. The idea of working for another, at regular hours,without personal liberty, ignoring or suppressing one’s own agenda andinclinations over an entire lifetime is quite new and not at all healthy. It takescontinual subconscious applications of mental and psychic energies to protectourselves against the stresses of modern life, energies that we don’t know we’reexpending. This is also highly enervating. Thus to remain healthy we may neednutrition at levels far higher than might be possible through eating food; even idealfood might not contain enough vitamins to sustain us against the strains andstresses of this century.
And think about Dr. Pottenger’s cats. Our bodies are at the poorer end of a
century-long process of mass degeneration that started with white flour from theroller mill. Compared to my older clients I have noticed that my younger patientsseem to possess less vital force on the average, show evidence of poorer skeletaldevelopment, have poorer teeth, less energy, have far more difficulty breeding andcoping with their family life, and are far more likely to develop degenerativeconditions early. Most of my younger patients had a poor start because they wereraised on highly refined, devitalized, deficient foods, and grew up without muchexercise. Their parents had somewhat better food. Some of their grandparentsmay have even grown up on raw milk and a vegetable garden, and actually had towalk, not owning cars when they were young. Their great grandparents had a highlikelihood of enjoying decent nutrition and a healthful life-style.
Unfortunately, most of my patients like the idea of taking vitamins too much for
their own good. The AMA medical model has conditioned people to swallowsomething for every little discomfort, and taking a pill is also by far the easiest
thing to do because a pill requires no life-style changes, nor self-discipline, nor
personal responsibility. But vitamins are much more frugal than drugs. Comparedto prescriptions, even the most exotic life extension supplements are much lessexpensive. I am saddened when my clients tell me they can’t afford supplements.When their MD prescribes a medicine that costs many times more they neverhave trouble finding the money.
I am also saddened that people are so willing to take supplements, because I
can usually do a lot more to genuinely help their bodies heal with dietarymodification and detoxification. Of all the tools at my disposal that help peopleheal, last in the race comes supplements.
One of the best aspects of using vitamins as though they were healing agents is
that food supplements almost never have harmful side effects, even when they aretaken in what might seem enormous overdoses. If someone with a healthcondition reads or hears about some vitamin being curative, goes out and buyssome and takes it, they will at very least have followed the basic principle of goodmedicine: first of all do no harm. At worst, if the supplements did nothing for themat all, they are practicing the same kind of benevolent medicine that Dr. Jenningsdid almost two centuries ago. Not only that, but having done something to treattheir symptoms, they have become patients facilitating their own patience, givingtheir body a chance to correct its problem. They well may get better, but notbecause of the action of the particular vitamin they took. Or, luckily, the vitamin orvitamins they take may have been just what was needed, raising their body’s vitalforce and accelerating the body’s ability to solve its problem.
One reason vitamin therapies frequently do not work as well as they might is
that, having been intimidated by AMA propaganda that has created largely falsefears in the public mind about harmful effects of vitamin overdoses, the personmay not take enough of the right vitamin. The minimum daily requirements ofvitamins and minerals as outlined in nutrition texts are only sufficient to prevent themost obvious forms of deficiency diseases. If a person takes supplements at or
near the minimum daily requirement (the dose recommended by the FDA as being
‘generally recognized as safe’) they should not expect to see any therapeuticeffect unless they have scurvy, beri beri, rickets, goiter, or pellagra.
In these days of vitamin-fortified bread and iodized salt, and even vitamin C
fortified soft drinks, you almost never see the kind of life-threatening deficiencystates people first learned to recognize, such as scurvy. Sailors on long seavoyages used to develop a debilitating form of vitamin C deficiency that could kill.Scurvy could be quickly cured by as little as one lime a day. For this reason theBritish Government legislated the carrying of limes on long voyages and today thatis why British sailors are still called limeys. A lime has less than 30 milligrams ofvitamin C. But to make a cold clear up faster with vitamin C a mere 30 mg doesabsolutely nothing! To begin to dent an infection with vitamin C takes 10,000milligrams a day, and to make a life threatening infection like pneumonia go awayfaster might require 25,000 to 150,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily, administeredintravenously. In terms of supplying that much C with limes, that’s 300 to 750 ofthem daily—clearly impossible.
Similarly, pellagra can be cured with a few milligrams of vitamin B
3, but
schizophrenia can sometimes be cured with 3,000 milligrams, roughly a thousandtimes as much as the MDR.
There are many many common diseases that the medical profession does not
see as being caused by vitamin deficiencies. Senility and many mental disordersfall in this category. Many old people live on extremely deficient diets comprisedlargely of devitalized starches, sugars, and fats, partly because many do not havegood enough teeth to chew vegetables and other high roughage foods, and theydo not have the energy it takes to prepare more nourishing foods. Virtually all oldpeople have deficiency diseases. As vital force inevitably declines with age, thequantity and quality of digestive enzymes decreases, then the ability to breakdownand extract soluble nutrients from food is diminished, frequently leading to seriousdeficiencies. These deficiencies are inevitably misdiagnosed as disease or aging.
Suppose a body needs 30 milligrams a day of niacin to not develop pellagra,
but to be fully healthy, needs 500 milligrams daily. If that body receives 50milligrams per day from a vitamin pill, to the medical doctor it could not possiblybe deficient in this vitamin. However, over time, the insidious subclinical deficiencymay degrade some other system and produce a different disease, such as colitis.But the medical doctor sees no relationship. Let me give you an actual example.Medical researchers studying vitamin B
5 or pantothenic acid noticed that it could,
in what seemed to be megadoses (compared to the minimum daily requirement)largely reverse certain degenerative effects of aging. These researchers weremeasuring endurance in rats as it decreased through the aging process. How theymade this measurement may appear to some readers to be heartless, but the bestway to gauge the endurance of a rat is to toss it into a five gallon bucket of coldwater and see how long it swims before it drowns. Under these conditions, theresearcher can be absolutely confident that the rat does its very best to stay alive.
Young healthy rats can swim for 45 minutes in 50° Fahrenheit water before
drowning. Old rats can only last about 15 minutes. And old rats swim differently,less efficiently, with their lower bodies more or less vertical, sort of dog paddling.But when old rats were fed pantothenic acid at a very high dose for a few weeksbefore the test, they swam 45 minutes too. And swam more efficiently, like theyoung rats did. More interestingly, their coats changed color (the gray went away)and improved in texture; they began to appear like young rats. And the rats onmegadoses of B 5 lived lot longer—25 to 33 percent longer than rats not on largedoses of B
5. Does that mean “megadoses” of B 5 have an unknown drug-like
effect? Or does that mean the real nutritional requirement for B 5 is a lot higher
than most people think? I believe the second choice is correct. To give you anidea of how much B
5 the old rats were given in human terms, the FDA says the
minimum daily requirement for B 5 is about 10 milligrams but if humans took as
much B 5 as the rats, they would take about 750 milligrams per day. Incidentally, I
figure I am as worthy as any lab rat and take over 500 milligrams daily.
My point is that there is a big difference between preventing a gross vitamin
deficiency disease, and using vitamins to create optimum functioning. Any sickperson or anyone with a health complaint needs to improve their overallfunctioning in any way that won’t be harmful over the long term. Vitamin therapycan be an amazingly effective adjunct to dietary reform and detoxification.
Some of the earlier natural hygienists were opposed to using vitamins.
However, these doctors lived in an era when the food supply was better, whenmass human degeneration had not proceeded as far as it has today. From theirperspective, it was possible to obtain all the nutrition one needed from food. Inour time this is unlikely unless a person knowingly and intelligently producesvirtually all their own food on a highly fertile soil body whose fertility is maintainedand adjusted with a conscious intent to maximize the nutritive content of the food.Unfortunately, ignorance of the degraded nature of industrial food seems toextend to otherwise admirable natural healing methods such as Macrobiotics andhomeopathy because these disciplines also downplay any need for foodsupplementation.
Vitamins For Young Persons And Children
Young healthy people from weaning through their


. If
acute indigestion, one has cold hands and cold feet. If it is a heart at-tack you may not have cold hands and cold feet. They are treated ab-solutely differently.
Acute indigestion is gas forming in the stomach and puts pressure
on the heart. The heart has so much pressure on it that it cannot beat properly and goes to skipping. This causes chest pains very much like an angina or pectoris heart attack. Generally a pectoris heart attack is
caused by the high urea in the blood. If it is coming along rather slow-ly it will cause pain in the left arm a long time before you have chest pains.
These are problems that can be prevented with diet, and be
stopped forever. Someday a scientist will make an instrument that will be sold on the market so the people can use it and it will solve many of the common problems that are in the beginning of trouble or bad health for people. 95 The possibilities of what can be done with the Reams Biological
Theory of Ionization equation is so great it is uncomprehendable by
the human mind. We are truly marvel ously made, and it is a matter of
obedience to the rules that God has made, for us to be in good health.   96 CHAPTER 13
LOW BLOOD SUGAR

