The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide

by Thomas Easley, Steven Horne

The definitive, full-color guide to making and using approximately 250 herbal medicines at home, with instructions for everything from harvesting to administering low-cost, DIY remedies.

This comprehensive, full-color guide provides detailed, easy-to-follow instructions for making and using approximately 250 herbal medicines at home, including practical tips and numerous effective formulas developed and tested by the authors, both expert herbalists with years of experience. Readers who appreciate the health-giving properties of herbal medicines but are discouraged by the high price of commercial products can now make their own preparations for a fraction of the cost. The authors tell you everything you need to know about harvesting, preparing, and administering herbs in many different forms, including fresh, bulk dried herbs, capsules, extracts in water, alcohol, glycerin, vinegar and oil, and even preparations like essential oils and flower essences. The book also covers topical applications of herbs as salves, lotions, poultices, tooth powders, ear drops, and more, and includes an extensive chapter on herbal hydrotherapy.

The Modern Herbal Dispensary explains why different preparations of the same herb will obtain better results, demonstrating how capsules, teas, tinctures, or glycerites of the same plant will not have exactly the same effect on the body. Leading herbalists Thomas Easley and Steven Horne have tested and proven the herbal formulas they offer, along with suggestions for treating more than one hundred illnesses. They lay out the principles of herbal formulation and also provide instructions on how to prepare single herbs, a procedure that has been largely ignored in other references. More comprehensive than any other guide, thoroughly researched, beautifully illustrated, and presented with ease of use in mind, this book will take its place as the premier reference for those who want to produce all the herbal remedies they need, and to save money in the process.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Herbs, Reference, Nature, Witchcraft, Plants

376 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2016

Reviews

[Dez the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the way this book lays all the information out about the herbs and uses. This book contains definitions, origins, herb uses, examples and even recipes for things like coughs and colds. I also like that they give dosage differences for children and adults.

I found this book to be one you can read once and then continually reference thereafter. I added this to my herbal book collection to refer back to and would recommend it as a supplemental to other books in this category.

Highly recommended for beginners through experienced, this book has a ton of helpful information.

[Lollita · Rating 4 out of 5]

well laid out and informative in a more biochemical and immunological way than I expected, very interesting.

[Sunnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My initial thoughts when I obtained this book were that I would be able to pick and choose which herbs I might want to aquire, use a couple of easy recipes for my own use, and then pass the book along to my adult daughter so that she could do the same. Boy, was I wrong! If nothing else, The Modern Herbal Dispensary by Thomas Easley, etc al., constantly reminded me that this was serious medicine. The first rule was that I would need to know the Latin name of each herb in addition to the common name because there is a distinct difference from one herb to the next. Using the wrong one could be potentially harmful.
This material has been laid out in a very systematic manner and in great detail. It should be taken seriously and approached in that way. It is not recommended for those like myself who did not do so. This is serious business.
The authors have given great thought as to what the necessary supplies are, step-by-step instructions, and desired results. Kudos to them for treating it with all the gravitas required.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a little over my head in places, I still think this is a really good resource! It's probably best for people who have already started dabbling in homemade herbal remedies. I'm just interested in making a few teas and other simple things. But it has lots of great directions, explanations, recipes for some common treatments, and then the best part of the book is chapter 13, which is an alphabetical index of what seems to be ALL the plants that can be used in herbal medicine. It gives common uses, warnings (such as don't use a certain herb while pregnant, etc), dosages, and sources to buy the herbs if you can't gather them yourself. I will definitely be referring to that section quite a bit!

[Joseph Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started by teaching myself to be a mushroom hunter about seven years ago. From there, the natural progression led to foraging other edibles and learning the medicinal value of specific plants/herbs/flowers. At this point, I have upwards of 15 tinctures, salves and flower essences under my belt. I’ve learned how to make medicine for myself and my family for a variety of things as well as plants for emergency first aid when camping. This book has been great and makes creating medicine with plants approachable, teaching in a straight forward way at all levels! I would recommend utilizing it with the encyclopedia of herbal medicine by Andrew Chevallier. I had thought about incorporating herbalism into my practice as a marriage and family therapist but decided I prefer to keep it as a hobby. Spending time in the wild is satisfying on its own. But when you know the medical constituents and food sources of the plants around you and how to harvest/use them, it grounds my connection to the mountains and woods with a more special awareness of the magic embedded in the vibrational earth. Everything is buzzing with life.

[Karli W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what the title says it is. It provides so much info exclusively for the medicinal preparation, making, and using of herbs. It is for those who are the next level (or two) up from a hobbyist. Not quite the book I was looking for, but it certainly gets the job done if you want to learn how to make your own herbal medicines.

[Scott Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again, no sources, which I am sure is common with books of this nature. This one does not have the pcitures for each herb, but does focus a good bit on formulas.

[Cesitoy]

a helpful and in depth intro for anyone interested in herbal medicines and making your own remedies

[Amy Kreydin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly what the title says, a guide on making herbal medicines. It covers a variety of herbal extraction methods from basic tinctures and macerations to soxhlet and percolation extractions and flower essences. The formulations section covers some basics in dosing and then has a number of stock formulas for a variety of wellness goals and conditions.

