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Medicinal herbFAQ Part 7/7
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From: Henriette Kress <spamtrap.hetta@spamcop.net> Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ Part 7/7 Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 13:28:33 +0300 Message-ID: <b04n80lr8l1pai7tbu00gprd64f11ijhfu@4ax.com> Reply-To: hetta @ spamcop.net (no blanks) Summary: What you have always wanted to know (and ask on a newsgroup)(more often than once a month) about medicinal herbs Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part7 Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th) Last-modified: 25Apr04 Version: 1.38k URL: http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/faqs/medi-cont.html ---------------------------------------------- 6.1.3 In-depth books, by organ system ---------------------------------------------- * Simon Y. Mills: The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. 1993, Arkana, Penguin Books, London, UK. First published under the title "Out of the Earth", by Viking Arkana 1991. ISBN 014-019309X. Listprice GBP 15.00, USD 17. Excellent in-depth information for the practitioner. * Daniel B. Mowrey: Herbal Tonic Therapies. 1993, Keats Publishing Inc., New Canaan, Connecticut, USA. ISBN 0-87983-565-6, listprice USD 15. Good information on the use of mild tonic herbs, organized by organ system. * David Hoffmann: The New Holistic Herbal 1991 (3rd edition), Element Books Ltd, UK. ISBN 1-85230-193-7, listprice 17 USD. * David Hoffmann: An Elders' Herbal - Natural Techniques for Promoting Health and Vitality 1993, Healing Arts Press, Vermont. ISBN 0-89281-396-2, listprice USD 18. * David Hoffmann: The Herbal Handbook: A user's guide to medical herbalism. 1988, Healing Arts Press. ISBN 0-89281-782-8, listprice 15 USD. I don't think it really matters which of David's books you get - they seem quite similar, one and all. So go for the newest, or the cheapest, or the prettiest cover picture - but don't go out and buy them all. An online Materia Medica, by Hoffmann: http://www.healthy.net/clinic/therapy/herbal/herbic/herbs/index.html . Therapeutics to go with that: http://www.healthy.net/clinic/therapy/herbal/prevent/body/index.html . - The healthy.net site is spamming everybody and their uncle. Whatever you do, don't give them your email address; if you do, they'll spam you forever and ever. He's also made a good herbal CD-ROM. Review here: section 6.5.4. * Priest & Priest: Herbal Medication, A Clinical and Dispensary Handbook. 1982, L.N.Fowler & Co. Ltd., Essex, UK. ISBN 01-85243-368-9. Great notes for the herbal practitioner. So you're a mainstream medical professional with an interest in herbs? Try these: * Rudolf Fritz Weiss, MD: Herbal Medicine. 1988. AB Arcanum, Gothenburg, Sweden / Beaconsfield Publishers, Beaconsfield, UK. ISBN 0-906584-19-1. Expensive! Translated from the sixth German edition of Lehrbuch der Phytotherapie. Written by one of -the- experts on herbal medicine in Germany, it's a gem for practising herbalists and MDs interested in herbs. Don't buy the "updated" version, stay with the original from 1988. * Francis Brinker: Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2. edition. 1998. Eclectic Medical Publications. ISBN 1888483067, USD 19.95. It's just what it says on the title, and it's written by a ND who works with herbs. What more can I say? Buy it. * Steven G. Ottariano: Medicinal Herbal Therapy. 1999, Nicolin Fields Publishing, Portsmouth, NH, USA. ISBN 0-9637077-6-0, listprice USD 14.95 A pretty good summary for the MD or pharmacist who wants to know more about herbs. ---------------------------------------------- 6.1.4 Chinese herbs, or TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) ---------------------------------------------- * Dan Bensky, Andrew Amble, Ted Kaptchuk: Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica, 2nd. edition. 1993, Eastland Press, Inc., Seattle, WA. ISBN 0939616157. The standard Materia Medica for western-trained TCM practitioners. * Dan Bensky, Andall Barolet: Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas & Strategies, 1st. edition. 1990, Eastland Press, Inc., Seattle, WA. ISBN 0939616106. The companion Formulary. * Roger Wicke: TCHS vol. 1, The Language and Patterns of Life, USD 55 * Roger Wicke: TCHS vol. 2, Herbs, Strategies and Case Studies, USD 55 These are the two major textbooks for the Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute's Chinese herbology course. Description, table of contents and brief excerpts at: http://www.rmhiherbal.org/a/c.publ.rmhi.html While Roger, in these books, tries to integrate western physiological understanding of TCM theory where possible, the major focus is on using Chinese herbs according to the traditional TCM clinical rules (any other way simply doesn't work as well, as verified by clinical studies in several countries). > starting a course of acupuncture and Chinese herbology -- does anyone know any good books on this subject? * From healingpgs.aol.com (HealingPgs): Read Ted Kaptchuk's The Web That Has No Weaver. Most of the Seattle acupuncture schools use this as a first year text and it's a lovely, intelligent explanation of the basics of TCM. The herb book that is most popular with our local acupuncturists is Dagmar Ehling's Chinese Herbalist Handbook. It's laid out in a very user-friendly fashion. The big herbal reference works for most Western trained acupuncturists are the Eastland Press books by Dan Bensky -- they are probably available through your school bookstore. ---------------------------------------------- 6.2 Good Books for further studies ---------------------------------------------- So now you feel you've read enough books, but you're still glassy-eyed from reading the 'constituents' -part of the books (or the various ailment descriptions) - time to go shopping for some (literally) (pun intended) heavier stuff: If you're a practising herbalist: * Harvey Wickes Felter, John Uri Lloyd: King's American Dispensatory, in two volumes. 1898, 18th edition, 3rd revision. Reprinted 1993, Eclectic Medical Publications, OR, USA. Phone 1-800-332-4372. No ISBN number. http://www.eclecticherb.com/emp/historicalresearch.html Listprice USD 285. This one lists everything they knew about plants (and chemicals used in medicine) back then, and does it exhaustively. It is REALLY good. It's online here: http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/intro.html - that's all plant-related entries. If you're a pharmacognosist or pharmacist with an interest in herbs: * Norman Grainger Bisset (Ed.): Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals, A Handbook for Practice on a Scientific Basis. Translation of Max Wichtl (Ed.): Teedrogen (see next entry). 1994, CRC Press. Very expensive. This book has 181 monographs on European herbs with descriptions and photographs of the herbs, with lists of constituents, indications, side-effects, delivery system, method for authenticating the herb (usually a TLC), and the quantitative standards of the European pharmacaopeias where it is listed as official. Although it does not explain mode of action, this is a technical, and scientific book of excellent quality and a must for serious herbal students. It is also expensive as are all CRC books. (kathjokl.aol.com) * Max Wichtl (Hrsg.): Teedrogen, ein Handbuch fuer die Praxis auf wissenschaftlicher Grundlage. 