Tansy Article by Simon Mitchell - Nov Weed Wanderi

[Anonymous]

Hello Sisters,

I sent notification that the Nov. newsletter was online to a group of herbal "wise women". This is the response I received from one of the group. It certainly through me. Any response?

"Tansy’s ‘real’ botanical name is Tanacetum vulgare, as
per the modern nomenclature. I have not seen it
written as anything else and this writing of
“Chrysanthemum vulgare” is new to me. Maybe it’s an
old name, not sure. Tansy is from the Asteraceae
family, same as the chrysanthemums, so maybe that’s
where that comes from?

However, what’s more important to know about Tansy, in
fact it’s pretty crucial to know, is that Tansy
contains high quantities of Camphor, Beta-Thujone, and
Isopinocamphone, all of which have detrimental effects
on the human body. Beta-Thujone, a whopping 1,124 to
3,500 ppm of it! is an Abortifacient; Emmenagogue;
Insectifuge and Pesticide. Yes, it has antibacterial
properties, but I’d rather get that from Garlic
anytime! This is a very strong chemical, not to be
messed with! The next one is Camphor, which is also
loaded with properties that do not need to be in the
human body, namely: Convulsant, Deliriant, Irritant,
Respirainhibitor, Respirastimulant, Rubefacient,
Transdermal, and comes with a concentration of 1,800
ppm. It is the chemical in Vicks that causes
convulsions in children. It also has strong
Pesticidal and Herbicidal properties. Next:
Isopinocamphone, again related to Camphor as the name
suggests, and is a Convulsant, Epileptigenic, a
Neurotoxic and also a Pesticide. Last but not least,
a high concentration of 1,400 to 2,000 ppm for
Germacrene-D, again a strong Pesticide.

Tansy is loaded with insect-killing chemicals. Why
would I even consider putting that in my body when
research has proven it is quite Unsafe to use, in all
its forms? I know this, but some people don’t.
Unfortunately, uninformed people trying to embrace the
“old ways” look to so-called experts who do not have
high regards for more modern, scientifically-proven
and tested new information that encourages safer
alternatives to “old wives’ tales.”

Please, Ladies, do not drink Tansy tea or anything
made with Tansy. There are much safer cancer-fighting
herbs and foods available that will make you feel
better, not worse!
Be informed. Do research. Find out the most recent
scientific results on an herb before using it on
yourself or your family. Trust only the experts and
the dedicated people who have the knowledge and
experience.

Personal Note: I was contacted a couple of years ago
by Susun Weed to form a sort of info-sharing alliance
and I refused. Though I’m sure she is sincere, and
most of her information is sound, there are important
issues she supports that I do not. Her inclusion of
this article on Tansy in her newsletter is an example
of just that. I only went to read the article because
I was asked about the name."

[sapphire kate]

I was quite interested in this article, although I was disappointed to not find a recipe for Tansy cakes[;)]

Here is the [url="http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/November04/anti-cancer.htm"]article[/url] in case anyone hasn't seen it.

My thoughts on the response you have posted:

1. Chrysanthemum Vulgare does appear to be a synonym for Tanacetum vulgare although it's not in common usage where I live (type "tansy" and "Chrysanthemum Vulgare" into a search engine):

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_pr ... ymbol=TAVU

2. The three respected herbals I just consulted all give cautions on Tansy use:

The Holistic Herbal (David Hoffman) - warns against long term use; contraindicted in pregnancy.

Materia Medica of Western Herbs for the Southern Hemisphere (Carole Fisher/Gillian Painter) - warns against long term use; recommended dose should not be exceeded as herb is toxic; contraindicated in pregnancy, lactation.

Common Herbs of Natural Health (Juliette de Bairacli Levy) - a strong herb, can ony be taken in small doses.

Obviously there is a well known caution on using this herb. I would say it is a strong stimulaitng/sedating type herb in the 6 Step heirarchy, which means that there will be side effects and it should be used with caution.

