====== UNIT 4: Materia Medica 1 ====== ===== Introduction ===== This is the first of three Materia Medica units, the first of which contains a detailed consideration of five common medicinal plants: * German chamomile, Matricaria recutita L. * Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Mill. * Elder tree, Sambucus nigra L. * Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis L. * Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. ===== Overview ===== * Get to know 5 important medicinal plants (particularly how and why they are used), and develop a strong affinity with each plant so that you can use them wisely and appropriately * Understand research into medicinal plants compounds and into the effects of whole plant extracts * Use key texts and modern sources to conduct your own research into the historical use of key plants within Phytotherapy, and compare these uses with modern approaches confirmed by research * Learn to use your senses to identify and know more deeply the subtleties of medicinal plants, thus building up a more complex and nuanced understanding and relationship to them * Explore the making of simple home recipes and practical pharmacy, learning how to transform a plant into something pleasant and remedial to use (e.g., tisanes, infused oils and electuaries). ==== Learning Outcomes ==== === By the end of Section 1, you will have an understanding of: === * The structure of this Unit, and some central concepts underpinning Western herbal medicine. === By the end of Section 2, you will have: === * Undertaken a Plant Tasting with the 5 herbs using the Goethean method * Defined 5 keywords for each tasting === By the end of Section 3, you will have an understanding of: === * The basic botany of German chamomile * The parts used, main constituents, main therapeutic actions, methods of preparation and use, cautions and care, and research relating to the plant * The central role and importance of the digestive system and mucus membranes in herbal medicine * How to use tisanes/herbal teas. === By the end of Section 4, you will have an understanding of: === * The basic botany of fennel * The parts used, main constituents, main therapeutic actions, methods of preparation and use, cautions and care, and research relating to the plant. * Links between the digestive system and other systems in the body, including the nervous system and the hormonal system * How to make an aromatic digestive electuary. === By the end of Section 5, you will have an understanding of: === * The basic botany of the elder tree * The parts used, main constituents, main therapeutic actions, methods of preparation and use, cautions and care, and research relating to the plant * The effectiveness of herbal medicine in the treatment of children * The uses of elderberry, and how to make an elderflower infused oil. === By the end of Section 6, you will have an understanding of: === * The basic botany of lemon balm * The parts used, main constituents, main therapeutic actions, methods of preparation and use, cautions and care, and and research relating to the plant * Making a lemon balm infused oil * How the nervous system interacts with other body systems, including the digestive system and the immune system. === By the end of Section 7, you will have an understanding of: === * The basic botany of meadowsweet * The parts used, main constituents, main therapeutic actions, methods of preparation and use, cautions and care, and research relating to the plant * Case histories demonstrating how the herbalists’ approach is uniquely tailored to each individual. === By the end of Section 8, you will have taken part in an activity about herbal history and folklore and have an understanding of: === * Have gained a good understanding of some of the history and folklore surrounding the herb you have selected. * Know where traditional uses of your chosen plant have been carried forward into present day use and reflected in research. * Explored how to take information from one referenced source and show you have understood its meaning by putting it in to your own words. ==== Additional Information ==== This Unit contains **Reference and Resources** lists as well as the tutor’s own tasting notes.