2., erweiterte, ueberarbeitete Auflage 1989, Wissensch.VG., Stuttgart, Germany. ISBN 3-8047-1009-3, listprice DEM 198. It's expensive in the original, too, but still a good reference for pharmacognosists and pharmacists. * Trease + Evans: Pharmacognosy, 13th edition. 1989, Bailliere Tindall, London. There is a great deal of chemistry involved in this book but again it is an excellent reference if this is the type of information you want. (kathjokl.aol.com) Then you might want: * A basic chemistry textbook. * A good biochemistry textbook. * A good anatomy/physiology textbook (good to put you to sleep, too). * The Anatomy Coloring Book. * The Physiology Coloring Book. * The latest Merck Manual, which lists main illnesses plaguing mankind - not for us hypochondriacs. You might need a Medicinese - English dictionary to understand it. The Merck Manual (17th edition) is now on the web: http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/sections.htm ---------------------------------------------- 6.3 Good Periodicals ---------------------------------------------- Also check FTP ftp.ibiblio.org /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-references/literature/herb-journals . Robyn has a list of journals on her page, too: www.rrreading.com You'll find a list of alternative healthcare journals (only one on herbs) here: http://www.healthwwweb.com/journals.html ---------------------------------------------- 6.3.1 For enthusiasts (emphasis on color pictures) ---------------------------------------------- * The Herb Companion The Herb Companion, KS, USA. http://www.herbcompanion.com Bimonthly, USD 20/year or USD 39/2 years (foreign USD 30/year or USD 59/2 years). Mainly herb gardening and culinary uses of herbs. * HerbalGram (Journal of the American Botanical Council and the Herb Research Foundation) American Botanical Council, TX, USA http://www.herbalgram.org Quarterly, USD 50/yr. (Foreign USD 70/yr). Technical and scientific, ethnobotany, latest medical research. Do check Jonathan Treasure's in-depth reviews of Tyler's books and the Comm. E. monographs before you let this journal talk you into buying them: http://www.herbological.com/ * Herbs for Health. Herbs for Health, KS, USA. http://www.herbsforhealth.com Bimonthly, USD 20/year or USD 39/2 years (foreign USD 30/year or USD 59/2 years). * The American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter American Herb Association, CA, USA. http://www.ahaherb.com Subscriptions: USD 35/supporting, USD 20/regular membership per year. * North East Herb Association Newsletter. email: northeastherbal . hotmail.com Subscriptions: USD 30-USD 100/yr depending on what you can afford. * The United Plant Savers newsletter United Plant Savers, VT, USA. http://unitedplantsavers.org USD 35 - USD 100 sliding scale. * The Herb Quarterly San Anselmo, CA, USA. http://www.herbquarterly.com/ Quarterly, ISSN 0163-9900, USD 19.95/year (internet price). (Canada and Mexico add USD 5, other foreign add USD 7). * Herbs at Home Magazine, Ontario, Canada. http://www.herbsathomemagazine.com/ - (link dead 12Apr04, perhaps the whole mag is gone? -Henriette) Quarterly, USD/CAD 15/year, USD/CAD 27/2 years. ---------------------------------------------- 6.3.2 For professional herbalists (emphasis on case studies) ---------------------------------------------- These lead the field: * Medical Herbalism Bergner Communications, Boulder, CO, USA. http://www.medherb.com - back issues available as single issues, as a bound volume, by online subscription, or on CD. Subscription by year; 4 issues per; USD 36 (US), 39 (Canada), 45 (overseas). Credit cards accepted. * The European Journal of Herbal Medicine. National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), Exeter, UK, Europe. Their website http://www.ejhm.co.uk/ includes full articles of issues 1-3, and TOC of later issues. Subscription by volume; 3 issues per; GBP 19.50 (UK), 24.50 (EC), 29.50 (overseas). They don't take Visa, but check or money-order is OK. * Journal of the American Herbalists Guild http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/ Subscription by year; 2 issues per; USD 45 (US), 60 (foreign). * The Modern Phytotherapist. MediHerb Pty Ltd., Qld., Australia. http://www.mediherb.com.au/ Subscription by year; 2-3 issues per; AUD 33 (straya), 40 (overseas). * Australian Journal of Medical Herbalism National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA), NSW, Australia. http://www.nhaa.org.au Subscription by year; 4 issues per; AUD 220 (full members (practitioners)) + AUD 30 joining fee; AUD 55 (students) + AUD 10 joining fee; AUD 110.50 (supporting members) + AUD 20 joining fee. Overseas + AUD 15 (rates per 0700) * The British Journal of Phytotherapy - sorry, no info - I'll add an URL if and when they get around to getting one. This one I don't know: * The Canadian Journal of Herbalism Ontario Herbalists Association, Ontario, Canada. http://www.herbalists.on.ca/journal/ Subscription CAD 40.00; I don't know how many issues a year or a volume. Auf Deutsch: * Zeitschrift der Phytotherapie Stuttgart, Germany. http://www.phytotherapy.org/presse/zeitschr.htm - einige Volltext Artikel, a few full-text articles even in English. The publisher's page is here: http://www.thieme.de/phyto/index.html Not really worth it; unless you're interested in phytotherapy as opposed to herbal therapy, ie. scientific studies as opposed to hands-on experience. 6 issues per year, EUR 62 + Versandkosten. These are secondary in importance to the practitioner: * The Protocol Journal of Botanical Medicine - this journal is no more. Do buy used journals, if you can find them. * The Eclectic Medical Journals P.O. Box 936, Sandy, OR 97055 USA. Subscriptions: USD 84/yr for 6 issues. Comment stolen from an article by Jonathan Treasure: '... the articles in The Eclectic Medical Journals, while giving a useful insight into the grass-roots of the Eclectic movement, hardly justify their annual cost of USD 84 subscription to the average practitioner.' ---------------------------------------------- 6.3.3 For universities (emphasis on scientific studies) ---------------------------------------------- * Planta Medica http://www.thieme.de/plantamedica/fr_inhalt.html * Fitoterapia http://www.indena.com/fitoterapia_profile.asp and http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620051/description * Economic Botany http://www.econbot.org/home.html And any other journals which consistently pop up when you do a medline or napralert search (see next section). They should be available at your local university. Subscription rates for these journals run into hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year, so they are rather out of reach for people, institutions and companies without a sizeable literature budget. ---------------------------------------------- 6.4 Online commercial databases ---------------------------------------------- 6.4.1 Napralert ---------------------------------------------- There's an introduction to NAPRALERT on this www page: http://info.cas.org/ONLINE/DBSS/napralertss.html ---------------------------------------------- Mary