Dosing Methods - The botanical Materia medica provides suggested dosages for herbal usage, but the practitioner should be aware of many different prescribing & dosing strategies which might be selected for different patients, and subsequently which suggested dosages would require a modification of the dose.

Pharmacological Prescribing:

Most of the dosages in the Materia medica are pharmacological doses. The amount of the botanical preparation suggested is sufficient to act in a "drug-like" way to induce definite, visible and strong, sustained changes in the human system. This dosing strategy is the oldest method, and is best represented by the British herbal tradition. Its potential pitfalls are the same as those for today's synthetic drugs: symptoms may be overridden, masked, or driven deeper into the body or the psyche if treated improperly or for too long a period of time.

Physiological Prescribing:

The strategy here is to give the minimum dose necessary to produce a physiological change. Thus, a laxative is given only until there is a change in bowel action, and not for a long period of time; or a diuretic is given only to bring the flow of urine up to its normal level, and not beyond. This strategy of dosing is typified by the naturopathic and physiomedical traditions. Its strength is that the herbs do not then injure the life force. Its weakness is that, in some conditions, it simply does not work effectively to a patient's satisfaction or relief.

Homeopathic Prescribing:

Homeopathic prescribing is done on the principle of "like cures like". Thus, doses of Cantharis or Apis (which in high doses may cause burning on urination or kidney damage) may be given in relatively low doses (1-10 drops of tincture, in water) for urinary tract infection or kidney disease. It is not necessary that a substance be "potentized" homeopathically to be prescribed in this way. When modern conventional physicians give the well-known stimulant Ritalin to hyperactive children, they are prescribing homeopathically.

Drop Dose Prescribing:

Drop dose prescribing falls somewhere in the gray area between physiological and homeopathic prescribing, and is closely related to the practice of giving traditional flower remedies. The remedy is selected by matching its "signature" to the "signature" of the patient, and given in tiny doses. This kind of prescribing derives from many varied sources, including Shamanism, European Wiccan herbalism, the Western mystery school tradition, and the professional tradition of Eclectic and Naturopathic medicine. Drop dose prescribing has also been explored by herbalist Matthew Wood.

Wise Woman Prescribing:

This strategy selects herbs and other methods which are primarily nourishing in nature, and uses them in fairly large doses (like a food). It avoids strong, rare, or toxic plants. Those herbs considered close-at-hand and growing freely in the area as weeds are preferred. This expression of the ancient wisdom of folk herbalism has been clarified & explained in recent years by herbalist Susan Weed.