Teaching herbs so the herbs are viscerally experienced

[Guest guest]

Does anyone regularly have their students taste the formulas they are

studying? In my western herb classes I wouldn't lecture on herbal

preparations without passing around subclinical doses of infusions,

tinctures or electuaries so that the students could taste them and feel

their bodies respond. I personally find myself reluctant to give out a

prescription unless I've first tried it. (Well maybe not the harsh

purgatives...) But I don't feel I know a prescription unless I have

experienced it and I prefer to use formulas I know.

 

If you do so, do you use raw herbs, granules or extracts? What are the

logistics? I'm envisioning a row of electric teapots plugged into a

power supply strip..

 

Karen Vaughan

CreationsGarden

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[Guest guest]

Karen:

 

Like you, we test formulas by tasting them; then check the changes in

the pulse. The logistics are easier, though, if you make formulas

from concentrates. You can make a formula in small batches and either

add it to water or encapsulate it.

 

Jim Ramholz

 

 

 

 

, Karen S Vaughan

<creationsgarden@j...> wrote:

> Does anyone regularly have their students taste the formulas they

are

> studying? In my western herb classes I wouldn't lecture on herbal

> preparations without passing around subclinical doses of infusions,

> tinctures or electuaries so that the students could taste them and

feel

> their bodies respond. I personally find myself reluctant to give

out a

> prescription unless I've first tried it. (Well maybe not the harsh

> purgatives...) But I don't feel I know a prescription unless I have

> experienced it and I prefer to use formulas I know.

>

> If you do so, do you use raw herbs, granules or extracts? What are

the

> logistics? I'm envisioning a row of electric teapots plugged into a

> power supply strip..

>

> Karen Vaughan

> CreationsGarden@j...

> ***************************************

> Email advice is not a substitute for medical treatment.

> " One of the best temporary cures for pride and affection is

seasickness;

> a man who wants to vomit never puts on airs. " - Josh Billings

>

> ______________

> GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!

> Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!

> Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:

> http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/7/01 8:17:49 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

creationsgarden writes:

 

<<

Does anyone regularly have their students taste the formulas they are

studying? >>

 

Dear Karen, when I teach Intro to Herbs, I bring in cooked single herb

decoctions to every class meeting, and when we take a break, we have a

tasting break. The logistics are easy for me, because I just cook the herbs

at home from my pharmacy and bring in the tea in a large container. I plan to

continue to do this in teaching pharmacopoeia. One of our formulas teachers

did bring in cooked formulas (or maybe she had a student do the cooking each

time), but she found it cut into the time for teaching and she had to cover

fewer formulas. I agree with you, it is the BEST way to learn herbs. One

reason people prefer studying acupuncture is that all of their senses are

involved, touch, vision, interaction, emotion...I try to get as many senses

involved as possible in teaching herbs, and I encourage my students to

experiment on their own...even with purgatives (as long as they don't have to

go somewhere the next day).

 

Julie