Kitchen Medicine
A fun ~guest post~ for your Monday morning
Howdy, all! I am excited to share with you this guest post from
. I reached out to Judson a few weeks ago because he writes extensively on a topic that I am tremendously interested in, which is how we can use the gifts the Lord has given us in nature to support the health and wellness of our families. Today’s post is specifically a brief history of Christian herbalism, and a few resources for those of us just dipping our toes in the water. Judson also touches on one of my favorite
Since the dawn of human history, man has used medicinal herbs. Even in the early 1900s, most medicines prescribed by doctors were plant-based. However, this knowledge has been lost to many in recent decades. While I think most of us, especially mothers, know instinctively that the home remedies used by our grandmothers were effective and often preferable to hours-long doctor visits and prescription drugs, unfortunately much of this knowledge was not passed down. That is especially true in our time, as families of multiple generations rarely live close together, nor are most families intact. Truly, folk wisdom is little valued these days. So, without intact traditions of herbal medicine, it can be very hard to know where to start.
I was fortunate. I began my herbal apprenticeship at the age of 15 with a family that lived far back in the Appalachian Mountains. They not only used herbal medicine, but made much of their living harvesting wild herbs for sale. Their lives were mostly unchanged from how their ancestors had lived in that region for two hundred years or so... in fact, they lived in the same cabin with no indoor plumbing and only one electric light! In the peace and quiet of the deep woods, I learned much that would have been common knowledge to my great-grandparents. That kind of experiential learning is always best. But, unfortunately, I cannot endorse most herbal medicine schools due to their New Age ideology that is very much in opposition to my Christian faith. While there are some very good ones, often the cost of tuition can be a barrier, especially for families. For those reasons I would like to introduce you to the tradition of German Folk Medicine.
German Folk Medicine finds its roots in the monastic medicine of the middle ages. One of the primary ways that Christianity spread through Europe was by monasteries and abbeys that offered free medical care to all. These religious orders were well-educated in the medical traditions of ancient Greece and Rome. Each had its own herb garden and an apothecary known as the Officina. Even today, when this history is mostly lost, many of our medicinal herbs have Latin names that end in officinalis—that indicates that these were herbs of the Officina. These religious orders also founded schools and colleges, including nearly all of the great medical schools of Europe. Monastic medicine is quite literally the foundation of modern medicine. But, by the mid 1800s or so, doctors and pharmacists had formed guilds and governments were passing regulations that put the practice of medicine almost entirely in the hands of licensed professionals. This, of course, made medical care more expensive and less available for poor, rural families.
This was especially true in central Europe. Fortunately, several priests and monks in the German-speaking regions realized this problem and sought to correct it. The first was Fr. Kneipp. Having nearly died of tuberculosis as a young seminarian, Fr. Kneipp turned to herbal medicine and a system of cold water bathing which restored him to full health. His book, My Water Cure became an international best seller until anti-German bias after the World Wars caused its disappearance from most English, American, etc. homes and libraries. This book was a true rallying cry for folk medicine. It included a brief collection of herbs and their uses along with eloquent exhortations for mothers to begin practicing "kitchen medicine." He wrote:
"Benedicite universa germinantia in terra Domino!"
Let every herb of the earth praise the Lord
Among all the things which I abhor and hate, the proprietary drugs, the trading with remedies which are kept as a secret by their inventors, hold a prominent place.
No one shall ever reproach me with such a thing. Therefore in this second part, I open all the drawers and cases of my apotheca, and let every one look into them, even to the last little tea-box and the smallest oil-bottle. Every chemist's shop contains a great many expensive things; but in mine, there is not much of the extra-ordinary to be found. This I own quite willingly, and instead of a defect, I consider it a great recommendation for my apotheca.
Nearly all my teas, extracts, oils, and powders are prepared from medicinal herbs, which were formerly esteemed, but are now very often despised; herbs which are to be had for a trifle, and which our dear Lord has planted in our own garden, in the fields, many of them round our houses, many on remote, unfrequented spots, so that we can gather them free of cost.
