Book review for Making Plant Medicine

Richo Cech’s Making Plant Medicine has to be one of the most dog-eared, tabbed-up,

post-it noted, highlighted, underlined, annotated books on herbalism on my shelf. It was one of the first books I used when I started making my own plant medicine and has been a reliable reference ever since.

The trajectory of my personal health had taken a turn towards the natural approach

since the home birth of my second daughter in 2008, followed by subsequent home births in 2011 and 2014. When I was sick with Lyme disease in 2017, I had opted for an herbal protocol, but at the time, I did not have the wherewithal to even think about formulating my own tinctures. I ordered tinctures from reputable sources and just went with it.

Fast forward, post-healing and well into recovery: I can use herbs for other concerns,

not just Lyme! Willow bark tincture and comfrey salve for my husband’s back to reduce his reliance on ibuprofen. Black walnut for parasites and fungal infections on our farm. Raspberry leaf tea for the raging hormones of four daughters. Herbal tea with stinging nettle and dandelion to calm hay fever in springtime. But how did I arrive at the point where I make my own tinctures, formulate effective tea blends, create healing salves and syrups, electuaries and oxymels? By studying the materia medica, and using trusted resources from experts like Cech.

Richo Cech is the author of this and several other tomes on herbalism and plants,

including Growing Plant Medicine, volumes 1 and 2, and Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs.

Richo has a great depth and breadth of experience. His resume includes work as an

archaeologist, ethnobotanist, and former production manager at Herb Pharm. He has traversed the globe with a mission to help people connect with the plants they grow and use.

Cech and his family are proprietors of Strictly Medicinal Seeds, the first medicinal herb

seed company in the US which is located in southern Oregon. A seed-saver since his youth, Cech cares deeply about growing his own stock to provide a quality product for his customers. In addition to medicinal herb and culinary seeds, SMS offers live roots and plants, including trees, shrubs, cacti and succulents. I have purchased roots and myriad seed packets and have always been pleased with my investment.

While Cech is an experienced cultivator of medicinal plants and seeds, he is also a

skilled storyteller. It makes this title even more captivating. Published in 2016, Making Plant Medicine is on its 4th edition. It lends clarity to both the new and seasoned herbalist. Part 1 is filled with lyrical expository, personal anecdotes, and math. Yes, math. Cech explains the basic vocabulary of plant medicine-making, including the more scientific concepts of solubility, chemical constituents, and the physical and chemical process of tincturing. Fortunately, he describes tincturing “the easy way” first - no formulas or ratios. Chop or grind fresh or dried herbs, cover with liquid menstruum, secure lid in place, and shake daily. After three weeks or so, strain and label. Simple as that!

For those who may choose the more formulaic approach to medicine-making, Cech

includes those details as well. Chapter 4 is entitled “Extracting Order from Chaos: The

Mathematics of Tincturing.” If Cech introduced “the easy way” first, this must be “the hard

way,” right? In true Richo fashion, his introduction paints a whimsical picture in second person of your relative with a staph infection from a cut and the reader’s attempt to augment healing with a burdock, dandelion, echinacea, and Oregon grape combination. Viola! The tinctures succeed in helping your uncle overcome his infection and you note that in your herbal logbook. However, the next year, your neighbor’s child is suffering from a skin affliction and you use the same combination with lackluster results. Why? Barring different histories and terrain, the herbal tinctures may not be the same if you created them “the easy way.” The tediousness of its converse approach actually helps to standardize your tinctures better (as much as can be standardized with plants, but that is a whole different article!) to ensure a more uniform

outcome.

The mathematics of tincturing include a standard ratio of 1:5, which refers to one part

herb in grams to 5 parts liquid volume measured in milliliters. Within the liquid counterpart, different herbs take different liquids in different ratios - if you see 50A:40W:10G, you will learn that means that the liquid will consist of 50% alcohol, 40% water, and 10% vegetable glycerin. It took me a while to get the hang of thinking like a ‘scientific’ herbalist, but the outcomes were more consistent and professional. If that blows your brain up too much, thank you, Richo, for encouraging us to opt for whichever method best suits us. Also included in Part 1 are formulas for crafting aceta (vinegar extracts) and herbal glycerites.

No matter the process you choose, Richo reminds us of the essential rule of labeling.

Many a tincture was poured down the drain months after being lovingly created simply

because a well-intentioned herbalist forgot to label its contents. Don’t be this herbalist! Label everything. Include start date and expected end date at a minimum. Richo wisely expounds on labeling to include record keeping throughout the process and keeping a logbook. He advocates recording herb source, formula used, weights and volumes, and final yield. These practices will build consistency and a wise foundation for whatever path you choose to pursue with your herbal skills.

Richo ensures that those who thoroughly enjoy phytochemistry are not disappointed.

He dives into the nitty gritty of the chemical properties of plants, to include alkaloids,

glycosides, volatile oils, mucilage, polysaccharides, resins, saponins, and tannins. If that

makes your head spin, or you failed chemistry in high school and don’t wish to dredge up oldmemories, jump to the chapters on teas, decoctions, syrups, succi (herbal juices), oils and salves. You truly can take care of yourself and your family with plants. Richo, with his

captivating prose, describes several acute cases where a poultice saved the day. I may enjoy phytochemistry, but I savor the chronicles of his personal experiences woven throughout the text.

Even if the phytochemistry intimidates you, I urge you not to skip over it! The minutiae

of herbalism points to our Creator from every direction. The careful design of plants, for our benefit, is a gift. Cech notes, “Sometimes the herbs work as the result of careful and

purposeful application, while other times the mode of their healing can only be attributed to the workings of a great mystery that is beyond our calculated comprehension.” (7) The majesty of God’s love for us is truly unfathomable!

Part 2 of Cech’s volume contains a formulary for over 150 different herbs. This is the

bee’s knees! This is the meat and potatoes, the pièce de résistance, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. If you were impressed with the first part of Rich’s book, you’ll be over the moon about Part 2. This will become your cookbook for making plant medicine. Each herb comes with Cech’s recommendations for parts to use, how to cultivate, ratios for tincturing and other methods for extraction. Additionally, sections on Practical Uses and Contraindications for every plant are invaluable. Cech includes the most popular and useful herbs in western herbalism, as well as Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs we have grown accustomed to in our global society. However, he also details those herbs that are growing in your own backyard.

Overall, this book is highly recommended for both the detail-oriented and the generalist

herbal practitioner of any level. Even if some of the terms seem out of reach for the beginner, it is essential to add them to your vocabulary as you learn and grow. You will be hard pressed to find such helpful instructions on how to cultivate and use so many medicinal herbs from so experienced an herbalist as Richo Cech. Consider this book an investment in your health.