A fascinating NPR ON POINT presentation reminded me of being in some of the 2 years of classes on Herbology in Naturopathic Medical School.

The healing properties of Belladonna and Arsenic and other notable plants that have been used over time were discussed for their benefits and dangerous properties. Literally a drop of Belladonna or Arsenic can be used to stimulate the immune system and yet when I learned how to use those herbs, they were kept in a locked cabinet because making a mistake using them can have extreme and fatal results.

The radio program talks about the history of many herbs and an exhibit at the NYC Museum of Natural History on the same subject.

Listen to the link for a provocative and very educational review of some well known and not so well know herbs.

Please contact me if you have any questions. Most herbs that are medicinal need guidance for how much and how one can ingest them before they cause what is known as a “healing crisis” when the positive constituents of the herb become too much for the body to integrate and toxic effects can occur. For most herbs, this takes a very very long time to build up. This NPR radio show talks about some herbs when this can happen immediately or within days if a person ingests too much.