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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-06-13, Page 15• • e lelsure., features Serving over g4,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Forest,. Milverton, Ariss, Arthur, Drayton, Harriston, Moorefiekt, Palmerston, Bloomingdale, Breslau, Conestogo, Elmira_ Heidelberg, Linwood, Maryhill, St. Clements, St. Jacobs, Wallenstein, Wellesley and West Montrose. Wednesday, June 1 3, 1'9841. MOST HERESMUST BE DRIED after they arepicked and then ground or poyvdered. Frank Sanders, a retired Brussels area farmer, has been growing medicinal herbs for over two years. But he gathers herbs in the Wildloo, likerthe'se"nettles, which can be used medicinally or cooked_ as a vegetable. Medicinal herbs raised for widespread healing qualities by Margaret Arbuckle • It someone mentioned "medicinal herbs" ••most people likely would think of some dark, medievalabbey with cloaked monks tending their precious he.rb gardens. Chances are they would not think of a retired t3russels-area farmer. But Frank Sanders has fulfilled a lifelong dream by ,growing medieina I herbs for two years now -Mi "1,1111•1 1 t).V hi S love of gar- dening ritliit•sily since his family had greenhouses in his native Holland'. During the 144os he started working with ;led And •,1•(..v herbs for medicinal purposesand that is when Mr. Sanders' interest in medicinal herbs was piqued. As much as he loved his new job, Mr. Sanders said he knew he had to make a new life for his ever-growing family. So in 1958, Mr, and Mrs. Sanders and their eight children a ninth was born in this country) came to Morris Township, just outside the hamlet ol Belgrave. Mr, Sanders spent two years working for Robert Coultes and his sons Bill and Glen. the family which had paid the Sander family's passage to Canada. In 1960 he bought his own farm in Morris and Started a dairy herd. Mr. Sanders said he never lost his interest in herb gardening, but during those early years in Canada,it was too difficult and too costly to get the seeds, plus there wakt.lo market for medicinal herbs. Two years ago Mr. Sanders retired and sold his farming operation to two of his sons. Once he was out of farming he had more time to devote to gardening and today the Sanders live on a small farm in Morris, complete with a large herb garden. Even though he has been able to sell some of his herbs to health -food stores in Goderich and Durham, Mr. Sanders says the money is secondary; his first love is growing things. HISTORY OF HERBS Herbal medicine is as old as mankind itself. Today some people think folk medicine is nothing but superstition, however most ancient remedies have a practical basis. It did not take our early ancestors long to discover which plants had healing qualities and which were poisonous. The ancient Chinese and Egyptians were proficient in their use of herbs for medicine, foocland dyes. The Old Testament makes reference to herb use and cultivation. For example, the Bible ,includes Isaiah's prescription of a fig poultice to treat a king's boil or tumor. And King Soloman even wrote a book about herbs, which unfortunately has been destroyed. One of the Three Wise Menwho journeyed to visit the baby Jesus,. pre'sented the child with myrrh, an aromatic, gummy substance which is exuded by some trees and shrubs in Africa and Arabia. Hippocrates, the father 'of modern medicine, believed strongly in nature's healing touch and ,shunned strong drugs. However another Greek medical pioneer, Galen, believed in direct intervention with large doses of complicated drug mixtures -- together with some magical incantations — to treat most diseases. The ancient Romans believed , in medicinal herb remedies, massages and healing diets to, cure most ailments. During the Dark Ages much of the ancient wisdom was forgotten and what we know of folk medicine today is due largely tothe labors of monks in monasteries throughout Europe who copied and translated, mart Roman and Greek , By the time of the Crusades, a rediscovery ot • ancient therapy was underway and it continued throughout the Renaissance and the Reformation periods. However it was not always easy to be a' herbalist. The history of theMiddle Ages is filled with instances of people being proclaimed- witches or heretics because of their advanced knowledge of herbal remedies. When the first settlers came to America they brought with them their knowledge of folk, medicine', plus they learned new remedies from the Indians who had prac- tised folk medicine for thousands of years. . MODERN HERBALISTS The use of medicinal herbs was 'widespread until the tWentieth century, but modern 'advances in pharmacology have meant that most drugs which used to be derived from plants now' can be produced synthetically,. Mr. Sanders said most doctors have looked upon herbal remedies as "quack" medicine. but many people' today are A.:tiling