While Maria Treben’s work is a cornerstone of folk medicine, it is vital to approach herbalism with care.
Treben wrote for the poor, the rural, and the disillusioned. In a world of expensive specialist fees and patented drugs, a free PDF circulating through forums and email chains is a form of rebellion. It places the power of health back into the hands of the individual. The mother in a developing nation or the elderly pensioner can, with a few clicks, learn how to brew a lung-healing tea from Coltsfoot .