Lou Quinn, Managing Director, NAPRALERT, states the difference between Medline and Napralert as follows: "NAPRALERT is and always has been restricted to world literature regarding natural products. Medline is not restricted. Just as one example, if you query NAPRALERT on the key word AMYGDALIN, you will get only that literature pertaining to the compound AMYGDALIN (otherwise known as LAETRILE). If you query Medline, not only will you get the above, but you will also get lots of articles dealing with the Amygdala of the brain, anatomy, physiology, etc. It has never been NAPRALERT'S goal to be all inclusive regarding medical science. However, if you want the most comprehensive database on Medicinal plants and Natural products, then NAPRALERT is the way to go." Quoted from the NAPRALERT information package: "Napralert (NAtural PRoducts ALERT) is a relational database of world literature on the chemical constituents and pharmacology of plant, microbial and animal (primarily marine) extracts. It's housed and maintained by the Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, within the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, in the College of Pharmacy of the University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street (M/C 877), Chicago, IL 60612, U.S.A. Phone (312)-996-2246, Fax (312)-996-7107." And here is what it'll cost you: You can access Napralert by paying bulk rate (subscribing) or by paying per question. Annual subscription fee for individual user with no ties to government agencies, small or large businesses, research institutes or libraries: USD 100, of which half gets you manuals, a user ID/password, and limited disk storage space, and the other half gets you answers (at USD 0.75 per reference obtained). Per question rate: USD 25 + USD 0.75 per reference obtained. Off-line (snailmail rate): USD 25 + USD 0.75 per reference obtained. NAPRALERT is also available on-line through STN in the US, Europe and Asia. ---------------------------------------------- 6.4.2 Medline ---------------------------------------------- You can get free Medline access here http://www4.infotrieve.com/newmedline/adv_search.asp or here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ One has the niftier search engine, while the other will tell you right away if it was 'in vitro' or 'in vivo'. (Why is that important? Section 5.1.8 in this FAQ has a nice introduction to the ins and outs of herbal research.) There is, of course, a caveat with depending on a (a bit skewed) database like Medline: you won't get much outside of the 'white' world; you won't get much outside of English language, you won't get much of the multitude of (occasionally very useful) far-out research. And it helps to add a keyword like 'herb' or 'plant' to your search. Medline is not made for herbalists, it's made for MDs. Live with it, but learn where to get hands-on information, as well. Like the practitioner-level journals I mention in the 'Good Periodicals' -part of this FAQ (section 6.3.2). ---------------------------------------------- Comment by Mark D. Gold (mgold.holisticmed.com): "I find it (Medline) a very useful tool. But it is important to realize that there are several articles which warn about the "dangers" of herbs (particularly in JAMA) which are little more than inaccurate hatchet jobs." ---------------------------------------------- 6.4.3 Ingenta ---------------------------------------------- Another commercial database of scientific journals; it's Carl Uncover in new clothes (well, they merged). Good selection of herbal articles. Enable javascript for the search engine. http://www.ingenta.com ---------------------------------------------- 6.4.4 IBIDS ---------------------------------------------- IBIDS is a database where you can search for scientific articles on herbs and supplement. From the NIH (National Institute of Health), Office of Dietary Supplements: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/IBIDS/index.html ---------------------------------------------- 6.5 Herb programs ---------------------------------------------- 6.5.1 Demo or shareware herb programs ---------------------------------------------- In my www space (here: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/programs/) and my FTP space (FTP to ibiblio.org, cd to /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/programs/) you'll find olde DOS programs, made before even Win3.1 really took off (Herb power, v.2.1; Herb Power, v.3.0; Dr. Weed's E-herbal guide v. 3.0; Healing power of herbs, v.2.0; The Herbal Browser, v.1.0; Herbage, v.1.0; Health, v.5.2). They're all shareware or demoversions which have bigger brothers you can buy. Now, five to six years later (06Jun01), they're _really_ pathetic. For more recent herbal programs try a search for 'herb', 'plant' or 'botanical' on one of the larger shareware sites, like http://www.shareware.com/, http://itprodownloads.com/, http://www.winsite.com/search/ or http://www.download.com/ ---------------------------------------------- A few links to get you started: Get the demo of HerbBase, an empty database structure ready for you to fill up: http://www.DynamicArray.com.au Zentrum Publishing has a few programs, here: http://www.self-realization.com/alternative_medicine_software.htm (Wellness, v.1.84, Naturheilkunde, v.1.8, Herbs v.1.2, Side Effects v.1.0). Vitamaster, v.?, is found here: http://www.vita-master.com/software.html ---------------------------------------------- 6.5.1 Commercial Herbprograms ---------------------------------------------- From Paul Bergner <bergner.concentric.net> 29Jun96: * Christopher Hobbs' Herbal Prescriber. Info: Botanica Press, 10226 Empire Grade, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (408) 457 9095 - It comes on 5 diskettes, for Windows 3.1 only. About 36.95 USD. It's the best software yet on medical herbalism. It's thorough, clinically based, and inexpensive. It has therapeutic information from the Eclectic works, and also from German texts that have not been translated into English. Comment from Henriette: the information certainly is reliable. However, the interface isn't all that good - there is no 'automatic' closing of the current window, so if you want to look at something else, and neglect to click the various 'ok' buttons, you get a 'beep' and nothing else. Frustrating. ---------------------------------------------- CD-ROMs: ---------------------------------------------- * The Herbalist, ver.2.0, by David L. Hoffmann, CD-Rom database, listprice USD 54.95, DOS, Windows31, Mac. Available from Hopkins Technology, 421 Hazel Lane, Hopkins, MN 55343-7116. Phone 612-931-9376 or 800-397-9211. More info found at http://www.hoptechno.com/herbmm.htm. "The Herbalist" was made before crosslinking really took off, but it has a nice index/search engine. It gives you fast access to thorough plant / ailment information. As a bonus there's pronounciations of some plant Latin - the British way. HeK evaluation: Excellent. This is the best herbal therapeutics program on the market. * Traditional Chinese Medicine & Pharmacology. Hopkins Technology (as above). Listprice USD 54.95. More info found at http://www.hoptechno.com/cherbal.htm. Well worth the price, if you do have some basic