So, why has there been this upsurge in interest in herbal medicine? Aside from almost daily health scares relating to our general patterns of consumption, the overuse of antibiotics by GPs and a general sense of crisis within the NHS have drawn people towards taking greater responsibility for their own health. People are particularly keen on the herbal approach as we can all relate to the idea that what we need to protect and preserve our health is sureIy available in nature - otherwise we'd have all died out long ago!

Facts are emerging about herbal medicine that even the most hardened sceptic would find hard to challenge. 80% of the world's population use plant medicine. In Germany alone they spend over £0.5 billion a year on herbal remedies, and extensive scientific trials are proving what has been known for centuries about the effectiveness of some plants for particular ailments. St John's Wort, for example, has been shown to be equally as effective in combating mild depression as Prozac, without any of Prozac's well publicised side effects, so that now in Germany St John's Wort outsells the more expensive Prozac by a factor of three.

To obtain a licence for a herbal medicine a manufacturer has to go through the same processes as a pharmacoutical company, even if the herbs in question have been freely used for thousands of years. This is a very expensive exercise so most herbal products are unlicensed, which means that the manufacturers are unable to make any claims about the effects of the product or give any useful information. Consumers are then left to wade through a swamp of marketing mumbo jumbo to decide what herbs might be appropriate for their condition. This situation is compounded by the fact that the established consumer champions, such as Which? Magazine and the Consumer Council, do not presently support herbal medicine - so aside from paying out to consult a professional medical herbalist, where should one look to find out what is right?

Herbal medicines are rapidly becoming mainstream and big name companies are sitting up and taking notice.
Household names such as Boots, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Safeway are now stocking herbal products that were virtualIy unheard of not so long ago. All are planning to increase their range. The pharmaceutical companies are also waking up to this burgeoning demand, although one of their major worries is that they cannot patent the naturally occurring compounds that make herbs effective. In some cases the are attempting to get around this by producing "standardised" products, where particular chemicals are extracted from the plant and then sold as branded pills, making herbal medicine seem more like using conventional drugs.

As part of its campaign the Natural Medicine Society is keen to work with interested parties to clarify some of the cloudier issues surrounding herbalism, particularly the quality and effectiveness of products which people are already using.
There are also some concerns about the safety of some herbs, although most of these concerns are to do with the newer "standardised" products than with the more traditional herbal preparations, whose safety and effectiveness have been tested over several centuries.

The NMS recognises the need to dispel many of the old myths and inform people of just how far the herbal profession has come in last few years. For instance, many people still associate herbal medicine with folklore. In fact modern herbalists study for at least four years at university and carry on training throughout their clinical practice, as any modern GP would do. As well as working from classic herbal texts, universities take an evidence-based approach, using scientific methods to increase our understanding of how herbs work and when it is appropriate to use them.

Another common fallacy is that herbs are really only used for minor ailments. Whilst it is true that many of the more popularly used herbs, such as ginkgo and echinacea are relatively mild, combinations of mild herbs when used over a period of time can have a fundamental effect on long term chronic conditions. Evidence is mounting in favour of using herbal strategies for dealing with heart disease, arthritis, respiratory conditions and many others.

Many of the stronger herbs are not commonly available. Some of them are restricted by law and can only be prescribed by a qualified herbalist. Then there are the fringes of western herbal medicine where more questions are being asked. Does aromatherapy count? What about traditional medicines from around the world like the Chinese and Ayurvedic systems, or South American, Aboriginal and African herbal traditions? It is practically impossible to take all of the herbal traditions and place them inside one neat regulatory framework, however, it is necessary to find a way of ensuring that the quality of information available to the consumer is as good as it can be.

