It is interesting to note the many similarities between healing traditions that are centuries old, such as TCM and Ayurveda, and more recent healing traditions such as traditional western or folk herbalism today. Samuel Thomson, self-taught botanist and herbalist around the start of the 19th century, came up with a system with the following three tenets that envelope previous healing systems in such a way that they continue to be useful today. 1) Opening the Exterior, 2) Warming the Interior, and 3) Removing Canker. Although this can seem a bit daunting, I do think its simplicity is what makes folk herbalism accessible and doable by anyone and everyone.
