiotic containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) bacteria. The infants given the probioticshowed no biomarkers of allergy in their stool samples compared with those not taking the probiotic.

CANDIDA ALBICANS: A MODERN EPIDEMIC RESULTING FROM DYSBIOSISCandida is a normally harmless yeast that lives in the gastrointestinal tract, meant to cause decay ofthe body after it dies. However, today as a result of dysbiosis it can flourish, turn into a fungus andcause diseases and even death. Research is now providing evidence that Candida overgrowth is animportant part of dysbiosis and linked with many chronic diseases, including gastrointestinal andautoimmune diseases. Researchers at the Center for Medical Mycology at Case Western ReserveUniversity have concluded that Candida and the other 184 fungal species in the gut contribute to theaggravation of the inflammatory response and are critical players in the pathogenesis of disease.German researchers have confirmed that Candida albicans uses elaborate tactics to evade theimmune system, creating microscopic leaks in the gut membrane, a ‘leaky gut’ by which toxins andundigested food particles enter the bloodstream. They then trigger the full defences of the immunesystem and induce food allergies and autoimmune diseases. The main cause of the proliferation ofCandida is the proliferation of antibiotics, other prescription drugs, and a diet high in sugar.

HUMAN INTESTINAL TISSUE CULTURE SYSTEM TO STUDY GUT HEALTH AND DISEASEThe laboratory of Dr. Mark Williams, University of East Anglia, has developed an ex vivo 3D culturemodel of the epithelial lining of the human gut, funded by The Humane Research Trust, permittinginvestigation of what maintains the integrity of the epithelial barrier, which is the site of colon cancerand is also disrupted in inflammatory bowel disease. ’Next generation’ native tissue culture modelsare now required to investigate the multitude of interactions that occur between the different tissuetypes comprising the human gut and its 100 trillion microorganisms. Good bacteria fulfil importantphysiological roles such as digesting dietary fibre and they help to maintain the integrity of theepithelial barrier in the presence of ‘bad’ bacteria. There is intense interest in understanding themechanisms by which the gut epithelial lining senses the presence of bacteria and keeps them atbay, as it is thought that when these mechanisms fail it can lead to the onset of inflammation and


disease. It appears that there is a convergence of the mechanisms by which bacteria and humangut nerves maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier.

A PhD research programme, funded by the Humane Research Trust, has just been started toinvestigate the interactions between the gut brain, the epithelial barrier and gut bacteria, as itappears that nerves in the gut brain interact with stem cells to promote barrier integrity by releasingacetylcholine. Acetylcholine is also synthesized by bacteria and the gut epithelium itself. Thescientist, Nicolas Palaez-Llaneza, is going to unravel the relative influence of these sources ofacetylcholine on maintaining gut health and determine if probiotics exert their positive influence viaacetylcholine secretion.

BIOCHEMICAL INDIVIDUALITY - WEIGHT LOSS DIETS PROVE ITResearchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel have shown that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ diet for weight loss. They have discovered that there is no universal response to any givenfood, because the way in which foods are metabolized differs significantly from one individual toanother. A study was carried out of 800 people to identify those foods and dietary factors thatunderlie our blood sugar responses after meals, to help curtail the current worldwide epidemic ofobesity and diabetes. The study was unique in that, besides studying the blood sugar responses tonearly 47,000 meals, total food intake and body measurements, it analysed the microbiome, or gutmicrobes, of each of the participants, through stool samples. It was found that there was no uniformresponse to individual foods, not even to sugars: the glycaemic index of any food isn’t absolute; itdepends on individual factors, including food intolerances and the state of the digestion. Theresearchers discovered that the presence of specific microbes correlated with how much bloodsugar levels rose after eating. Once they had discovered the ideal foods that could lower any givenperson’s blood sugar, they also saw consistent and positive alterations of the gut microbialpopulation. They now know that the state of our gut bacteria not only controls our digestion, but mayalso be linked to obesity, diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance.

