A Prairie Pharmacy:

An Introduction to

Herbalism
S U S A N A. M O O R E

hree years ago I was asked to teach a new course

titled Medical Biology. The purpose of the course
is to teach anatomy, physiology, medical theory and terminology for undergraduate, nonmajor business students entering the healthcare field. Because of the terminology introduced in the course, I was faced with a
problem: Many biology majors who had completed a
full year of anatomy and physiology were enrolled. One
of the many tasks, then, was to develop a laboratory
experience that would challenge an enrollment with a
variety of skills, while neither boring, nor overwhelming
the students. My solution was to use the laboratory to
introduce the concept of responsibility for ones own
health. I used the physical exam to cover anatomy and
physiology, and I brought in professionals who intro-

SUSAN A. MOORE, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Biology at The

Franciscan University, Clinton, IA 52732, e-mail:
susmoo@tfu.edu.

duced different methods of treatment and theories of

medicine. From this perspective, the laboratory design
fell into place for me. Since I wanted to cover as many
medical modalities as possible, one of the laboratories
had to cover the oldest form of medicine, herbalism.
The Prairie Pharmacy, as I call this laboratory, stirs
interest in all of the students with its direct application
to their own personal health. This exercise also gives me
the opportunity to introduce many different perspectives in the approach to medicine, including history,
economics, botany, environmentalism, and chemistry.
This helped in uniting a classroom of very different abilities and backgrounds. In addition, students enjoy the
opportunity to go outside and identify medicinal plants.
Herbalism the knowledge and study of herbs
may not be a term in the active vocabulary of my students, but it is a reality in life. Mustard on the kitchen
table and many of the spices on the kitchen shelf come
from herbs; most of the vegetables in a salad are herbs.
A PRAIRIE PHARMACY 249

Historically, the most important uses of herbs were

medicinal. For most of our existence, man has had limited resources for treating injuries and disease. Plant
remedies, herbs, represent the most continuous and
universal form of treatment. All native cultures have a
well-developed understanding of local plants, and most
of the world, even today, relies on herbal expertise for
its primary healthcare. Shamans, wise women, bush
doctors, traditional healers, and native medicine workers carry on a tradition thousands of years old
(Kindscher, 1992).
Herbalism is the oldest form of medicine in the
world and the history of herbalism is extensive. The
Ebers papyrus of the ancient Egyptians lists 85 herbs,
some of which, like mint, are used in a similar way
today. The Chinese herbal, Pen Tsao, contains over a
thousand herbal remedies. The Assyrian and
Babylonian scribes wrote herbal recipes on cuneiform
tablets. The Greek Hippocrates (477-360 BC) mentions
herbs, remedies, and treatment stratagems which are
still valid (Shealy, 1998). Indeed, there is much practical
and theoretical knowledge to be rediscovered.
Students come into this course with many misconceptions of medicine and herbalism. It is important to
introduce a number of key points in lecture before venturing outdoors. We begin with the question, What
exactly is an herb? In some texts the definition is a nonwoody plant (Barnhart, 1964). Another definition is a
useful plant. However, one can argue that all plants are
herbs because practically all plants are useful, in some
way. Perhaps a better definition is a plant whose leaves,
stem, flowers, or roots are useful for food, medicine, oxygen production, or in some way for their scent or flavor
(Foster & Duke, 1990; Kindscher, 1992; Shealy, 1998). It
is easy to conclude that herbs are very useful in improving ones health, appearance, and sense of well being.
A discussion of how these plants evolved with these
properties would be very advantageous, since many
medicinal properties of plants do not apparently add to
the overall fitness of the plant. This could be a useful
exercise in evolutionary theory.

Herbalism Today
Much of todays renewed interest in herbalism is
due to side effects of the potent synthetic drugs, both
prescription and over-the-counter. These drugs are in
pure and concentrated form with only fillers and other
inactive ingredients. These synthetic drugs can carry
increased risk of complications. With herbals there is a
comparative decreased risk of side effects since the
active ingredients are present in lower concentrations
and also work more slowly over a longer period of time
than synthetic drugs (Brad et al., 1999). Plants are not
250 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 65, NO. 4, APRIL 2003

in and of themselves healthy or even necessarily safe.

