Herbal abortion.
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 14:44:39 EST
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Cherie Capps <102617.1353.COMPUSERVE.COM>
Subject: Abortion
> Dear Herbalites: I have a friend who unfortunately does not use birth control. Is there a natural form for birth control and is there a natural form for the abortion process?
I hope everyone realizes that giving out information on self-abortion technics is both illegal and unethical, as well as unsafe for the mother. I get many calls requesting this information and this is my response to them. Sure, the native americans did it, but they were very versed in using herbs and had alot of community knowlege on the how-to's. So even if you want to leave out the moral implications, lets keep our profession on a high level.
Cherie
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 18:05:00 -0800
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: jonathan treasure <jonno.TELEPORT.COM>
Subject: Re Herbal abortion
>> Dear Herbalites: I have a friend who unfortunately does not use birth control. Is there a natural form for birth control and is there a natural form for the abortion process?
> Here is a formula that is intended to induce a miscarriage :
> 20 drops blue cohosh
> 20 drops black cohosh
> 20 drops pennyroyal
> Measure the tinctures into a cup of warm
Just a comment - the original post asked about a "natural form of birth control" and "natural form of abortion".
The post was however entitled herbal abortion. Most contributions seem to have been off topic ........
The answer to the questions is simple-
- YES there are a variety of forms of "natural birth control", the best usually include recording fertile time by cervical mucous observation. There are several good self-help books on the subject, as well as classes in larger cities(check eg feminist bookstores, natural health shops etc).
- It is debatable whether using herbal medicine to cause uterine rejection of aconceptus is any more "natural" then a D&C. Herbs can be potent and potentially dangerous - just because they grew out of the ground doesn't confer the status "natural" on anything they may be used for especially when the only alternative is orthodox procedural medicine. However the answer again is YES, herbal abortion is possible, in certain circumstances.
It would however be quite insane to take a recommendation from an internet list and simply believe that is the end of it....we are not talking about a common cold here. The reply giving cohosh/pennyroyal recipes was just plain daft- how late is she, how old is she, what is her general health, nutritional status, psychological state, emotional strength, domestic situation, support network etc etc etc etc etc. All these questions come before some generic formula can be given. Then the formula given was not related to strength of tincture, dried or fresh plant used etc The dose pattern given was potentially excessive. It might harm or her or it may not work at all. Would you then write to this list again? Grow up! I would urge your friend to consult someone who is experienced in the herbal management of ob/gyn if there is a real need (eg legality/finance) to go this route.
jonathan treasure<jonno.teleport.com>
From: Colette Gardiner <coletteg.EFN.ORG>
Carrot is Daucus carota, yes it is a distant ancestor of our carrot, Queen Anne's Lace is a common name for Wild carrot, common names vary widely from place to place. There are many people who seem to confuse wild carrot with other members of the umbel family, in particular I have seen beginners confuse it with Poison Hemlock. To me the two plants look different but generally similar and taste and smell very different, however I've seen people make mistakes, Poison Hemlock can and has been fatal. In terms of wild carrot as an implantation preventer - there's an awful lot of "facts" being presented on what is really just very small amount of experiential use. I know a few women who seem to have had some success, and many more who have not. Yes it's a possibility but I don't feel it's a definite at this time. Robin Bennett's study focused on ten women for one year, five of whom used backup methods as well, with one confirmed and two suspected pregnancys resulting (details in the faq). I am not a stickler for double blind, academic "proof", In fact I prefer a long history of experiential use in a wide variety of individuals, which is exactly what we don't yet have with wild carrot in our current culture. If you wish to experiment great, however please be aware that you are experimenting and you need to take reasonable precautions.
From: Howie Brounstein <howieb.TELEPORT.COM>
>There are 3 similar looking plants: wild carrot, Queen Anne's Lace and another whose name I forget. 2 are at least somewhat toxic.
Queen Anne's Lace is Daucus carota, also known as Wild Carrot. Care is certainly necessary when gathering, as it can be confused with Poison hemlock, Conium maculatum, also known as spotted cowbane.
