This course is consists of 16 audio CDs of a four-day seminar intensive on materia medica, delivered at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism in August of 2004 and December of 2005. Included with it are printed class notes, and a data disk of supplemental readings and full-text reference texts in electronic format.

This is intermediate to advanced material, assuming that the student already is familiar with the major herbal materia medica – it was delivered to Advanced and Clinical students at the institute. The three presenters are all experienced clinicians and teachers in both the classroom and the clinic, having more than 75 years of clinical experience between them. Discussions of the herbs begin where most discussion end, going further into subjects such as energetic properties, and differentials between similar herbs. The information is practical rather than theoretical.

Further down on this page you can find a

Course Syllabus,

Faculty Biographies, and a

List of Tracks of the 16 CDs

Enrollment for Credit

To enroll in the course, receive the right to faculty contact, and to earn the certificate, follow these steps:

• 1) Purchase the CD-set in the CD-ROM Section of our Online Store

• 2) When you receive it, open the data disk file, and print out the application and enrollment form. Send these in with a $25 application fee. This entitles you to student support and faculty contact for eight weeks after the enrollment is received.

• 3) Read the instructions for obtaining CE credit in the Syllabus with the notes.

• 4) Listen to the CD-set, taking notes according the the CD instructions.

• 5) Complete the CE questions at the end of the notes.

• 6) Send in your lecture notes and the answers to your CE questions with a tuition payment of $120.This will entitle you to grading of the questions and assignments and to a certificate for CE.  

• You will receive a certificate reflecting 32 hours of CE credit, approved by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Private Occupational Schools Board.

Total Cost:

Faculty

The three presenters for this program have more than 75 years of combined experience in the practice of herbalism and natural medicine. Each is a thoroughly experienced teacher both in the classroom and in the clinic, and each has training in both Western herbalism and Chinese medicine.

Paul Bergner is director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism. He has edited the Medical Herbalism journal since 1989. He completed more than 50 semester hours of doctoral level studies at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in the 1980s, including the full sequence on Chinese Medicine offered to the ND students. He was Director of clinical education at Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies from 1996-2003, and is currently clinic director at the Evergreen Center in Boulder, CO. Between the two schools, he has trained 240 students through a one-year internship in clinical herbalism and clinical nutrition. He is the author of seven books on medical herbalism, clinical nutrition, and naturopathic medicine. Paul has practiced natural medicine for more than 40 years. He is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. 

Matthew Becker has practiced herbalism for more than twenty years. He apprenticed with herbalist William LeSassier in New York in the 1980s, and taught at the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies from 1998 through 2003. He is currently a staff herbalist at the Pharmaca, an integrative pharmacy in Boulder, CO. He has developed formulas for North American Chinese herbal companies. He is on the regular and clinical faculties at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism.

Linda Whitedove, L.Ac. Has practiced Western herbalism for more than twenty-five years. She was the founding director of the clinical herbalism program at Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies in 1995. She is a medical herbalist practicing in the outpatient integrative medicine program at Longmont United Hospital in Colorado, and is the formulator at Homegrown Herbals, a company based in Hygiene, Colorado. Linda also has a private practice as a Certified Acupuncturist. She is on the regular and clinical faculties at the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild.

Syllabus

Specific Course Objectives:

The student will study herbal materia medica in-depth, with an emphasis on understanding constitutional actions, and on differentials between similar herbs.

Prerequisites

High school diploma or equivalent. At least 40 hours of previous study in herbal materia medica

Continuing education credits

This course is approved for 24 hours of Continuing Education Credit by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Private Occupational School Board

Assignments

Listen to each of the 16 CD's in sequence, following the lecture with the notes. Take your own notes as you move through the material. You may make them on a separate sheet of paper, or write your own notes in the margins and open spaces in this document. You may also make a list of questions, on a separate sheet of paper.

Support

You may ask questions of a technical or academic nature at enquiries@naimh.com for a period of eight weeks after enrollment.

Submitting materials

Upon receipt of the CD-ROm set and data disk, print out the application and enrollment forms, sign them and send them in the a $25 application fee.