There are very potent plant poisons, and some of the
most highly toxic chemical poisons were originally
developed from those of plants. Many herbs may be
therapeutic at one dose and toxic at another (FughBergman, 2000). In addition, allergic reactions can occur
with herbal medicines just as with synthesized drugs.
Herbs must be used with knowledge and responsibility.
The use of herbal supplements has increased exponentially in recent years. As more and more Americans
seek out herbs for their proposed medicinal qualities,
debate regarding their safety and efficacy is generated.
The public is demanding specific information about
what works. The Alternative Medicine Foundation has a
wonderful web site that contains HerbMed an
Interactive Electronic Database (available on the web at
http://www.herbmed.org). This web site allows my students to access information regarding evidence for activity that includes clinical trials, observational data and
case studies, and empirical knowledge from long standing folk or traditional use. This allows the students the
ability to have information at their fingertips regarding
the herbs efficacy and allows the students to make an
informed decision regarding these herbal medicines.

Preparation Before Collection

Before the collection, it is important for the students
to become familiar with these herbs and their medicinal
qualities. In addition, I review the identification process.
A first identifying structure is the flower. One notes
color, petals, and association to the stem. The second
identifying factor is the leaf arrangement. Students must
select two herbs from a list provided (see Table 1),
research the medicinal qualities of the plants, and determine the type of medicine to be prepared. Students are
encouraged to access the Alternative Medicine
Foundation web site HerbMed (www.herbmed.org) as
discussed earlier. This allows for verification or falsification of herbal remedy claims. Another source of information is from the Herb Research Foundation which
continually updates information from a variety of clinical trials (Herb Research Foundation, 1998). The
Medicinal Plants of Native America database available
online is also very useful (ARS Genome Database
Resource, 1999). In addition to providing a very thorough index of medicinal plants, and the use of these
plants by various tribes of Native Americans, it also
includes plant use by food-, dye-, and fiber-source. This
database introduces students to the cultural basis of
herbalism in their region. Another ethnobotanical guide
is the well-written Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie by
Kelly Kindscher (Kindscher, 1992). These two sources
emphasize that native cultures have a well-developed
understanding of local plants, and that historically

Table 1.
Prairie herbs.
COMMON NAME (GENUS SPECIES)
Big Bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii)
Wild Onion (Allium canadense)
Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

White Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana)

FLOWERS
September-November

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Leaf infusion used as an external wash for fevers.

March-July

Bulb tea for coughs, colds, headaches, and ear infections. Poultice
for bee stings.

July-September

Leaf and flower infusions act as an expectorant, demulcent, antispasmodic, and diuretic. Leaf poultice for ulcers, tumors, and piles.
Flower-infused oil for earaches.

August-September

Tea used as wash for itching, rashes, and skin eruptions.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

June-September

Entire plant used for decoction, tincture and capsules of dried

herb as an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulant.

Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower

(Echinacea angustifolia)

June-September

Root used for decoction, tincture and capsules of dried herb as an

antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulant.

Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)

May-August

Less active than E. angustifolia and E. purpurea.

May-July

Plant tea used as diuretic and astringent.

Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum)

July-September

Plant oil used to promote healing of burns.

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

July-September

Leaf or root tea used for colds, coughs, fevers, and stomachache.

Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

June-September

Seed oil has been shown effective in treating eczema, premenstrual syndrome, and hypercholesterolemia and as a source of
gamma-linolenic acid

New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)

August-October

Leaf and stem used for decoction for skin eruptions, especially
poison ivy or poison oak. Root decoction for diarrhea and fevers.

Rough Blazing-Star (Liatris aspera)

August-September

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

June-September

Root poultice used for skin irritations; tea used for pleurisy, asthma, and bronchitis.

Sweet Goldenrod (Solidago odora)

July-September

Leaf tea used as an astringent, diuretic, and as a digestive stimulant.

Wild Bergamot, Purple Bee-Balm

(Monarda fistulosa)

June-September

Leaf tea used for colds, fevers, and flatulence.

Bee-balm, Oswego tea (Monarda didyma)

June-September

Leaf tea used for colds, fevers, and flatulence.

mans survival has largely depended upon the use of

herbs for treating injuries and diseases. The Peterson
field guide, Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James
A. Duke (Foster & Duke, 1990) combines ethnobotany
with more currently documented medicinal usage of
herbs, with warnings regarding the use of the plant
material. As an added bonus, this guide contains beautiful photographs that are useful in identification.
Students can plan which herbs they seek and what part
of the plant they wish to harvest.