PARASITE FOUND IN CATS CAN ALTER PRIMATE BEHAVIOURToxoplasma gondii, a microscopic parasite that breeds in cats, has been found to makechimpanzees less fearful of predators. Scientists believe that this is further evidence that theparasite can affect human behaviour. When a human is infected it is carried to the brain where it canform cysts in the amygdala, the region of the brain involved in fear. There are 1,000 people infectedwith Toxoplasmosis every day, and about one third of people on Earth carry these parasites in theirheads. In most people the side effects of infection are minor and relatively harmless, but recentevidence has been suggesting that the psychological consequences of infection are much darkerthan we once thought. Studies have linked Toxoplasma with psychotic disturbances such as self-harm and suicide, and psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. In 2003, E. Fuller Torrey of theStanley Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and his colleagues noted a link betweenToxoplasma and schizophrenia. They found that women with high levels of the parasite were morelikely to give birth to children who were potentially schizophrenic in later life. Scientists laterdiscovered a link between suicide and parasite infection in people who already had mental illness.Another study found that countries with high Toxoplasma infection rates also had high suicide rates.

A Danish study, however, has proved the correlation between infection and self-directed violence,including suicide. A neonatal screening study was carried out of over 45,000 women, and it wasfound that women with Toxoplasma infections were 54% more likely to attempt suicide, and twice aslikely to succeed. Moreover, these women were more likely to attempt violent suicides (using a gunor a knife, rather than overdosing on pills). Those with the highest levels of antibodies toToxoplasma were 91% more likely to attempt suicide than uninfected women, despite no history ofmental illness.

In 2006 researchers linked Toxoplasma infection to neuroticism in both men and women.Neuroticism is the ‘enduring tendency to experience negative emotional states’, and includesdepression, guilt and insecurity. The link between neuroticism and suicide is well established.


Scientists predict that Toxoplasma prevalence is on the rise, both due to how we live and to climatechange, which does not sound good for the mental health of future generations.

STRANDED WHALES HAD TOXIC METALS IN THEIR SYSTEMSThe long-finned pilot whales stranded in Scotland more than three years ago were found to havehigh concentrations of the toxic chemicals mercury and cadmium in their systems and even in theirbrains. The mercury in some was at levels high enough to cause severe neurological damage inhumans.

MAGNESIUM: MAGIC BULLET FOR YOUR HEARTPopulation studies show the link between magnesium and a healthy heart. Diets that are rich invegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains, also happen to be high in magnesium. Magnesiumis a natural calcium antagonist: it competes with calcium for absorption and influx into cells. It isclosely involved in maintaining cellular electrolyte balance. Adequate levels of magnesium areneeded to maintain normal levels of potassium, which is important for regular heart rhythm.Whereas calcium is necessary for muscle cells to contract, magnesium is necessary for them torelax. Magnesium is a necessary cofactor for over 300 enzymes and almost all hormonal reactionsdepend on magnesium. Levels of magnesium affect cholesterol levels, blood pressure andcalcification in the arteries. If intake of magnesium is inadequate, the ability of all muscles, includingheart muscles, is impaired, with a risk of irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure and suddenconstriction of heart and brain blood vessels, potentially leading to cardiac arrest and stroke. Itcounteracts the side effects of statins, which inhibit cholesterol production and lower testosterones.

The main reason for magnesium deficiency is the current western style diet, which is seriouslydeficient in magnesium. The recommended intake is 320mg/day for women and 420mg/day formen. In the US the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1999-2000 found that 70%of adults had magnesium intake below this, and well below the optimal level of 500-750mg/day.

Another important cause of magnesium deficiency is stress. Stress causes adrenal hormones totrigger a fall in magnesium levels within cells, resulting in an influx of calcium into nerve cells andconstriction of all muscle cells. When stress is continuous the ‘fight or flight’ response does notrelax, causing sustained contraction to all muscles, including the heart muscle.

Medical conditions that can affect magnesium status include chronic diarrhoea, excessive urination,drugs such as diuretics and proton pump inhibitors prescribed for treating gastroesophageal reflux(heartburn), prolonged exercise and excessive alcohol intake.

Calcium supplements which do not contain magnesium lead to an imbalance and are linked with anincreased risk of heart disease.

Good sources of magnesium are nuts and seeds, leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, wholegrains and dark chocolate.