The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide is a great reference book for formulators and practitioners. Thomas Easley also runs an online course on medicine making via his school the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine.

[Charmaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Modern Herbal Dispensatory is exactly what I was looking for to get into herbalism and begin to start making my own herbal medicines. This is an in depth book covering all the various aspects of herbalism for medicinal purposes: from harvesting herbs or obtaining them from reputable vendors, to the various processes used to extract the qualities you want, to favorite herbal blends, and of course, and in depth and alphabetized list of over 200 individual herbs. A must have for any herbalist looking to begin or continue using herbs for medicinal use.

[Brooke Criswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. Provides solid overview of Modern Western Herbalism. Provides explanation of terminology, foundational concepts then delves into basics of developing formulas, applying energetics, and even gives specific on a host of herbs.
The tone of the book is both easy to read, and explanatory.
I read the book cover to cover, and learned about many aspects of preparing herbal remedies.
Especially useful as introductory to intermediate level reference guide.

[Courtney W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you buy just one book on herbal medicine, this is the one! This book doesn’t spend much time on my bookshelf. I am always looking up plants and the best way to utilize their medicine. You will find nearly every plant that has medicinal value, some may surprise you, in this book. If I had to choose just one book to carry with me forever, this would be the one.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book if you are even thinking about getting away from Big Pharma and OTC medications.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: Five Stars

Formats Reviewed: Paperback, e-book.

I must first preface this review with a disclaimer, I am not a qualified herbalist, and am new to the subject, accordingly, I cannot pass comment on the herbal remedies and prescriptions, or the accuracy of the herbal information. However, I can comment on some of the preparation procedures and on how digestible the directions are, as well as the overall book.

This book is intended to be an introduction to Herbalism from a contemporary perspective. The authors are both herbalists (as one would expect on a book of this subject). I have little knowledge about the practical creation of herbal remedies, and my previous forays into the subject have come from a place largely of botanical and folkloric interest, rather than trying to understand the practical application of the herbs.
Thankfully, this book excels in just what I was missing. The first eleven chapters (about half of the book) are entirely dedicated to introducing the subject and giving detailed directions on exactly how to make things such as tinctures and balms. It provides detailed and specific instructions about how much of the preparatory ingredients are needed, how long the process takes, etc. Tinctures, infusions, decoctions, compresses, balms salves, and others are all exhaustively covered. Thanks to this book, I am actually making some tinctures! The authors also get into more advanced preparations, such as how to make a homemade Soxhlet extractor, but that is far above my skill level.

A key feature of this book is an emphasis on Humourism, and it does a very good job of introducing the basics to that. It covers the major classes within the system at a basic and understandable level, and explains how the different classes impact the body. I also enjoyed how they carried that information into the herbal section in the back half, a lost of herbals mention the Humours in the beginning, and then drop the practical application of the system later. This book does not. However, the way the system is presented isn’t overbearing enough to detract from the book if you are not interested in the system.

If you’re looking for a practical guide on how to get started with herbalism, this book is fantastic, and you need look no further.

I would recommend the physical book, as there are plenty of charts and tables that were most understandable in the paperback. While the e-book retains the information, it is harder to interpret. Additionally, this is a reference book, and having it on hand to flip through the pages is immensely helpful.

[COW · Rating 5 out of 5]

In meinem Garten wachsen jede Menge Kräuter und "verwertbare" Pflanzen, so dass ich mir dachte, da könnte man bestimmt noch mehr daraus machen als nur Tee. So habe ich nach einem ausführlichen Ratgeber gesucht und bin hier fündig geworden. Das Buch konzentriert sich auf die Herstellung verschiedener Pflanzlicher Heilmittel und deren Wirkung. Angefangen von der Energetik der Heilkräuter über die richtige Ernte bis hin zur Herstellung von Tinkturen, Salben, Extrakten und die dafür benötigten Gerätschaften ist hier alles erklärt. Man findet hier Anleitungen, wie man Heilmittel herstellt, sowohl für die innere als auch äußere Anwendung und welche Gerätschaften man dafür braucht bzw. auch wie man sich welche basteln kann. Fachbegriffe und Therapieformen werden verständlich und kurz erklärt. Verständnisprobleme hatte ich gar nicht, die Erklärungen sind einfach und für mich als Laien gut nachvollziehbar, dabei aber nicht zu ausführlich, gewesen. Manchmal habe ich mich ein bisschen erschlagen gefühlt ob der schieren Menge an Wissen, die sich in diesem Buch befindet. Ich habe dann "häppchenweise" gelesen und finde es eignet sich wunderbar als Nachschlagewerk. Ein paar Beispielrezepturen sind auch enthalten und 235 Pflanzen sind charakterisiert mit ihrer energetischen Wirkweise und Dosierempfehlungen enthalten. Bilder zur Bestimmung der Pflanzen gibt es keine, das hätte auch deutlich den Rahmen gesprengt, das Buch ist eh schon ein ziemlicher "Klopper". Dafür gibt es ja Apps oder Bestimmungsbücher, die man auch leichter zum Sammeln mitnehmen kann. Ganz am Ende gibt es noch Adressen, falls man einige Kräuter kaufen möchte und mehrere Verzeichnisse zu den Rezepten, den Kräutern und ein Stichwortverzeichnis, so das man das Gesuchte schnell nachschlagen kann. Ein wirklich sehr umfangreiches Kompendium, das sich nicht nur für Einsteiger eignet. Ich werde mich jetzt erst mal an den einfacheren Heilmitteln probieren und dann weiter schauen. Ich fühle mich jedenfalls jetzt gut gerüstet;)