Upon completion of the course, send in your notes and answers to the CE questions, with the tuition of $120.00

Certificate

Applicants who complete the assignments and correctly answer 80% of the test questions will receive a certificate for 24 hours of continuing education credit. A transcript will also be maintained at the school.

Supplemental Reading Materials

On a supplemental Data Disk, you will find supplemental reading material:

William Cook's treatise on vitalist therapeutics from his 1869 Dispensatory.

• William Cook's Materia Medica section from the Dispensatory

• Medical Herbalism Materia Medica Reprints (more than 350 pages of articles)

• Medical Herbalism Therapeutics Reprints (more than 450 pages of articles)

• Diseases of Women and Children by Sarah Webb, MD.

• A Materia Medica of Chinese tonic herbs

• An article on the Ginseng Abuse Syndrome, by Paul Bergner

Contents:

A Data Disk containing lecture notes, supplemental readings, and instructions on how to obtain Continuing Education credit for this course.

Sixteen Audio Disks, with .wav files, which will normally play in any computer or any CD player. They will not play in an .mp3 player unless you convert them to .mp3 on your computer.

Disk 1 Vitalist Actions of Herbs (1) Paul Bergner

Track Title

1 Introduction

2 Thomsonian- herbalism

3 The-Eclectics

4 Physiomedicalists

5 Vitalism

6 Non-suppression

7 Later-Physiomedicalism

8 Vitalist-actions

9 Qualities-of-life

10 Vitalist-actions-2

11 Tissue-affinities

Disk 2 Vitalist Actions of Herbs (2) Paul Bergner

Track Title

1 Stimulate-Relax-Tonify

2 Tonics and Diffusives

3 Diffusives-relaxants

4 Applications

5 Trophorestorative

6 TJ-Lyle

7 Forms-and-actions

8 Hot-dry-cold-moist

9 Degrees-of-action

10 Cold-injury

11 Vital-stimulants

12 Relaxants

13 Diffusives

14 Tonics

15 Climate and Action

Disk3 Herbal Energetics Paul Bergner

Track Title

1 Introduction

2 Actions

3 Western-energetics

4 Anise

5 Fennel

6 Anise-Fennel-Combo

7 Fenugreek

8 Oregon-grape-and-dandelion

9 Moist-vs-Dry

10 Four-humors

11 Ayurveda-and-TCM

12 Demulcents

Disk 4 Liver Materia Medica (1) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Hepatitis C

2 Disorder causes

3 Anger

4 Turmeric

5 Turmeric2

6 Milk-thistle

7 Blessed-thistle

8 Artichoke leaf

9 Food remedies

10 Schisandra berries

11 Oregon grape root

12 Fringe tree and celandine

13 Burdock and dandelion

Disk 5 Liver Materia Medica (2) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Introduction-to-liver-blood

2 Dong-quai

3 Osha

4 Blood-deficiency

5 Astragalus

6 Peony

7 Ginseng

8 Milk-thistle

9 Nettles

10 Burdock

11 Saw-palmetto

12 Lycium

13 Ashwaganda

14 Codonopsis

15 Dong quai 2

16 Ho shou wu and yellowdock

17 Liver excess

18 Hypoglycemia remedy

19 Burdock and dandelion

20 Burdock and turmeric

21 Dizziness and astragalus

22 Rosemary

23 Schisandra

24 Reishi mushroom

Disk 6 Nervines (1) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Introduction