Root tea used as diuretic and gargle for sore throats.

In addition to understanding the medicinal value of

their herb, it is also important to understand the dangers of the herbs the students collect. The Peterson field
guide, Medicinal Plants (Foster & Duke, 1990), and the
web site at the Herb Research Foundation (Herb
Research Foundation, 1998) do offer some warnings
about toxicity and dangers associated with the plant
material, however the Alternative Medicine Foundation,
Inc (Alternative Medicine Foundation, 1998) offers a
web site that contains easily accessible information on
A PRAIRIE PHARMACY 251

toxicity and interactions with other medications.

Remember, just because an herb is natural does not
mean it is safe.
I review these different resources with my class and
encourage students to use a skeptical eye when viewing
information on herbs. A very good adage is consider
the source (of information) when viewing herbal medicine. Much of the information that can easily be
obtained online comes from commercial sites that are
eager to make a profit. A lot of information on herbs
comes from other countries and other cultures. This
gives me the opportunity to discuss different cultural
approaches to medicine and to clinical trials that may
test herbs. There is a blind spot in medicine. Different
countries treat the same disease in different ways, and
many in the field of medicine feel that their way is the
right way and that others may be primitive or unfounded. Lynn Payer compares medical cultures in her book,
Medicine and Culture, focusing upon Germany, France,
Great Britain, and of course, the United States. The role
of the patient in making medical decisions is expanding. My students begin to see that medicine is a combination of culture, history, value judgments, and science.
They must be skeptically well informed to make the best
patients in the future.

Herb Sources
Many students are not aware that there are herbs
growing all around them. In my particular location, I felt
it appropriate to focus on local, native flora. This allows
the class to become familiar with local plants, and stimulates discussions regarding the history of the area and
the protection of habitat. I concentrated on the tall grass
prairie because, historically, Iowas landscape was dominated by the tall grass prairie (Kindscher, 1992). Near

the college where I teach, there is a restored prairie. This

is an area where native prairie grasses and plants were
planted by the Sisters of St. Francis to restore a fallow
field to a tall grass prairie habitat. The college faculty
has always been encouraged to use this prairie as a
classroom and I saw the opportunity to find a safe place
to gather herbs (See Table 1).
In gathering herbs, one must be very familiar with
the area to protect against exposure to hazardous chemicals and problems of trespassing. Many fallow fields
contain residues of herbicides or pesticides from farming. In addition, the site must be away from roads and
parking areas to avoid plants exposed to car and truck
emissions. If you cannot find a convenient area as a
source of medicinal herbs, I would suggest contacting
your county conservation board for such information. If
no such area exists, this lab can be adapted to the herbs
found in a turf lawn, namely the lowly dandelion, plantain, and white clover, all of which contain medicinal
qualities and thrive in nearly every part of the country
(see Table 2). Again, take time to learn the lawns history of exposure to chemicals. The advantage in using turf
herbs is that they are readily identifiable and familiar to
nearly all individuals. Even a child can identify the everpresent dandelion. Another advantage is that they are
present very early in spring and in late summer and
early fall. If such an area does not exist, or the seasons
are against you, then turn to the kitchen and collect
your herbs from the spice rack (see Table 3). Many of
these herbs are available fresh in most supermarkets
and again are very familiar to most individuals.
After choosing an area, it is always good to scout it
out in advance to determine which herbs are plentiful
and blooming. Blooming plants are essential for many
reasons: First, they indicate that the plant is healthy,
and second and probably more important, the flower

Table 2.
Turf herbs.
COMMON NAME (GENUS SPECIES)
Narrow leaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
White clover (Trifolium repens)
Common plantain (Plantago major)

FLOWERS
April-November

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Leaf poultice, lotion, oil, or tincture for insect bites, allergic
rashes, and other skin irritations. Healing and astringent.

June-October

Leaf and root infusions and decoctions used as a diuretic, mild

laxative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial.

March-September

Leaf infusion act as diuretic. Root decoction acts as liver tonic.

April-September
May-October

252 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 65, NO. 4, APRIL 2003

Leaf infusion for colds, fever, rheumatism, and gout.