RHUBARB ROOT FOR PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROMERhubarb root contains ‘rhaponticin’ which is one of the most effective agents for putting an end toPMS and dysmenorrhoea. It is widely used in Germany, and is known as da huang in traditionalChinese medicine. It is also effective at treating menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, with noside-effects. There is a product called Estrovera, which contains rhaponticin and is available online.

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF DEMENTIAResearchers at the University of California have discovered that lack of sunshine, the main sourceof vitamin D, is a major cause of dementia, and can even cause physical abnormalities in the brain.People who are deficient in vitamin D experience a rate of cognitive decline 3 times faster thanthose with adequate levels of vitamin D. The researchers recommend that people over the age of 60should take vitamin D supplementation and get out in the sunshine more.


CHRONIC STRESS CAN ALSO CAUSE DEMENTIAResearchers in Canada have found chronic stress and anxiety can damage key areas of the brain.Pathological anxiety and chronic stress are associated with structural degeneration and impairedfunctioning of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. This may account for the increased risk ofdeveloping neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia.

WHITE COAT ANXIETY The phenomenon known as ‘white coat hypertension’ when we are awaiting medical tests does notonly increase the blood pressure but also can change the results of other tests such as radiologicaltests and catheters that check for blocked arteries.

DISSOLVABLE IMPLANT WILL HELP MONITOR PATIENTSResearchers have developed a biodegradable surgical implant that measures a patient’stemperature and blood pressure for several days. It then dissolves harmlessly in body fluids. It is nobigger than a grain of rice and could be implanted into the brain or other vital organs to monitor apatient’s medical recovery without cumbersome wires or operations to remove it afterwards.

A NEW INHALER WHICH PROVIDES EMERGENCY PAIN RELIEFAn inhaler called ‘Penthrox’ which administers emergency pain relief to trauma patients has beenapproved for use in the UK. It contains the drug methoxyflurane and is used in Australia and NewZealand by ambulance staff and sports clubs. It offers rapid pain relief within 6-10 breaths. It isalready being used by the South East Coast Ambulance Service.

SILENT KILLERS IN OUR HOMESA report by the Royal College of Physicians has found that indoor pollution from home fragrancessuch as air fresheners, scented candles and cleaning products can cause toxic indoor air quality,similar to the effect of passive smoking and chemicals such as formaldehyde from furniture,furnishings, glue and insulation. Indoor pollution causes or contributes to 99,000 deaths a year inEurope, with 44,000 of them in the UK.

STRONG LIGHT CAN DEFEAT SUPERBUGSScientists have used powerful light beams many millions of times brighter than the sun at theDiamond Light Source in Harwell (synchrotron radiation) to take detailed images of the complexmolecular structure of the cell walls of disease-causing bacteria. They believe they have finallyfound a way of understanding how to block the procedures that build the cell wall’s gateways, andthus starve the superbugs of vital nutrients and prevent antibiotic resistance.

HEARTBURN MEDICATIONS CAN DAMAGE THE KIDNEYSA study of almost 240,000 patients has discovered that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) used to treatacid reflux and indigestion can increase the risk of chronic kidney disease by between 20% and50%.

PROZAC IN PREGNANCY LINKED TO CHILD AUTISMResearchers in Quebec have found that taking antidepressants during pregnancy could almostdouble the risk of a child being diagnosed with autism in the first years of life. A survey of medicalrecords in Quebec found that women who were given selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors(SSRIs) such as Prozac and Zoloft between the fourth and ninth month of pregnancy were 87%more likely to have a child with autism than mothers not taking antidepressants.

E-CIGARETTES CAN ENCOURAGE SMOKING AND MIGHT HARM UNBORN BABIESNew research suggests that teenagers who use e-cigarettes are about three times more likely totake up smoking a year later, compared with those who had never had an e-cigarette. Chemicals inthe vapour produced by e-cigarettes can cause developmental problems in laboratory mice.


Exposure to vapour from e-cigarettes brings about gene changes in the brain, differences in brainactivity, sperm counts and behaviour of offspring, compared to unexposed mice.

ALTERNATIVE TO VIVISECTIONGM scientists have created “mini brains” in a test tube to help in the study of neurological diseasesand the development of new drugs, without the need to use laboratory animals in research. Theminiature brains are the size of a pin head but contain many specialised cells of the adult humanbrain and are equivalent to the immature brain of a 2-month-old foetus.

