The Eclectic Alkaloids by John Uri Lloyd

Lloyds careful delineation of how exploitation and bad manufacturing almost killed the Medical Reform Movement of the 19th century – a cautionary tale for herbalists. (1910)

Michael’s Commentary: Imagine this: Herbal medicine has gradually expanded in popularity, partially in response to a Standard Practice Medicine that, at its worst, seems anti-humanistic and brutal. As a small group of reformers seek to modify Medicine from within and without, herbs TAKE OFF! Dozens of exploitative schemes and commercial entities take advantage of the “herb thing”…marketing poor quality and sometimes brainless products, capitalizing on the new trend. Concentrates, “extracts” and “standardized” preparations flood the market for two decades, nearly killing the alternative movement before it can mature. This is NOT a warning tale of today, but what happened to Eclectic and Herbal Medicine from 1845 to 1865. We are in the midst of the Second Reform…this is what happened during the First Reform.

Lloyd, in his almost excruciating Victorian detailing, tells us How It Happened (from the vantage point of 1910). It is happening once again.

The Eclectic Alkaloids. – 580K – 83 pages, bookmarked acrobat (.pdf) file