Home Studies Course: Medicinal Herbs
Learn to Grow and Use Medicinal Herbs
Explore the fascinating world of herbs, and lay a foundation for understanding how these fascinating plants can be used to compliment our state of health and wellbeing.
Herbs have been used for medicines over thousands of years. Some can be very effective if used appropriately, while others have the potential to be dangerous. Being only eight lessons (100 hours), this course cannot hope to make you an "expert", but it does set you on the right course, teaching you the basics of how to identify and correctly administer herbs for medicinal purposes.
Lesson Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course:
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Introduction to Medicinal Herbs
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Scope and Nature of Herbal Medicine
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Being Cautious
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Growing and Knowing Medicinal Herbs
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Accurate Plant Naming
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Pronouncing Plant Names
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Finding Reliable Resources
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Culture of Medicinal Herbs
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What is a Herb
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Soils and Nutrition
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Cultivation
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Fertilizing Herbs
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Compost, Mulch, Watering
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Propagation
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Pest and Disease
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History
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Introduction
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Hippocrates
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Chinese Herbalists
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Egyuptian Influence
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Greek Influences
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The Dark Ages
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German and English Herbals
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Other Influences
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Main Medicinal Herbs
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Introduction and Varieties to Grow
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Production Plan
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Improving Soil Fertility
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Cover Crops and Legumes
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Cultivation, Growing Methods, Compost
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Growing and using Ginger
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Garlic Culture
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Echinacea Culture
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Herbal Remedies
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Alternatives
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Anthelmintic
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Astringents
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Bitter Tonics
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Calmatives
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Carminatives and Aromatics
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Cathartics
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Diaphoretics
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Dietetics
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Demulcents
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Emollients
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Expectorants
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Nervines
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Relaxants
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Vulnerary Herbs
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Common Herbs with Medicinal Properties
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Nervines as Healing Agents
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Natural Chemicals in Plants and their Affect on Health; saponins, phenolglycosides, anthraglycosides, flavonoids, mustard oils, polysaccharides, prussic acid, glycosides, coumarin, tannins, bitters, essential oils, alkaloids, purines, essential minerals
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Chemistry of Herbs
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Herbal Sources for Human Nutrients
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Preparing Herbal remedies
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Infusion
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Decoction
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Poulice
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Medical Preparations
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Problem of Accurately Formulating Herbal Medicines
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How herbalists used to work
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The Difference Today
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Harvesting Material for Herbal Preparations
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Post Harvest Handling of Herbs
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Post Harvest Preservation; Fresh, Modified Atmospere Packaging
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Herbal Preparations for Teas, Rinses and Baths
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Producing Essential Oils; Water distilation, Steam distilation
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Uses for Eucalyptus Oil
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Poisonous Plants
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Introduction
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Review of Plant Poisons
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Hazardous Herbs
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Carcinogens, Potosensitizers, Allergens, Hormone Like Affects, Teratogens, Respiratory Inhibitors, etc
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Toxic Plant Constituents
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Developing a Production Plan
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Managing a Market Garden
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Deciding What to Grow
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Production Planning
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Types of Problems
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Standards
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Crop Schedules
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Farming Medicinal Herbs
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Production Requirements for Different Herbs
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Distinguish between medicinal herbs in cultivation including twenty-five different genera and fifty different varieties.
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Discuss the history of medicinal herb usage.
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Compare the chemical components of different medicinal herbs in terms of their general affect on the human body.
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Prepare simple and safe herbal remedies in a domestic situation.
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Explain the potential dangers involved in dealing with plants.
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Prepare a schedule of cultural practices for a medicinal herb crop.
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Develop a production plan for a medicinal herb crop.
What You Will Do
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Define the term "medicinal herb" according to both horticultural and naturopathic meanings.
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Compile a resource file of fifty different sources of information regarding medicinal herbs.
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Distinguish between fifteen different plant families which common medicinal herbs belong to.
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Prepare a plant collection of fifty different medicinal herb varieties.
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List ten different medicinal herbs which were often used more than one hundred years ago, but are no longer commonly used.
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Identify modern trends in the use of herbs in medicines in your country.
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Discuss the role of home remedies in modern society.
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Discuss the role of the naturopath in modern society.
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Summarise the history of medicinal herbs since early civilisation, to modern times.
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Explain the characteristics of different types of chemicals found in medicinal herbs.
