Why Learn Herbal Medicine?

The simple answer is that learning to treat yourself and your family, naturally, with herbs is essential for preparedness and self-reliance. There is a lot more to it than that, though.

A few months ago, I recorded a podcast that has become very popular. It was entitled, "Two Options for Your Future". The first option is the one that probably 95% of people in our modern culture choose... most not knowing they even have the choice. That option is doing what is expected and not taking responsibility for your own life. The second option is independence, making your own choices and taking responsibility for your life.

I call the first option "Being herded like cattle and slopped like hogs." This may sound extreme, but stick with me for a few minutes. An individual's childhood may vary greatly from others in terms of family life, but a public-school experience is mostly standardized. The goal of public education is not to teach students the skills they need to be independent thinkers, entrepreneurs or creative and logical people. If it were, up to 50% of high school students in my home state of North Carolina would not GRADUATE functionally illiterate and unable to do basic math! If it were, Americans would not spend more on public education than any nation on earth, while having among the lowest test scores in the civilized world. The goal of public education is very simply to teach kids to do what they are told and to not question authority. Additionally, it is to enculturate them with the approved values of those in charge and to create unthinking consumers.

That likely sounds like a "conspiracy theory", after all, aren't teachers the equivalent of secular saints, under paid, over-worked, dedicated educators? No. At least, not in my opinion. I think most are over-paid considering they get all national holidays off, summers off, generally make above each state's average salary, receive very good benefits as government employees and generally fail to educate students at all. But surely, this is new... something has gone wrong! Well, let's look at what the architects of public education and their "progressive" allies wrote about their stated goals. The following is an excerpt from Peter McCoy's excellent book, Radical Mycology:

The average person gains much of their ability to interpret and describe life experiences during a decade or two of public education. During their formative years, most children are placed under state controlled structures that define what the child is to think. As that child turns into an adult, all that they learned in school is carried on to define what is worth studying and, more importantly, how one is to learn about-indeed, think about-a given topic. Unfortunately, the learning models presented in public schooling are not only limited, but detrimental. ... For the bulk of the last few thousand years, education systems in western societies were structured quite differently than the rigid, subject-based model that is now common around the world. As opposed to studying an assemblage of disconnected facts, students of the past were largely encouraged to study on their own and to explore those topics that interested them. Along with this freedom, the student was also given robust skills for logical thinking that enabled them to analyze a topic quickly and ultimately develop their own understanding of it, derived from personal investigation. Such studies often took place in small one-room classrooms ("dame schools") in which students of different ages learned from and taught each other. This not only increased the older students' ability to express ideas and inform others, it also created mentor-peer relationships and mutual respect amongst the differing age groups. In the l9th century, the dame school model slowly began to be replaced by the enforced schooling system. As detailed in the many great works of author and former public school teacher John Taylor Gatto, this shift began when the Prussian government devised an education system that sought to mold students into non-critical, obedient citizens. Under the Prussian model, curriculum was no longer left open to interpretation by teachers and students, but regulated by the state. In the high class of Prussian society, only 0.5-1 % of students were given the actual skills to think strategically and contextually. These lucky few went on to become future policy makers and rulers of the country. Below them, the next 5-7.5% of students were taught to take on the management of society and grew to become the engineers, architects, doctors, lawyers, and general problem solvers of the country. The rest of the population attended "people's schools" where one's proficiency was measured largely by their ability to obey the teacher's commands and to memorize random data, regardless of its merit. By dividing class lines along degrees of intellectualism, the Prussian government was able, in just a generation or two, to slowly shift the mass culture's relationship with authority from a critical to subservient form. This system was so successful that despite frequent-and at times violent-resistance, it was soon imported to the United States where it was further refined, largely due to the private funding of major industrialists of the early 20th century, such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. Since that time, the compulsory education system has only been further embellished in the United States and around the world. In Gatto's summation, nearly every aspect of the enforced public schooling system is designed to support the state. School teaches, directly or indirectly, to place the planning of one's life into the hands of other people. In the classroom, the teacher is commander and chief, dictating what is learned, how time is spent, and what value will be attached to the work that students produce. In a world filled with an infinite number of things to learn, curiosity is partitioned into a small set of inane assignments where thinking or spawning outside the box is not encouraged. The teacher's authority is unquestionable, a submission to hierarchy that the child learns to accept in school and throughout the rest of their life. This stifling of creativity and self-expression leaves the child endlessly searching for external guidance and validation, whether from authority figures or celebrities, rather than from their own sense of self-worth. As Gatto puts it, if a child is never given true responsibility, s/he will remain child-like beyond necessity-s/he may grow old, buts/he will never grow up. The child is also deprived of the ability to think efficiently or to even plan their life to achieve goals. Public schools do not teach children to think in context or to connect concepts from different areas of life. Rather, schooling's emphasis on memorizing disconnected facts in discrete "subjects" leaves the child with an incoherent view of history and cultural development. Removed from Nature and the patterns... the child is deprived of sustained contact with pattern- and systems-based thinking models. Unable to think abstractly, objectively, or with historical contexts, the child is also unable to grasp how the world arrived at its present state or how the actions of a single individual can shape the present and future. This is further exacerbated by the ringing of the Pavlovian bell that tells the student to abandon their work as if it doesn't matter, for it is only the grade marks of the overbearing teacher that can place a value on the work of the child. Over time, the child can no longer view learning as its own reward or appreciate knowledge for its ability to enrich one's life. In the end, the child is left unable to think for themselves, to value their own work, to have relationships that are not based on requirements or outcomes, to investigate taboo topics, or to challenge ideas that they are told to accept."

