review
The Holistic Herbal, released in 1983, was translated as The Findhorn Herbal Guide, probably because at that time the famous and still existing commune in Findhorn, England, was very popular at the time.
The writer David Hoffmann is not the least, he combined a material, chemical knowledge of plants with a spiritual, holistic vision. Written many herbal books and also published a CD on herbal medicine
Findhorn herbal guide
The Findhorn herbal guide consists of three parts. The holistic approach to herbs places the herbs in context and shows the relationship between plants, healing and humanity. The central part of the book discusses the herbs and herbal treatment of the different body systems. The third part is a traditional herbal guide where the herbs are discussed in detail and where information is given about their chemical composition, how they work, as well as how to collect and prepare them.
This book can be used in various ways. It can be read in its entirety as an introduction to herbalism; it can be used as a textbook; it can be used as a reference for the holistic treatment of specific conditions and problems, or as a traditional herbal guide to learn more about a particular herb.
The starting point of this guide is the effect of herbs, which are chosen in such a way that they reinforce each other in order to provide the body with optimal support against diseases. In this book, the synergistic use of herbs is recommended. A combination of actions of one or more herbs must be carefully sought in order to achieve optimal help for fighting the disease. An unambiguous approach to a problem should be avoided. The reader should determine what actions are needed against a particular disease, and then either consult the herbal guide, which provides a general description of each herb and its actions, or the section on the actions of herbs. To find information on specific diseases, the reader should either refer to the table of contents under the appropriate chapter under which the disease falls or the general index for references.
In the herbal guide the Dutch names are arranged alphabetically. If the reader only knows the Latin name, he will be able to find the Dutch name using the index of botanical (Latin) names.
To find out which herbs are useful for a particular disease, consult the Directory and then the herbal guide for more detailed information.
Translation problem in herbal books
It is without doubt one of the better herbal books, a common problem with translated books is that sometimes strange plants are discussed that we hardly know here and, worse, that some herbal names are incorrectly translated. Examples of strange plants: Condurango, Calumba, Cachou, Collinsonia, and Chamaelirium and then we are only talking about the plants starting with a C. The extensive discussion of these strange plants is interesting for a plant lover but awkward for people who only want to get to know some good medicinal plants for their own use. Some of those plants are also strange translated or even have a strong to poisonous effect. For example, the Rhamnus cathartica, Buckthorn is referred to as Sea Buckthorn, which is a completely different plant. Fortunately, the correct Latin names are usually mentioned, although Ground ivy is not Nepeta but Chlechoma.
Medicinal properties of little-known plants such as the Navel herb or Umbilicus rupestris are also mentioned, which, according to Hoffmann’s own experience, are the best remedy for earaches. Confusing, but I find that interesting to try out myself.
Other books by Hoffmann
- The New Holistic Herbal (Health Workbooks)
- The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism
- Welsh Herbal Medicine
- An Elders’ Herbal: Natural Techniques for Health and Vitality
- The Elements of Herbalism 10 copies, 1 review
- An Herbal Guide to Stress Relief: Gentle Remedies and Techniques for
- The Holistic Herbal: A Herbal Celebrating the Wholeness of Life
- The Herb User’s Guide: The Basic Skills of Medical Herbalism