[Ahmed Sayed · Rating 1 out of 5]

The significant deficit in this book is pseudoscience terms like "Energy of the book" and "Energy balance of the body", this energy staff not proved scientifically, the book based on these non-scientific terms that indicate to inappropriate description of some herbal medicine. Totally the scientific content in this book is low quality, some key points not explained in appropriate way or even not explained at all, like contraindications and therapeutic use of some formulas. I only positive aspect is formulas preparation steps that explained well and in very simple way, I recommend reading chapter 1,5,6,12 only.

[Friederike · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Die moderne Kräuterapotheke“ ist ein wahrer Schatz für Kräuterfreunde. Die Autoren vermitteln ihr umfangreiches Wissen auf eine klare und verständliche Weise. Die detaillierten Anleitungen und die zahlreichen Rezepte machen das Buch zu einem praktischen Begleiter im Alltag. Besonders beeindruckend ist die Breite des Themas: Von der Pflanzenbestimmung über die Verarbeitung bis hin zur Anwendung wird alles abgedeckt. Die Autoren legen großen Wert auf die energetische Wirkung der Pflanzen, was das Buch zu einer einzigartigen Quelle für ganzheitliche Gesundheit macht. Leider enthält das Buch die Darstellungen der Kräuter nur als Dekoration auf dem Cover und nicht im Buch.

[Amber Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is far and away one of my favorite reference books as a Clinical Herbalist for the simple fact that they include recommended dosage for each herb as well as their favorite menstruums to extract the medicinal properties. I can’t say that I agree 100% of the time, but it’s great for those late nights or early mornings when my brain just isn’t firing at all cylinders and I need a quick jog. I feel like this is THE book I would recommend for anyone’s SHTF library. If you have this book and a good local plant identification guide, you could get yourself out of some pretty sticky situations.

[Susan Bewley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the herbal medicine books I own, The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide is my collection’s most organized and comprehensive. It explains the science of making herbal medicine from garden herbs while walking through the steps. This book has everything you need to get started while still being a reference guide you will constantly run to once you have more experience. I also love that, along with recipes, it details all the various medical herbs, discusses their benefits, and is very realistic with warnings. As someone who wanted a book on natural medicine alongside modern medicine, I consider this book a must for anyone’s collection.

[Kayla Dorminy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative and interesting. If you are wanting more formulaic and the “why” reasoning behind some of the methods then this is a good one. Read alongside other herbal medicinal books. The formulas look like a lot of ingredients, but he has a formula of why he adds them and if you dive deep into that formula you can choose different options or eliminate them to help with your specific need. The single herb section is lacking, but again, read with other sources.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my absolute favorite herbalism reference book. Whenever people ask me what books I consider essential, this is one of the few I list. It has a comprehensive breakdown of individual herbs, preparation, suppliers, and more. It has recommended reading at the back and cites all of it sources. I especially appreciate how in depth this book gets on the preparation side of things.

[Mayra Redonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

very detailed

This book goes in detail about all forms to extract the plant’s benefits and gives explanations of each option.

It has few recipes

It has many herbs and their specifications and usages.

I didn’t read all of them but I did read all the ones that pretended to my research. I will definitely continue to come back to this book while making my formulas

[sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great information & helpful foundational references. It is hard to depend on ONE book when learning herbalism. I am starting to see why reading multiple sources is helpful! Love that this book includes a section of suppliers.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about 75% reference, but is also a fantastic introduction to becoming an herbalist and creating your own natural medicines. I bought the ebook initially, and found it to be useful enough to purchase a physical copy as well.

[Theresa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you already know a ton about herbs, this is the next step up. Not a mere recipe book with cutesie "facial scrub" recipes. Highly recommend if you are looking to further your knowledge on the medicinal wisdom innate throughout nature.

[Keela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely thorough and helpful book, helpful for any herbalist. Heavy on the chemistry components of herbalism which can be challenging and intimidating to those unfamiliar with practical use of such things.

[Michelle Gitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, lots of information in an easy format. I just found it a bit lacking, in the many ways to use certain plants. What it lacks in specific information per plant, it does make up for in the variety of plants.

[Andrea Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is informative and will be a resource for years to come. I like knowing about all the different ways to process herbs but it may be a while before I have the tools highlighted in this book. Nice and varied materia medica. Now to master making tinctures.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a great review of the techniques used to make medicines. a great reference.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic information on the preparations of herbs, including information on the % of alcohol! Fantastic reference book.