Leaf poultice, lotion, oil, or tincture for insect bites, allergic
rashes, and other skin irritations. Healing and astringent.

aids in identification. This may not

be the ideal time to collect leaves
and roots, however the identification of the plant is the most important aspect of the exercise. Make a
list of the herbs that are blooming,
that you can easily identify, and that
are plentiful. I recommend taking a
camera and photographing the
flower and leaf arrangement, and
making note of the height of the
plant. This helps create a permanent
record of the herbs. I schedule this
laboratory as the second laboratory
of the fall semester (the end of
August to the first week of
September). At this time, there are
many herbs blooming. This list is
helpful in establishing which plants
the students will use. It is also helpful in avoiding some toxic look-alike
plants like the Poison Hemlock
(Conium maculatum) which is often
confused with the Wild Carrot or
Queen Annes Lace (Daucus carota).
This could be a deadly mistake.
Table 1 contains the suggested list of
herbs and their flowering time.

Materials Needed
For Herb Collection:
Scissors or shears
Paper bags or newspapers
Field guides

For Medicinal Preparation:

Rubber bands, paperclips,
and string
Vodka or tequila (optional)
Sweet almond oil (available at
health stores) or olive oil
Vegetable glycerine (available
at health stores)
Knife and cutting boards
Mortar and pestle
Hotplate
Glass tea carafes or beakers
A PRAIRIE PHARMACY 253

Table 3.
Kitchen herbs.
COMMON NAME (GENUS SPECIES)

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Leaf infused oil used for massage to improve

circulation and ease aches and pain; antibacterial
and antifungal. Leaf tea used as hair conditioner
and digestion aid.

After students have

identified the herb they
wish to collect, they must
confirm their identification by consulting a colleague, and then before
harvesting, it must be confirmed by the instructor.

To prevent problems
of
over
harvesting, one
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Leaf poultice for bruises, swellings, and stings. Leaf
must
never
collect more
tincture or tea for night sweats, colds; gargle for
than 10% of the herb sursore throats. Beneficial for infected gums and
veyed. To accomplish
mouth ulcers.
this, the students must
find 11 individual plants
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Bulb is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic.
of the species they wish
Also used as a digestive tonic, and to treat
to harvest. If the student
toothache, earache, coughs and colds. May also
cannot find this number,
lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
he or she must choose
another herb. With a set
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Leaf tea makes a gargle or mouth wash. Leaf oil is
of pruning shears or scisantibacterial, antifungal; use in massage oil and
sors, students collect
liniments to ease rheumatic pain.
leaves, stems, flowers, or
seeds for their medicine
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
Leaf tea is calmative and useful for gastrointestinal
preparations,
gently
disorders. Externally, tea is cooling to the skin; oil is
wrapping
them
in
newsused in massage to relieve muscular pain. Leaf oil is
paper or placing them in
good for digestion and nausea.
a paper bag. I discourage
root collection since this
destroys
the
plant.
Students need very little
Honey
plant material for the production of their medicine.
They are asked to collect enough material that might fit
Small 4 oz jars (I use canning jars and lids)
into two teabags. A clear cutting approach may guar Drying racks
antee plenty of herbs for infusions and decoctions, but
would prevent future trips. When harvesting leaves or
Cheesecloth
branches of a plant, students are encouraged to leave
plenty of leaves for the plant to survive. The parts of the
Rules for Herb Harvesting
plant above ground should be harvested in the morning, before the heat of the sun has a chance to wilt
I do impose several rules for harvesting safely, and
them. It is preferable to do so when the dew is still on
to prevent overharvesting or destruction of biodiversity
the plants. Flowers should be harvested before the
of the area. Typically on the day of the collection,
fruits and seeds appear.
appropriate dress is long pants and long sleeved shirts.
In the tall grass prairie, plants may rise over your head
I try to promote an environmentally and ethically
and you can be enveloped. The students may get warm,
conscious method of collecting herbals. Of all things
but avoiding contact can prevent skin sensitivity
the students learn from this laboratory, this is probably
responses to irritating plants and stinging insects.
the most important. If they choose to further pursue
Students who are not properly dressed walk the perimeherbalism in their lives, hopefully they will approach it
ter of the prairie searching for their herbs. They miss
in a responsible way. The collection of medicinal plants
part of the fun of exploration, but can still participate.
from wild sources plays a considerable role in the loss
Any individuals who suffer from allergies (plants,
of biodiversity (Glausiusz, 2000). I therefore encourage
pollen, and insects) are encouraged to be prepared. We
students to grow their own herbs, rather than harvestalso use some non-toxic herbal-based insect repellents
ing from wild sources.
such as vanilla and mint.

