The Place of Herbs in Rational Therapy

Every Family to Use Herbs

“There are simple herbs and roots that every family may use for themselves, and need not call in a physician any sooner than they would call a lawyer. PH144 8.2

“I do not think that I can give you any definite line of medicines compounded and dealt out by doctors that are perfectly harmless. And yet it would not be wisdom to engage in controversy over this subject. The practitioners are very much in earnest in using their dangerous concoctions; and I am decidedly opposed to resorting to such things. They never cure; they may change the difficulty to create a worse one. Many of those who practice the prescribing of drugs, would not take the same, or give them to their children. If they have an intelligent knowledge of the human body ... they must know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that not a particle of these strong drugs should be introduced into this human living organism. PH144 8.3

“As the matter was laid open before me, and the sad burden of the result of drug medication, the light was given me that Seventh-day Adventists should establish health institutions, discarding all these health-destroying inventions, and physicians should treat the sick upon hygienic principles.”—Letter 17a, 1893 (written October 2, 1893) PH144 8.4

(4) “The intricate names given the medicines are used to cover up the matter, so that none will know what is given them as remedies unless they obtain a dictionary to find out the meaning of these names. PH144 9.1

“The Lord has given some simple herbs of the field that at times are beneficial; and if every family were educated in how to use these herbs in case of sickness, much suffering might be prevented, and no doctor need be called. These old-fashioned, simple herbs, used intelligently, would have recovered many sick, who have died under drug medication.”—Letter 82, 1897 (written February 10, 1897) PH144 9.2