Approximately 80% of the people that are classified as having epi-
lepsy and on dilantin, or other drugs, are not epileptic.
They have low blood sugar. The low blood sugar is causing sei-
zures.
There are no two seizures alike. No one by watching can tell the
difference in whether it is an epileptic seizure or a low blood sugar seizure. The RBTI tests are the only tests that differentiate between an epileptic and a low blood sugar seizure.
A 27-year-old girl was brought in from Daytona Beach to be test-
ed in Orlando, and had been on dilantin since she was two and one-half years old. After the tests were made I said to her, "So you think you are an epileptic?" The people who had brought her were her neighbors, said, "We know she is an epileptic because she had a sei-zure on the way over here."
"I'm not talking about seizure. I'm talking about the cause of sei-
zures," I said.
I thought the lady had lied to me about her age because she looked
47 or 48 years old because she lived in fear of the next seizure. She was having as high as 15 seizures a day, and had to have someone with her around the dock. The dilantin and anything else they had tried was wearing out to where it no longer was effective.
I said to the lady, "I have news for YOU. You are not an epileptic,
you are having low blood sugar seizures. You may or may not believe me. I am going to give you food which I want you to begin taking now. Take it until you eat supper tonight. Then I am going to give you a diet, and I want you to follow it. I want to see you in two weeks. If you do exactly what I tell you, you will not have any more seizures."
She did not believe me at all. Neither did the people who were
with her.
Now they really thought I was a quack. I made up for her what can be made in most ordinary kitchens. 97 It was just a matter of mixing juices together that would fit her
body chemistry. It was something to keep her blood sugar from drop-
ping too low.
In a week the neighbors who brought her called saying, "This girl
has not had a seizure since starting on the diet."
"I didn't expect her to have any seizures. Bring her back in another
week," I said.
They brought her back and I gave her a diet to follow and told her
to come back in two months. In two months when she came back she looked her age. I then asked her to return in three months. When she came back she looked 20 years old! A year later she was able to get her driver's license. And a year later she was happily married. This is just one of the cases of a missed diagnosis, and the suffering this girl had gone through for nearly 25 years could have been eliminated if the RBTI tests had been used.
Another case was a 30-year-old man who was the head computer
operator in a modem company in Orlando. The job was demanding so much of his time until he was about to lose his family.
He was called on almost day and night and had no time for his
young family. He had taken the contract to put a computer system into the hospital. After a few years he began having very serious migraine headaches, and they were getting worse. It was on Labor Day 1960 that he called me from the hospital.
"Do you have a headache now?" I asked. "Yes," he said. "Get someone to drive you to my lab. I can get you over the mi-
graine headache in approximately 30 minutes."
I had to work him in between others needing dietary guidance on
the Biblical health message. I had already been arrested two or three times, so it didn't make any difference if I got arrested again.
Those who instigated my arrest had forbidden the doctors to use
my services. And the doctors who used my services, or wished to talk to me personally about their cases, came to me by night.
I told the girl in the office that the man was coming and to test him
as soon as he came and to bring me the result of the test. 98 When she brought the test I made up for the man four ounces of
juice to sip slowly for 30 minutes. I gave it to the girl to give him, and
didn't even go to see the man. I just said, "Give him this and tell him to sip it very slowly for 30 minutes, and his headache should stop when the 30 minutes are over." (This was not a drug.
This was a food that can be found in most homes.) "Tell him I
don't mean 28 minutes, and I don't mean  29 minutes, I mean sip it 30
minutes. But probably before the 30 minutes are over the headache will stop. And as soon as the head ache stops you have him come and
knock at the door." Nineteen or twen ty minutes later he knocked at the
door and I said, "Come in."
He came in and I said, "So you are the person who had the head-
ache are you?"
"Yes," he said, "I want five gallons of that stuff." "You don't need any of that any more at all," I said. "What do you mean? This is the first thing that stopped my head-
aches. I was told just today to eith er get rid of the headaches or my
company is going to get rid of me. I told them, 'You are the doctors, you get rid of it. I'll do anything you say.' They said, 'That's beside the point. You get rid of the headaches or we'll get rid of you.' And that is why I called you. Now then, you've got me rid of the headache with this for the first time and I want five gallons of it."
I said, 'Tm sorry but you don't need five gallons of it. The numbers
indicated your problem is tuna fish. You are allergic to tuna fish. Don't eat any more tuna fish and you won't have any more headaches."
"I like tuna fish! I eat it three or four times a week," he said. "Well, that's what is causing th e headaches. There may be some-
thing else you are allergic to. Come to see me in four to six weeks and let me know. But if you'll leave tuna fish alone you won't have any more headaches," I said.
In five weeks he called saying, "Mr. Reams, no more headaches. No more tuna fish. I'm fine." Tuna fish in this man's system was creating a pancreatic enzyme
reaction which was causing a displacement or confusion of the potas-sium and oxygen for the brain, and was short-circuiting before the 99 blood got in his brain because of th e particular poisoning this was to
his system. What I'm saying is that allergies are a mineral deficiency.
This is how accurate the RBTI tests are.
In this case you may ask, "How come if you eat tuna fish that has
mineral in it that it created  a mineral deficiency?"
The minerals in the fish prevented the minerals that he needed
from becoming available. In other words, the digested fish created a catalyst, which prevented the potassium and oxygen from performing its duty in the brain. It was as plain as the nose on your face to fix. So much suffering can be prevented when you work on cause rather than
effect.
Within the last year I had a call from a medical doctor who had
done a test on a two-year-old baby. The first question I asked after he read the lab test numbers to me was: "Does this baby have seizures? "
"No," said the mother. I then said, "The baby is in the zone for seizures. And since it does
not have seizures, I don't see what the problem is."
"The baby has convulsions," the mother replied. I said, "A convulsion and a seizure is the same thing. The problem
with the baby is low blood sugar." I knew it was that and for


