[MPWG] Mission statement??

myron wdsofedn at bellsouth.net
Mon Jan 5 05:26:41 CST 2004


Cafesombra:

The excitement evidenced by so much participation from people who ordinarily
lurk in the sidelines generated over a couple of simple herbal questions is
very telling I think.  This is the tall task being attempted, Myron, the
hope for sustainability for herbal medicines by discussing "their use within
a living herbal tradition"

I see, and at times have argued your same point (I think): that the passion
necessary to raise concerns for conservation are premised on the
understanding that the herbs have a valuable and respected (though lacking
both in the wider community) place in the emergent healing paradigm.  That's
what seems so fundamentally flawed regarding the current legal United States
considerations of dietary supplements in general and herbs in particular:
Any amount of risk associated with their use will disqualify them entirely
as by defintion dietary supplements (e.g. herbs) cannot claim any
therapeutic benefit.  If we are unwilling to even acknowledge that they have
some measure of therapeutic benefit (besides sheer beauty and ecological
anchoring -which should be enough) how can we then engender a genuine sense
of conservation. Already this has veered way off into legislative issues
which might arguably be considered "off-topic", but the "system" is a VAST
web and all threads (political, therapeutic, ethnobotanical, etc. )
contribute to a greater understanding.  And I concede that your treatment
insights using herbs, even over the internet, can be more valuable than the
standard doctor's visit and a legitimate means of feeding the fires of
conservation through conversion (though I suspect we are all already
converted if we are here) I am just wondering if the needs of conservation
are met if everyone just starts throwing in their mundane or not so mundane
health issues for quick  commentary.  It seems a distraction from the
necessary course.  And yet here we are talking about goldenseal and oregon
grape root because someone dared ask about psoriasis. . .
-- 
Myron Hardesty
Clinical Herbalist

Weeds of Eden
1572 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY  40205
(502) 456-9453 





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