SAD – IS LIGHT THERAPY THE ONLY ANSWER?Seasonal affective disorder affects many people during the short dark days of winter, and manypeople benefit from using light boxes. However, why is it that Iceland has the lowest rates of SAD,when it gets few hours of daylight during winter? It is thought by some that it is because Icelanderseat more than five times the amount of fish that we eat in the UK. The Japanese also eat a lot offish, and also have low rates of SAD. The reason for this could be because fish contains high levelsof omega-3. There is evidence that omega-3 helps to avoid depression. Supplementation with highdoses of vitamin D can also be very effective, especially as most people are low in vitamin D duringwinter. St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a well-known treatment for depression, and canhelp. In one study, the amino-acid tryptophan has also been found to be as helpful as light therapy.

PERSONAL SUNLIGHT PRESCRIPTIONS NEEDED TO PREVENT SKIN CANCERThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published its new guidance on sunexposure. It seeks to balance the risks of developing skin cancer against the need for sunlight andvitamin D. How much time we spend in the sun depends on many factors, including geographicallocation, time of day and year, weather conditions and natural skin colour. People who cover up theirskin, are housebound, or stay indoors for long periods of time are all at higher risk of vitamin Ddeficiency. It is not possible to get enough vitamin D by sitting in sunlight next to a closed window,and impossible to get enough vitamin D between October and March in the UK.

MORE PLASTIC WASTE THAN FISH IN THE OCEANS Dame Ellen MacArthur, the record-breaking yachtswoman, commissioned a study which hasestimated that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 if waste continues to bedumped at the present rate. There are now 150 million tonnes of plastic in the sea and the total isgrowing by 8 million tonnes a year. A project called The Ocean Cleanup hopes to remove almosthalf the plastic in the notorious Great Pacific Garbage Patch by deploying giant barriers designed tocapture debris. However, research by Imperial College, London, found that the scheme would benearly twice as effective if located around coasts, before the plastic has a chance to do harm andbecome smaller “microplastic”, which acts as a magnet for chemical toxins ingested by the smallestsea creatures.

ULTRASONIC POLLUTION - HIDDEN SOUNDS SPARK NAUSEA AND DIZZINESSScientists have found that busy public places such as school, swimming pools and stations areflooded with ultrasonic pollution from loudspeakers, which may be a hidden public health problemaffecting millions, giving people migraines, nausea and tinnitus. Many buildings now have publicaddress systems that are tested with blasts of sound at frequencies around 20kHz, which can beheard by only a small fraction of the people who pass through.

ORCHIDS ARE ENDANGERED THROUGH OVERCOLLECTINGMany orchids have been driven to extinction in the wild through over-collecting. The lady’s slipper(Cypripedium calceolus) was the rarest wild flower in Britain for over 70 years, and luckily wassaved when only a single plant was left. Experts at Kew have discovered that 90% of the 175species are endangered.

Brenda Cooke FNIMH


The Medical Herbalists - A brief history and a look to the future

A NIMH Education Fund project

Last year the NIMH Education Fund generously supported The Medical Herbalists with thepurchase of some much-needed equipment and a new bespoke mobile dispensary. It was designed by Dedj to meet the unique needs of festival First Aid and Acute Medical services.Lynton Trailers were awarded the contract for the construction of the dispensary trailer with deliveryof the basic shell ready for fitting out arriving late summer 2015.

The previous caravan dispensary had to have all the tinctures loaded into boxes and these wouldtravel on the floor along with the treatment tent, cooking equipment, food etc. The new dispensarytrailer has shelving designed to take the tinctures in place during transit and a locked cabinet toaccommodate the Schedule 20 tinctures. This means that the dispensary does not have to be setupand dismantled at each festival. All the miscellaneous dispensary and first aid items are now storedin light weight, sealed plastic boxes keeping them protected from the damp and damage duringtransit.New features which make this dispensary more compliant with Health and Safety requirements areseparate hand washing and dispensary sinks, hardwearing washable walls and flooring, combinedCO/smoke detector and fire extinguisher.

