Healing Herbs for Arthritis and Rheumatism

Ingrid conHausen was a librarian in New Hamburg, Ontario.

Artist Donson has a degree in herbalism from the North American College of Chinese Herbalism as well as a B.A. in geography from the University of British Columbia. This book is introduced by 24 pages of coloured illustrations of some of the herbs discussed. Part one, about 20 pages, gives a brief introduction to herbal healing, lists the major joint disorders, and discusses gathering and preserving herbs. Part two, by far the longest section of the book, lists the herbs in alphabetical order, gives a brief description of them, and outlines their use as herbs. Several tea recipes for each are given. Each entry ends with a quotation from the Bible, English literature, Zen or Hindu scriptures. Part three gives a brief outline of some of the ideas behind oriental herbal healing.

After the glossary are several pages of black-and-white drawings of roots, leaves, and flowers. The bibliography is quite extensive. This is a modest little book. It makes none of the exaggerated claims often found in books of non-traditional healing methods. There are no case histories or testimonials. At the very beginning is this disclaimer: “This book is based on the studies of the author. The medicinal references are based on traditional studies of other authorities and the author. The prescriptions in this book are in no way to be considered a remedy for any ailment.” In the introduction we read: “it takes longer to remove a disease using herbal methods than it does using modern drugs.” Moderation is recommended (for example, in the brief outline on herbal fasting). The illustrations are most attractive.