knowledge about Traditional Chinese Medicine. I can't say how good it is if you really know your Chinese herbs, but for my knowledge of TCM (basic) it's perfect. * The Herbal Pharmacy, ver. 1.2, with Brigitte Mars; CD-Rom database, listprice USD 43, Win95. (no longer offered on brigittemars.com - 22Dec03) Available from Hale Enterprises, 2507 North Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80304. Phone (303)-938-0840, fax (303) 938-0839. More info found at http://www.brigittemars.com "The Herbal Pharmacy" consists of a Materia medica (300 herbs) and a Formulary (100 formulas). It is extensively crosslinked, well organized, and includes a score of ways to search for information. There's goodies all over the program: for example, if you add your own notes these will be crosslinked, too. The information is quite reliable - Brigitte Mars has been a practitioner for 16 years. HeK evaluation: Excellent. This is the best herbal materia medica / formulary program on the market. * The Interactive Herbal, with Dr. Terri Willard; CD-Rom database, published by The Follgard Group Inc. The CD is available on the web at http://www.cdromshop.com/cdshop/desc/p.779810113001.html At first glance "The Interactive Herbal" is a nicely done CD-Rom, with some multimedia and a medium-sized database. However, a closer look is disappointing: o The "Formulas" section (54 so-called formulas) is severely lacking (there are no amounts given), and not too homogenous (one aromatherapy entry, three homeopathy, 8 TCM, 9 vitamin/nutrient...). HeK evaluation: Don't bother. o The "Diet" section (57 regimens) compounds the frustration by telling you to use these formulas, in almost every single diet regimen. How -can- you, if you cannot make them? It made me wonder who the CD was made for, and what the purpose of it really is - to sell preparations? HeK evaluation: Don't bother. o The "Herb" section gives details on 141 herbs, including herbs both from the western tradition and from TCM; here you'll even find some working formulas. HeK evaluation: So-so. o The "Ailment" section gives thumbnail sketches of 124 ailments or disorders, outlines therapeutic approaches, and recommends herbs, vitamins/nutrients, and formulas. This is the most useful part of the CD. HeK evaluation: So-so. There is no search capability at all. Also, the index of herbs is by common name only, and if you cannot guess that you're out of luck. The Interactive Herbal needs -extensive- changes before it's as good as its introduction screen promises. * The Herbal Remedies CD-ROM, v.2.1, published by PhytoPharm Consulting GmbH. A German CD-ROM, seen from a phytopharmaceutical viewpoint. USD 99 / DEM 149. The database is divided into two main parts: o a Materia medica (which lists, in addition to basic plant information, latin name synonyms -and- variations - quite smart, that.). HeK evaluation: Good. o a drug information sheet - instead of "Aesculus hippocastanum" we get "Hippocastani semen", with preparations, constituents, and indications. HeK evaluation: Good. In addition to above, the "indications" search page needs mentioning. This contains five alphabetical lists of ailments, with links to above drug sheets. If you wish to see what "BfArM", "ICD10", "Homeopathic", "Asian" or "Other" (no "all" possible, sorry) recommends for, say, "migraine", you'll get a choice of drug information sheets for each. I have not been able to find an explanation for the terms "BfArM" or "ICD10" in the database. If you, once you've selected a drug sheet, click on ICD10, you'll be baffled with further unexplained remarks, like "170", or "N 41". These need to be explained somewhere as they are not self-evident (unless you're a German physician?). MD's and ND's take note - this one is for you. * IBIS 99, CD-ROM, published by Integral Medicinal Arts Group Inc. (IMA). A program for the practitioner, it's divided into four major parts: o Therapeutics - subdivided by modality; among others diagnosis, herbs, nutrition, TCM (herbs and needles), and homeopathics. HeK evaluation: Excellent. o Materia Medica - the same subdivision as for Therapeutics. In addition to the expected information sheets there's also patient handouts. The herbal information is a weird concoction - some (of the about 300) entries have nothing but the name, others have name, dosage, and cautions, still others have full information including what to use it for, which part to use, how much of it, etc. If you still need to look up herbs this one won't help too much - except on the interactions, cautions and contraindications side. HeK evaluation: So-so. I can't say how good the TCM, homeopathy or flower remedy parts of the Materia medica are; they're not in my area of expertise. o Notes - the same subdivision as for Therapeutics. Enter your own notes here; it's easiest to import information from .html files as the editing functions are quite modest. HeK evaluation: So-so. o Patients - keep your patients' visits straight. HeK evaluation: Excellent. Do remember to make backups of the files the program generates for you when you add things to the notes or to the patient info. Otherwise a fatal disk crash (not generated by IBIS - that's a very stable program; but I use Win98...) might mean that you have to re-enter everything from scratch. All in, I think this is a pretty good package for the practitioner - at least, if you're a herbalist and already know your herbs. At the current price of USD 200 (previously USD 700) it's now affordable. (USD 700 for clinics (3+ workstations); USD 150 for students.) More info here: http://www.ibismedical.com/ * Interactions 1.01, CD-ROM, published by Integral Medicinal Arts Group Inc. (IMA). Besides containing good in-depth information about the interactions of some 3-400 drugs, a respectable amount of nutrients, and about 20 of the most talked about herbs, it also includes a short section on herbal pharmacodynamics. HeK evaluation: Pretty good. A pretty good package for the price (USD 100). More info here: http://www.ibismedical.com/ * Medical Herbalism Resource Disc, CD-ROM. Paul Bergner's excellent journal Medical Herbalism is now available on a CD-ROM, as .html and .pdf -files. Both contain the complete set of back issues. While the links in the html part aren't always correct (the files are there, but the links don't always point to them), the pdf files work very nicely indeed. HeK evaluation: Pretty good. Price USD 59. Considering that the back issues on paper are priced at USD 99/149, and that the information in this format is searchable and well indexed, it's a bargain. Also included on this CD-ROM, in the same .pdf and .html formats, are King's American Dispensatory (from my site, here: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/intro.html (used with my permission)) and William Cook's Physiomedical Dispensatory (available on the Medical Herbalism site, see below). More info here: http://www.medherb.com/MHHOME.SHTML ---------------------------------------------- 6.6 Other online information sources ---------------------------------------------- Among the goodies you'll find herbal mailing list and newsgroup archives, Michael Moore's files, and some nice WWW pages. ---------------------------------------------- 6.6.1 FTP sites with info on medicinal herbs: ibiblio herb archives ---------------------------------------------- Try this: ftp ibiblio.org /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/ or ftp sunSITE.