254 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 65, NO. 4, APRIL 2003

Allergic Reactions Test

After herbs are collected, students return with
their treasures to the laboratory for preparations.
Many plants in the prairie are capable of eliciting allergic reactions. Therefore, students need to be prepared
for such an event if they have previously had allergic
symptoms. In addition, no herbal remedies are utilized
unless students perform a skin test. The test is performed by placing a drop of herb suspension (infusion,
tincture, oil, or lotion) on the skin and examining at 20
minutes, 24 hours, and 48 hours for a wheal and flare
skin response (swelling, redness, itching, or pain). This
does not guarantee that the students will not have an
allergic reaction if the preparation is taken internally.
Students need to be informed of the symptoms of
allergic reactions to prevent any complications associated with this laboratory.

Medicine Preparation
Drying
When using an entire plant, it is customary to hang
the plant upside down in a dry area free from pests to
allow it to dry. Wrap a rubber band carefully around the
base of the plant. Attach a paperclip onto the rubber
band and suspend the plant upside down to dry.
Fleshy leaves are dried individually on wire racks
with good air circulation to prevent molding. Individual
leaves can also be dried in the microwave by placing
between two paper towels and checking the material
every 30 seconds, since they can overheat and do catch
fire easily.
Roots should be carefully washed, scraped, and
chopped into small pieces to be sure they dry uniformly and thoroughly.
Bulbs are tied together and strung up to dry.
Make sure your herbs have dried thoroughly before
storing them for further use or you may discover that
you have a moldy mess instead of a medicinal herb. The
dried portions can then be stored according to your
needs. Roots are usually ground into powder for use or
are left in small chunks for uses in decoctions, tinctures,
and syrups. Leaves are stored whole or crumbled for
use in teas. The same applies to blossoms.

Tea
A tea is an aqueous extraction of the herb. This can
be made with boiling water (infusion or decoction) or
with cold water. Teas can be used internally or as an
external wash. Teas used as a wash are usually more

concentrated than infusions taken internally.

Infusion: One can use fresh or dried leaves to make
an infusion. This is a beverage (a tea) made by combining 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling water and 1 to 2 teaspoons (1-1.5g) of fresh plant (less if using dried herbs)
and allowing the mixture to steep for approximately 10
minutes. Strain through cheesecloth before consuming.
Decoction: This is an extraction made by combining again boiling water and the bark, wood, seeds, dried
leaves, stems, or roots of the plant (similar volumes as
for infusion) and simmering for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain
through cheesecloth before use.

Simple Syrups & Honeys

Make a standard decoction with herb and water.
Reduce by heating to a third of original volume, which
may take an hour. Add equal or twice the volume of
honey or sugar, stirring until completely dissolved.
Syrups and honeys can be used to sweeten other herbal
preparations or added to food or drink. They are ideal
for children because they are sweet.

Liniment
A liniment is a soothing rub to relieve fatigued and
stiff muscles and joints. Put the fresh herb in a jar and
cover with olive oil. Leave for up to 6 weeks. Examine
periodically, for mold growth. Strain through cheesecloth before use. I use a mint olive oil preparation with
sea salt for a wonderful foot massage. It moisturizes and
soothes at the same time.
Alternatively, one can infuse oil by chopping the
herbs and placing half into a clean pan with a lid. Add
canola or olive oil to cover the herbs and place in a double boiler and simmer for 2 hours. Strain. Throw away
used herbs. Put the remaining half of unused herbs in a
pan and simmer for another two hours. Strain and place
oil into clean bottles. This double method makes strong
infused oil, which can be used as it is, mixed with tincture (see below) for a liniment, or thickened with
beeswax to make a thin cream.

Lotion
Finely chop fresh herb to fill a small jar. Add sufficient glycerin to cover the leaves. Stand for 2 weeks, stirring from time to time. Strain through cheesecloth
before use.

Poultice
This is a remedy for the skin made by bruising or
crushing plant material to a pulp and then heating. If
A PRAIRIE PHARMACY 255

needed, the pulp is mixed with corn meal or bread and

milk to make it adhesive. This is then applied directly to
the skin and a cloth is wrapped around the affected area
to hold in the moisture. If the plant materials are an irritant, a plaster is made by placing a cloth against the
skin, then layering the plant material, and then another
layer of cloth (like a mustard plaster). I typically pick a
few common plantain leaves to use in a poultice for any
insect bites that may occur on the collection trip.