In the wider reading I have done on Tansy recently it is equally obvious that there is a long traditional use of this herb. I'm not sure how much of the tradtional use knowledge is still available to us but I would be very surprised if the strength of the herb was unknown. It must also be remembered that traditional use ofetn included dealing with illnesses that would now be prescribed drugs, so a very strong herb was called for.

4. The long list of chemicals so far found in Tansy is somewhat interesting, but the way that information is being used suggests that the writer is firmly in the Scientific tradition. Isolated chemicals have different properties and effects than whole plant constituents used in synergy. It sounds to me like s/he is thinking of plants as durgs, which is one but not the only useful way of understanding herbs as medicine.

I also find the response alarmist and so I find the assertions less credible.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Tansy is loaded with insect-killing chemicals. Why
would I even consider putting that in my body when
research has proven it is quite Unsafe to use, in all
its forms?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Well if you had intestinal worms it might be a good choice. Duh, of course it contains insecticide, that's what it gets used for. If it has been proven 'unsafe' there is not evidence of this in the response - has there been research on use of the whole plant in humans as either tincture or tea/infusion? A long list of chemicals with extrapolated effects when used in isolation or other substances is interesting but does not constitute proof, it constitutes theory.

5. In the Wise Woman tradition dose and form are very important. Yes Tansy has some strong poisons in it, which is why one wouldn't take it long term, and why one takes a low dose. It is also why it is a useful herb.

Personally I find garlic to contain some pretty full on chemcials, and it's failry easy to produce adverse reactions to it (by increasing dose or taking on an empty stomach). The point being that many plants and foods contains varying degrees of poisons which is why we have different ways of using them.

Interestingly I find Susun Weed to be one of the most instructive herbalists on being clear about the difference between nourishing/tonifying, sedating/stimulating, and poisonous herbs. She regularly uses the term poison to wake people up to the what they are doing putting different plants in their bodies. See also her series on using herbs safely (it's on the main site).

6. When I first read the article I thought it wasn't advocating the use of Tansy (there is very little information in it on how to use it as a medicine). In fact he seemed quite negative about ingesting Tansy. It seems to me that the author was using Tansy as an example of how humans have had a self-medicating instinct that we have lost touch with. Possibly he could have included a warning on contemporary medicinal use, but then anyone that takes a herbal medicine on the basis of one such article is being very foolish.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Be informed. Do research. Find out the most recent
scientific results on an herb before using it on
yourself or your family. Trust only the experts and
the dedicated people who have the knowledge and
experience.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I agree with this, except I would include consult traditional use where possible, and learn to trust oneself and nature. Science has at this point a very poor understanding of herbal medicine because it is unable to study synergy and complementarity and so misses alot of the vital information on herbs and healing.



I've used Tansy tincture externally against scabies. I would certainly consider it if I needed a herbal abortion, and would would research more if I had parasites. I'm considering trying the tansy cakes because I am curious, but it's not like I'll be eating them everyday. She grows well in my garden and I would like to understand her more as an ally. I already respect her.

kate.

[sapphire kate]

Maggie, you might want to change the thread title, as it's not actually Susun's article.

~~~

Here is Susun's article on [url="http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/Weed_letter_Nov-01.htm#article"]Using Herbs Simply and Safelyl[/url]

[Ananda]

<u>Brilliant response Saphirre Kate</u> I wholeheartedly agree with you on all points. Objectivity and multi-faceted understanding is needed here.

A

[amyd]

on another note, kate.....that sinead o'connor song is the one i want playing at my funeral!!! sounds morbid, but a girls's got to plan!

[sapphire kate]

Thanks Ananda [:)]

amy, that is such a beautiful song to have at one's funeral [^]

[Anonymous]

Hi Kate

Thank you for your response! informative and what I was looking for in terms of getting more knowledge about Tansy as I am a definite beginner in this area and was a bit suprised by the intense reaction by the woman who I quoted.

Maggie

[LadyB]

But maggie, please DO change the title of the thread. Susun did NOT write the article. YOU or the moderator of the Herbal Medicine Chest section can DO that. Click on "Herbal Medicine Chest" and use the pencil and paper icon to change the title of THIS thread.
LadyB