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/. More here: ftp ibiblio.org /pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening/ or here: ftp sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening/. Still more: ftp ibiblio.org pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening/gardening-faqs/ or ftp sunsite.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/agriculture/sustainable_agriculture/gardening/gardening-faqs/ And you'll find a wealth of herbal information here - unfortunately not very well organized, but if you do have the time to browse you'll find it is a treasuretrove: ftp ibiblio.org /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-references/ or ftp sunSITE.sut.ac.jp /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-references/ ---------------------------------------------- 6.6.2 Interesting WWW pages ---------------------------------------------- I'll only list the most important herbal WWW pages here. You'll find the rest of the good sites from links on Howie's and my pages. And you should use a search engine to look for information on specific plants. * Michael Moore's homepage: http://www.swsbm.com , the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. Have a good look at all the goodies; if you are not a beginner, get the big textfiles - Herbal Materia Medica, Herbal Repertory, Herbal/Medical Dictionary, Herbal-Medical Contraindications, Specific Indications, Herbal Tinctures, Herbal Energetics, Plant Folders, Classic Texts, and anything else that might have been added. There's also a -lot- of pictures on site. _Do_ download the Herbal Energetics - these are summaries of how to prepare and use plants you already know in ways you already know (even though you didn't necessarily know that you can use THAT plant in THIS way before reading the booklet). * Howie Brounstein's homepage: http://www.teleport.com/~howieb/howie.html Columbine and Wizardry Herbs, wildcrafting school and herb catalog. Go get a laugh at the Fad herbs, or read up on smoking herbs, or mugwort. Have fun. * Jonathan Treasure's Herbal Bookworm page: http://www.herbological.com All you need to know about herb books: excellent in-depth reviews, a list of must-read books, a list of stinkers, and a Reality Check. * The Health World Online site. - The healthy.net site is spamming everybody and their uncle. Don't go there, and whatever you do, don't email them using a real account; if you do, they'll spam you forever and ever amen. * Henriette's Herbal Homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed Home of the herbfaqs (you're reading part of one right now), you'll also find plant pictures, classic texts, plant names in several languages, archives, links - it's an extensive site. (Me? Biased? Naah.) ---------------------------------------------- 6.7 Pointers to related documents ---------------------------------------------- * 6.7.1 Plants by Mail FAQ pointer * 6.7.2 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome WWW page pointer * 6.7.3 Hint for Kombucha posters * 6.7.4 Hint for Essiac posters * 6.7.5 Thinking of growing herbs for sale? * 6.7.6 Saw Palmetto and Prostata problems: Newsgroup/FAQ pointer * 6.7.7 Natural high FAQ pointer * 6.7.8 Natural vision FAQ pointer * 6.7.9 Smoking herbs document pointer * 6.7.10 Pointer to herbal-medical glossary * 6.7.11 Menopausal discomforts ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.1 Plants by Mail FAQ pointer Here you'll find lots and lots of catalogs to get living plants, and some seeds, too: http://gardenwatchdog.com ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.2 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome WWW page pointer Take a look at the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Home Page at http://www.ctsplace.com/ and specifically, at http://www.ctsplace.com/preventative.php ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.3 Hint for Kombucha posters Please subscribe to the Kombucha list (see 8.1.4). Do not post on alt.folklore.herbs about Kombucha. You could go visit the Kombucha Homepage, which should answer anyone's questions about the subject: http://w3.trib.com/~kombu/ ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.4 Hint for Essiac posters You can find a wealth of info on Essiac at this web location: http://essiac-info.org/ ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.5 Thinking of growing herbs for sale? Visit this site first: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ It's the Gateway to the NewCrop Resource Online Program at the Indiana Center for New Crops and Plant Products at Purdue University; it has lots of information about different plants. Next go for Richters' FAQ pages: http://www.richters.com/QandA.html Then go get the 'herb-growing.faq' on ibiblio (see 6.6). ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.6 Saw Palmetto and Prostate Problems: Newsgroup/FAQ pointer Try news:alt.support.prostate.prostatitis, where they also have an excellent FAQ posted periodically. ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.7 Natural High FAQ pointer The hyperreal archive is gone - try the erowid vault: http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/faqs/natural_highs_faq.shtml ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.8 Natural vision FAQ pointer This interesting document can be found here: http://www.cia.com.au/vic/faq.html ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.9 Smoking herbs document pointer THE document on herbal smokes, which also tells you how to stop smoking, is Howie Brounstein's Herbal Smoking Mixtures -booklet. You'll find it here: http://www.teleport.com/~howieb/howie.html . ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.10 Pointer to herbal-medical glossary I got email 'yes but what does MAO inhibitor and adrenergenics and cholinergics mean?' ... so here's a pointer to Michael Moore's medicinese - English dictionary: http://www.swsbm.com/ManualsMM/MedHerbGloss2.txt you get there from Michael Moore's Clinical Herb Manuals page: http://www.swsbm.com/ManualsMM/MansMM.html ---------------------------------------------- 6.7.11 Menopausal discomforts A very good place to start is the alt.support.menopause newsgroup. Next, check this page: http://www.geocities.com/menobeyond/ . Also see the entry on wild yam, 2.12 ---------------------------------------------- 7 Schools etc. ---------------------------------------------- So you want to to to a herb school? There's lots. Which are the good ones? Which will give you value for your money and which will hand you fancy gold-plated diplomas instead of the knowledge you went there for? Which are the ones where you'll have to arrive with a chastity belt firmly locked in order to avoid the teachers' amorous advances? Where will you learn all about goats and rather less about herbs? The best way to find out juicy bits like that is to attend a herbal conference or two, and _gossip_. I can recommend the Southwest conference for that myself, as I've been to that one (watch me listen to horror stories