Tincture
This is an extraction made by dissolving plant material (1/2-1 teaspoon or 0.5-1.0 g) in 100 ml dilute alcohol (half vodka or tequila and half water) over a period
of 2 weeks. Strain through cheesecloth before use.
Tinctures are very potent and are used in drop dosages.
This product is only produced when students are of age.
This would not be an appropriate medicinal to prepare
in younger classes.

Storage of Herbs
Typically all liquids, tinctures, infusions, oils and
lotions are stored in opaque glass bottles that have a
good seal. Tinctures have perhaps the longest shelf life
of the herbal remedies, approximately one to two years,
while lotions and cold infused oils last approximately
one month, especially if refrigerated. Dried herbs are
usually suitable for use for 6 months to a year.

Discussion
This particular laboratory exercise is coupled with
lecture material regarding pharmaceuticals and the cultural use of pharmaceuticals. Students are encouraged
to examine their own philosophy toward medicines and
write a two-page reflective paper regarding their own
philosophy.
The use of herbs by man has occurred in every
native culture. Much of the worlds population today is
still dependent upon herbs as a source of medicine.
Herbalism is described as a holistic approach to medicine that uses plants, or plant parts, in a gentle and temperate way. Today, many of the individuals who are
turning to herbs are not practicing herbalism; they are
continuing a pill-popping approach to health. Instead
of antihistamines, analgesics, sedatives, and antidepressants, they are popping capsules of Echinacea, Feverfew,
Kava Kava and St. Johns Wort. In addition, concerns
are raised due to the lack of herbal regulation by the
Federal Drug Administration and the lack of standardization of many of these products. What is actually sold
as dietary supplements is anybodys guess. There is no
monitoring of quality control by the FDA and some
256 THE AMERICAN BIOLOGY TEACHER, VOLUME 65, NO. 4, APRIL 2003

products may actually contain none of what is promised

on the label. There is a growing trend to place these
herbs into iced tea, soft drinks, and other foods. The
herbs are drugs and should be treated with respect.
Over 25 percent of current prescription medicines
contain at least one ingredient derived from nature
(Fugh-Bergman, 2000). Examples include willow bark
and aspirin, Mexican yams and progesterone, foxglove
and digitalis; they abound in medicine (Shealy, 1998). A
key component of this laboratory exercise is to remind
students that the medicinal properties of these plants
were discovered by means of trial and error and observation, and that they are currently undergoing more
rigorous testing of their efficacy. The drugs of tomorrow
may exist in prairies of today. Native prairies are increasingly being recognized for their intrinsic value and
should be protected and preserved. Perhaps this
approach to herbalism will allow students to see the
importance of plant drugs to our health and stress the
importance of protecting and promoting plant diversity,
whether in prairies or throughout the native habitats of
our worlds jungles, forests, deserts, or oceans.

References
Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc. (1998). HerbMed an
Interactive Electronic Database. (Available on the web at
http://www.herbmed.org)
ARS Genome Database Resource. (1999). The Medicinal Plants
of Native America. (Available on the web at http://arsgenome.cornell.edu/botany.html)
Barnhart, C. L. (Ed.). (1964). The American College Dictionary.
New York: Random House.
Beckstrom-Sternberg, S. M., Moerman, D. E., Duke, J. A., &
Brad, L. (1999, Aug). Alternative medicine man: Why so
many doctors hate Andrew Weil. Discover, 20, 56-63.
Foster, S., Brad, L. & Duke, J. A. (1990). A Field Guide to
Medicinal Plants: Eastern and Central North America.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Herb Research Foundation. (1998). Herb Research Foundation
Herbs and Herbal Medicine for Health. (Available on the
web at http://www.herbs.org/index.html)
Fugh-Bergman, A. (2000). Herb-drug interactions. Lancet,
355(9198), 134.
Glausiusz, J. (2000, August). Bad medicine for mother earth.
Discover, 21, 18.
Kindscher, K. (1992). Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An
Ethnobotanical Guide. Lawrence, KS: University Press of
Kansas.
Payer, L. (1996). Medicine and Culture: Varieties of Treatment in
the United States, England, West Germany, and France. New
York: Henry Holt and Company.
Shealy, C. N. (Ed.). (1998). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of
Natural Remedies. Boston: Element Books Inc.