"School is like starting life with a 12-year jail sentence in which bad habits are the only curriculum truly learned." -JOHN TAYLOR GATIO

"In our dreams, people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hands. The present education conventions of intellectual and character education fade from their minds and unhampered by tradition we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive folk. We shall not try to make these people or any of their children into men of learning or philosophers, or men of science. We have not to raise up from them authors, educators, poets or men of letters, great artists, painters, musicians, nor lawyers, doctors, statesmen, politicians, creatures of whom we have ample supply. The task is simple. We will organize children and teach them in a perfect way the things their fathers and mothers are doing in an imperfect way." -JOHN 0. ROCKEFELLER'S GENERAL EDUCATION BOARD

"Education should aim at destroying the free will, so that, after the pupils have left school, they shall be incapable; throughout the rest of · their lives, of thinking or acting otherwise than as their schoolmasters would have wished." -BERTRAND RUSSELL, THE INTENDED RESULT OF EDUCATION

"Where all think alike, no one thinks very much." -WALTER LIPPMANN

So, what happens next? Too often, the high school graduate, who has no true skills for learning, goes on to college... because, "everyone deserves a college education." After several years of partying, the student finally "earns" a degree in what is often a worthless subject. Most importantly though, the student incurs massive debt. This is usually the first step in a lifetime of being enslaved to debt. Each subsequent step of credit cards, car loans, mortgages, etc will be marketed as the college loans were - a privilege and a right "earned" through compliance. The young adult now gets a job based on the degree and not his ability. Over his lifetime and through a number of new "promotions" or "careers", new cars, new houses, lots of take-out and restaurant food, insurance, medical bills, taxes, a few nice vacations, usually a couple of divorces... and, don't forget, paying for his kid's education... then retirement and assisted living, that man (or woman, of course) will make a great deal of money... for other people. Gone are the days where each generation accomplished more than the generation before and left a large inheritance to their children. Gone are the days of building wealth.

But, what else did that student learn? He learned to eat what he was told to eat (industrial junk food) and to interact with the medical system. It begins with vaccines and health screenings, then annual check-ups. Of course, there will be all sorts of viruses that run rampant through crowded schools, which means more visits to the doctor and more medications. A boy will likely be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and put on meds for that. A girl will be encouraged to go on birth control pills and get regular gynecological screenings. Both will likely be prescribed anxiety or depression meds. Then, there are the required physicals for sports, and so on. If a parent resists, they will likely get a visit from Child Services, be threatened, fined and even jailed. Then, the whole process starts over in college... more vaccinations, screenings and meds. Throughout life, our hypothetical student will spend more and more time waiting to see a doctor...usually actually seeing the doctor for a few minutes (herded like cattle), be prescribed more and more meds (slopped like hogs) and told what a privilege it is that they have such an opportunity for "healthcare". They will have insurance as part of their benefits package, vote for politicians who promise to "expand healthcare coverage" and as they age, their entire lives will revolve around medical appointments, treatments and prescriptions. When they hear a commercial like the one I often hear on the radio that states, "High blood pressure meds, diabetes meds, anxiety meds, everybody's on them....", they will not even question why.

