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| 1 part each ginkgo, dandelion leaf, motherwort and crampbark. Brew as an infusion using 1-2 tsp. herbal blend per cup of boiling water or, if desired, brew the ginkgo leaves and crampbark separately as a decoction, remove the pan from heat, add the remaining ingredients, cover and let stand another 10 minutes. The proportions to use for 1 quart (4 cups) of tea would be 1 tsp. each crampbark and ginkgo for the decoction; add 1 Tbsp. hawthorn plus 1 tsp. each lime blossom, dandelion leaf and motherwort for the final 10 minutes of tea brewing. |
| Mistletoe, European (Viscum Album) |
| The European mistletoe, like lily of the valley, produces poisonous berries yet is an effective heart tonic. The similarities don't stop there, for both have been denounced as toxic by the FDA and are unfamiliar to American herbalists. |
| Note that European mistletoe (Viscum album) is a different plant with different properties from American mistletoe (Viscum flavescen). |
| Considering the large quantities of mistletoe that have been consumed with apparent safety by hundreds of thousands of Europeans during the past century, the FDA's concerns may be overly conservative. Dr. Weiss devoted several pages of Herbal Medicine to a review of the scientific literature regarding mistletoe and the controversy surrounding its effectiveness and safety. He concluded, |
| Mistletoe is a typical example of a gentle herbal drug, showing all the characteristics of that class: no dramatic effects can be determined, yet practitioners and patients repeatedly find that mistletoe has excel- |
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