 to assume that over 90 percent of the population is not following the prescribed protocol? I
don’t think so. Rather there is something fundamentally wrong with this “modern” war-on-bacteria
approach to preventing and treating tooth decay.
Chapter 1 References
1
 American Academy of Biologic Dentistry, May 1987 Iatrogenic Damage Due To High Speed Drilling by Ralph Turk, DDS, Germany
2
 Brown, E.H. & Hansen, R.T.
The Key to Ultimate Health
. Fullerton: Advanced Health Research Publishing; 1998:32-33.
3
 Hussain, Sharmila. "Chapter 15." Textbook of Dental Materials. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical, 2004. 258. Print.
4
 Ring ME (2005). "Founders of a profession: the original subscribers to the first dental journal in the world". The Journal of the
American College of Dentists 72 (2): 20–5.
5
 Huggins, H. A. DDS
It’s All In Your Head.
Garden City Park, New York: Avery; 1993:61.
6
 Breiner, M. DDS
Whole-Body Dentistry.
Fairfield: Quantum Health Press; 1999:59-60.
7
 Huggins, H. A. DR
It’s All In Your Head.
Garden City Park, New York: Avery; 1993:43-52.
8
 Breiner, M. DDS
Whole-Body Dentistry.
Fairfield: Quantum Health Press;
1999:137-138.
9
 Ibid., 79.
10
 Ibid., 78.
11
 Jeans, P.C.
A Survey of Literature of Dental Caries:
 Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences; 1952:251.
12
 Ibid., 251.
13
 Tooth Decay, FAQ, American Dental Association. Available at:
http://www.ada.org/public/topics/decay_faq.asp.
14
 Why is Sugar in Food, Sugar Association. Available At::
http://www.sugar.org/consumers/sweet_by_nature.asp?id=279.
15
 Osmotic pressure and bacteria – Science Encyclopedia http://science.jrank.org/pages/714/Bacteria.html
16
 CDS Review. “NIDCR Studies Oral Biofilms”. No author listed. January/February 2005, page 60.
17
 Howe, P. DDS. Further Studies of the Effect of Diet  Upon the Teeth and Bones
Journal of the American Dental Association
,
1923: 201
18
 Larmas, M.,
J Dent Res
 82:253 (2003)
19
 Schatz, A.
The New York State Dental Journal
: Vol. 38, No. 3: 285-295: May, 1972
20
 Roggenkamp, Clyde L., and John Leonora. "Foreward." Dentinal Fluid Transport : Publications of Drs. Ralph Steinman and John
Leonora. Loma Linda, CA: Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, 2004. XIV. Print.
21
 Ibid., VI.
22
 Surveillance for Dental Caries, Dental Sealants, Tooth Retention, Edentulism,
and Enamel Fluorosis—United States, 1988–1994 and 1999–2002. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5403a1.htm
23
 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002. National
Center for Health Statistics, CDC. Available at:
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/aag/pdf/oh.pdf.
24 Trends in Oral Health Status: United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Series 11, Number 248. 104 pp. (PHS) 2007-1698.Chapter 2
Dentist Weston Price Discovers the Cure
In 1915 prominent dentist Weston Price was appointed as the first research director of the National
Dental Association. A few years later the association changed its name to The American Dental
Association (ADA). In 1936, writing in the
Journal of the American Dental Association
 (which is
still in publication), Dr. Price painted a picture of tooth decay that was very different from the one we
have today. He wrote of people who did not use toothbrushes, yet were immune to tooth decay.
All groups having a liberal supply of minerals particularly phosphorus, and a liberal
supply of fat-soluble activators, had 100 per cent immunity to dental caries.
1
Let’s examine some of Dr. Price’s fascinating field studies of people immune to tooth decay.Lack of Nutrition is the Cause of Physical Degeneration
Dr. Weston Price realized that something was fundamentally wrong with the way we live and set out
to explore the world to find out what it was. During the 1930s, Dr. Price was able to document the
sharp decline in health experienced by previously healthy people who came into contact with modern
civilization. The revealing findings of Dr. Price, published in his excellent book
Nutrition and
Physical Degeneration
, along with his telling photographs, bring home the important fact that our
modern food and lifestyle are the primary causes of tooth decay.The Healthy People of the Loetschental Valley, Switzerland
In 1931 and 1932, Dr. Price traveled to the remote Loetschental Valley in the Swiss Alps. The people
of the valley lived in harmony with nature, which resulted in a seemingly peaceful existence. Dr.
Price wrote of the superior character and health of these people and the sublime lands of the isolated
valleys in the remote Swiss Alps:
They have neither physician nor dentist because they have so little need for them; they
have neither policeman nor jail, because they have no need for them.
2
This harmony is also evident in the production of food:
While the cows spend the warm summer on the verdant knolls and wooded slopes near
the glaciers and fields of perpetual snow, they have a period of high and rich
productivity of milk… This cheese contains the natural butter fat and minerals of the
splendid milk and is a virtual storehouse of life for the coming winter.
3
Reverend John Siegen, the pastor of the one church in the valley, told Dr. Price about the divine
characteristics of butter and cheese made from the milk of the grazing cows:
He told me that they recognize
the presence of Divinity
 in the life-giving qualities of the
butter made in June when cows have arrived for pasturage near the glaciers. He gathers
the people together to
thank the kind Father for evidence of his Being
 in the life-giving
qualities of butter and cheese when the cows eat the grass near the snow line... The
natives of the valley are able to recognize the superior quality of their June butter, and,
without knowing exactly why, pay it due homage.
4
(Emphasis added.)Isolated Swiss Alps Children Were Remarkably Healthy
©
Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation
, www.ppnf.org
Normal design of face and dental arches when adequate nutrition is provided for both the parents
and the children. Note the well developed nostrils.
5
 ( Original caption.)Modern Swiss Children Have Lost Their Health
© Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, www.ppnf.org
In the modernized districts of Switzerland tooth decay is rampant. The girl, upper left, is sixteen
and the one to the right is younger. They use white bread and sweets liberally. The two children
below have very badly formed dental arches with crowding of the teeth. This deformity is not due
to heredity.
6
 ( Original caption.)
It was neither good genes nor luck that kept these isolated Swiss in superb health. Dr. Price
continues:
One immediately wonders if there is not something in the life-giving vitamins and
minerals of the food that builds not only great physical structures within which their
souls reside, but builds minds and hearts capable of a higher type of manhood in which
the material values of life are made secondary to individual character.
7I want to offer you an opportunity to connect with this once healthy group of people. They are role
models for us, for living in health and relative peace. It is this way of being that has become lost in
the modern world of convenience and fast food. It is a result of our fall from grace. By sensing and
revering the holy nature of food, ancient cultures enjoyed vibrant health. In exchange for their
reverence of the life-giving vital force, especially that in the summer milk, the isolated Swiss
received health, aliveness, vitality and peace. Unfortunately in today’s world, the once profoundly
honored cow’s milk—unpasteurized and grassfed—which has brought health to people across the
globe for thousands of years, is being attacked by our own state and federal governments. This
healing food is attacked because as a whole, our culture is disconnected from the vital force of life,
and so real food has lost its meaning and value. It even becomes an enemy to be destroyed. When you
or your friends and family reconnect with real food, you reconnect with the goodness of life.
Nutrition of the People in the Loetschental Valley
The native Swiss diet consisted primarily of soured rye bread, summer cheese (consumed in a portion
about as large as the slice of bread but not as thick), which was eaten with fresh milk of goats or
cows. Meat was eaten once a


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Smiths Falls, Ont. K7A 1C3
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298–299. Do not exceed any dosages recommended. Always consult a professional practitioner if
symptoms persist. If taking prescribed medicines, seek professional medical advice before using herbal
remedies. T ake care to correctly identify plants and do not harvest restricted or banned species. So far as the
author is aware, the information given is correct and up to date as of July 2016. Practice, laws, and regulations
all change, and the reader should obtain up-to-date professional advice on any such issues. In addition, this
book contains general information on growing cannabis, which is a controlled substance in North America
and throughout much of the world. As the use and cultivation of cannabis and its derivative products can
carry heavy penalties, you should research your local laws before using the information in this book. The
author and the publisher expressly disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred
as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.
Third American Edition, 2016
First American Edition, 1996
This edition published in the United States in 2016 by
DK Publishing, 345 Hudson Street, New Y ork, New Y ork 10014
Copyright © 1996, 2001, 2016 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Text copyright © 1996, 2001, 2016 Andrew Chevallier
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
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001–285452–July/2016
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-1-4654-4981-8
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising,
or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New Y ork, New Y ork 10014
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see all there is to know
www.dk.comTHIRD EDITION
FIRST EDITION
Project Editor Penny Warren Editors Valerie Horn, Christa Weil
Senior Editor Rosie Pearson Senior Art Editor Spencer Holbrook
Designers Robert Ford, Jeremy Butcher, Rachana Devidayal
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US_004-005_Imprint_Contents.indd   4 26/02/16   4:42 pmContents
Introduction
THE DEVELOPMENT OF HERBAL MEDICINE
How Medicinal Plants Work
Active Constituents
Quality Control
Early Origins to the 19th Century
20th Century Onward
Herbal Traditions of the World
Europe
India and the Middle East
China, Japan, and Southeast Asia
Africa
Australia and New Zealand
North America
South America
KEY MEDICINAL PLANTS
A visual guide to 1 00 key herbs from around the world with
details of their habitat, constituents, actions, traditional
and current uses, and information on the latest research.
Also included are key preparations and practical self-help uses.
OTHER MEDICINAL PLANTS
450 other herbs from different herbal traditions with descriptions
of their therapeutic properties and past and present uses.
HERBAL REMEDIES FOR HOME USE
Growing Medicinal Plants
Harvesting & Processing
Making Herbal Remedies
Using Herbal Remedies Safely
Remedies for Common Ailments
Consulting an Herbal Practitioner
Glossary
Bibliography
General Index
Index of Herbs by Ailment
Useful Addresses & Acknowledgments6
8
10
14
17
18
28
32
32
36
40
44
46
48
52
54
156
284
286
288
290
298
299
320
321
322
323
332
336
US_004-005_Imprint_Contents.indd   5 26/02/16   4:42 pm
6Introduction
In the twenty years since the first edition of this encyclopedia in 1996, herbal medicine
has gone through unprecedented change. Herbs, which have always been the principal form
of medicine in developing countries, have again become popular in the developed world,  as people strive to stay healthy in the face of chronic stress and pollution, and to treat illness with medicines that work in concert with the body’s defenses. A quiet revolution has been taking place. Tens of millions of people now take herbs such as ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba, p. 100)
to help maintain mental and physical health, and increasingly people consult trained herbal professionals and naturopaths for chronic or routine health problems. Increasingly too, scientific evidence is accumulating to show that herbal medicines can provide treatment that  is as effective as conventional medicines but with few side effects. Sales of herbal medicines continue to grow year after year—by over 50 percent in the U.S. since 2000—and several mainstream pharmaceutical companies now manufacture and market herbal medicines.
Plant Medicines
The variety and sheer number of plants with therapeutic properties are quite astonishing. Some 50,000 to 70,000 plant species, from lichens to towering trees, have been used at
one time or another for medicinal purposes. Today, Western herbal medicine still makes use
of hundreds of native European plants, as well as many hundreds of species from other continents. In Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) about 2,000 plant species are considered to have medicinal value, while the Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists over 5,700 traditional medicines, mostly of plant origin.
 About 500 herbs are still employed within conventional medicine, although whole plants are
rarely used. In general, the herbs provide the starting material for the isolation or synthesis
of conventional drugs. Digoxin, for example, which is used for heart failure, was isolated from common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, p. 202), and the contraceptive pill was synthesized from constituents found in wild yam ( Dioscorea villosa, p. 91).
Ecological Factors
The increased use of medicinal herbs has important environmental implications. Growing
herbs as an organic crop offers new opportunities for farmers, and sometimes, especially
in developing countries, opportunities for whole communities. In northeastern Brazil,  for example, community-run herb gardens grow medicinal herbs that are sold to local hospitals. Doctors at the hospital then prescribe these medicines for their patients. The rise in popularity of herbal medicines, however, also directly threatens the survival  of some wild species. Demand for goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis, p. 105) has become so  great that it now fetches around $140 a pound (£170 a kilo). It was a common plant in the woodlands of northern America two centuries ago, but is now an endangered species, with its survival in the wild threatened by overcollection. This example is by no means unique, and, sadly, many species are similarly threatened across the planet. The extinction of plant species as a result of over-intensive collecting is nothing new. The herb silphion, a member  of the carrot family, was used extensively as a contraceptive by the women of ancient Rome.
US_006-007_Introduction.indd   6 26/02/16   4:42 pm7Silphion proved difficult to cultivate and was gathered from the wild in such large quantities
that it became extinct during the 3rd century ce.
 Today, if herbal medicine continues to grow at its present rate, it is imperative that
manufacturers, suppliers, practitioners, and the public use only produce that has been
cultivated or wildcrafted in an ecologically sensitive manner.
About This Book
In the past, books on herbal medicine have tended to focus either on the traditional and
folkloric use of plants or on their active constituents and pharmacology. The Encyclopedia
of Herbal Medicine, which features over 550 plants, aims to cover both aspects. It discusses
each plant’s history, traditions, and folklore, and explains in simple terms what is known from
scientific research about its active constituents, actions, and potential new uses.
 It is easy when concentrating on the scientific aspect of herbal medicine to forget that
much, in some cases all, that we currently know about a particular plant results from its
traditional use. Moreover, even when a plant has been well researched, herbal medicines are
so complex and variable that what is currently known is rarely definitive, but rather a sound
pointer as to how it works. Sometimes the traditional use, insofar as it is based on the
experience of practitioners, provides an insight into how best to use an herb that is missing
from scientific knowledge alone. Herbal medicine is, after all, both a science and an art.
 In choosing the plants profiled in the Encyclopedia, the aim has been to select herbs that are
commonly used in different parts of the world and are considered to have particular health


