Medicinal Herbs

Lesson Structure: Medicinal Herbs BHT227

There are 8 lessons:

1. Introduction to Medicinal Herbs

Scope and Nature of Herbal Medicine
Being Cautious
Growing and Knowing Medicinal Herbs
Accurate Plant Naming
Pronouncing Plant Names
Finding Reliable Resources
2. Culture of Medicinal Herbs

What is a Herb
Soils and Nutrition
Cultivation
Fertilizing Herbs
Compost, Mulch, Watering
Propagation
Pest and Disease
3. History

Introduction
Hippocrates
Chinese Herbalists
Egyptian Influence
Greek Influences
The Dark Ages
German and English Herbals
Other Influences
5. Main Medicinal Herbs

Introduction and Varieties to Grow
Production Plan
Improving Soil Fertility
Cover Crops and Legumes
Cultivation, Growing Methods, Compost
Growing and using Ginger
Garlic Culture
Echinacea Culture
6. Herbal Remedies

Alternatives
Anthelmintic
Astringents
Bitter Tonics
Calmatives
Carminatives and Aromatics
Cathartics
Diaphoretics
Dietetics
Demulcents
Emollients
Expectorants
Nervines
Relaxants
Vulnerary Herbs
Common Herbs with Medicinal Properties
Nervines as Healing Agents
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
Chemistry of Herbs
Herbal Sources for Human Nutrients
7. Preparing Herbal remedies

Infusion
Decoction
Poulice
Medical Preparations
Problem of Accurately Formulating Herbal Medicines
How herbalists used to work
The Difference Today
Harvesting Material for Herbal Preparations
Post Harvest Handling of Herbs
Post Harvest Preservation; Fresh, Modified Atmospere Packaging
Herbal Preparations for Teas, Rinses and Baths
Producing Essential Oils; Water distilation, Steam distilation
Uses for Eucalyptus Oil
Poisonous Plants
Introduction
Review of Plant Poisons
Hazardous Herbs
Carcinogens, Potosensitizers, Allergens, Hormone Like Affects, Teratogens, Respiratory Inhibitors, etc
Toxic Plant Constituents
8. Developing a Production Plan

Managing a Market Garden
Deciding What to Grow
Production Planning
Types of Problems
Standards
Crop Schedules
Farming Medicinal Herbs
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.

This course is taught by:

Katie Freeth
BSc. (Hons) Horticulture, (University of Bath); RHS General Examination; FI Hort; MIfpra.

An experienced and professional horticulturist with extensive management skills gained internationally; experienced in landscape management, staff supervision and management, written and oral communication, horticultural knowledge and application, supported by organisational and administrative skills and attention to detail.

Katie brings 20 years experience in Horticulture and is an accomplished lecturer, horticulture consultant and freelance writer. Katie is a judge for the International Awards for Liveable Communities in the Whole City Category.
Katie also worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in France for approx 5 years first as a Sector Manager and then as an Area Manager; management of the cemeteries, peripatetic teams of gardeners (UK & French nationality) for the constructed cemeteries and memorials and static French nationality gardeners for small town/village plots.

Susan Stephenson
BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.
City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)
Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Susan Stephenson is a passionate and experienced horticulturist and garden designer. She has authored three books, lectures at 2 Further and Higher Education Colleges, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of plants and garden design, and tutors many students by correspondence from all over the world.

Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design. She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.

Susan is a Professional Associate and exam moderator and holds the RHS General with Distinction. She continues to actively learn about horticulture and plants and (as her students will tell you) remains passionate and interested in design and horticulture.

She also supervised the Area Arboriculture Team and was Exhumations Officer€“ in charge of collecting discovered remains and arranging identification (if poss) and interment of same.

Learning Goals: Medicinal Herbs BHT227

Distinguish between medicinal herbs in cultivation including twenty-five different genera and fifty different varieties.
Discuss the history of medicinal herb usage.
Compare the chemical components of different medicinal herbs in terms of their general affect on the human body.
Prepare simple and safe herbal remedies in a domestic situation.
Explain the potential dangers involved in dealing with plants.
Prepare a schedule of cultural practices for a medicinal herb crop.
Develop a production plan for a medicinal herb crop.
Practicals:

Define the term "medicinal herb" according to both horticultural and naturopathic meanings.
Compile a resource file of fifty different sources of information regarding medicinal herbs.
Distinguish between fifteen different plant families which common medicinal herbs belong to.
Prepare a plant collection of fifty different medicinal herb varieties.
List ten different medicinal herbs which were often used more than one hundred years ago, but are no longer commonly used.
Identify modern trends in the use of herbs in medicines in your country.
Discuss the role of home remedies in modern society.
Discuss the role of the naturopath in modern society.
Summarise the history of medicinal herbs since early civilisation, to modern times.
Explain the characteristics of different types of chemicals found in medicinal herbs.
Write brief definitions to explain the mode of action of different herbal medicines.
Write an essay describing the chemical actions which two different herbs have upon the human body.
Explain various factors which can influence the effectiveness of active constituents of a herb.
List herbal remedies derived from forty different commonly grown herbs.
Identify the morphological parts of fifteen different herbs which are used medicinally.
Explain thoroughly how to prepare six different types of simple medicines, including a:
Poultice
Infusion
Decoction
Tincture.
Develop a list of safety procedures to follow when preparing a given herbal medicine.
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).
Describe, in summaries, twelve commonly occurring plants which contain poisonous substances, including:
names (botanical and common)
dangerous parts of the plant
poisonous substances
mode of action of poison
remedy (if any).
List five herbs that should never be taken internally.
List five herbs which should never be used by pregnant women.
List three herbs which should never be used by children.
Describe, including at least two specific examples, precautions when dealing with unknown herb materials.
Develop guidelines for the culture of a specified variety of medicinal herb.
Explain natural pest and disease control methods for five medicinal herb varieties.
Prepare a sample of soil suitable for growing a specified herb variety in the open ground.
Demonstrate propagation techniques for five different medicinal herbs.
Produce container plants of two different medicinal herbs, propagating and growing on the plants to a marketable stage and condition.
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.
Develop a list of criteria for selecting the most commercially viable variety of a nominated medicinal herb species available.
List thirty different varieties of a medicinal herb species which are readily available for purchase as "reliable" seed or tubestock.
Compare different varieties of six nominated medicinal herb species to determine a commercially viable variety to grow in your locality.
List tasks to be undertaken in the production of a selected medicinal herb variety, including:
soil preparation
planting
growing practices
harvest and post harvest.
Write a production schedule for a medicinal herb variety which designates tasks to be undertaken systematically at each stage of crop development.
Explain the facilities which would be required to produce a specified commercial medicinal herb crop, including:
equipment
materials
land.
Estimate the cost of producing a specified medicinal herb crop, itemising the cost components into at least five categories.