It may surprise many folks these days to know that this was not always the case. My great grandparents, who lived into their late 90s, did not live this way. They only went to doctors in cases of serious disease or emergency. If someone had a heart attack or broke a leg or got cancer (which was extremely rare just a few generations ago), then they would go to a doctor. Colds, flus, injuries, coughs, congestion, etc. were treated at home. Babies were had at home - a lot of them! There were no health screenings. People generally lived long, healthy lives - strong and independent, active in their churches and communities into old age. But, aren't people living longer, healthier lives now? Not really. If you adjust for infant mortality and early childhood illness, factor out the legitimate medical improvements in treating injuries sustained in wars and the occasional viral epidemics (which modern medicine still can't prevent and can barely treat), the average adult was living just a few years longer than his ancestors. But, the rise in opioid drug overdoses in recent years has largely negated those gains. Moreover, such statistics do not factor in quality of life. Yes, a person may live a few years longer on dialysis, with a feeding tube, on a respirator or being neglected and abused in a nursing home. That is a stark contrast to my great grandfather who re-married in his 80s and remained strong and vigorous, full of life and humor into his late 90s!

The sad truth... the truth few dare speak, is that medical error, over-prescription and side effects from prescription drugs are now the leading cause of death in America. If Covid-19 taught us anything, it is that "the emperor has no clothes." The medical professionals who demand unquestioning obedience of us, are mostly unquestioningly obedient to the healthcare industry, the medical bureaucracy, the pharmaceutical industry and government. They will actively deny the origin of a virus, withhold effective treatments (hydroxychloroquine, for instance) and allow hundreds of thousands of people to die, if that is what they are told to do. That should come as no surprise as they never question why suddenly so many people have cancer, and what is causing it. They continue to over-prescribe antibiotics for things like the common cold, for which antibiotics are useless, even though they acknowledge that over-prescribing antibiotics is creating antibiotic-resistant "Super Bugs" - bacteria that could cause future epidemics. They rarely acknowledge that the very diets recommended by "health care experts" and government officials have been the cause of turning once rare diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure into common conditions (for which everybody is on meds). Truly, it should be no surprise, as the doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical scientists and executives, and the government bureaucrats are largely products of the same public education system that gives us cashiers who cannot count change accurately.

What may surprise you though, is just how new this phenomenon is. Not only did people have less contact with the medical industry a few generations ago, but all this really only got started in the 1970s. President Nixon may have been a Republican, but he was no conservative or free-market libertarian. He was a big government socialist who went beyond anything any liberal Democrat ever accomplished, by implementing wage and price controls. Employers, finding themselves unable to offer higher wages, began offering insurance as part of an employee's benefits package. This, along with expansions in Medicare and Medicaid... all leading up to ObamaCare (and beyond), put a division between the cost of medicine and the consumer. The patient rarely even knows the cost of a procedure. The doctor prescribes it, and insurance covers it. This leaves out the patient who if he were paying out of pocket might ask, "is this really necessary?" or "I can't afford that." So, prices increase, the number of tests and procedures increases, the frequency of appointments and follow ups increases and the number of prescriptions the patient leaves with constantly rises. That is what has increased the cost of healthcare. That is what has made the pharmaceutical and medical industry one of the largest segments of wealth in our economy. That is why things will continue to get worse. That is why any honest doctor will tell you that they best way to live a long, healthy life is to eat healthy, get some exercise in the sun and avoid going to doctors as much as possible... Dr. W.C. Douglass used to say that, and the medical industry hated him for it!