with my chin on my collarbone...), but I expect others will be equally enlightening. Note, the herb school I attended gave excellent value for the money; the diploma is factual and not that fancy; I didn't learn squat about goats; and I didn't have to fend off any of the teachers, either. All this before I attended even one conference... lucky me, eh? There is no really comprehensive up-to-date list of herbal schools anywhere. I've put some schools into my list; there are other lists elsewhere. Here's a few: * The Natural Healers site lists a few (American) herb schools - sort them by specialty and/or location: http://www.naturalhealers.com * The American Herbalists guild has put parts of their (US) Herbal Education Directory online: http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/school_search.htm - the $12 version of the same includes descriptions etc., at least according to their site: http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com * The American Herb Association also has compiled a list of (US) schools: http://www.ahaherb.com - theirs costs $3.50. * Herbnet also lists schools: http://www.herbnet.com/university_p1.htm Whichever school you choose, do read the accreditation notes on this page - otherwise you might end up taking a correspondence course at Clayton. (Why do I dislike Clayton? A real ND degree means that you can get a license to legally practise as an ND a few states in the US. The real thing also took about four years of hands-on training. In comparison, Clayton's mail order ND degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on. As long as Clayton hands out ND degrees without having the real ND degree backing they're a diploma mill in my eyes - and I have a real dislike for diploma mills. Let them call it something else, something with no real significance (which is what correspondence school diplomas should be), and I'll withdraw all my objections to their operations. Until then, pffshaw.) ---------------------------------------------- 7.1 Some hands-on schools I know of in the US ---------------------------------------------- ND degrees: These schools give you -real- ND degrees, with the possibility to get a ND license in one of the licensing states. There are also fake ND schools - read about those here: 7.6, Accreditation. * Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences. Tempe, Arizona. http://www.scnm.edu/ * Bastyr University. Kenmore, WA. http://www.bastyr.edu/ * University of Bridgeport, College of Naturopathic Medicine. Bridgeport, CT. http://www.bridgeport.edu/naturopathy/ * National College of Naturopathic Medicine. Portland, OR. http://www.ncnm.edu/ (Needs flash, which I abhor.) Other herbal hands-on schools: Full-time: * Southwest School of Botanical Medicine, Michael Moore. Bisbee, Arizona. http://www.swsbm.com/ * The Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute, Hot Springs, MT. Mainly Chinese herbology. http://www.rmhiherbal.org * California School of Herbal Studies, Forestville, CA. http://www.cshs.com/ * The North American College of Botanical Medicine (formerly the National College of Phytotherapy), Albuquerque, NM. http://www.swcp.com/botanicalmedicine * Desert Woman Botanicals, Monica Rude, Gila, NM. Several 3-month apprenticeships in medicinal herb growing, harvesting, drying, marketing, shipping, use in products. Enthusiastic, hard working workers interested in herb growing should apply. http://www.desertwoman.net/ * NorthEast School of Botanical Medicine, 7Song. Ithaca, NY. A six-month, three days a week school: http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~wolfe/NSBM/NSBMcur.html Part-time: * Howie Brounstein, Columbines and Wizardry Herbs, Inc., Eugene, Oregon. A wildcrafting class. http://www.teleport.com/~howieb/howie.html * Pacific School of Herbal Medicine, Adam Seller. Oakland, California. Classes range from a couple of hours (for beginners) through 650 hours (to become a professional herbalist). Adam also has clinical case studies for the practising herbalist. http://www.pshm.org * Christopher Hobbs, Williams, OR. 8 month apprenticeship program, one weekend a month. http://www.christopherhobbs.com * Herbal Therapeutics, David Winston. Broadway, NJ. A two-year school with classes one evening a week. http://www.herbaltherapeutics.net * Rosemary Gladstar, Vermont. 12 month apprenticeship program, one weekend a month. http://www.sagemountain.com * Althea Northage-Orr, Chicago, IL. Evening classes. http://www.chicagocollegeofhealingarts.com I don't know if these are full- or part time: * Susun Weed has intensives and correspondence courses: http://www.susunweed.com ---------------------------------------------- 7.2 Some hands-on schools in Canada ---------------------------------------------- ND degree: This school gives you a -real- ND degree, with the possibility to get a ND license in one of the licensing states. There are also fake ND schools - read about those here: 7.6, Accreditation * The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, Ontario. http://www.ccnm.edu Other herbal hands-on schools: * Dominion Herbal College, Burnaby, B.C. http://www.dominionherbal.com * Mohawk College of Applied Arts & Technology, Hamilton, Ontario. This is phytotherapy, not herbalism, but then I'm a snob. http://www.mohawkc.on.ca/dept/cehs/phytotherapy.html * Wild Rose College of Natural Healing, Terry Willard. Calgary, Alberta. http://www.wrc.net/ ---------------------------------------------- 7.3 Some correspondence courses I know of in the US ---------------------------------------------- It's rather difficult to judge these from their ads. I've added "good" to those which I've only heard good things about. ---------------------------------------------- * Rosemary Gladstar has a correspondence course. http://www.sagemountain.com "good" * The Australasian College of Herbal Studies. http://www.herbed.com "good" * David Hoffmann, Therapeutic Herbalism. If you would like more information, his address is: 2068 Ludwig Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95407. 707/544-7210. Stuck in the stoneage, eh, David, with no URL yet? I'll drop this one in my next update, because addresses and phone numbers change, and I can't check them from here. * Christopher Hobbs Home study course. http://www.christopherhobbs.com * Jeanne Rose has a correspondence course. http://www.jeannerose.net * The School of Natural Healing, founded by Dr. John R. Christopher. They have an Herbalist course and a Master Herbalist course, among others. http://schoolofnaturalhealing.com * The East-West Herb Course, Michael Tierra. This is TCM, not western herbalism. http://www.planetherbs.com ---------------------------------------------- 7.4 Some schools and correspondence courses elsewhere ---------------------------------------------- * The School of Natural Health Sciences, London, UK. http://www.learnbymail.com/courses/herbalism.htm * The Waikato Centre for Herbal Medicine is in New Zealand. Graduates are able to become full Professional Members of the NZ Association of Medical Herbalists. The course is 4 year, three years at college (one day a week) and the 4th year is working alongside a Registered Medical Herbalist in Clinical Training. There is also a correspondence