2 Sedatives

3 California-poppy/catnip

4 Pedicularis

5 Hops

6 Sedatives

7 Jamaican-Dogwood

8 Black-cohosh-1

9 Butterbur

10 Black-Cohosh-2

11 Wild-lettuce

12 Sedatives-conclusion

13 Kava

14 Combinations

15 Differentials

16 Cannabis

17 Combinations-with-antispasmodics

18 Headache-Differentials

19 Nourishing-agents

20 Oats

21 Chamomile

22 St-Johnswort

23 Teas

24 Hawthorn

Disk 7 Nervines (2) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Damiana

2 Ginkgo

3 Gotu Kola

4 Wisdom Remedies

5 Basil

6 Arnica

7 Pasque-flower

8 Reishi

9 Rose

10 Betony

11 Gotu Kola II

12 Schisandra

13 Lemon Balm

14 Ginseng

15 Formulation

16 Scullcap Combinations

17 Avena combinations

18 Psychedelics

19 Syrian rue

20 Categories Review

Disk 8 Female Reproductive (1) Linda Whitedove

Track Title

1 Raspberry-tonic

2 Raspberry-astringency

3 Raspberry-more-uses

4 Raspberry-non-reproductive

5 False Unicorn Root

6 Mitchella

7 Vitex

8 High-Progesterone

9 Menstrual-migraines

10 Vitex-2

11 Blue-cohosh

12 Black Cohosh

Disk 9 Female Reproductive (2) Linda Whitedove

Track Title

1 Black Cohosh 2

2 Dong quai

3 Wild Yam

4 Sarsaparilla

5 Motherwort

6 Viburnums

7 Other Antispasmodics

8 Other Emmenagogues

9 Shepard’s Purse

Disk 10 Respiratory (1) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Introduction

2 Mullein

3 Coltsfoot

4 Plantain

5 Licorice

6 Comfrey

7 Osha

8 Elecampane

9 Red Clover

10 Thyme

11 Lung Tonics

12 Astragalus and codonopsis

13 More tonics

14 Cordyceps

15 Antispasmodics

16 Lobelia

17 Black cohosh

Disk 11 Respiratory (2) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Skunk cabbage

2 Myrrh

3 Wild cherry

4 Decongestants

5 Goldenseal and horseradish

6 Herbal actions review

7 Hyssop

8 Mullein

9 Wild cherry bark

10 Poplar bud

11 Coltsfoot

12 Boneset

13 Pleurisy root

14 Elder flower

15 Astragalus

16 Black cohosh

17 Myrrh

18 Monarda

19 Olive leaf

20 Smoker's cough

21 Conifers

22 Combinations

23 Formula for serious coughs

24 Astragalus

25 Esorbitox

26 Horehound

Disk 12 Digestive/Topical (1) Paul Bergner

Track Title

1 Introduction

2 Plantain

3 Inflammation and wound healing

4 Gastrointestinal epithelium

5 Calendula

6 Combinations

7 Gut pathophysiology

8 More on leaky gut

9 Comfrey leaf

10 Marshmallow

11 Caution with salves

12 Aloe

Disk 13 Digestive/Topical (2) Paul Bergner

Track Title

1 Comparisons

2 Plantain

3 Seminar comments

4 Delivery media

5 Formula

6 Esberitox formula

7 Echinacea topical use

8 Roberts formula

Disk 14 Digestive/Topical (3) Paul Bergner

Track Title

1 Baptisia

2 Skin applications

3 Thuja

4 Candida

Disk 15 Adaptogens (1) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Adaptogens

2 Adaptogens vs alteratives

3 Ashwaganda

4 Schisandra

5 Reishi

6 Asian Ginseng

7 American ginseng

8 Tienchi ginseng

Disk 16 Adaptogens (2) Matthew Becker

Track Title

1 Rhodiola

2 Astragalus

3 Siberian ginseng

4 Adaptogen vs stimulant

5 Adaptogens and lifestyle

6 Cordyceps

7 Codonopsi

Data Disk

Supplemental readings and reference texts. Adobe Acrobat format

Course notes with syllabus and enrollment materials. (40 pages)

• William Cook's treatise on vitalist therapeutics from his 1869 Dispensatory. (538 pages)

• William Cook's Materia Medica section from the Dispensatory (118 pages)

• Medical Herbalism Materia Medica Reprints (more than 320 pages of articles)

• Medical Herbalism Therapeutics Reprints (more than 450 pages of articles)

• Diseases of Women and Children by Sarah Webb, MD (A physiomedicalist classic text from the 1920s) (87 pages)

• A Materia Medica of Chinese tonic herbs (33 pages)

• An article on the Ginseng Abuse Syndrome, by Paul Bergner (5 pages)