ral, cineole, limonene, and geraniole), mucilage, tannins, and flavonoids.
History & Folklore  Lemon verbena was
introduced to Europe in 1784. In Spain, France, and elsewhere in Europe, the infusion is a popular drink.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  An undervalued
medicinal herb, lemon verbena shares qualities with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, p. 113). Both herbs contain a strong lemon-scented volatile oil that has calming and digestive properties. Lemon verbena has a gentle sedative action and a reputation for
US_224-245_Jasmine_Harmala.indd   228 26/02/16   12:47 pm229 other medicinal plantsLonicera spp.
soothing abdominal discomfort. Its tonic effect on
the nervous system is less pronounced than that
of lemon balm, but it nonetheless helps to lift the
spirits and counter depression.
Related Species  Y erba dulce ( L. dulcis ), native
to Mexico, is used therapeutically as a demulcent
and expectorant remedy. In Mexico, many other
Lippia  species are used for their antispasmodic,
period-inducing, and stomach-soothing properties.
L. adoensis  is drunk as a tea in West Africa. See also
lippia ( Lippia alba, preceding entry ).
Self-help Use  Gas & bloating, p. 306.
Liquidambar orientalis
(Hamamelidaceae)
Levant Storax
Description  Deciduous tree growing to 20 ft
(6 m). Has purplish-gray bark, lobed leaves, and
small single yellow-white flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation  Levant storax is
found in southwestern Turkey. Storax balsam,
a viscid gray-brown liquid, is extracted from the
bark, which is pried off the tree in autumn.
Part Used  Bark extract.Mixed with witch hazel ( Hamamelis virginiana,
p. 102) and rosewater ( Rosa species ), levant storax
makes an astringent face lotion. In China, storax
balsam is used to clear mucus congestion and to
relieve pain and constriction in the chest.
Related Species  American storax ( L. styraciflua ),
which grows mainly in Honduras but is also found
farther north, has been used since the time of the
Maya for its healing properties.
Lobaria pulmonaria
(stictaceae)
Tree Lungwort
Description  Gray or light green lichen with
forked irregular lobes measuring up to 5⁄8 in
(1.5 cm) across.
Habitat & Cultivation  Found throughout
Europe, tree lungwort grows on trees and rocks
in woodland areas. It is gathered year round.
Part Used  Lichen.
Constituents  Tree lungwort contains a variety
of plant acids (including stictic and sticinic acid),
fatty acids, mucilage, and tannins.
History & Folklore  Tree lungwort has been
used since ancient times as a remedy for lung
problems. The Italian physician and herbalist
Pierandrea Matteoli (1501–77) recommended it for
healing pulmonary ulcers and for treating blood-
flecked phlegm. It was also used to treat wounds,
heal ulcers, reduce excessive menstrual bleeding,
relieve dysentery, and halt “choleric vomiting.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses  A beneficial but
underused remedy, tree lungwort has expectorant
and tonic properties. It aids in clearing congested
mucus, reduces phlegm, and helps to increase the
appetite. In a decoction sweetened with honey, it
is appropriate for all conditions that are marked by
chronic respiratory infections, especially coughs
and bronchitis. The plant also treats asthma,
pleurisy, and emphysema. Being astringent and
demulcent, tree lungwort makes a useful
treatment for pulmonary ulcers as well as for a
variety of gastrointestinal problems. It is highly
suitable for treating ailments in children.Parts Used  Root.
Constituents  Lomatium contains flavonoids,
coumarins, tetronic acids, and volatile oil.
History & Folklore  One of the most
important medicinal plants of the Pacific
Northwest, lomatium was “big medicine” for
Native Americans and widely used for respiratory
infections such as coughs, colds, and flu. In Nevada,
lomatium root was combined with yarrow ( Achillea
millefolium, p. 56) to treat sexually transmitted
diseases. In Oregon, a decoction of the root was
applied to horses to rid them of ticks. During the
1917 influenza epidemic an American doctor,
Ernest Krebbs, successfully used lomatium in his
own practice, after noting the effective use of
the herb by Native Americans.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Lomatium is
today used mostly by botanical practitioners in
North America to treat a broad range of viral
infections, from chronic fatigue syndrome to
influenza and herpes infections. A good tonic
herb, it promotes peripheral blood flow and
stimulates immune function. It is usually
combined with other herbs such as echinacea
(Echinacea spp., p. 92) or wild indigo root
(Baptisia tinctoria, p. 176).
Research  The tetronic acids have been shown to
be markedly antimicrobial and toxic to fish (Native
Americans used to place the fresh root in streams
or pools in order to stun fish). Preliminary studies
in Canada and the U.S. suggest that lomatium has
significant antiviral activity.
Cautions  A red measles-like rash, which
clears on stopping treatment, may develop
when taking lomatium. Like other members of
the carrot family, lomatium can increase sensitivity
to sunlight.
Levant storax  is used to relieve congestive chest problems.
Constituents  Levant storax contains cinnamic
acid, cinnamyl cinnamate, phenylpropyl cinnamate,
triterpene acids, and a volatile oil.
History & Folklore  Levant storax has been
the Liquidambar  species most commonly used
medicinally since the 19th century. Levant storax
is also employed as a fixative for perfumes.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Levant storax
balsam acts as both an irritant and an expectorant
within the respiratory tract, and it is one of the
ingredients of Friar’s Balsam, an expectorant
mixture that is inhaled to stimulate a productive
cough. In addition, levant storax balsam is applied
externally to encourage the healing of skin diseases
and problems such as scabies, wounds, and ulcers. Lomatium dissectum (Apiaceae)
Lomatium,
Toza
Description  Erect perennial, growing to 61⁄2 ft
(2 m), with a large woody taproot, divided,
triangular leaves, and flowers in flat-topped umbels.
Habitat & Cultivation  Native to coastal
and inland regions of western North America
from California as far north as British Columbia.Lonicera spp. (Caprifoliaceae)
Honeysuckle,
& Jin Yin Hua
Description  A climber growing to 13 ft (4 m)
that is deciduous (honeysuckle, L. caprifolium )
or semi-evergreen ( jin yin hua, L. japonica ). Has
paired oval leaves, yellow-orange (honeysuckle)
or yellow-white ( jin yin hua ) tubular flowers, and
red (honeysuckle) or black ( jin yin hua ) berries.
Habitat & Cultivation  Honeysuckle is
native to southern Europe and the Caucasus.
Jin yin hua  is native to China and Japan. Both
plants are commonly found growing on walls,
on trees, and in hedges. The flowers and leaves are
gathered in summer just before the flowers open.
Parts Used  Flowers, leaves, bark.
Constituents  In Europe, L. caprifolium  and
L. japonica  are often used interchangeably and
US_224-245_Jasmine_Harmala.indd   229 17/03/16   4:01 pm
230Lophophora wiLLiamsiiOther medicinal plantscontain approximately the same quantity of
volatile oil. Nonetheless, Romanian research
indicates that the Asian species contains a
much wider range of therapeutically active antiseptic compounds.
History & Folklore  Honeysuckle is one of
the Bach Flower Remedies, and in this system
of herbal cures it is believed to counter feelings of nostalgia and homesickness. Jin yin hua has long been used in Chinese medicine to “clear heat
and relieve toxicity.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Honeysuckle
flowers from both species can be successfully
used to treat fever, colds, and upper respiratory tract infections. The leaves are traditionally used
as a gargle for sore throats and as a mouthwash.
In Chinese herbal medicine, honeysuckle finds frequent use in inflammatory conditions,