to get back to the natural remedies and he said he thinks that is good. • He does not claim to be a doctor, but feels herbs can be used to promote and maintain god health without the often -unpleasant side effects of synthetically -produced drugs. An herb is a plant whose stem dies to the ground and it can be an annual, a biennial or a perennial. The parts of the plant are the root, the stem, the leaves, the flower and the fruit. One or more of these parts can be used to derive the medicinal herb. After the plant reaches a certain size, it is picked and dried, either by spreading it in a thin layer on a clean surface like paper or by hanging it in bundles. Mr. Sanders does both. Once the herbs have dried sufficiently, they are cut, powdered or even sold whole. Some preparations also can be obtained in pill form, in oils or perfumes. There are several ways to make and use herbal preparations. An infusion is probably the most popular; it is a beverage made like tea by steeping the plants in water to extract. their medicinal ingredients. Fresh plants can be chopped and squeezed to extract their juices or dried ones ground to a powder. Adding alcohol to a powdered herb makes a tincture. After the mixture has been let to stand for two weeks it can be strained .and stored for long periods of time. Ointments, poultices and cold compresses also can be made for irritated skin or boils. Fragrant herbal baths are 'popular, especially in Europe, and depending upon the herb used, can open or close pores or relieve inflamation and pain. GARDEN PHARMACY Mr. Sanders'. garden pharmacy contains over 20 varieties of herbs and although some can be used for'flavoring, such as mint, the' majority are used for 'their medicinal properties. • The most common thing people ask for are aphrodisiacs, laughs Mr. Sanders. But they, also often are looking for herbs to ease the pain of arthritis or migraines or herbs ,which have a sleep -inducing effect. Sometimes Mr. Sanders gathers herbs in the wild too and at present has bundles of nettles drying in his shed. When used medicinally, nettles" can be useful in relieving —diarrhea or the pain of rheumatism, but when cooked like a vegetable,. said Mr. Sanders, the .end product is much like spinach. • Even something as common as dandelion or alfalfa has medicinal properties. Dan- delion root is high in vitamins and minerals ':land tan be used .for fatigue, skin pr„ob,lems, dips const pariah. Alfalfa is very high in protein. as most farmers know. and a tea made from alfalfa can be taken every day to improve the appetite and can even help cure peptic ulcers. One popular herb . which Mr. Sanders grows is comphrey and it can be used as an overall tonic. Often it .was an ingredient of old-time "spring tonic' remedies It can, be made into'a tea or a poultice which Can be, used for wounds or sprains. Mint is used in teas for nervousness, in- somnia, cramps . and in salves. In large quantities it is said to be useful as an aphrodisiac Elecampane, another herb Mr Sanders grows, is used to stimulate digestion and an oil made .from it is useful in healing itchy skin and scabies.. Creeping thyme is said to,help respiratory and, gastrointestinal problems An infusion of its leaves is an antidote t� relieve painful hangover headaches. - Milfoil is another herb Mr. Sanders grows which can be used internally for cramps, gastritis and to stimulate the flow of bile As an external remedy, it is awash for .wounds, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders may soon retire to the village of Blyth, but Mr. Sanders said he still intends to have a herb garden in town because it is an enjoyable bobby ?•••;9s1-',. FRANK SANDERS, a retired Brussels area farmer, grows medicinal herbs for health - food stores in Goderich and Durharn Mr Sanders alwayr, has been interested in medicinal herbs but just started growing them when he retired two years ago. Today he has over 20 variefroi of hf,,!. • 4, •4 oh,ffmary- A SOOTHING CUP of herbal tea is just what the doctor ordered for Prank Sanders after a hot day in his medicinal herb garden. His wife Helen, also a plant lover, serves her husband a cup of tea after the evening meal. 1:* JIM SAMMUT (left) used Red Cross lifesaving techniques to save David Erdhardt (right) from drowning this spring. Photo courtesy Toronto Star. . Jack McLellan was sav- ed from drowning by his two sons last Labour Day weekend. Photo cour- tesy Toronto Star. • • '74'...•.4.4!4:•;••••') John McLellan Photo courtesy Toronto Star Jim McLellan Photo courtesy Toronto Star Red Cross salutes lifesavers during Water Safety Week 1984 On Friday, April 27, 1984. 