biomedical

Village herbalists like my great-grandfather not only knew what herbs were good for which ailment, they knew about dosages, interactions and side effects as well. Today, few people are trained in the use of herbs, but the demand for and use of herbal remedies may far surpass the average person's ability to use them knowledgeably and safely.

Resources

American Botanical Council

Consumer Lab

Herb Research Foundation

 

Botanical Safety Handbook, American Herbal Products Assn., Michael McGuffin, ed.

Dangerous Drug Interactions: The People's Pharmacy Guide, Joe and Teresa Graedon

The Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs, Varro Tyler, M.D.

Prior to the U.S. Civil War, native healers, midwives, herbalists and witches - mostly women - were the primary caregivers. By 1865, the discipline of scientific medicine was imported from Europe, particularly from Germany. The germ theory of disease, specific disease etiology (cause), and the discovery of the tubercle bacillus by Koch, Virchow and Pasteur lent credence to the notion of a specific cure for a specific ailment. Otherwise known as the biomedical model, it became the basis for the production of synthetic drugs, with less emphasis on the whole person or the environment.

Resources

Worst Pills, Best Pills: A Consumer's Guide to Avoiding Drug-Induced Death or Illness, Sidney M. Wolfe, Ed.