But, did you know that the majority of medications prescribed before the 1970s were not new patented miracle pills, or even generics, but were actually compounded by the local pharmacist "in house"? Each pharmacist had books that told him the exact measurement of each ingredient. Prior to the great take over by the modern pharmaceutical industry, most medications were plant based. I have "medical dispensatories" from that era that discuss each herb and its use in treating disease.... information which the government and the medical industry have tried to outlaw! Now, I am not advocating that we return to a time before modern medicine. In fact, the era of medicine I'm referencing was fairly modern. X-Rays, MRIs, antibiotics and all sorts of modern medical science certainly have their place. And, that place is rightly prominent. But, the truth remains that doctors were effectively treating nearly every illness known to man with plant based medicines just a few generations ago.

Now, we come to "Option Number 2", and that is to take control of and responsibility for your life and future. Obviously, I would like to see people avoid the public education system in favor of home schooling or small, religiously based, private schools. I would like to see people learn to read, write, do basic math, study history and science. I would like for kids to consider studying the trades, farming or starting a small business rather than go to universities and incur massive debt. I would advocate avoiding debt all together. I hope people will accept that divorce is not only financially ruinous, but that it destroys families, hurts everyone involved and unravels the fabric of society. Of course, sometimes such as in cases of abuse, it cannot be avoided, but divorce should be a last resort... not something as common as buying a new car. I would really like for people to stop buying new cars and to learn to do their own car and house repairs - again, avoiding debt. I would like for people to learn how to grow and cook their own food, and to experience the health and financial savings that entails. I would like for people to own property, become financially secure, raise good kids, be a positive influence int their community and leave the next generation better off. In other words, I would like to see people return to traditional American values and ethics. In my opinion, the best way start down the path in the right direction is to become a Prepper, Homesteader or to practice Permaculture... anywhere on that spectrum is the opposite of being "herded like cattle and slopped like hogs."

Learning to use herbs to treat yourself and your family is essential to being an independent, self -reliant person. The choice should be yours. But, honestly, only about 5% of people will ever realize they even have the option. Let others choose between "The red pill and the blue pill." We can find true freedom in using the herbs that grow by providence on God's green earth!

This article is an excerpt from

Herbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-medicine-for-preppers.html

Available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMWXL25

PS. New today in my Woodcraft shop:

Mahoganized Holly Scoop

https://judsoncarrollwoodcraft.substack.com/p/mahoganized-holly-scoop

New Book:

The Spring Foraging Cookbook: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-spring-foraging-cookbook.html
Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRP63R54

Read about my other new books:

Medicinal Ferns and Fern Allies, an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/11/medicinal-ferns-and-fern-allies.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMSZSJPS

A Daily Catholic Devotional Reflections on the Daily Mass readings July-December, 2024
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-daily-catholic-devotional-reflections.html

Medicinal Weeds and Grasses of the American Southeast, an Herbalist's Guide
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/05/medicinal-weeds-and-grasses-of-american.html

Available in paperback on Amazon:
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Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/05/confirmation-autobiography-of-faith.html

Available in paperback on Amazon:
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and

Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast An Herbalist's Guide

Read about Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast An Herbalist's Guide: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-of.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2T4Y5L6: by Judson Carroll


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Read about my new other books:

Medicinal Ferns and Fern Allies, an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/11/medicinal-ferns-and-fern-allies.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMSZSJPS

The Omnivore’s Guide to Home Cooking for Preppers, Homesteaders, Permaculture People and Everyone Else: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-omnivores-guide-to-home-cooking-for.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGKX37Q2

Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast an Herbalist's Guide
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-of.html

Available for purchase on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2T4Y5L6

and

Growing Your Survival Herb Garden for Preppers, Homesteaders and Everyone Else
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/04/growing-your-survival-herb-garden-for.html

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X4LYV9R


The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Bitter Herbs: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-encyclopedia-of-bitter-medicina.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5MYJ35R

and

Christian Medicine, History and Practice: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/01/christian-herbal-medicine-history-and.html

Available for purchase on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09P7RNCTB



Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/southern-appalachian-herbs

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Disclaimer

The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.