An aim of this campaign is to provide information consumers need upon which to base the decision on the products they choose to buy - the Society also provides information on how you can find a reputable herbalist in your area. We plan to publish reports on many of the popularly used herbs available from health food stores and pharmacies, starting with a quality test on many of the different brands of Echinacea currently being marketed in this country. We are proud and delighted that not only do we have the world renowned botanist David Bellamy launching our campaign, we also have Barbara Griggs, author of many herbal books, including The Home Herbal and The Green Pharmacy, heading our media committee as the NMS spokesperson for the campaign, and a wonderful team making up our Scientific Committee, headed by Peter Houghton, Professor of Pharmacognosy at the School of Pharmacy, Kings College. This is an exciting phase for the Natural Medicines Society - we'll keep you updated. Watch this space!

Penny Viner is not only Secretary of the NMS, she is also a Director of the health trade's association, the Health Food Manufacturers' Association, involved in negotiations both in the UK and European Parliament. Here, Penny gives an update on the draft for a Traditional Medicines Directive, from the HFMA's perspective: "For some time now the manufacturing industry, headed by the Health Food Manufacturers' Association (HFMA), has been negotiating, initially separately but more recently together with other like-minded associations, practitioner and consumer groups, to try to achieve an appropriate regulatory system for herbals and combinations of herbs and food nutrients. Its core elements are the assurance of quality and safety and the provision for the consumer of information about the purpose of the product. This initiative has been supported by Government, who are aware of the shortcomings of the current options: the Schedule 12 exemption which lacks these core elements, or full licensing which is prohibitively expensive, if possible at all. Negotiations have resulted in a proposal for a 'Directive on Traditional Medicinal Products'. To quote from a recent letter to HFMA from Health Minister Gisela Stuart, "the UK has played a prominent role in promoting the current European discussions about the possibility of a directive on traditionally used medicines. Our priority in such a directive is to achieve the effective regulation of traditional herbal remedies, balancing consumer choice and pubic safety~ The European Commission has recently circulated a first draft. The Medicines Control Agency is currently holding discussions with the herbal sector about the proposed initial UK response to this text, not least on some of the specific issues that HFMA has highlighted. As well as taking careful account of the views expressed by the herbal sector, we will also need to reach a view on what is realistically achievable in Europe." HFMA's main concerns with the proposal at its current stage can be briefly summarised as follows: its scope (the type of products it covers); the definition of tradition (EU only, or broader?); the timescale to establish 'tradition'; inclusion of and criteria for combination products (combinations of herbals or herbals with other ingredients); the relationship between 'Traditional Use' products and fully licensed products (issues of differentiation/labelling/indications); the data requirements for quality; safety and efficacy; claims; the 'negative ingredient' list; subsidiarity; timescale for implementation. Similar concerns are shared to varying degrees by the other Member states, and at the time of writing, their comments, together with those of the MCA (which fully reflect HFMA's concerns), are being assessed by the European Commission. Further meetings and a further draft can be expected in the Spring - but in terms of a new EU wide regulatory scheme what is '-realistically achievable in Europe' is certainly a question - as is the timescale for its achievement. What must not happen is that effective products with a long history of safe use are removed from the UK market simply because there is no EU regulatory 'home' for them. Thus the focus for 2001 must not only be on the scope of any new regulation, but also on its timescale: HFMA has made this point throughout in negotiations on this issue: if the emergence of a European scheme looks to be far in the future, then Government and regulators must give active consideration to 'National Rules'."

In the quest for further recognition of the efficacy of natural medicine as an extension to orthodox medicine, one can readily see a contrasting difference between sound agricultural practice and the ever threatening 'agro'-culture, driven by harsh economics which threatens to undermine it. If, as stated in the press release below, "Foot and Mouth disease and BSE are not natural disasters, but come as a direct consequence of a disregard for the relationships existing between soil, plant, animal and the whole of nature", then we really would do well to consider what we have inflicted on our soil, as well as our domestic animals, and the consequences to our health. The all too obvious link between plant medicines and the soil, in which they grow, is an arena in which an expanding conscious view of economics will have to exist more and more. Human beings, the animal kingdom and the plant world will have to co-exist to the extent that the very earth and all it's inhabitants will live in sufficient harmony to enable this to happen. Any imbalance within the farm or garden unit will show up soon enough, as we have seen.
Modern day 'green' issues such as biodiversity, sustainability and organic husbandry are rapidly establishing new ways of thinking and practise. As importantly, there are now facts and figures to back them up. According to the Soil Association, for example, 65% of UK households made an organic purchase during 1999-2000, compared to just 37.2% two years ago. The degree to which people today are subjected to disharmony from so many quarters is at crisis proportions. The role of natural medicine in humanity's welfare at present cannot be understated. People today can relate far more easily to the safety of natural medicine than in yesteryear due to the exposure given over to case history and research findings. Although matters of agriculture are outside of the Society's remit, the link between good food and good health is well documented. We can no longer ignore such issues as BSE, Foot and Mouth, genetically modified food and other such practices that have a direct influence on the food we eat, and therefore upon our health and wellbeing.

