Dosage and Effect

[Guest guest]

All,

At the risk of overloading the academy with more of the stuff I'm interested in,

I want to start another thread, although the others I've been speaking to are

connected to it in my mind. The following is a quote from " The Energetics of

Western Herbs " by Peter Holmes, Vol. I, page 116:

 

" There is a basic difference between water preparations, such as decoctions and

infusions, and alcoholic ones. Water preparations produce an effect which is

almost entirely due to the physiological aspects of plant constituents, both on

a quantitative-substantial and qualitative-energetic level. We can rely on a

simple infusion of a botanical that contains volatile oils and has a pungent

taste to cause sweating and release external conditions.

 

" This is not the case if a tincture or fluid extract of the same herb is used.

Alcoholic preparations produce effects that are not always entirely explicable

in terms of pharmacology alone. This is true for both energetic pharmacology

(based on taste, warmth, etc.) and biochemical pharmacology (based on main

constituents). Alcoholic preparations have both a physiological and a

bioenergetic effect. Whereas the physiological effect is an allopathic one

(treating something with its opposite), the bioenergetic effect is a homeopathic

one (treating something with a similar thing). This means that alcohol

preparations have a homeopathic and allopathic effect. In other words, they not

only treat via opposites (as when cold remedies are used for hot conditions, and

vice versa), but also by similars. Many warm or hot herbs, for example, are also

anti-inflammatory, effectively clearing heat, when used in alcoholic form. The

reasons for this are complex, and cannot be fully addressed here. "

 

Now can anybody out there in Herb Land address, fully or otherwise, the complex

reasons for this? I'd really like to learn more about this. Holmes goes on at

length on this overall subject, also saying that this is one of the major

reasons for differences in use and understanding of the same herbs by East and

West, since the Chinese have tended to favor water decoctions and Westerners

have often favored alcohol extractions. And water decoctions tend to produce

only the allopathic effects. Fascinating stuff, to me anyway. One more

question--can anybody tell me why I love herbs SO much?

Joseph

 

 

 

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