Master Recipes from the Herbal Apothecary

March 1, 2019

This book on DIY herbal medicine by naturopath, acupuncturist, and herb entrepreneur Pursell (The Woman's Herbal Apothecary) delivers on its title. Divided into logical and practical sections of preparation, botanical information, and recipes, this "how-to" does a superior job of introducing readers to the basics, beginning with a chapter on concoction creation and preparation--how to make tinctures, syrups, salves, poultices, teas, etc. Accompanied by well-shot demonstration photographs, the techniques concocting and the benefit of the various types of potions are clearly stated and easy to follow. Herb descriptions and their uses, complete with photos, make up the next part of the book, followed by the largest section of herbal recipes for everyday ailments and self-care. The recipes are straightforward and relatively simple to mix together, with the herbs and their applications in these formulas generally accepted within both Western and Chinese traditional pharmacopeias as well as easily obtained. VERDICT A solid DIY herbal directory for the home medic and readers of herbalism and natural medicine.--Janet Tapper, Univ. of Western States Lib., Portland, OR

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
Natural medicine, alternative medicine, and complementary medicine are growing in popularity, leading many readers to look for more information on how to safely utilize plants for better health. Pursell is known for her previous book, The Herbal Apothecary (2015), as well as for her work as a naturopath and owner of a botanic supply company. Twelve master recipes for making capsules, salves, sprays, tinctures, suppositories, and more are the basis for all the use-specific remedies in the book. An annotated list of the 60 plants most often used as ingredients provides a brief summary of the uses for and useful parts of each plant. The bulk of the book consists of recipes for specific types of remedies for day-to-day health, immune defense, women's health, men's health, care for babies and children, emotional support, travel wellness, and herbs for elders. Most of the recipes consist of just a few sentences of instruction for preparation and use. Appendixes provide metric conversions, a list of herbal suppliers, botanical names for herbs, and a bibliography of suggested further reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)