[MPWG] Why do we spend etc

[Gena Fleming]

Thanks, Marguerite and Bob, for  your comments.

It is important to recognize the origins of herbal knowledge coming from
systems which respected Nature as sacred, and contemplated the intricate
organization and delicate relationships found there, seeking to work in
accordance with them.

Because what I am seeing is renewed interest in botanical medicine (or
medicine of botanical source), but insufficient understanding of
the epistemologies of indigenous science that enlighten appropriate use of
these plants.  I am hopeful that we will one day have a truly pluralistic
medical society.

As economic interest broadens for medicinal plants, we will need to
contemplate how best to direct this.  Historically, the interest of the
pharmaceutical industry has been in isolating compounds for drug
development.  Doing this in the laboratory still left the natural source
alone.   But now the interest extends to genetically engineering the
medicinal plants themselves to become drug factories.  In other words,
nature herself is being altered to manufacture drugs.    Because genetically
engineered plants can contaminate non-modified plants, this threatens the
continued existence of the original species.

Medicine figures within a cultural context and can not be separated
out.  Medical philosophy parallels agricultural philosophy.  In order to
assure the continued existence of unmodified medicinal plants, we will need
extensive, local, sustainable, organic cultivation of medicinal plants.
Hats off to Jean Giblette's group for working on this with Chinese
medicinals.

For an example of  some of the medicinal plants that had already been
genetically modified ten years ago,  see:

Transgenic Medicinal Plants by Y.P.S. Bajaj, published in 1999.  Available
for preview on Google Books.

   "The plant species included are Ajuga reptans, Anthemis nobilis,
Astragalus spp., Atropa belladonna, Catharanthus roseus, Datura spp.,
Duboisia species, Fagopyrum spp., Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lobelia spp.,
Papaver somniferum, Panax ginseng, Peganum harmala, Perezia spp., Pimpinella
anisum, Phyllanthus niruri, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Scoparia dulcis,
Scutellaria baicalesis, Serratula tinctoria, Solanum aculeatissimum, Solanum
commersonii, Swainsona galegifolia, tobacco, and Vinca minor. "

Link to preview:

http://books.google.com/books?id=qQ2OY9GF41wC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false


best regards,

Gena Fleming




2009/7/31 Bob Beyfuss <rlb14 at cornell.edu>

> With hundreds of thousands of adverse reactions to prescription and over
> the counter drugs each year including thousands of deaths (acetaminophen,
> aka Tylenol, amoI ng other brand names, alone is responsible for more then
> 400 deaths each year)  is it any wonder Americans are looking for
> alternatives? Read the label of almost any prescription drug or even just
> watch the TV commercials that list common "side effects" some of which
>  include death and you might wonder why more people are NOT looking at
> alternatives, particularly herbs with long history of folk use.
>
>
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