Outbreaks of Foot and Mouth disease have recurred at regular intervals since the late nineteenth century. Each time, the disease strain seems to be stronger and more virulent. Despite the success of the UK eradication programme for many years, infection has once again spread rapidly across the country. Modern agricultural systems are clearly extremely vulnerable to such outbreaks of disease, a fact exacerbated by liberalised trade and the relentless economic pressure on farmers. As the funeral pyres of countless livestock darken Britain's skies, we could do well to ponder what we as a nation have inflicted on our domestic animals. Foot and Mouth disease and BSE are not natural disasters but come as a direct consequence of a disregard for the intimate relationships existing between soil, plant, animal and the whole of nature. Sir Albert Howard working in India during the 1920's experienced how important healthy humus-rich soil is for plant and animal health. In his book "Farming & Gardening for Health or Disease", he showed how, through caring for livestock in the best possible way, providing them with healthy, natural food grown on the farm and without using any artificial fertilisers, his animals could be resistant to many of the prevalent diseases including Foot and Mouth. Indeed, so convinced was he of their resilience and health that he allowed his animals to come into contact with infected animals and contaminated pasture. This experiment was repeated 13 years running during which time none of his animals became infected. In his own words " This long experience of foot and mouth suggests that an important factor in the prevention of animal disease is food from humus filled soil." Lady Eve Balfour in her book " The Living Soil" confirms this in a reference to an observation made to her by the government veterinary department in the early 1950's, that outbreaks mapped across Europe indicated that the disease did not spread into areas still being traditionally farmed. Rudolf Steiner, (1861-1925) the founder of Bio-Dynamic agriculture and horticulture systems, whose comments on bovine health suddenly assumed critical relevance during the BSE crisis, describes how a cow's horns (and hooves) fulfil a special function within the animal's organism, namely that of redirecting the powerful forces and energies released by its metabolism back into the digestive tract. "...Anyone who wishes to understand Foot & Mouth disease - that is the effect of external influences on the digestive tract - must clearly perceive this relationship. Our remedy for Foot & Mouth disease is founded on this perception." During many years of extensive research on the nature and treatment of Foot and Mouth disease, Eugen and Lilly Kolisko(1), pioneers in biodynamic (2) and medical research, developed a comprehensive picture of it. They worked with the above indications and went on to develop a remedy based on coffee. Coffee seeds were found to contain the vital forces necessary to counteract the disease. Extensive trials undertaken in Germany during the early 1920's, indicated a high degree of success, with a significant number of cases treated subsequently regaining full productivity. Research however was discontinued when widespread implementation of the slaughter policy was adopted. Initial trials also indicated promising results for its prophylactic use although with the necessity for repeated intravenous applications, it proved extremely time consuming. Other preventative treatments based on herbal and homeopathic remedies have also had some measure of success over the years, especially homeopathic borax. According to MAFF "The disease is rarely fatal, except in the case of very young animals, which may die without showing any symptoms. All affected animals lose condition and secondary bacterial infections may prolong convalescence.
The most serious effects of the disease however are seen in dairy cattle. Loss of milk yield, abortion, sterility chronic mastitis, and chronic lameness are commonplace. There is no cure. It usually runs its course in 2 or 3 weeks after which the great majority of animals recover naturally The justification of the slaughter policy is that widespread disease throughout the country would be economically disastrous due to the effects already noted above. A vaccine specific to the current strain of virus is however available and given a change in public policy, could provide immediate emergency protection. For eighty years it has been the UK government policy to eradicate Foot and Mouth disease by slaughtering whole herds of cattle, sheep, pigs and goats as soon as clinical symptoms appear. While the wish to keep British herds free of disease is understandable - and thinkable only because we live on an island - the consequences are truly tragic. It is heartbreaking for a farmer, having devoted a lifetime breeding high quality and even pedigree animals to see it all go up in smoke. And this when it is not even necessary! From natures point of view Foot and Mouth is there for a reason and unless the underlying causes are addressed the disease will continually recur. As Brian Sewell writing recently in the London Evening Standard wrote "Applying the late nineteenth century practice of the cordon sanitaire around afflicted farms then made sense and so to, within it, wholesale slaughter and the pyre, if keeping the country free of that pox was the priority that overrode all others, but now there is no sense in this response." Allowing Foot and Mouth disease serious as it is, to become endemic in this country would immediately allow progress to be made and open up the possibility for treating individual cases. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that nursing animals through the disease builds up resistance and even makes them immune to further infection. While being organic and bio-dynamic offers no guarantee for immunity a concerted effort to encourage such sustainable practices along with recognising the efficacy of alternative treatments, would go a long way towards rendering the current policy of wholesale slaughter unnecessary. Background details and information on biodynamics is available from: The Biodynamic Agricultural Association, Painswick Inn Project, Gloucester Street, Stroud, Glos. GL5 1QG. Tel & Fax: 01453 759501 E-mail - bdaa~biodynamic.freeserve.co.uk or Web page: www.anth.org.uk/biodynamic Oaklands Camphill community recently made a successful challenge to the government's policy on the slaughter of cattle Bernard Jarman, together with Alan Brockman, a biodynamic farmer, will be discussing how this disease can be understood from a spiritual perspective and overcome using organic methods at the Rudolf Steiner House Open Day, 'Seeds for a new spiritual life', being held on Sunday, 17th June, 2001.
References: (1) Dr Eugen & Lilly Kolisko undertook much research in the fields of biodynamic agriculture and medicine. Their book "Agriculture of Tomorrow" (currently out of print) contains a detailed account of their research including a fascinating chapter on Foot & Mouth disease. (2) Biodyamic Agriculture. Founded on a holistic and spiritual understanding of nature and the human being, biodynamic agriculture has developed through more than 75 years of world-wide farming experience into a leading example of sustainable agricultural practice.