 to cancer. Cancer of the prostate is not an uncommon condition, but it is rare
compared with the number of cases of enlarged prostate that develop.
Physicians say that the cause of prostatitis is unknown. We see in it another development out of
wrong life. Excesses in eating and drinking and in sex seem to be the most common causes.
Because no attention is given to these phases of the living habits of the sufferer, the condition tends
to grow progressively worse.
I recall a conversation I had with a man who suffered with prostatic enlargement but three years
ago. Describing his symptoms to me and the medical treatment he was getting, he added, “I eat like
a horse.” His physician had not instructed him about his eating, but was content to try to palliate
his discomforts with drugs and X-rays.
No satisfactory palliation for prostatic disease had been evolved. Operations to remove the
gland or part of it, injections to shrink the gland, and all other treatments that have been tried, have
proved to be highly unsatisfactory.
Why? Because there are no treatments that antidote wrong life. The
manner of living that results
in engorgement and enlargement—also called hypertrophy—of the prostate gland cannot be
counteracted by drugs and surgery. It will be necessary to correct the way of life.
When enlargement of the prostate and strangury (drop urine) have evolved, with their pain and
regrets, a good surgeon can end the patient’s misery—permanently. Thousands have died as a
result of prostatic operations. Perfect drainage is required for a successful operation on the
prostate gland and this is not possible.
For this reason, when a surgeon assures you. “The operation does not amount to anything; you’ll
be up and out in three days,” it would be well to ask him: “Out where?” All too often it is out in
the cemetery.
At present the better surgeons do not like to remove the prostate. Walter C. Alvarez, M.D., says
of this: “For myself I would have only one type of operation performed, and that would be the
transurethral, which is perfomed through a ligated tube which is passed down through the urethra.
“The only difficulty with this operation is that it requires much skill, and when much prostatic
tissue has been removed, the urologist must be able to operate with speed.”
With all the skill and speed the urologist may be able to exercise, the operation is still mere
palliation. It removes no cause, it restores no health. When cause is untouched it continues to build
more trouble.
At one time operations on the prostate gland were more popular than they are now. The loss of
popularity was due to the high death rate which seems to have been about twenty-five percent, and
to the great aftermath of trouble. The man who has an operation for enlargement of the prostate and
survives the operation has not settled his account with nature. Indeed, the resort to surgery almost
guarantees that he shall not be restored to health.
A troublesome prostate is the result of continued practice of habits that no self-respecting man
124will continue after he has learned the truth. From the systemic and not merely local effects of these
bad habits, surgery can provide but temporary relief.
Prostatic surgery is intended to enable ignorant old men to side-step the results of breaking the
laws of biology in their mental and physical habits. To give up the physical and mental bad habits
that build prostatitis will enable these patients to get well, providing the change of habits takes
place early enough.
Advanced prostatitis is a condition that can be completely remedied only in a small percentage
of cases, but those so afflicted can be taught how to live to make their lives more comfortable and
to greatly prolong life. Once the prostate gland has enlarged, there seems to be a strong tendency
for it to enlarge again on slight provocation. Even after it has been brought down to normal size, it
re-enlarges with ease and speed if the patient does not rigidly adhere to a healthful way of life.
I have seen prostate glands that were as large as baseballs and nearly as
hard—cases in which a
catheter (an instrument used to draw off urine) had been inserted and used because the passing of
urine was a painful process. The enlargement was reduced to nearly normal size in a week, the
hardness was entirely dissolved, so that urination was normal after proper care was given.
Commonly, however, more time than this is required to reduce the prostate.
In some cases it does not seem possible to reduce all of the enlargement, but it may be reduced
so that the urine flows freely, all discomforture in the back, hips and legs (and sometimes lumbago
and sciatica, which are not present all the time) are relieved. This is all accomplished by stopping
enervating habits, putting the patient to bed and stopping all food.
Men who have prostatic enlargement are forced to get up frequently at night to pass urine. The
irritated bladder will not retain urine in a normal manner. The nightly promenading interferes with
sleep and this results in further eneveration.
I have seen these patients who were forced to be up as many as fifteen to twenty times a night. I
have seen them, after a few days of fasting, sleep thirteen hours in a stretch without having to void
urine. Men who had great difficulty in passing urine were able to do so as freely as when they
were boys.
In only a small percentage of these cases is this improvement permanent. I have seen numerous
instances in which the enlargement recurred within two or three weeks. Overeating will result in a
speedy re-enlargment of the prostate. Nervous excitement, over-work, sexual excesses, and a
variety of other enervating indulgences will do the same. Tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol and other
stimulants quickly cause the enlargement to recur.
The fast in these cases provides only temporary relief if the way of life is not changed. The
engorgement and enlargement of the prostate gland may be reduced by a fast, but this is not all that
is necessary to the restoration of health. A short fast is certainly inadequate to reduce the prostate
more than a small amount. It will make urination easier and relieve some of the distress, but a few
days afterward the trouble will be as severe as ever, unless radical, sweeping changes in the ways
of life are made.
The fast may be used as a means of controlling the enlargement in those cases where it cannot be
permanently eliminated. If indiscretions in eating or in other facets of living have resulted in re-
enlargement of the gland, a fast of one to two days is commonly enough to restore a free urine flow
and relieve the discomfort and difficulty.
This may be repeated at intervals as need arises. But no amount of fasting will compensate for
the failure to correct completely the mode of life. If the way of life is not changed, fasting becomes
a mere palliative and, though far less harmful than other forms of palliation, leads the individual to
125depend upon palliation rather than a radical correction of cause.
12631
Gonorrhea
“I have gonorrhea; what shall I do?” The voice came over the telephone from a near-by city. The
caller was advised to fast at once, with rest.
“But I have to work, my business requires my attention. I cannot fast. Would it not be better to
take penicillin?”
Penicillin would suppress the symptoms he was told, but they would recur in a brief time. After
a short discussion, he decided to take penicillin. A few days later he called again and triumphantly
announced that he had taken penicillin, this being administered by a local physician, and that his
symptoms had all speedily cleared up. It was an old story, but one that he did not understand.
Several more days passed and he called again.
“The symptoms have returned,” he said. “What do I do now?”
Again he was advised to fast. Again he said that he could not fast. A fruit diet was urged. He
said he would try it. Eventually, after repeated failures by other methods, he went on a fast and
was soon free of his symptoms with no recurrence.
“Failure Against Gonorrhea.” was the significant title of a press release made in December,
1962, by the World Health Organization. The experts on gonorrheal infection of WHO reported
that “in spite” of the widespread employment of penicillin and other “powerful anti-biotics”
complete failure to control gonorrhea throughout the world had been registered.
Instead of wiping out the disease as the first optimistic prediction promised us, there had been
for a few years an increase in the number of cases. They estimated that there are 60,000,000 new
cases of gonorrhea each year in the world, an incidence that they blame largely on the teen-agers—
young people who had been taught that a shot of penicillin will “fix you up” in jig time.
Figures the Committee accumulated reveal that gonorrhea is more common between the ages of
fifteen and twenty-five than at any time in the past.
Many sections of the United States have reported an alarming increase in venereal disease that
is swamping clinics and control centers. Just to take the figures released in 1962 by one state,
California: 26,932 cases of gonorrhea were officially reported by physicians.
Compare this with 14,697 cases reported in 1955. It is