29 -year old 1)avid Erhardt and his brother. Doug, 37, set out to get a head start on the trout fishing season, which opened in Ontario at midnight Al about 6:00 Saturday morning. • David was nearly dead. The two men had been fruitlessly casting their. lines for, hours in the Credit !liver, , near •the Mississauga Golf and Country. Club. when they decided to head upstream for a better spot. The only route led up a cliff along the hanks and, after climbing it, the brothers split up Doug to find more worms. and David to select a spot fpr casting. 1)avid doesn't. rememher anything more about that night "I woke up in the hOspital, in intensive care with a throbbing head," he said. •'That's all I know ". it turned out that David somehow fell off the embankment of the river, hitting his head as he entered the water. He would have drowned had a stroke of fate ,not found Clarkson resident Jim Sammut, 47, also fishing nearby. Jim had just hooked a six -pound trout 'when he saw what he thought was a coat float by. "What I thought was a parka came floating between me and the Fish... It was only .when I got a close look at it that I realized there- was somebody in it. face down, arms outstretched." •Jim threw his rod away and plunged into the water. "With the spring thaw,' he said; "it's mind-boggling how much water and how much force is in a river that size." It took him three tries to get through about 200 yards to grab David and pull him to shore. David had turned blue and had no pulse by the time Jim reached him. hut .Jim didn't stop to think about it as he im- mediately went to work applying resus- citation techniques. "A lot of water came up as soon as I pumped on David's chest," he recalls. He say. he reacted immediately, using the lifesaving techniques he learned through Red ('ross. David survived. "Ile 1 David) was pretty cl to death." said Dr. Michael Cha'mher.f who helped revive the Scarborough pr( .sman after .he was taken to hospital by irnhulanre He credits Jim with saving David's lite As in deed does David himself "1 owe him inN life.", he says. "I'm cer tainly glad he was there 11 he hadn't been, I'd he dead." David also says he's glad Jini knew something about Heft Cross Vitij techniques "I'm going 1n take a course myself.' he insists •'Anil so are my brother and nay %Oft V e know lii.•1 1—d how it might make dil len-wet() stii..Cont` some c1a" Last (sir. 241 people (frow 114-11 in fin tart() According In lied Cross still this is about average sonic ‘e,11's 1980 when, 320 people drowned, have greater fatalities; some, like,1982 when 21:3 . people drowned, have slightly fewer. This year, David Erhardt, will nat be 'one of these statistics. In 1978, '292 people died from drowning. Nine-year-old Edward Zinner Ikas'nearly one of them. Edward is a healthy 16 -year- old today, because Gail 'Rosen, now 22, pulled him out of a backyard pool in Thor- nhill on June 26, of that year. Gail was six- teen at the time, and had just become a Red ('ross Water Safety Instructor/Lead- er. She had been helping:her aunt, Jac- queline Yack, at a birthday party for her daughter, Shirley Seventeen children at- tended, and David was among them. 'Late in the afternoon, David jumped into the deep end of the swimming pool, and didn't resurface. Gail went in after him, and revived him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Gail was given full credit, along with' many awards, for saving David's life. Ajax resident Jack McLellan nearly became a statistic on 'the 1983 lists last Labour Day,' when he dove into his backyard pool after a frisbee, while play- ing with his two sons„John, 13, and Jim, 11. Jack, who broke his neck during the dive, was saved from death when the two boys dragged him to the side of the pool and ap- plied resuscitation techniques until an am- bulance could arrive. John, who had just passed a Red Cross lifesaving course at the Ajax Community Pool a few weeks prior to the incident, perform/6d mouth-to- mouth resuscitation in the pool, while his mother. Nonie. and Jim held Jack's head above water. Today, jack is still undergoing a lengthy therapy at Sunnyhrook Medical Centre in Toronto. He is paralyzed from the neck down. and breathes with the aid of a respirator. but he is alive and thankful to his two sons. With the assistance of Ajax- Pickering's Friendship Masonic Lodge, and many friends and neighbours, the former technical salesman will be training to become a computer programmer while .he recuperates in the corning months. He should he hack at home with his family in about a year. These are just a few examples of the many close calls with drowning which hap- pen in Ontario every year. While we con - I inue to lose hundreds of lives a year in this way. we also see lives saved because of people who take and use Red Cross lifesav- ing training. Red Cross urges everyone to use caution in, on. and around water at all times Bul we also -urge everyone to look into water safety and livesaving courses in _their areas. Jim Samniut, Gail Rosen and John and Jim McLellan saved lives hccause they knew how to. Perhaps you could he faced with a similar situation one day as well. Will oil know \k'hat to do'?