I have written my little book first of all for poor sick people, for whose benefit, keeping before my eyes the heavenly reward, I also carry on this troublesome business, or, if you like to put it so, to spoil other people's trade. It was for them that I purposely inquired after the likewise poor old acquaintances, setting aside many other things. For long years, I have examined and experimented, dried and cut up, boiled and tasted. There is not one little herb, or powder, which I have not myself tried and found good. My only wish is that my old acquaintances may be respected again, at least by one class of people.
Those who inspect all the articles of my apotheca, will see at once that they, like the water -applications themselves, have a threefold aim, i.e. to dissolve morbid matters in the interior, to evacuate them, and then to strengthen the organism. Regarding this, I believe I may justly affirm, that both cures, the interior and the exterior, harmonize and work together with perfect unity. I caution people against an illusion. Whoever thinks that the water -applications are to be used very rigidly and harshly, is mistaken.
Whoever is of the opinion that he ought to use interior remedies often and in great quantities, is likewise mistaken. Always and in all cases, keep to the golden principle: the gentlest application, be it exterior or interior, is the best.
How good is God! — I cannot help saying it from my inmost heart. He not only makes the earth bring forth all that is necessary for the support of life, for our daily bread, He who in His infinite wisdom has created everything according to measure, number and weight; makes in His paternal love numberless little herbs spring up from the earth in order to bring comfort to man in days of sickness, mitigation, and healing to his body convulsed with pain.
How good is God! Oh, that we could recognize it! Let us search for the little herbs which announce themselves by the smelling bottles attached to them by the Creator, the aromatic wholesome scent; and let us, when gathering them, glorify with filial gratitude our infinitely loving Father, who is in Heaven!
Fr. Kneipp's protégé, Brother Aloysius, vastly expanded upon the brief "materia medica" in My Water Cure, and wrote a profound text that offered a comprehensive listing of nearly all herbs used in German Folk Medicine, along with instruction on how to use them and recommendations for individual herbs and formulas that were used for all common ailments. Meanwhile, the Swiss priest Fr. Kunzel wrote an herbal book especially for mothers called Herbs and Weeds that was published just before World War I. Fr. Kunzel's work was so popular that the doctors of his time were jealous and sued him for practicing medicine without a license. The priest went to court and proved that his herbs were more efficacious in treating diabetes than the prescriptions of the doctors. Ironically, as herbal medicine was being nearly outlawed in America through the Pure Foods and Drug Act, Fr. Kunzel's victory in court secured the legal practice of German Folk Medicine in Central Europe, ensuring for the most well-organized and documented intact tradition of herbal medicine in the Western world, and one that is intended not to be practiced by a professional, but in the family home.
So, where should one start? I always recommend the books of Maria Treben (as well as my own, which include a modern translation and commentary on Fr. Kunzel's Herbs and Weeds, the herbs of both Fr. Kneipp and Brother Aloysius in my History and Practice of Christian Herbal Medicine, and Herbal Medicine for Preppers, which is a very good introduction to herbal basics). Mrs. Treben was an Austrian herbalist who wrote several popular books in the 1970s and 80s, reintroducing German Folk Medicine to the post-World War world. Her books such as, Health through God's Pharmacy and Help from God's Garden are, in my opinion, essential for mothers who wish to learn about home remedies and herbal medicine. German Folk Medicine generally uses teas as opposed to tinctures and complex formulas. It also emphasizes learning to identify, harvest and process your own herbs. Being a mother, Mrs. Treben put a great emphasis on the care of children and women's issues. Her advice is practical, clear and very approachable.
I believe that German Folk Medicine is an excellent starting place in learning herbal medicine, especially for mothers. It is solidly Christian in its ideology and practical in its practice. If you take daily walks and learn to identify the plants around you (which is a great learning game for kids, by the way), it can even be almost entirely free. Start just a little at a time. Learn to use a few herbs like viburnum for menstrual cramps, thyme for chest congestion, sage for sore throats, chamomile for fussy babies, etc. If you learn only one herb per month or so, you will soon be able to treat coughs, colds, flus and many other issues at home. The confidence, independence, and financial savings will be a great reward for such small effort. Moreover, you will be establishing a legacy for future generations.
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A topic that stirs my soul! It’s refreshing to find more Christian resources & folks who appreciate natural medicine. Thank you 😊
Absolutely fascinating. Thanks for sharing.