 dietetic righteousness, or,
Fletcherism, is habituating the body to practisethat Eternal Vigilance, which is
THE PRICE  OF FREEDOM  FROM  INDIGESTION.
It should be much easier to install a habit of
carefulness than it is to permit habits ofcarelessness. It is possible so to sensitize themuscles which control swallowing that they willrefuse to act and will cause choking if anattempt to swallow prematurely is made.Systematic attention to this detail of care for a
week will secure it as a permanent habitwithout need of any further attention to it.
The statement that it is easier to do the right
thing than it is to do the wrong thing : and thatit is easier to fix firmly good habits than it is toacquire bad habits ; will probably be questionedor disputed by many; but practice of theprinciples which underlie Fletcherism will curesuch pessimism relative to the attitude ofMother Nature towards her most perfectproduct in general, Man.
Man is given more liberty and more license
than any other natural expression and, with theendowment which we call " intelligence," he israised to a position of partnership in assistingnatural evolution and progress.
From inklings of experience it is reasonably
inferred that Man is more susceptible toevolutionary influence than any of the animalkind ; that he can ever progressively trainhimself towards higher and highersupermanhood ; that he is able to performmarvels in taming and training other animalsand in perfecting plant life to prodigiousproportions. He is even " gifted " to the extent of
overcoming, harnessing, and using at will the" forces of Nature," and dispelling the mysteries.He can only do this, however, by co-operatingwith Nature in the most intelligent and faithfulmanner.
To ascertain Nature's requirements of
preferences it is necessary to begin with thefirst essentials of care, the nutrition of the bodyand the management of the mind. These basicessentials are the first concern of Fletcherismand really the crux of the ScientificManagement of the Highest Efficiency.
One of the most important discoveries in the
development of Fletcherism is the fact that
MUSCLES  HAVE  MEMORIES.
The usefulness of this discovery rests in the
knowledge that it is possible to make themuscles connected with nutrition commit tomemory the sequences of procedure in theprocesses of nutrition which accomplish themost profitable results, and then pass on toother details of responsibility care-free andthought-free, fully confident that everythingwill go on as Nature would have it go.Without beginning this discipline of the
muscular equipment at the right point and inthe right manner, no solid structure ofEfficiency-Building can be secured. Any amountof indigestion, or unnecessary strain put uponmetabolism, interferes with the smooth workingof the organism in the same way that aninfinitesimal weight put at the tip end of thelong arm of a lever multiplies the burden ofresistance at the short end many, many fold.
Therefore, the Crux of Fletcherism is found
in first training the muscular and mentalapparatus to proceed with thorough deliberationrelative to every thing taken into the body, forfrom this intake, and especially from themanner of the handling of this material alongthe line of the alimentary canal, come efficiencyor inefficiency.
It is first necessary to know what you want
the muscles to habituate themselves to doing inconnection with nutrition. They must learn toknow what constitutes a true appetite, incontradistinction to indefiniteness of want ordesire. The muscles will soon learn to know thatreal hunger (body need) is not expressed by anyuncomfortable feelings below the guillotine line.
Only in the head, where the senses are allbunched together for the most importantteamwork, is honest hunger sensed. We mayrightly add to the list of the senses, Appetite,and trust it with confidence to tell us what thebody can use to advantage of the foods availableat the time. That the foods are appetizing is theonly recommendation necessary to a set ofmuscles trained to treat them as Naturerequires when they enter the laboratory of themouth.
Connected with the training of the, mouth-
muscle outfit, there is the one standing order.Challenge everything applying for entrance,whether by special invitation or in the way ofsurprise, by testing it for taste-acceptability atthe tip of the tongue. Then keep on tasting andtesting, with reverential appreciation of thegustatory delight there is in it, in the fullknowledge that both digestion and assimilation,which are the prime necessities of nutrition, arehealthfully stimulated by accentuatedenjoyment.It is not necessary to dwell intensively on
sensual enjoyment of the material beingautomatically handled by the methodicalmuscles. The pleasant sense sensationssurrounding taste may serve as anaccompaniment to agreeable conversation, tothe delight of beauty in any form, to flowers, tomusic, to graceful and vivacious femininity, orto any sort of charm, with added strength givento the effect on wholesome nutrition.
So much for the usefulness of the mouth-
muscles, including that most wonderful ofmuscles, the tongue, in assisting in thehealthful stimulation of nutrition. Their mostimportant office is to stand guard against thecontingencies that are liable to happen whichare prejudicial to digestion. If there is worry inthe atmosphere : " Don't let anything into themouth on pain of court-martial and suffering! "Those are the " orders of the day " for thesentinel muscles of the mouth, serving at theouter entrance of the alimentary canal.
In the category of  " worry " are included
anger, argument, blues, or any other of thedepressant passions, and no food or drink, otherthan water, should be admitted to the canal
while any form of depressants are beingsuffered. We must agree in the first place that itcan do no harm to wait for a clearance of themental atmosphere. Real hunger is not apainful craving for something or anything, butis a most accommodating waiter for finalcollection of all the taste dividends there aredue in a big lump sum to compensate for notgetting them by instalments. Consequently, ifthe mental atmospheric conditions are notfavourable to the best nutrition, the best way toclear them is to wait. Nothing is so forceful inmaking one modify or forget passing clouds ofpain or disappointment as growing healthyHunger.
The mouth-muscles soon learn to know this
beautiful provision of Mother Nature, wherebydeferred collections by appetite are paid withcompound interest sometimes sure, if by thewaiting process the mental atmosphere iscleared of the elements of digestive lightningand thunder.
How delightful it is to be assured that the
best way to secure the best nutrition is theeasiest way and that it can be quickly installed
as a habit, so that attention to the mechanics ofthe care is not necessary, leaving the wholebattery of appreciation to employ itself with thegustatory festival.CHAPTER XV
FLETCHERISM AND VEGETARIANISM
MEAT ERS AND MEAL ERS
The Danger of Excess of Protein—The Use of Meat—Meat and Uric
Acid—To Sum Up—Profitable Economy.
IN the warfare against the " Demons of
Dietetic Disturbances " most of the volunteerrecruits go into the camp of the Meal ers, that is
they become vegetarians, quasi- vegeiarians,  or
partial vegetarians, and array themselvesagainst human carnivorous habits andpractices. They are comparatively few innumbers, but make up in enthusiasm what theylack in numerical strength. Some of them basetheir objection to meat-eating on physiologicalgrounds, others on sentimental susceptibility,and yet others are influenced by reasons ofeconomy.
With world-wide and centuries-old evidence
before me in forming an opinion, I say withouthesitation that the weight of argument is infavour of a meatless diet most, if not all, of thetime, and that all who subsist on the first-handfruits of the soil and do not resort to
cannibalism, except in cases of emergency, areon the safer side.
THE DANGER  OF EXCESS  PROTEIN.
To mention the greatest danger from using
meat for nutrition first, we find it almostimpossible to eat most meats without takinginto the organism more protein (nitrogen) thanis required for repair of the broken-downtissues; and we now know that any excess ofprotein or nitrogen imposed upon the body isnot good for it. Large excess is positively deadlyin its final effects, and many, if not all of the so-called uric-acid troubles or diseases are tracedto such abuse.
Not only are the kidneys worn out long before
their time, but high blood-pressure is one of thebaleful results that lead to untimely demise. Tobe sure, persons are reported to have lived tonear or quite an hundred years of age ashabitual meat ers, but their occupations or
activities have been favourable to burning upthe dregs of metabolism, and the belief isreasonable that if they had not been thus self-abusing during the first century of their life
they might have gone quite a piece into thesecond century with their matured experience,example, and wisdom, serving the world to goodadvantage.
THE USE OF MEAT.
That meat is an emergency expedient in the
natural nutrition of man is pretty certain.Strictly speaking, we are all of us subsisting onmeat all of the time, but it is only one degree
removed from the vegetable kingdom, when we
ingest only the first fruits of the soil, asvegetarians do, and make meat of it within us.The vegetable nutriment is transformed


