Lesson Structure: Medicinal Herbs BHT227

There are 8 lessons:

1. Introduction to Medicinal Herbs

• Scope and Nature of Herbal Medicine
• Being Cautious
• Growing and Knowing Medicinal Herbs
• Accurate Plant Naming
• Pronouncing Plant Names
• Finding Reliable Resources

2. Culture of Medicinal Herbs

• What is a Herb
• Soils and Nutrition
• Cultivation
• Fertilizing Herbs
• Compost, Mulch, Watering
• Propagation
• Pest and Disease

3. History

• Introduction
• Hippocrates
• Chinese Herbalists
• Egyptian Influence
• Greek Influences
• The Dark Ages
• German and English Herbals
• Other Influences

5. Main Medicinal Herbs

• Introduction and Varieties to Grow
• Production Plan
• Improving Soil Fertility
• Cover Crops and Legumes
• Cultivation, Growing Methods, Compost
• Growing and using Ginger
• Garlic Culture
• Echinacea Culture

6. Herbal Remedies

• Alternatives
• Anthelmintic
• Astringents
• Bitter Tonics
• Calmatives
• Carminatives and Aromatics
• Cathartics
• Diaphoretics
• Dietetics
• Demulcents
• Emollients
• Expectorants
• Nervines
• Relaxants
• Vulnerary Herbs
• Common Herbs with Medicinal Properties
• Nervines as Healing Agents
• Natural Chemicals in Plants and their Affect on Health; saponins, phenolglycosides, anthraglycosides, flavonoids, mustard oils, polysaccharides,
• prussic acid, glycosides, coumarin, tannins, bitters, essential oils, alkaloids, purines, essential minerals
• Chemistry of Herbs
• Herbal Sources for Human Nutrients

7. Preparing Herbal remedies

• Infusion
• Decoction
• Poulice
• Medical Preparations
• Problem of Accurately Formulating Herbal Medicines
• How herbalists used to work
• The Difference Today
• Harvesting Material for Herbal Preparations
• Post Harvest Handling of Herbs
• Post Harvest Preservation; Fresh, Modified Atmospere Packaging
• Herbal Preparations for Teas, Rinses and Baths
• Producing Essential Oils; Water distilation, Steam distilation
• Uses for Eucalyptus Oil
• Poisonous Plants
• Introduction
• Review of Plant Poisons
• Hazardous Herbs
• Carcinogens, Potosensitizers, Allergens, Hormone Like Affects, Teratogens, Respiratory Inhibitors, etc
• Toxic Plant Constituents

8. Developing a Production Plan

• Managing a Market Garden
• Deciding What to Grow
• Production Planning
• Types of Problems
• Standards
• Crop Schedules
• Farming Medicinal Herbs
• Production Requirements for Different Herbs

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Learning Goals:  Medicinal Herbs BHT227

• Distinguish between medicinal herbs in cultivation including twenty-five different genera and fifty different varieties.
• Discuss the history of medicinal herb usage.
• Compare the chemical components of different medicinal herbs in terms of their general affect on the human body.
• Prepare simple and safe herbal remedies in a domestic situation.
• Explain the potential dangers involved in dealing with plants.
• Prepare a schedule of cultural practices for a medicinal herb crop.
• Develop a production plan for a medicinal herb crop.

Practicals:

• Define the term “medicinal herb” according to both horticultural and naturopathic meanings.
• Compile a resource file of fifty different sources of information regarding medicinal herbs.
• Distinguish between fifteen different plant families which common medicinal herbs belong to.
• Prepare a plant collection of fifty different medicinal herb varieties.
• List ten different medicinal herbs which were often used more than one hundred years ago, but are no longer commonly used.
• Identify modern trends in the use of herbs in medicines in your country.
• Discuss the role of home remedies in modern society.
• Discuss the role of the naturopath in modern society.
• Summarise the history of medicinal herbs since early civilisation, to modern times.
• Explain the characteristics of different types of chemicals found in medicinal herbs.
• Write brief definitions to explain the mode of action of different herbal medicines.
• Write an essay describing the chemical actions which two different herbs have upon the human body.
• Explain various factors which can influence the effectiveness of active constituents of a herb.
• List herbal remedies derived from forty different commonly grown herbs.
• Identify the morphological parts of fifteen different herbs which are used medicinally.
• Explain thoroughly how to prepare six different types of simple medicines, including a:
  • Poultice
  • Infusion
  • Decoction
  • Tincture.
• Develop a list of safety procedures to follow when preparing a given herbal medicine.
• Explain methods to administer six different herbal medicines which are safe and appropriate for an unskilled person to make and use
• at home. (ie. medicines which do not have any dangerous risks if prepared or administered incorrectly).
• Describe, in summaries, twelve commonly occurring plants which contain poisonous substances, including:
  • names (botanical and common)
  • dangerous parts of the plant
  • poisonous substances
  • mode of action of poison
  • remedy (if any).
• List five herbs that should never be taken internally.
• List five herbs which should never be used by pregnant women.
• List three herbs which should never be used by children.
• Describe, including at least two specific examples, precautions when dealing with unknown herb materials.
• Develop guidelines for the culture of a specified variety of medicinal herb.
• Explain natural pest and disease control methods for five medicinal herb varieties.
• Prepare a sample of soil suitable for growing a specified herb variety in the open ground.
• Demonstrate propagation techniques for five different medicinal herbs.
• Produce container plants of two different medicinal herbs, propagating and growing on the plants to a marketable stage and condition.
• Record the development of two medicinal herbs in a log including a summary of the condition of the plant, growth, and cultural practices carried out.
• Develop a list of criteria for selecting the most commercially viable variety of a nominated medicinal herb species available.
• List thirty different varieties of a medicinal herb species which are readily available for purchase as “reliable” seed or tubestock.
• Compare different varieties of six nominated medicinal herb species to determine a commercially viable variety to grow in your locality.
• List tasks to be undertaken in the production of a selected medicinal herb variety, including:
  • soil preparation
  • planting
  • growing practices
  • harvest and post harvest.
• Write a production schedule for a medicinal herb variety which designates tasks to be undertaken systematically at each stage of crop development.
• Explain the facilities which would be required to produce a specified commercial medicinal herb crop, including:
  • equipment
  • materials
  • land.
• Estimate the cost of producing a specified medicinal herb crop, itemising the cost components into at least five categories.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?

A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.