Abstract
Honesdale, PA: Himalayan Institute, 2011, 628 pages,
ISBN: 9780893893088, $19.95.
Ballentine's capacities for insight and synthesis are perhaps best displayed in his section on herbal medicine, which begins with a hair-raising tale of an octogenarian immigrant physician who checked himself out of a Manhattan hospital in the midst of congestive heart failure and was brought back from the edge of death with herbal treatments administered by Ballentine and colleagues. Having demonstrated the power of expertly applied herbalism, Ballentine then presents a brief, fascinating history of Western and Eastern herbal medicines, never getting lost in the minutiae or disregarding herbalism's most fundamental quality, “the deep human need to recover our relationship with the healing power of nature.”
Ballentine identifies four great herbal traditions—Chinese, Ayurvedic, Native American, and European—and describes the unique contribution of each to what he sees as an emerging planetary herbal medicine. For example, unlike the Ayurvedic and Native American traditions, European herbalism places little emphasis on the spiritual and ceremonial aspects of herbal practice. On the other hand, “the European school has surpassed all others in exploring the use of plant remedies to antidote the effects of overly affluent living: nervines, antispasmodics, blood cleansers, and digestives.” Ballentine considers the Chinese tradition's greatest contribution to be its specific application of herbs to the body's organ systems, and notes that in addition to its ceremonial aspects, the Native American tradition is especially rich in antimicrobials such as Echinacea, golden seal, and osha.
Radical Healing ranges far beyond herbs, providing well-organized, informative, and perspective-inducing explorations of homeopathy; nutrition and detoxification; yoga, breath, and exercise; and the role of mind and spirit in healing. In each instance, Ballentine weaves together fascinating case histories from his practice, practical self-care recommendations, and provocative insights that expand our view of the possible. To cite one example among many, in his nutrition chapter, Ballentine discusses “micro- and macro-ecologies,” noting that “fungi and bacteria are old rivals; they have been feuding over territory since long before humans showed up on the scene. The fungi, whose numbers include the molds, yeasts, and even mushrooms, long ago learned to secrete a toxin that will kill bacteria or keep them at bay.” Ballentine later compares modern medicine's overuse of fungi-derived antibiotics to “a series of nuclear attacks…blasting through the intestinal tracts of a large percentage of people today and creating havoc,” and offers natural alternatives.
This second edition of Radical Healing includes some helpful additions to the original version, among these a revised and expanded self-help index for the prevention and treatment of more than 100 disorders and illnesses, an updated reference list, and a general index that now includes the Self-Help Index and Resources chapters.
Ballentine's preface for the new edition reflects an additional decade of insights. He laments that some of his earlier optimistic predictions (such as the rise of a detox center industry) have not materialized, noting that “medicine as a whole has remained firmly in the grip of a stubborn materialism, one that has limited treatment to increasingly brutal overuse of chemical agents end-stage heroics,” as “the ‘patent medicine’ makers of today have moved uptown and…their flourishing pharmaceutical houses have become the last prop (along with weapons and other war contracting) of a faltering economy, one so tampered with by unregulated lobbyists that it is unrecognizable.” But he sees rays of light breaking through—particularly the rise of a deeper environmental consciousness (with major implications for reconceptualizing health) and an expanded appreciation of healthful diet and exercise among larger portions of the population.
A new generation of readers unfamiliar with Ballentine's pioneering work stands to benefit greatly from his unique integration of major healing traditions.