Our electrical needs are supplied by a solar panel installed on the roof. This is a 24volt system withan inverter that provides 240volt and 12volts to the dispensary trailer, our treatment tent and thekitchen tent. There is a cupboard that opens to the outside which houses the gas bottles and 4 largebatteries to store the power.

We usually operate a 24hour service with on call staff sleeping in the dispensary trailer. It isimportant that it is warm and a gas heater was chosen to provide the heating over a wood burningstove which would have been messy and require ongoing maintenance. It also provides the meansfor drying damp bedding. There is a cabin bed and an examination couch which doubles up as asecond bed for on call staff with plenty of storage beneath. A gas ring and fridge is provided tomake hot drinks.

We take 2 bicycles to respond to call outs and these, in the past, have been difficult to transport.This dispensary has fixings for their transportation.

The internal fixtures and fittings are mostly completed by Iain Stewart, herbalist and engineer.

The outside of the trailer is being painted with medicinal plants in keeping with the two previouscaravan dispensaries and will be revealed in the next Herbal Thymes along with a summary ofsome of the highlights of this year. It is currently work in progress.

Dedj Leibbrandt FNIMHFounder of The Medical Herbalists


Articles from the Archives

Arthur Barker Part II

From the end of his last Presidency in 1936 Arthur remained on theCouncil and he published the first edition of his book in 1938“Pocket Herbal Prescriber”. Council resolved in 1946 “that BarkersHerbal Prescriber be embodied as one of the Institute’s official textbooks”. Arthur’s second term of office as President of the NAMHstarted in July 1939 at the Annual Conference held in Nottingham,and not in 1938 as was inscribed on the clock I pictured in the lastedition of Herbal Thymes. A report in the Nottingham Evening Postillustrated an indignant meeting that criticised the rushing through ofthe Cancer Bill in Parliament that did not consider advances madeby Medical Herbalists and only concentrated on the medicalprofession.

There are no Council minutes from April 1937 to July 1945. I am, therefore, reliant on reports in journals, newspapers orleaflets to cover these years. Soon after his election World War IIbroke out and Arthur wrote an impassioned article in the Healthfrom Herbs Magazine on Service and Sacrifice.

Following the claims of national interest comes that of ourprofession – Medical Herbalism. If spared from military service the

botanic practitioner, or natural healer, must devote himself (or herself) more ungrudgingly anddevotedly to the high calling. There will be less orthodox treatment available and the unregisteredpractitioner with skill and knowledge, though officially unrecognised, must be available both nightand day.

Be assured that when war is o’er and the emancipation and freedom of European nations has beenachieved, no less will be the claim for full freedom and recognition of Natural Healers who have keptthe flag of health flying in the home-land.

Arthur was ever the optimist, rallying the herbalists to step in for the health of the nation andexpecting a raised profile and ultimately recognition of the herbal profession at the end of the war,how wrong could he be?

Chaos ensued with ARP wardens being prepared to be midwives with no medical background at all.The NAMH vowed to grow and harvest as many herbs as possible even though the governmentwere restricting their use labelling them as “poisonous and putting a ban on herbalists selling them.The NAMH HQ was moved to Harry Orbell’s home in Barking Essex for the duration of the war.

The College of Botanic Medicine that Arthur had worked hard to open in 1931 closed in 1939 asNational Service and the general situation created by hostilities rendered it impossible for it tocontinue. The furniture and technical apparatus was removed for safe keeping and although storagewas scattered over a wide area to minimise bomb danger, unfortunately much of it was destroyed byenemy action.

A letter was sent to the Prime Minister offering medical help from NAMH members with the AuxiliaryMedical Service, citing flu and measles deaths that the medical doctors could not cope with, as away to alleviate an oversubscribed service, it would seem that the letter was ignored.

Then came the shock of the Beveridge report. A letter from NAMH to the TUC illustrates theirdesperation.


