
August 2022
We're excited to begin working on the next class in our online series, Make Better Medicine. This one will focus on one of our favorite topics: how to craft multi-herb elixirs using infused honeys and different tinctures (made with different ethanol %s) - and how to end up with the right final ethanol percentage for reliable preservation! This fascinating method for making elixirs (like syrups, only better!) is adapted from the classic 1890's elixir recipes of the Eclectic pharmacist John Uri Lloyd.
We'll use magic (oops, I mean easy-to-follow Medicine Math formulas & worksheets) to dial in not only the final ethanol % but also to determine the actual dose of each ingredient that's in our final product. We'll also learn how to formulate elixirs for specific purposes, such as Upper Respiratory and Lower Respiratory Elixirs and Bitters Elixirs (delicious & potent)!
Scroll down to join our mailing list & keep an eye on your inbox for updates on this exciting new class! We are aiming to have it ready for you by the end of the year ... and are planning an in-person elixir extravaganza at Elderberry's Farm for 2023!

Herbal Constituents:
Foundations of Phytochemistry
A Holistic Approach for Students and Practitioners of Botanical Medicine
Herbal Constituents is a popular textbook on herbal phytochemistry for natural health practitioners used by schools and universities worldwide.
Buy NowUnique addition to the botanical literature
Herbal Constituents is a unique addition to the botanical medicine literature. Written in a down-to-Earth style by a clinical herbalist with extensive training in chemistry, physiology and botany, this book is designed for anyone who wants an in-depth understanding of how medicinal plants work in the context of human physiology.

Herbal Constituents presents the most important concepts and research on phytochemical compounds in medicinal foods and herbs.

Basic Language of Phytochemical Structure
In a clear, step-by-step fashion, the reader is first introduced to the basic language of phytochemical structure including bonding, polarity, functional groups, isomers, and more. This non-mathematical presentation distills the information that is important for understanding the personalities and activities of constituents in medicinal herbs.

Making Herbal Medicine:
Extraction, Solubility, Solvent Polarity & More
These chapters address areas of interest for the botanical practitioner including solubility and extraction of herbal constituents, polarity of solvents and solvent systems, and other influences on solubility, phytochemical stability, and reactivity in extracts. We also explore synergy and variability in herbs and formulas, and the role of standardization.

Herbal Constituent Categories
The book presents a detailed and thoroughly referenced chapter for each of the major categories. Each chapter contains numerous illustrations and explanations of the botanical occurrence and physiological activities of the constituents, and is based on up-to-date research considered in the context of traditional usage.

Extensive Illustrated Glossary
Herbal Constituents concludes with an extensive illustrated glossary having some 250 entries that will be helpful for those needing to review some of the most important concepts and terminology from organic chemistry, biochemistry and phytochemistry.
Meet the Author
Hi! I'm Lisa. I'm the author of Herbal Constituents. It is my absolute honor and pleasure to offer this book to students and practitioners of herbal medicine.
More about Lisa