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Write brief definitions to explain the mode of action of different herbal medicines.
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Write an essay describing the chemical actions which two different herbs have upon the human body.
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Explain various factors which can influence the effectiveness of active constituents of a herb.
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List herbal remedies derived from forty different commonly grown herbs.
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Identify the morphological parts of fifteen different herbs which are used medicinally.
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Explain thoroughly how to prepare six different types of simple medicines, including a:
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Poultice
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Infusion
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Decoction
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Tincture.
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Develop a list of safety procedures to follow when preparing a given herbal medicine.
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Explain methods to administer six different herbal medicines which are safe and appropriate for an unskilled person to make and use at home. (ie. medicines which do not have any dangerous risks if prepared or administered incorrectly).
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Describe, in summaries, twelve commonly occurring plants which contain poisonous substances, including:
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names (botanical and common)
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dangerous parts of the plant
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poisonous substances
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mode of action of poison
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remedy (if any).
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List five herbs that should never be taken internally.
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List five herbs which should never be used by pregnant women.
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List three herbs which should never be used by children.
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Describe, including at least two specific examples, precautions when dealing with unknown herb materials.
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Develop guidelines for the culture of a specified variety of medicinal herb.
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Explain natural pest and disease control methods for five medicinal herb varieties.
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Prepare a sample of soil suitable for growing a specified herb variety in the open ground.
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Demonstrate propagation techniques for five different medicinal herbs.
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Produce container plants of two different medicinal herbs, propagating and growing on the plants to a marketable stage and condition.
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Record the development of two medicinal herbs in a log including a summary of the condition of the plant, growth, and cultural practices carried out.
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Develop a list of criteria for selecting the most commercially viable variety of a nominated medicinal herb species available.
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List thirty different varieties of a medicinal herb species which are readily available for purchase as "reliable" seed or tubestock.
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Compare different varieties of six nominated medicinal herb species to determine a commercially viable variety to grow in your locality.
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List tasks to be undertaken in the production of a selected medicinal herb variety, including:
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soil preparation
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planting
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growing practices
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harvest and post harvest.
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Write a production schedule for a medicinal herb variety which designates tasks to be undertaken systematically at each stage of crop development.
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Explain the facilities which would be required to produce a specified commercial medicinal herb crop, including:
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equipment
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materials
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land.
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Estimate the cost of producing a specified medicinal herb crop, itemising the cost components into at least five categories.
Extract from the Course:
Comments on a Selection of Medicinal Plants (Many more are covered in the course):
Almond (Prunus dulcis)
Family: Rosaceae
· Medicinal Part: Kernals
· Use:
o Emollient, demulcent, pectoral and sweet
o Almonds are said to be useful to treat kidney stones, gallstones and constipation
o Ayurvedic medicine uses almonds as a laxative
o Traditional Chinese medicine uses almond oil as an anaesthetic and muscle relaxant
o Almond kernels are used in various ways including: eaten as nuts, as oil taken internally or externally.
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
Family: Asparagaceae (Once classified in Liliaceae)
· Medicinal Part: Young shoots
· Use:
o Edible vegetable; Diaphoretic, aperient and deobstruent
o Said to help with kidney health and the chlorophyll in asparagus helps build the blood
o Native Americans used to dry asparagus and use it to treat ailments of the kidney, bladder and heart.
o Water from steamed asparagus can be drunk as a diuretic.
Black Currant(Ribes nigrum)
Saxifragaceae
· Medicinal Part: Leaves
· Use:
· Diuretic
· Berries are rich in vitamin C
Blue Flag (Iris versicolor)
Family: Iridaceae
· This has traditionally been considered to be a herbal medicine that can be used a lot.
· Medicinal Part: Rhizome which contains a volatile oil called furfural, a glycoside (Iridin), various acids (including salicylic and isophthalic) and a range of other components including gum, resin and sterols.
· Use:
o Alterative, laxative, cathartic, anti inflammatory, diuretic, hepatic.
o Has been used widely to treat skin conditions (eg. Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis)
o Said to be good to treat vomiting, heartburn, gall bladder, liver and sinus problems
o Can sometimes cause salivation
o Can cause dermatitis in some people
o The resin in Iris versicolor can affect the liver, pancreas and gastro-intestinal tract adversely in some people.
Elder (Sambucus canadensis)
Family: Caprifoliaceae
· Medicinal Part: Flowers, berries, roots
· Use:
· Diaphoretic and mild stimulant can be created from a warm infusion of flowers
· Juice from elder berries is an aperient and alterative. 25gm of the juice will purge the system
· A tea made from the root, taken daily is a hydragogue cathartic and stimulating diuretic.
Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum)
Family: Linaceae
· Also called linseed.
· Medicinal Part: Ripe seeds
· Use:
o Demulcent and emollient.
o Taken internally as an oil extract or a tea made from seeds
o Combined with elm bark and used externally as a poultice
Henna (Lawsonia alba)
Family: Lythraceae
· Medicinal Part: Leaves
· Use:
o Astrigent properties.
o Contains high levels of tannin. Used as a dye. A weak rinse is used to treat hair.
o Used as a gargle in India
o Henna flowers are used in perfumery.
Kola Nuts (Cola acuminata)
Family: Sterculiaceae
· Medicinal Part: seed
· Use:
o Stimulant, tonic, nervine, diuretic astrigent
o Seeds contain caffine, tannin, theobromine and starch
o Used to treat fatigue, neuralgia and headaches.
Lavender Cotton(Santolina chamaecyparissus)
Family: Asteraceae
· Medicinal Part: Whole plant
· Use:
o Was once used as vermifuge for children.
o Oil has been used in perfumes, but has been banned in many places today; being considered dangerous
Lemon
Family: Rutaceae
· Medicinal Part: Fruit, oil extracted from fresh peel by cold pressing.
· Use:
o acidulous, refrigerant, anti-scorbutic
o Oil is considered anti-anaemic, antimicrobial, anti-rheumatic, anti-sclerotic, antiseptic, bactericidal, carminative, cicatrisant, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, haemostatic, hypotensive, insecticidal, rubefacient, tonic and vermifuge
o Used in mouthwashes, lotions, cremes, massage oils or oil burners.
Liquorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Family: Fabaceae
· Medicinal Part: Dried root
· Use:
o Demulcent, expectorant and laxative
o Create a tea from 1 teaspoon of dried root in a cup of boiling water. Drink one or two cup fulls daily, cold.
Mulberry (Morus rubra)
Family: Moraceae
· Medicinal Part: Bark (in Chinese medicine almost all parts of the plant are used)
· Use:
o Bark - vermifluge and cathartic
o Leaves - antibacterial, astringent, diaphoretic, hypoglycaemic, odontalgic and ophthalmic
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
Family: Myristicaceae
· Also known as Mace.
· Medicinal Part: Kernels from the fruit
· Use:
o Stimulant and aromatic
o Low doses are considered safe
o Has been used to treat infections in the digestive tract.
o Ointments containing nutmeg oil are rubbed on the skin for eczema and for rheumatic conditions.
Raspberry
Family: Rosaceae
· Medicinal Part: Bark, root and leaves
· Use: Considered a very useful astrigent
o Infusion of leaves has been used for diarrhoea
o Decocation of leaves combined with cream to treat nausea or vomiting.
Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum)
Family: Polygonaceae
· Medicinal Part: Root
· Use:
o Cathartic, astrigent and tonic.
o Mild laxative, considered by many to be appropriate for use on children
o Prepared as a teaspoon of cut or shredded root in one cup of boiling water to create a tea. An adult can drink one cup at a time
ACS has been collecting information on Growing and Using Herbs for over 30 years. Our staff include some leading experts, our library contains books and other resource materials that are not readily available elsewhere; and our students are supported by these unique resources as they persue studies in this fascinating discipline.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
Why Choose This Course
- Unique course materials (developed by our staff) and more current than some colleges (many reviewed annually); as a result, ACS graduates can be more up to date.
- We work hard to help you understand and remember it, develop an ability to apply it in the real world, and build networks with others who work in this field (It’s more than just serving up a collection of information –if all you want is information, buy a book; but if you want an education, that takes learning to a whole new level).
- Start whenever you want, study at your own pace, study anywhere
- Don’t waste time and money traveling classes
- We provide more choices–courses are written to allow you more options to focus on parts of the subject that are of more interest to you; a huge range of elective subjects are offered that don’t exist elsewhere.
- Tutors are accessible (more than elsewhere) – academics work in both the UK and Australia, 5 days a week, 16 hours a day. Answering emails and phone calls from students are top priority.
- We treat students as individuals –don’t get lost in a crowd. Our tutors communicate with you one to one.
- Extra help at no extra cost if needed. When you find something you cannot do, we help you through it or will provide another option.
- Support after you finish a course –We can advise about getting work, starting business, writing a CV, etc. We can promote students and their businesses through our extensive profile on the internet. Graduates who ask will be helped.
- Support from a team of a dozen professional horticulturists, living in different parts of the UK, and in both temperate and tropical climate zones of Australia.
About ACS
ACS was started in 1979 by John Mason, who at the time was a gardening author, horticultural consultant and lecturer in horticulture at several colleges across Melbourne (in Australia). Over the summer that year John discovered that there were thousands of applicants going to be turned away from horticulture courses at Burnley Horticultural College (now Melbourne University). There were simply too few courses being offered for the number of people wanting to study horticulture in Australia. This situation prompted a move to establish a correspondence course at Burnley; but after months of unsuccessful lobbying for support from government; John wrote a course, and with help from a colleague at Council of Adult Education, marketed it.
Standards were originally set in line with what were seen to be the standards of Australia's top horticultural college; and over the years, those standards have never been reduced. This makes our courses longer and more demanding than some other colleges; but it has also led to us building a credibility that stands tall in the horticulture industry across the world.
In the early 1990's John started visiting the UK and becoming involved with the horticulture industry there. Around the mid 1990's ACS began offering RHS courses, and in 2003, John was formally recognised for his contribution to British Horticulture by being made a fellow of the Institute of Horticulture. ACS, as a school, established an office and staff in the UK in 2001, and has expanded considerably since then. Today it is formally affiliated with five other colleges in the UK (including Warwickshire College); all of who license and deliver ACS courses.
A team of leading horticulturists work for the school's horticulture department, including 12 faculty members in both the UK and Australia
How You Study
- As soon as you enroll, we send an email to explain it all.
- We direct you to a short orientation video (downloadable over the internet) to watch, where our principal introduces you to how the course works, and how you can access all sorts of support services
- You are either given a code to access your course online, or sent out a CD or course materials through the mail (or by courier).
- Work through lessons one by one, each lesson typically having four parts:
- An aim -which tells you what you should be achieving in the lesson
- Reading -notes written and regularly revised by our academic staff
- Set Task(s) -These are practicals, research or other experiential learning tasks that strengthen and add to what you have been reading
- Assignment -By answering questions, submitting them to a tutor, then getting feedback from the tutor, you confirm that you are on the right track, but more than that, you are guided to consider what you have been studying in different ways, broadening your perspective and reinforcing what you are learning about
- Other - Your work in a course rarely stops at just the above four parts. Different courses and different students will need further learning experiences. Your set task or assignment may lead to other things, interacting with tutors or people in industry, reviewing additional reference materials or something else. We treat every student as an individual and supplement their learning needs as the occasion requires.
- We provide access to and encourage you to use a range of supplementary services including an online student room, including online library; student bookshop, newsletters, social media etc.
- We provide a "student manual", that is a quick solution to most problems that might occur
Recognition
- ACS has a highly respected international profile: by employers and academics alike. People are more aware of us than many other distance education schools –just do a search for “horticulture distance education courses” and see what comes up on the internet; or search for ACS Distance education on Facebook or Linked in, and see how many connections we have compared to other colleges.
- Recognised by International Accreditation and Recognition Council
- ACS has been educating people around the world since 1979
- Over 100,000 have now studied ACS courses, across more than 150 countries
- Formal affiliations with colleges in five countries
- A faculty of over 40 internationally renowned academics –books written by our staff used by universities and colleges around the world.
Extra Books or Reference Materials
- The course provides you with everything that you need to complete it successfully.
- Assignments may ask you to look for extra information (eg. by contacting nurseries, visiting gardens or searching the internet), but our school's resources and tutors are always available as a back up. If you hit a "roadblock", we can quickly send you additional information or provide expert advice over the phone or email; to keep you moving in your studies.
- Some students choose to buy additional references, to take their learning beyond what is essential for the course. If a student wants to buy books, we operate an online bookshop offering ebooks written by staff at the school. Student discounts are available if you are studying with us. The range of e books available is being expanded rapidly, with at least one new ebook being written and published by our staff every month. See www.acsebook.com
Learn How to Grow and how to use Medicinal Herb Plants
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