 a sugary breakfast cereal in the morning you feel
hungry again in an hour. That is hypoglycaemia. What do people usually
have at that time in the morning to satisfy their hunger? A biscuit, a choco
late bar, a coffee or something like that, and the whole cycle of hyper -
hypoglycaemia begins again. This up and down blood-glucose roller-
coaster is extremely harmful for anyone, let alone our GAPS children and
adults. It has been proven that a lot of hyperactivity, inability to concen
trate and learn, aggression and other behavioural abnormalities in school
children are a direct result of this glucose roller coaster. The hypergly-
caemic phase produces a feeling of a "high" with hyperactive and manic tendencies and self-stimulation in autistic children, whilst the hypogly-
caemic phase makes them feel unwell, often with a headache, bad mood,
tantrums, aggression and general fatigue with excessive sweating (FIG. 4}.
Another important point about processed carbohydrates is their detri
mental effect on the gut flora. We have talked in detail about the crucial
role of the normal gut flora in the health. Processed carbohydrates feed
pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the gut, promoting their growth and pro
liferation. Apart from that they make a wonderful glue-like environment in
the gut for various worms and parasites to take hold and develop. All these
micro-creatures produce toxic substances going into the bloodstream and
literally "poisoning" the person. The more processed carbohydrates with or
without gluten you give your GAPS child or adult, the more "toxic" he or
she will become and the more autistic, schizophrenic, hyperactive or other
symptoms you will see.
In the previous chapters we have looked in detail at the state of the
immune system in GAPS patients. Compromised immunity plays an
important role in GAPS development. By negatively altering the gut flora
processed carbohydrates will play an important part in damaging the
person's immune system. However, on top of that there is ample evidence
showing that processed foods, particularly processed carbohydrates and
sugar, directly weaken the functioning of macrophages, natural killer cells
and other white blood cells and undermine systemic resistance to all infec
tions. An immune-compromised person who has sugary drinks and crisps
daily, will worsen their immune system's condition by these food choices.
Let us have a look at some of the most common forms of those pro
cessed carbohydrates.
Breakfast cereals
They are supposed to be healthy, aren't they? That is what numerous TV
advertisements tell us. Unfortunately, the truth is just the opposite.
• Breakfast cereals are highly processed carbohydrates, full of sugar, salt
and other unhealthy substances. A bowl of breakfast cereal will start
your child's day with the first round of the blood-sugar roller coaster
with the all too familiar behaviours for you to deal with.
• Being a great source of processed carbohydrates, breakfast cereals
feed abnormal bacteria and fungi in the gut, allowing them to produce
a new portion of their toxins perpetuating the vicious cycle of GAPS. FIG. 4 Blood-glucose roller coaster. • What about fibre? The manufacturers claim that with a bowl of their
product you will get all the fibre you need. Unfortunately it is the
wrong kind of fibre for GAPS patients. The fibre in breakfast cereals
is full of phytates - substances that bind essential minerals and
take them out of the system, contributing to a patient's mineral
deficiencies.
• There has been an interesting experiment performed in one of the
food laboratories. They analysed the nutritional value of some brands
of breakfast cereals and the paper boxes in which these cereals were
packaged. The analysis showed that the box, made of wood pulp, had
more useful nutrients in it, than the cereal inside. Indeed, breakfast
cereals have got very low nutritional value. To compensate for that the
manufacturers fortify them with synthetic forms of vitamins, claiming
that by eating your morning bowl of this cereal you will get all your
daily requirements of those vitamins. Well, the human body is not that
simple, it has been designed to recognise and use natural vitamins,
coming in natural food form. That is why synthetic vitamins have a
very low absorption rate, which means that most of them go through
and out of your digestive tract without doing you any good. Then,
whatever amount of those vitamins does get absorbed is often not
recognised by the body as food and gets taken straight to the kidneys
and excreted in urine. We have a new syndrome in our modern pill-
popping society - a syndrome of expensive urine.
So, no matter what the advertisements say, there is nothing healthy in
breakfast cereals for the GAPS child or an adult.
Crisps and chips and other starchy snacks
Crisps, chips and popcorn, a backbone of children's diet nowadays, are
highly processed carbohydrates with a detrimental effect on the gut flora.
But that is not all: they are saturated with vegetable oil, which has been
heated to a very high temperature. Any oil that has been heated has got
substances called trans-fatty acids, which are unsaturated fatty acids with
altered chemical structure. What they do in the body is to replace the vital
omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in cellular structure, making the cells
dysfunctional. Consuming trans-fatty acids has a direct damaging effect on
the immune system. They are known to increase the activity of Th2 and
weaken Thi immunity. As you remember, the Thi immunity is already sup-pressed in many GAPS patients and Th2 overactive. Cancer, heart disease,
eczema, asthma, many neurological and psychiatric conditions have been
linked to trans-fatty acids in the diet. For a full story about fat processing
please look in the chapter: Fats: the good and the bad.
Recently another strong argument appeared against consuming crisps
and chips:
TheAcrylamides story
In the spring of 2002 the Swedish National Food Administration and
Stockholm University reported that they found highly neurotoxic and car
cinogenic substances in potato crisps, French fries, bread and other baked
and fried starchy foods. These substances are acrylamides. Scientists in
Norway, UK and Switzerland have confirmed this finding. They have also
found acrylamides in starchy foods, fried or baked at high temperatures.
Recently, instant coffee has been added to the list of foods containing these
highly dangerous substances. The World Health Organisation, United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the US Food and Drug
Administration have set a plan to identify how acrylamides are formed in
foods and what can be done to eliminate them, since they can cause
cancer, neurological damage and infertility. Acrylamides are so harmful to
health, that there are certain maximum limits set for these substances in
food packaging materials. For years government agencies paid a lot of
attention to controlling the amount of acrylamides in the plastic food
packaging, but nobody looked at the food inside that packaging. Now it has
been discovered that some foods inside these plastic packets have incredi
bly high amounts of acrylamides, way above all allowed limits. The acry
lamides story provides another reason for the GAPS child or adult to avoid
crisps, chips and other starchy snack foods.
Wheat
Cutting out gluten is recommended for autism, schizophrenia and coeliac
disease, so gluten-free wheat products become a major part of their diet.
But let us have a look at wheat as a whole with gluten or without it. Virtually
nobody buys wheat as a grain and cooks it at home, we buy foods made of
wheat flour. The flour arrives at bakeries in pre-packaged mixes for differ
ent kinds of breads, biscuits and pastries. These mixtures are already pro
cessed with the best nutrients lost. Then they are "enriched" with preserva-tives, pesticides to keep the insects away, chemical substances to prevent it
absorbing moisture, colour and flavour improvers, softeners, just to men
tion a few. Then the bakerymakes breads, pastries, cakes, biscuits, etc., out
of these chemical cocktails for us to eat. The producer is quite happy to
take the gluten out of these mixtures and make gluten-free products. So,
you will get all the processed carbohydrate with all the chemical additives
in it, but this time without gluten. Once swallowed, a piece of white bread
turns into a glue-like mass, which feeds parasites and pathogenic bacteria
and fungi in the gut, contributing to the general toxic overload a GAPS
patient already has got Being a staple in the western world, wheat is also a
number one cause of food allergies and intolerances.
Sugar and anything made with it
Sugar was once called a "white death" It deserves 100% of this tide. The
consumption of sugar in the world has grown to enormous proportions in
the last century It is estimated that an average western person consumes
about 160-200 lb. of this highly processed substance per year. Sugar is
everywhere and it is hard to find any processed food without it Apart from
causing the blood-glucose roller coaster and having a detrimental effect on
the gut flora, it has been shown to have a direct damaging effect on the
immune system, which


tempted by such foods, even if during the long treatment they did fantasize about some “forbidden
fruit” or other. Above all, they find anything salty quite distasteful. On the saltless Gerson regime
their taste buds have recovered from the paralysis caused by the highly salty foods of the past;
now they find anything salty unpleasant and even offensive. (Just like former smokers, who find
it impossible to stay in a smoky room, let alone start smoking again.)
Of course once a recovered patient is in a truly good condition, with all systems working
well, it is all right to attend a banquet, a wedding, or a birthday celebration and “binge” a little.
But afterwards digestive enzymes should be taken for a few days, accompanied by a daily enema,
to get rid of the mess and feel good again. Please don’t discard your enema bucket. An “upside
down coffee”, in Gerson parlance, helps if you have a headache, a toothache, even an incipient
cold or a general malaise. Also, hang on to your Norwalk or other juicer, instead of switching over
to bottled juices; they won’t help to keep you well.
Patients who had been very seriously ill must take extra precautions to preserve their new-
found health. We suggest that however long they have been off the therapy, they should go back
on the full intensive program for two weeks twice a year. (Spring and Fall, the times of seasonal
changes are best for the purpose.) During those two weeks they should drink10-13 juices a day,
eat only freshly prepared organic foods, avoid animal proteins and take 3 or more enemas daily.
If this return to the strict Gerson protocol produces a healing reaction, which these patients would
recognize at once, the body is obviously clearing up some fresh damage, and the strict program
should be extended for another two weeks. If, however, no new symptoms pop up, the patient is
doing well and can stop the “refresher course” after two weeks.
The Art of Maintenance
Originally Dr.Gerson suggested that recovered patients should maintain their good health
by ensuring that 75% of their diet consisted of “protective” foods, namely organic fruit and
vegetables high in nutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes, to keep the immune system in
prime condition. The remaining 25% of food was to be “at choice”. Unfortunately this division
is no longer applicable, since the freely chosen foods would be far too damaging. We therefore
have to urge former patients to stay with 90% of “protective” foods, and have at most 10% of their
intake consist of freely chosen items.
Even so, they should NEVER return to fast foods, junk foods containing pesticides, food
additives and other toxic stuff, and most certainly not touch items such as hot dogs, spiced
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 164Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.commeats and sausages laced with preservatives, or cheese—the very foods that contributed to the
breakdown of their health in the first place. However, if some serious dietary indiscretion occurs,
it is wise to go back on the full therapy for a few weeks and clear up the body, rather than risk
long-term damage. Needless to say, great care must be taken with alcohol; very occasionally a
little wine may be enjoyed, but only if it is organic. Commercially produced wines, made from
frequently sprayed grapes, are to be avoided.
If you know what to avoid and what to hang on to, maintenance quickly becomes an easy
and pleasant routine. And the answer to the question, “Is there life after Gerson?” is a clear and
resounding YES!
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 165Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 24
Psychological Support for
the Gerson Patient
By Beata Bishop
Gerson patients and others interested in the therapy often wonder why, apart from one or two
passing references, the psychological aspect of healing does not figure in Dr. Gerson’s
epoch-making book.1  The reasons for this apparent omission are simple. For one thing, Dr. Gerson
wrote his book solely from the point of view of the physician-scientist, excluding all other
considerations. For another, psycho-oncology, a branch of psychology specializing in the care of
cancer patients, did not come into being until the early 1960’s, after Dr. Gerson’s death. However,
by now it has become an important specialty in its own right that needs to be included in any
healing protocol claiming to be holistic.
Holistic medicine is based on the insight that body and mind are two sides of one coin; they
sicken together and must be healed together. Whatever affects the one will affect the other. This
is particularly relevant to the Gerson Therapy, whose powerful effects extend beyond the body to
the patient’s non-physical self as well. While detoxifying the body, the combined impact of the
juices, the food and the coffee enemas reaches the brain and the central nervous system, causing
strong emotional reactions, mood swings and uncharacteristic behavior in the unsuspecting
patient. For that reason alone—and it is not the only one—the psychological side of the healing
journey must be properly understood and adequately handled. Neglecting it poses the risk of
some repressed psychological problem sabotaging the therapeutic process.
Since body and mind interact and influence each other every moment of our lives, it makes
sense to try to ensure that both are in good condition. The therapy works on the body—but what
about the psyche, the inner world of emotions and drives, and is it really important that they, too,
should be in good health? The answer is yes—and here is why:
There is now solid scientific evidence to prove that our moods, emotions and general outlook
have a direct and measurable impact on our immune system. The proof comes from psycho-
neuro-immunology (PNI), a new medical specialty, which has been rapidly developing since
the late 1970s, thanks to a better understanding of brain chemistry and of the subtle connections
that exist on the cellular level of the organism. Put briefly, the limbic system of the brain and the
central nervous system releases certain hormones that fit into receptor sites located throughout the
body, causing them to release other hormones. The quality of these hormones determines whether
the immune system is boosted or weakened, switched on or off; and that quality, in turn, depends
on our emotions, prevailing mood, beliefs and self-image.
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 166Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comA positive, hopeful, determined attitude strengthens immune competence, while despair,
negativity and fear weaken it. A traumatic event or lasting depression can overwhelm our cells
and disturb their normal functioning. In that light our every thought and feeling can be seen
as a biochemical happening.  According to neuroscientist Dr. Candace Pert 2, co-discoverer of
endorphins,  “Cells are conscious beings that communicate with each other, affecting our emotions
and choices.” It is equally true that our emotions and beliefs af fect the activity of our cells.
Fear Is The Enemy
As a recovered Gerson patient and practicing psychotherapist myself, I know the devastating
emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis. It is a major trauma, which evokes powerful emotions:
panic, shock, rage—or hopeless resignation and numbing despair. To make things worse, there
is also a sense of isolation, as if having cancer excluded one from the rest of humanity and from
normal everyday life. But the overriding and overwhelming feeling is fear. I know this profound
fear from my own experience, and that of the many patients I have worked with over the past 23
years. Although there are many other life-threatening diseases, probably none of them is able to
induce the same abject, debilitating fear as cancer.
 There are good reasons for this. One is the growing incidence of the disease. Most people
know someone who has died of cancer after much suffering, having endured drastic treatments
with horrendous side effects but no hope of a cure. To find oneself suddenly confronted with
the same fate is truly terrifying for all those who see a cancer diagnosis as an automatic death
sentence. Then there is a non-rational fear, too, that interprets cancer as an intruder, an evil alien
that has breached our defenses, is growing and spreading beyond our control and will eventually
kill us. Panic-stricken patients are in no state to realize that tumors don’t come from outer space
but from their own malfunctioning organisms, where ‘law and order’ on the cellular level has
broken down.
 The shock of the diagnosis is usually made worse by the average physician’s way of
announcing it. Doctors are not trained in the art of communication. They hate to give bad news
and protect themselves by becoming withdrawn, remote and cold, at the precise moment when
the sick person would most need human warmth and support. If the patient then