Let me say at the onset that my Council is fully in accord with the fundamentals therein but isseriously concerned by the fact that no proposals have been made to embrace those competentsystems of medicine which are at present unrecognised. Sooner or later this problem will have to besolved, and my Council is of the opinion that no finer opportunity is afforded for such a step than byinclusion in the Beveridge proposals of such systems of medicine as are worthy. We have noquarrel with Allopathy, but in view of the fact that Osteopaths, Naturopaths and Medical Herbalistsoccupy a very considerable sphere of activity in the maintenance of National health, it is due, if notoverdue for their positions to be regularised and embraced under National service.

A deputation from NAMH met with Mr. A Bevan, the then Minister of Health, who was verysympathetic, but emphasised the fact that when herbalists were possessed of a satisfactory systemof tuition conforming with modern medicinal requirements, then they could approach Parliamentwith every prospect of success.

This statement from Mr. Bevan steered the direction of NAMH from then on to be an organisationthat was fit for purpose and to gain state recognition. As the end of the war neared, the impendingNHS loomed over herbalists.

In July 1945 the name was changed from NAMH to NIMH by Special Resolution at an EGM held atthe Friends Meeting House in Euston (the venue for recent EHTPA meetings).

In the same month a new journal was launched “The Herbal Practitioner”, A Professional Journal forPhysio-Medical-Practitioners. The sale of this journal was restricted to members and students onlywhile the Health from Herbs Magazine was for sale to herbalists and the general public alike. Thereare obvious similarities of this journal to gain recognitionas with the current NIMH Journal of Herbal Medicine thatwas introduced for the same reasons.

There are solicitor’s letters dating from June 1945 –January 1946 detailing NIMH’s endeavour to obtain aRoyal Charter. It is recorded in the minutes that the ever-generous Arthur Barker paid the legal fees out of his ownpocket.

The editorial in the Health from Herbs magazine inFebruary 1946 gave voice to the frustrations thatherbalists and others were feeling.

It was generally understood that Mr Aneurin Bevan, theMinister of Health, was favourably impressed by theBritish Health Freedom Society (BHFS) and a group ofMPs who support the fundamental principles advocatedon behalf of those supporting freedom in medicine andliberty in relation to the control of our physical wellbeing.It was a shock to many people to learn a change hadoccurred; as also to be told that certain influentialmedical men have expressed their avowed intention toabolish all medical practice outside the orthodoxregistered allopaths and surgeons.Registered practitioners have joined every political party; religious organisations; obtainedrepresentation on local governing bodies; in Parliament and House of Lords……….. It is our duty toget inside every public body and use our influence to procure freedom instead of medicaldictatorship.

As always the general public and patients past and current were encouraged to support theherbalist cause which they readily did. The BHFS was made up of lay people, practitioners and


politicians and they entered into debate with the Ministry of Health to support unregisteredpractitioners and uphold the right of Medical Freedom for all.

The Council minutes from January 1946 record that Mr Harry Orbell had attended various meetingsand that he had been elected upon a Central Registration Committee to formulate a register of allunregistered practitioners who had acquired a satisfactory standard. He reported the significantfact that all enquires in the building of this register had to be sent direct to the House of Commons,after the register had been compiled ALL new entrants would first have to pass an examination, nomatter what their previous qualifications were. The next council meeting reported that Mr Orbell had said that Parliament were pressing for thisNational Register. He stated there were 1200 herbal practitioners, of which only 500 wereorganised which meant that NIMH could not claim that it spoke for the whole herbal profession anda common curriculum was impossible. In the cause of unity the NIMH entered discussions with theBritish Herbalists Union (BHU) to merge the two organisations.

By 1947 The Hospital for Natural Healing, which had worked tirelessly throughout the war years inthe midst of a bomb scarred district and never closing their doors for one hour, joined forces with theNIMH to house The School of Herbal Medicine. This facility gave students the opportunity for clinicaltraining and instruction on a par with the out-patients department of an orthodox hospital.

Council meetings became incredibly intense from 1945 onwards with heated debates, councilmembers resignations on matters of principle, the Treasurer trying to balance the books with moremoney going out than was coming in and letters being sent and reports scrutinised. The meetingslasted for two full days with at least thirty agenda items, the prize though going to one that had 99agenda items! Arthur always chaired the meetings and I get a sense of his quiet resolve andfairness to all when reading the minutes.

