The Complete Medicinal Herbal: A Practical Guide to the Healing Properties of Herbs, with More Than 250 Remedies for Common Ailments

** Note: My review is based on the Australian version of this book. "The Complete Guide Medicinal Herbal By Penelope Ody - An A-Z of over 120 medicinal herbs for all Australians." *** This is my favourite beginner's book. Not because it is basic, as it is not but because of its easy page -per-herb layout. Although there is terminology that may yet be foreign to the beginner the wording used throughout this publication is easy to follow and very personable. Leading with an historic introduction Penelopy Ody gives the reader some background into the origins of herbal medicine. Each herb is discussed in terms of its historical background, parts used and applications. There are full-colour photographs to help the reader identify various parts of each plant. This book does not contain some of the herbs you might find in Mrs Grieve's A Modern Herbal but it is a more than adequate source of information particularly for the home user. Unlike some other herbals, Ms Ody includes small sections dedicated to the lesser known herbal lore of Ayurvedic Herbs out of India, Australian bush herbs, South American rainforest remedies and even some types of funghi . Approximately two thirds of the book is herb lore, the remaining third shows the reader what to do with this newly acquired knowledge. Using easy to follow photographs the author takes the reader from harvesting and drying to the techniques involved in making the various remedies. There are basic formulas which can be adapted to many recipes. Charmingly, although the quantities given are standardised, the measurements are provided in metric as well as kitchen utensil equivalent. For example, 62.5mls is given to equal 1 sherry glass whereas 150mls is the same as one tea cup. The section on home remedies goes into the nitty gritty of treating common ailments, suggesting combinations of herbs appropriate for each condition and cautioning the use of some herbs in certain situations. It is fabulous to see a herbal that addresses some issues unique to Australia, includes some of our native bush remedies, is written in non US English and most importantly it contains a comprehensive list of Australian and New Zealand address list of organisations and practitioners. Now the bad news, I have looked high and low to find copies of this book. There are some used copies available on Amazon but I can't find new ones. They may be out there, but even the publishers' website does not feature it in their search engine. Before you howl with disappointment though, there are other versions of the same book. I ended up buying the American version which is almost identical. I have noticed a few exclusions in the herb department, such as Khella and Galangal but then the use of Khella is restricted in Australia anyway. There are over 130 herbs in this version probably based on the use of Native American remedies in the US. Of course there are not the lists of Australian/NZ contacts that I mentioned.

Oh I was so excited to get this! I had heard so much about The Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody that I had to order it for myself. This amazing book is a library in itself! Filled with beautiful color photographs of all the herbal plants and their parts so you can easily identify plants;along with the uses of each part of the plant;how to make tonics;the history of herbal medicines;making essential oils;making poultices,creams and so much more! You'll find more than 250 remedies for common ailments;and how to make a herbal first aid kit! This really is the bible of herbal medicine! Once thought to be considered a sign of those who practiced witchcraft,more and more of those in the professional field of healing are turning back to once again using medicinal herbs. A skill highly regarded in the Eastern cultures,medicinal herbs have continued to grow in popularity since the 1960's here in the US. I don't think you'll find anyone more knowledgeable in herbal medicines than Penelope Ody who has studied in China and England and practices as a professional medical herbalist in England and writes for several publications on the subject. I highly recommend this book for your home library or preparedness library. It's a necessity for all of us who desire to be prepared for any emergency. Learn to identify the best plants and which plants to grow in your garden to have on hand for your family's specific needs. This is a treasure!

When I was in middle school I discovered this book at our school library and fell totally in love with it. Not only is it packed with great and practical information, whoever designed the layout did an absolutely fantastic job. The photography paired with simple descriptions of different parts of the shown herbs is a treat to your eye as you learn more about this marvelous plants. I loved the book so much that when another girl at my school developed interest in it as well, it turned into a war or sorts over who got to check it out. Now an adult, I purchased my own copy to keep forever! Even if you aren't interested in learning how to make tinctures or ointments, this book is just a great read and a treat to the eye!

This book is a great overview of different kinds of herbal remedies. There are detailed pictures and descriptions of plants and recipes for different types of remedies. This is a wonderful first book of herbal remedies and a reference book you’ll continue to look at!

There are many books out there on herbalism . This one is another one and maybe like all the others yet with some differences . This one is great for the coffee table, it is big, hardcover and looks nice. Most books on herbology will give you a dictionary listing of the herbs and what they are good for. The second half of most books has the dictionary symptom of ailments and what herbs can be used to treat them. This book has more. The first part of the book talks about different philosophies around herbs. The author discusses Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, Greek medicine , European medicine going up until today. This tome will teach the student how to prepare teas, oil infusions and tinctures. There is a section on how to grow and harvest your herbs as well. When describing the herbs you get a full page based on that herb. There is a picture of the herb and all the parts that are used. There is also a subsection on the page dealing applications . The various ailment that plague us are listed in chart form. So you get the ailment, what herb you should use and how the herb should be prepared. It is easy to understand .

Very pleased with the Seller, the delivery and the book is amazing, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for the extra paper articles inside, greatly appreciate them.

This book is incredible with some fantastic tried and tested remedies that really work Very well written, easy to follow with great diagrams

Hermoso! En perfecto estado.

Love the book, was in good shape. Lay out is easy to find ailments or just a specific plant. Instructions and explanation are are clear and helpful. Pictures are great and reading is easy.

IT WILL ENABLE IT'S RECIPIENT TO OPTIMISE AND MAINTAIN HEALTH.