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We all know about the beneficial affects that herbs can have on a person, and they've been used by people all across the world. Japan, Italy, America, anywhere you look, you can find a native herb that has had the chance to heal a persons body. What are some of your favorite local herbs you use? And is it possible to use herbal treatment to bring harm to another?

You can use herbs to harm people. Too much of a really strong pennyroyal infusion can cause convulsions and stuff. Women used to try and take it to have abortions but the dosage to cause an abortion is very close to the lethal dose so it's incredibly dangerous. I pretty much won't take pennyroyal in anything but a weak tea. I think it's supposed to be good for colds and stuff. It's most widely used externally to repel bugs and fleas and stuff. It's the main ingredient in a lot of natural flea remedies for pets. But yeah, there are a lot of herbs out there that can be dangerous if not handled with cares, especially for children. Before I take any herb in medicinal amounts I always look them up in my books for propper dosage and all that. Also, there are a few herbs that can be used for constipation that if used on a normal person could cause severe diarhea(sp?), like cascara sagrada and senna pods. Also, cherry bark is rather um... dangerous to use, at least in my opinion. Some parts of the wild cherry tree like... I believe the outer bark and possibly the leaves and seeds, contain a certain kind of acid that's poisonous. Unless you know a lot about harvesting the part of the bark (inner bark I believe) that's helpful for coughs (the reason a lot of cough medicine is cherry flavor) then I wouldn't recommend using wild cherry bark. Well, that's enough on herb safety for now.... hope that was useful.

Hmmm local herbs? I dunno. I don't tend to frequent many gardens living in town LOL.
But with my job I end up recomending fenugreek and blessed thistle almost daily to lactating women for milk supply issues.

Mints however, we tell them to run from as it can suck you dry and poor junior will wonder where his dinner went hehehe. xp

I'm a big fan of raspberry and mint, although mint isn't really a very common herb around here, you really have to look for it. Raspberry is a good tea leaf for sore throats or laryngitis as well as for strengthening the uterine muscles in preparation for birth.

Arianah: What do you do? It sounds like something I sort of want to get into. ^_^