programme. http://www.herbalcentre.co.nz * The International College of Herbal Medicine, in New Zealand. http://www.HerbCollege.com The UK Herb Society has a Herbs educational resources page with more UK schools: http://www.herbsociety.org.uk/education.htm The NIMH (the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, UK) also lists some schools; unfortunately, their list is rather out of date: http://www.nimh.org.uk ---------------------------------------------- 7.5 About correspondence schools, and licensing of herbalists ---------------------------------------------- From: tim.thorne.thorne.com (Tim Birdsall, ND) I have absolutely no quarrel with distance learning. However there is a substantive difference between getting an MBA by home study and getting a health care degree! How can you learn physical diagnosis without someone standing over your shoulder saying "No, the spleen is here." or "Yes, this person's liver feels enlarged." To the best of my knowledge, no other health care profession has any legitimate degrees offered exclusively via home study. ---------------------------------------------- 7.6 Accreditation of ND schools and ND licensing in the US ---------------------------------------------- From: Paul Bergner <bergner.concentric.net> Subject: Clayton School Someone recently posted that the Clayton School had obtained "accreditation". By what body, may I ask? Is it something recognized by the Department of Education, or is it some form of gratuitous self-accreditation? The test of legitimacy is whether students are eligible for government student loans. ---------------------------------------------- From Henriette: Clayton's "ND" degree won't get you a ND license in the states where ND licensing is possible. If you want a _real_ ND degree you need to attend one of the real ND schools mentioned above. ---------------------------------------------- The accrediting agency for naturopathic schools is the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), Eugene OR. http://www.cnme.org The CNME is accredited by the US Department of Education and is the only recognized licensing agency for naturopathic medical schools in the US. States in which you can get licensed as an ND: If you're an ND who has graduated from one of the eligible ND schools you can get licensed in these states: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Utah, after passing the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam (NPLEx). There are additional recognized ND licenses in Florida. No new licenses are being granted there, however. British Columbia and Ontaria currently license NDs who pass licensing exams and who have graduated from any of the legitimate naturopathic medical schools with an ND. Other resources: Federation of Naturopathic Medical Licensing Boards, Inc., 5002 W Glendale Ave, Ste 101, Glendale, AZ 85301, USA, phone 602-937-4756. American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), Seattle, WA. http://www.naturopathic.org/ ---------------------------------------------- 8 Related forums ---------------------------------------------- 8.1 Mailing lists ---------------------------------------------- Mailing lists have a distinct advantage over the online WWW chat pages: you don't have to be online. Just pull down your email from the server, and read and reply at leisure. It's lots cheaper for those of us who pay phone and/or ISP by the minute (this includes most Europeans). In addition the lists mentioned below there's Herbal Hall, a low-volume, high-quality list for professional herbalists, but that's by invitation only. Any other lists you think should be here? Any changes in the lists listed? You can try a search on "herb" on these list listers: http://groups.yahoo.com/ , http://www.topica.com , http://www.tile.net and http://www.lsoft.com . ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.1 The Herblist (Alive and well. Oct03) A high-volume list for discussions about herbal medicine and medicinal herbs. To subscribe: go to the mailman site: http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/herb or write to herb-request@lists.ibiblio.org with only the following text: subscribe Be sure to read the Rules before posting: http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/archives/herblist/rules.html Archives found here: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/archives.html ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.2 The Aromatherapy List (Alive and well. Mar02) To subscribe, write to list@idma.com with the following text: join aromatherapy The problem with this list, as per several emails in December 00 from former aromatherapy listmembers, is that it's become extremely chatty, with next to no aromatherapy posts. If that changes I'd appreciate an update. Two less contentious and slightly slower lists with aromatherapy: The Essentials List: to subscribe: write to essentials@naturesgift.com with just SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, and no text. ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.3 The Kombucha List (Alive and well. Dec00) To subscribe: write to kombucha-subscribe@topica.com Website here: http://lists.topica.com/lists/kombucha/ and here: http://w3.trib.com/~kombu/ Pretty good for newbies but mostly the same stuff over and over and over. Good FAQ. ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.4 The Paracelsus List (Alive and well. Oct03) Subscription is limited to practitioners, educators, researchers and students in alternative and conventional medical fields. To subscribe: visit this site: http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/paracelsus and follow the instructions, or write to paracelsus-request@lists.ibiblio.org with the following text: subscribe As part of the subscription approval process, send a biographical note indicating training, practice and interests to the list at paracelsus@lists.ibiblio.org. ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.5 The Homeopathy List (Alive and well. High volume, no chat. Dec00) To subscribe: write to homeopathy-request@lyghtforce.com with the subject: subscribe The archives for this list and a FAQ on homeopathy are kept on http://www.homeopathyhome.com/web/descriptions/homlist.shtml ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.7 The Culinary Herblist (Briefly alive in season. Oct03) This is the list for the gardening and use of culinary herbs: To subscribe: write to: Majordomo@oregonvos.net with the text: subscribe herbs-l Archives found here: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/archives.html ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.9 The Wellpet List (Alive and well. Dec00) A list for a holistic approach to animal health. To subscribe: write to: majordomo@imagicomm.com with the text: sub wellpet Webpage: http://www.listservice.net/wellpet/ ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.10 The Holisticat List (Alive and well. Chatty. Oct03). A chatty list for the use of nutrition, herbs, homeopathy, acupuncture etc. as it relates to cats. To subscribe: write to: majordomo@vlists.net with the text: subscribe holisticat OR the text: subscribe holisticat-digest The list FAQs, archived old posts, articles etc. are available here: http://www.holisticat.com ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.12 The Apothecary List (Almost dead. Mar02) A list for preparing oils, ointments and suchlike. I'm told that the chatters have moved on. To subscribe: write to: apothecary-request@kjsl.com with the text: subscribe ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.13 The HolisticBird List (alive and well. Oct03) The HolisticBird list focuses on natural health for birds. Most of the discussions are around bird diseases, nutrition, and herbs, but there is occasional contributions about homeopathy and other modalities. To subscribe: write to HolisticBird-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HolisticBird/ HolisticBird Newsletter http://www.holisticbirds.com HolisticBird Website http://www.holisticbird.org ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.14 The Toiletries List (Alive and well. Many many ads. Oct03) A list for various aspects of making your own lotions, cremes, soaps, personal care products, and related subjects. To subscribe: write to: 1Toiletries-subscribe@yahoogroups.com , URL: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/1Toiletries/ ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.16 The Aboutherbs List (Almost dead. Oct03) A list focused more on growing and preserving herbs. Animal health and natural beauty are ontopic, as are herbs for health. To subscribe: write to aboutherbs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Website found here: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/aboutherbs/ ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.17 The UK Herbal List (Alive and well. Oct03) The ukherbal -list for practitioners in Europe is closed, low on volume and high on quality. If you wish to join, and are a practitioner in Europe, send an email with your resume to gcwhite.ntlworld.comx (no x). ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.18 The Herbgardening List (Alive and well. Oct03) To subscribe: write to herbgardening-subscribe@yahoogroups.com , URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/herbgardening ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.19 The Forageahead List (Alive and well. Oct03) To subscribe: write to forageahead-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Website found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/forageahead/ ---------------------------------------------- 8.1.20 The HolisticPet List (Alive and well. Oct03) To subscribe: write to holisticpet-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Website found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HolisticPet/ ---------------------------------------------- 8.2 Related newsgroups ---------------------------------------------- You might want too check * alt.folklore.herbs (archives found here: http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/archives.html) * misc.health.alternative * rec.gardens * rec.gardens.edible * rec.food.preserving * bionet.plants * sci.med.* * alt.healing.flower-essence * alt.support.cancer.prostate * alt.support.sinusitis * alt.support.prostate.prostatitis * alt.support.* * alt.aromatherapy (comes complete with the usual complaint: 'my site doesn't carry this one' - well, mine doesn't, so I can't say what they talk about over there) ---------------------------------------------- 8.4 Newsgroup (and mailing list) netiquette ---------------------------------------------- Here's a good page on snipping as you go: http://learn.to/quote . Another good page is among the FAQs found in news:news.announce.newusers , a resource all usenet (= newsgroup) newbies should make themselves familiar with: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/posting-rules/part1/ The main rule is, contributors to these forums are real live people - so don't be a jerk. And remember, Things get Archived. All of usenet (except binary groups, but read their FAQs), and most mailing lists are plain text. Email, too, is plain text. That means you should not use any kind of html nor any kind of graphics in your posts and/or emails. Also please note that most people who've been around for a while use email and/or usenet programs that don't even see your nicely formatted text - they see the html code instead. <ht ml><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><font size="2">It's gibberish. Take my word for it.</font></body></h tml> Also, a lot of people (including most Europeans) still pay for their online time and/or their phone by the minute. Yes, European phone companies charge for local calls, too. Some Europeans even pay their ISP (internet service provider) by the byte. Html code and graphics in your posts and emails make for longer downloads, and thus, for higher cost. So change your habits -- and your email program settings. People on slow lines, people who pay by the minute or by the byte, and usenet and email "oldbies" will thank you for your consideration. ---------------------------------------------- 8.5 Dealing with spam and trolls ---------------------------------------------- Instead of fretting over commercial posts, we all should take a cool approach to the problem. Whenever I see a message like "Make quick cash!", "Great Anti-Cellulite Cream!", "Don't be Lonely!", "Earn $50,000 a week!" or something along those lines, I forward the message to the postmaster where the message originated from, explaining why I find the post inappropriate or offensive. Chances are that the postmaster will look into the issue and have a talk with the abuser, if not go ahead and cancel his/her account altogether (has been known to happen). If the offensive message originated at an academic institution, then I know I am going to get the sucker in a lot of trouble. Universities have strong policies about the misuse of their computer resources. It is likely that after receiving complaints, the offenders will lose their accounts, and in addition experience the wrath of some disciplinary committee. So, for the good sake of the net, if you see a commercial message posted by idiot.morons.are.us, forward the message with a piece of your mind to postmaster.morons.are.us. You will be doing everyone a favor. Gloria Mercado-Martin desidia.community.net ---------------------------------------------- The same goes for trolls. Also, the right thing to do about trolls is to report, killfile, and forget. If you react to a troll on a newsgroup you are feeding it. If you ignore the troll it'll go back under its bridge sooner or later. Trolling: sending off-topic and/or inflammable messages to newsgroups and/or mailing lists. For example, posting anti-herbal messages to a herbal newsgroup. A note on finding correct abuse addresses: I quite like http://www.spamcop.net You'll find more hints on news:news.admin.net-abuse.* - these newsgroups are very flammable because they attract the wrath of the spammers they fight, but you will find information on how to fight spam, unwanted ads, unwanted binaries in non-binary newsgroups, and UCE (unsolicited commercial email). Have fun! ---------------------------------------------- THE END. ---------------------------------------------- -- Henriette Kress, AHG Helsinki, Finland Henriette's herbal homepage: http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed