A collection of Wollemi Pines were discovered in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney... The species had been thought to have been extinct for at least two million years.Botanist Sally McGeoch says that by the end of 2005 Wollemi Pine saplings will be available from selected retailers.
They could survive in hot or cold climates and would make perfect indoor plants.
Listen people. There are reasons why plants, animals and other life forms go extinct. These are all manifestations of Gaia, a creature constantly changing even though our lives are lived too quickly to notice most of these changes. Granted, our own species has been responsible for far too many extinctions of species before their time, and we should do everything in our power to stop the destruction of threatened lifeforms.
But that's a far cry from spreading seeds and spores world-wide! Yes, we should protect this last grove. Yes, anyone caught in the area should be flayed of their own flesh. But NO! We should not look for commerical exploitation of a species that has obviously had its number called.
Thanks to GetVegan for the link.
Recall the belly-rubbing, head-patting dexterity challenge when you were four? Here's an office friendly version that I can't beat:
While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.Sure to freak out your friends and collegues... Thanks to Politics in the Zeros for the link, he got it from Progressive Review
From Ananova:
A student cut off his own penis and his tongue after drinking an infusion of the latest drugs craze to sweep Germany.The 18-year-old, only named as Andreas W, from Halle in Germany drank a tea made with the hallucinogenic angels' trumpet plants.
I hear my inbox filling up as I type...
I've been studying QiGong, which I consider a much simplified version of Tai Chi. A recent study published by Psychosomatic Medicine showed evidence of immunomodulation:
Fifteen weeks of tai chi chih practice may have helped a small group of older adults increase the levels of immune cells that help protect their body against the shingles virus, according to a new study.Thanks to Cory for the link.On average, the 18 adults who participated in the tai chi chih program had an increase of nearly 50 percent in immune cell levels one week after completing the program, although individual responses to the exercises varied substantially in this group.
Once you understand the issues and unique challenges being presented to you by your client, you'll need to decide where to start in the change you hope to affect. But before you do that, you need to determine if you're dealing with a symptom, disease, condition or even diagnosis which is acute or chronic.
Acute conditions can be thought of as having a sudden onset and lasting for a relatively short duration. The common cold, stomach flu, and even a bee sting may be thought of in this way. (Though I do prefer to deal with stings and bites under the First Aid guise. More on that later.) Acute conditions can be reoccurring, and if left untreated can often develop into sub-acute or even chronic conditions. In some cases, these conditions (like asthma) are more successfully treated as a chronic case. As a general rule, if the condition is "new" or hasn't been around for a while, it's acute.
Keep in mind that most acute conditions will work themselves out overtime. Assuming the basic foundations of health are in order, interpretative medicine, herbal or otherwise, is not necessarily indicated in every acute conditions. It's OK to have chills and aches when you have the flu. Colds are supposed to make your nose runny. Suppressing symptoms can prolong the illness, making you feel somewhat better in the short term, but extending your downtime when looked at in hindsight. That being said, there is nothing written that says you can't have some relief and even give some support to your body while you go about the business of getting better.
I try and attack (really bad word to use as an herbalist, but this is my book) acute conditions on three different fronts and nearly at the same time.
1. Symptom relief. This is not the same as symptom suppression. Bringing down a mild fever is one of the worst things you can do to your body, as it is counter productive to your own defensive mechanisms. But soothing a raw throat from post nasal drip is often a godsend. Pick what is making the client the most miserable, evaluate that symptoms role in the healing pattern, and decide if you can alleviate it... or not.
2. Treat the condition. Slippery elm will ease the throat, but won't do anything for the viral infestation. If you and your client know you're dealing with a cold, add some antiviral herbs to the protocol to help the body in its fight. The key is to identify what is happening in the body (often times a medical diagnosis is required) and treat it with herbs specifically indicated for the condition in question.
3. Improve the terrain. Louis Pasteur's life work was to prove that microorganisms were the cause of all disease in living tissues. However, on his death bed, he finally admitted ".. the microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything." Almost every single one of our 6.2 billion strong species carries with us various pathogens in our daily lives, yet a number significantly less than that fall ill on any given day. Why is it that only some family members come down with the flu? It is estimated that over 87% (NPR radio journal) of all children in Mozambique test positive for the parasite responsible for malaria, yet only a fraction of those grow ill, and an even fewer number die from this serious disease each day. Just like a plant must have fertile ground in which to grow, so must a pathogen have the right conditions to thrive.
Colds, flu and other infectious diseases are the result of suppressed immune systems. Bolster the body's natural defenses and you'll decrease the chance of the client taking sick again. Work at the root cause of the illness to bring about maximum change.
Chronic cases, those which have been lingering for months or even years, require a different approach. In many cases, your client will have been suffering from the condition for a considerable amount of time. Asthma, eczema, IBS... chances are that the majority of your clients will be turning to you for assistance with chronic conditions, as conventional medicine doesn't always offer the most appealing courses of treatment. And while I mean no disrespect for heroic medicine, the choice between a sharp knife and a toxic cocktail doesn't sound like much of a choice to me.
Because chronic conditions often require a significant investment of time and drastic lifestyle changes for the client, a new approach is warranted.
1. Immediate impact. If a client comes to me with a hormonal imbalance and hasn't slept well without the use of pharmaceuticals in three months, she's sleeping well tonight! Have I addressed the underlying issue? Of course not. But I have shown her the powerful impact plants can make in her life. It's going to take me at least three cycles to shift her back to homeostasis, so if I can cause a dramatic improvement in one or more aspect of her life immediately, the chances of her sticking with a prolonged protocol have increased significantly! In even the most complex of client profiles, there is usually a "quick fix" you can hit right away. While the overall impact to the regiment may be negligible, the impact to the client's psyche is immeasurable.
2. System Support. Here's where we make a big divergence with the way conventional medicine approaches these cases. Don't confuse this with symptom suppression or relief as would be appropriate in acute conditions. Rather, we're getting deep inside the tissues or body systems most affected, or perhaps responsible, for the chronic illness. Keep in mind that the body has a great capacity to heal itself. This self-correcting nature is often severely compromised in clients with chronic illnesses, so any support or nourishment you can provide to the appropriate system or body part will be most helpful.
3. Bring Balance. We no longer live in harmony with our surroundings. The constant pressures from living the western lifestyle (which is most difficult to escape) are the underlying causalities for a variety of conditions and illnesses unheard of in other cultures. Ulcers, adult onset diabetes and even certain forms of cancer are indicators of "modernization"; a consequence of living the good life, if you will. And while it may not be possible (or at least practical) to remove all the pressures and imbalances in one's life, the plant kingdom has provided us many allies which can be most valuable. I'm speaking of "alteratives" and "amphoterics", of which there are a great many the knowledgeable herbalist has at his disposal.
"Subtle Shifts = Dramatic Differences." Keep that simple phrase in mind when working with clients who have chronic conditions. Most clients you will see with these conditions have had their conditions for some time, and modern medicine hasn't given them many options. With patience, on both your part and that of your client, you can make a difference over time.
OK. So you've mastered the properties, constituents, uses and contraindications of a few dozen herbs-- or a few hundred. You've read so many herbals you start to speak in Latin when admiring your mother-in-law's garden. Heck, you don't even stumble over the pronunciation of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and think other students who still call them "PA's" are somehow inferior to your supreme intellect. Well hold on to your pinking shears, neophyte-- you haven't dived into the world of clinical work just yet.
In my considered opinion, more would-be-herbalists (and many of them quite learned) are turned off the path by the rigors of clinical evaluation than at any other point in their training. For some, it's the ever-so-delicate balance between collecting good client data and crossing the line into unlicensed medical diagnostics. Others have a difficult time accepting the poor choices lifestyle made by their clients and can't resist the temptation to lecture instead of educate. And a good number simply have a difficult time implementing their classroom and fieldwork into practical applications and the biological complexities which await them in a clinical environment.
Helping living, breathing people with their health decisions is hard. In fact, if you were to poll any holistic health care provider, you'd probably get the same sentiments, regardless of the healing modality offered by the practitioner. Unlike allopaths, there are no hard and fast rules of what symptoms tell you when to prescribe a magic pill. We are taught to tune in to the client with all of our senses, and choose an appropriate path based on the living, breathing person in front of us, a much more demanding responsibility than schlepping whatever pharmaceutical the rep has incentivised us to promote.
A successful clinician exudes a sense of confidence, but not arrogance. He is not required to know everything, only his limitations. He should make the client feel at ease, not intimidated. His body language, attitude and demeanor should all work towards building a trusting, sharing and nurturing atmosphere between himself and the client. Leave the pride and "professional detachment" in your other suit, for the person in front of you needs you as much as a friend as a practitioner.
I found out about this less than 10 minutes ago. Let me state clearly that the facts of this are not completely understood at this time. However, here's my summation of what I know so far.
The FDA has released a warning to not ingest star anise tea. The news agencies have picked it up and it's all over the place. Not very surprising. From what I gather, 40 people in two years have had "neurological issues" after drinking tea made with star anise. All of them recovered without further incident. Hardly makes for an epidemic, in my opinion.
However, faithful readers will have noticed by now that I have not included the Latin binomial for the plant star anise. This is by design, as it that could be at the crux of the matter. The star anise used medicinally for centuries and written up in nearly every classic herbal text is Illicium verum. However, it is not to be confused with a different species, Illicium anisatum, which is highly toxic and is not used in herbalism, though homeopaths do use the much diluted preparation for a variety of ailments. But I'm an herbalist, not a homeopath...
The facts should soon shake themselves out on this issue. For now, I would recommend those who have had success with Illicum verum in relief of colic and gas continue on your merry way. I would, however, be very cautions about where you get the product from. Know where your stuff comes from, and that the company your are getting it from knows even more.