ine
deficiency.
17
 The proportion of the United States population with moderate to severe iodine deficiency (less than 50μg/L in urine)
has increased by over 450 percent from 1970-2000; from 2.6% in NHANES I (1970) to 11.7% in NHANES II (2000).
18
Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse. Researchers reported in 2005 that 16.8 percent of women of childbearing age had
moderate to severe iodine deficiency. In 2008, the latest data available, 14.6%
of women of childbearing age were found to be
moderately to severely iodine deficient.
19

Figure 18
 (previous page) shows the increasing prevalence of moderate to severe
iodine deficiency over the last 38 years.
A study of 100 healthy, pregnant Bostonians found that 50% were ingesting below the recommended daily allowance of
iodine (220μg/day) and 9% were felt to have moderate to severe iodine deficiency (less than 50μg/day on a urine analysis).
20
FINAL THOUGHTS
Iodine is a crucial item needed by a fetus for normal neurological development. Unfortunately, iodine deficiency is not rare in
the U.S. Keep in mind that iodine levels have fallen over 50% during the last forty years. And, iodine deficiency is occurring at
epidemic rates in women of childbearing age. Unless we correct this public health problem, I do not see U.S. childhood health
improving. The next chapter will expand on this concept.
I can’t emphasize this point enough: It is important for every woman to have her iodine levels tested before pregnancy and to
supplement with iodine when needed.
How much iodine is that? In an optimal situation, the dose should be individualized for the particular patient. However, many
patients cannot find iodine-knowledgeable health care practitioners. Researchers believe the average Japanese intake of iodine is
approximately 12-13mg/day. I have not found
problems with this dose for the vast majority of patients that I have treated.
One final thought; keep in mind that it is important to ensure adequate iodine intake for all ages—that includes children after
they are born. More information about childhood dosing of iodine can be found in
Chapter 10
.
1
 Thyroid. Vol. 21 N. 4. 2011
2

CDC.gov
. NHANES data.
3
 Thyroid. Vol. 23. N. 8. 2013 p. 927-937
4
 Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 2012. 26 (Suppl. 1), 108-117
5
 In Stanbury, JB (ed). The Damaged Brain of Iodine Deficiency. N.Y. 1994pp. 195-2000
6
 Thyroid. Vol. 19. N. 5. 2009. 511-519
7
. Clin. Endocrin. And Metab. 98:1954-62. 2013
8
 Int. J Vit. Nutr. Res. 65:199-205 1995
9
 Ind. J. of Public Health. 40:10-12 1996
10
 Lancet. 1997. Sep. 13; 350(9080):771-3
11
 From
http://www.lilly.ca/searchable/cons/children.htm
 Accessed 11.15.0812
 J. Clin. Endocrin. Metab. E Pub ahead of print. 11.21.08 as doi:10.1210/jc.2006-1901
13
 J. of Clin. Endocrin. and Metab. Feb. 1, 2007, Vol. 92, N. 2. p. 437-442
14
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Scie. USA 75:45-49 1978
15
 Pediat. Res. 52: 137-47 2002
16
 Thyroid. Vol. 21 N. 4. 2011
17
 WHO/NHD/01.1
18

CDC.gov
19
 Thyroid. Vol. 21 N. 4. 2011
20
 Thyroid. 2004; 14:327-8Chapter 10
Children, ADHD, Autism, and Iodine
CHAPTER 10: CHILDREN, ADHD, AUTISM, AND IODINE
Dawson, at 7 years old, was driving his parents and his teachers crazy. “He is constantly up and down. He can’t pay
attention. He can’t focus. His teachers are always complaining to me,” his mother (Stephanie) commented. When I saw
Dawson, he was found to have a low basal body temperature (95.7 degrees Fahrenheit—normal 97.8-98.2 degrees
Fahrenheit). Low basal body temperatures can be associated with thyroid problems. Stephanie also let me know that
Dawson had been suffering from severe constipation for many years. Constipation is a sign of hypothyroidism. Dawson
also had very slow reflexes on exam. Dawson’s blood tests did not indicate a thyroid problem but a urinary test did
indicate that Dawson was low in
iodine. Due to his complaints and low temperatures, I placed Dawson on a small dose
of desiccated thyroid hormone (Armour
®

thyroid ¼ grain) and iodine (6.25mg of Iodoral
®
).
I also gave Stephanie advice
on how to clean up his diet. Within days, Stephanie noticed the positive changes in Dawson. In fact, she sent me an email
that read:
“I thought you would like to see Dawson’s latest report card comments (attached). He used to be
reserved and did not want to interact socially. He has been on Armour
®

thyroid for six weeks now and the
teacher has noticed that he has changed in personality and attentiveness. Maybe all the kids being
diagnosed with ADD/ADHD are really hypothyroid. I am so thankful that he had help available to him.
My mom commented on Easter that my kids were like two different children. I agree. Dawson could not
sit in his chair at meal time. He was up and down and up and down. It drove us crazy. Now he sits
through the entire meal and eats. I have not heard that his stomach hurts (which used to be every night)
since the first week he was on the thyroid meds.”
Dawson’s case is not unique. Every child with a diagnosis or symptoms of ADHD needs to have a complete nutritional and
hormonal evaluation. The use of psychoactive drug therapies to treat this condition should only be used as a last resort. Many of
these young patients suffering from ADHD will respond positively to a holistic approach which includes cleaning up the diet.
More information on how to implement a healthy diet can be found in
The Guide to Healthy Eating.
At every lecture I give, I am invariably asked the question, “Do children need to take iodine?” The quick answer is “yes”.
This chapter will give you the explanation behind this answer.
The World Health Organization estimates that there are over 285 million school-age children worldwide who are iodine
deficient
1
. Just as adults need iodine, children also need it. Since children’s brains are growing and developing on a daily basis, it
may be more important for children to take adequate amounts of iodine in their diets than adults. This chapter will show you the
importance of supplementing with iodine before pregnancy and the necessity of continuing iodine supplementation in children of all
ages.
The World Health Organization has recommended that the daily iodine intake for children should be:
2
90μg for preschool children (0-59 months)
120μg for schoolchildren (6-12 years)
150μg for adults (above 12 years)
200μg for pregnant and lactating women
It is my opinion that these recommendations are not sufficient for ensuring adequate iodine levels in our children (or
adults).
The consequence of iodine deficiency in childhood can be devastating. I will show you how the growing incidence of attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be directly related to iodine deficiency. Children are suffering from epidemic rates of
emotional and mental disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. Estimates are that from
seven to sixteen percent of school-aged children suffer from ADHD.
3
 ADHD is not a deficiency of a mood-altering drug; it is a
consequence of nutritional and hormonal imbalances. Iodine is one such nutritional item that needs to be optimized in all children,
especially those with ADHD.
IODINE AND ADHD
ADHD is being diagnosed at an epidemic rate. Why would ADHD be occurring at such a high rate? There is no question that
if Big Pharma has a drug available to treat an illness, it will promote, through direct-to-consumer advertising, a campaign to
increase the awareness and utilization of the drug in order to maximize profits. I believe ADHD is overdiagnosed and overtreated.
Having said that, I do believe that over the last 40 years ADHD behavior is increasing in frequency.
Many experienced educators report an increased frequency in student ADHD behavior during their tenure. At the present
time, something is clearly going on in many children that
is not allowing them to focus properly and causing them to act out with
inappropriate behavior.
I do not believe