I went to Canada in 1947 and lived there most of my life. In 1978 I gained a B.A. in Physical Anthropology at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, which led me into years of working in Mediterranean Archeology in North Africa, Greece, Egypt and the Near East. Over 160 of my drawings of Minoan and Mycenean pottery from previous years, were published, in 1997 by The British School at Athens, London University. In 1999 I became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Publications also for work done in Carthage for the University of Ottawa, and others. Following a spiritually painful period of depression lasting some years, I came to Britain and found helping others in practical ways has been as beneficial for me as the trained help I have been able to give to others. I've now worked for about 12 years as an advisor with the North Wales Citizens Advice Bureau. I became interested in herbs as universal healers after growing them for flavourings in food in various parts of the world. The photograph includes my Chinese Granddaughter, Xiaou Qin, who will be 4 years old next month. My daughter and I adopted her from China 2 years ago and we recently went to China to collect our 2nd baby girl, Xian-Chow. Xiaou Qin's comment on her trip to China was "I love my little sister!... I liked the wall...and some people... and my kite... do we have to go back?" At the Society's last Annual General Meeting I volunteered to join the Council as there was a vacancy with no one nominated. I consider being a Council member of the Natural Medicines Society an honour and I look forward to learning and sharing more understanding of how to promote good health through complementary medicines and activities.