1948 started with NIMH Council preparing to meet the government head on. A deputation includingArthur Barker and Albert Orbell were to approach Mr Bevan with the new syllabus from The Schoolof Herbal medicine to request his approval and submit a case for inclusion of Medical herbalists withthe National Health Service.


Later in 1948 NIMH purchased a building of its own in Crown Hill, Rayleigh, Essex called “HollyMount”. It cost £2,150 and was deemed to be abargain and would serve as an investment for theNIMH. It would be an imposing headquarters tocentralise the work of the Institute and it was alsohoped that it would become a herbal hospital, aconvalescent home, a rest centre and educationalestablishment in due course.

There were also discussions about affiliating to auniversity and Arthur offered £500 to establish a“Botanical Chair”.

The health secretary Aneurin Bevan opened ParkHospital in Manchester (now the Trafford GeneralHospital) on July 5th 1948 as the first NHS hospital.It was the climax of a hugely ambitious plan tobring healthcare to all with hospitals, doctors,nurses, pharmacists, opticians and dentists beingbrought together under one umbrella organisationto provide services that were free to all at the point

of delivery. There was no inclusion of a medical herbalist or any other unregistered practitioner asthey had worked hard for and had hoped for. NIMH council had a meeting on the same date and nota single mention of the NHS is recorded in the minutes, Arthur and the council must have beendevastated.

Arthur had another four years as President after the formation of the NHS and that will be covered inpart 3.

Desiree Shelley FNIMH


Book Reviews

The New Wildcrafted Cuisine By Pascal BaudarWith details of ferments, infusions, spices and other preparations £25

This beautiful, large 423 page book has many glossy pictures. Pascal covers everything frommaking cordials, jams and syrups using wild ingredients, making wild cheeses, primitive wild beers,herb infused vinegars, collecting and cooking pine and fir needles and pine resin, creating andpickling wild hot sauces and wild seeds.

How about curly dock Nori; Smoked oat bark and Sycamore vinegar; Kimchi; Fresh mint andLemon mead; Pickled acorns or even acorn pancakes; Goats cheese with fig sap; Salted wildherbs to make up a soup stock which will last for up to 2 years?

If you are not vegetarian there are even suggestions like using acorn grubs, wood shrimps, sandfleas, sand crabs, sea cicadas and mole crabs and yes.....garden snails. Being vegetarian myself Ithink I’ll give all these a miss!

This guy lives and forages in California so some of the ingredients like Yucca used to make pickledshoots, flowers and buds are not available in the UK.

Anne Chiotis MNIMH

Communication links

Telephone Website Email Members site

NIMH Office 01392 426022 www.nimh.org.uk [email protected] members.nimh.org.uk

MHRA 020 3080 6000 www.mhra.gov.uk

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Richard Adams

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Natural Standards login on NIMH website and go to http://members.nimh.org.uk/?page_id=3931

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4 AMastersdegreethatfocusesonresearchandadvancedpractise

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*MScinAdvancedNutrition(Research and Practice)*subjecttovalidation

MScinAdvancedComplementaryMedicine(Research and Practice)

Online MSc courses for practitioners around the world

Prospectus 2016/17 MSc in Advanced Oriental Medicine (Research and Practice)

MSc in Advanced Complementary Medicine (Research and Practice)

MSc in Advanced Nutrition* (Research and Practice)

*Subject to validation

Northern College of Acupuncture 61 Micklegate, York, YO1 6LJ, United Kingdom These programmes are quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex University Award on successful completion.

EverconsideredaMastersResearchDegree?Buttoobusywithlifeandwork?Nowyoucan!

“This course is a great fit for achieving an academic degree- which I believe is the most important way of helping our profession become a more main stream and an acceptable form of medicine. I love meeting and befriending my fellow students from all over the world who are all interested in the same field, but my

favourite thing is noticing how much I have advanced my knowledge, and how much more secure and confident I feel with my patients. I think the amount of knowledge I have acquired over such a short period of time is quite remarkable.” MayaHarish–Naturopath-Israel

Findoutmoreatwww.chinese-medicine.co.uk Call:+44(0)1904343309

€ Herbal Thymes Summer 2016 25

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herbal thymes...recent exchange on the nimh facebook forum has made me look at herbal thymes as...

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