FAQ

See below for a range of frequently asked questions we get asked by customers. If your question is not listed, you can email Alan here.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

By listing the herbs it’s regarded as a claim to effectiveness, and as these herbal health tonics are unlicensed they haven’t had scientific trials to prove they’re effective. I am happy to tell you exactly what is in your medicine.

We aim to mail your order the same day you pay for it.

The herbalist needs to contact you personally so you can make your order. But you can order our tonics, tinctures, powders, creams, ointments, lotions and cosmetics at our online store.

Herbs are effective and have been used by people (and animals) for hundreds, thousands, of years. They are still used today because they are effective, otherwise they would not be used.

Generally the dose is 5ml 1-4 times daily in water on an empty stomach. But more information about the dose for you is given when we discuss your requirements, or those of your children.

I qualified in 1981 and have been in continuous practice.

At the School of Herbal Medicine in Great Britain. Qualified in 1981 with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, UK, the oldest professional association of herbal practitioners in the world. Also at the School of Chinese Herbal Medicine, in London.qualified 1998.

Godshaer was the name of my clinic in Christchurch. Godshaer is a native English plant also called Hart’s Tongue. There’s more about it in my website. There is a connection in the name with the Green Man and the Earth Goddess, along with other associations. Read up about Godshaer NB In 2011 I moved the clinic to New Milton and the clinic and the business name was changed to HERBACTIVE.

Probably 75% of the herbs in my dispensary are European in origin. I am a Western-trained medical herbal practitioner, but I also trained as a post-graduate in the Chinese School of Herbal Medicine, London, so I have incorporated the Chinese range of herbs for treatment alongside Western herbs. I have a high regard for Chinese medicinal herbs and the standards and research conducted into each herb. I am a also a qualified Chinese Herbal Practitioner with the RCHM, London, UK and use this alongside the Western herbal treatment methods. I also use herbs from Africa, India, USA, Canada and South America. Read about my protest against my Chinese herbal membership because endangered species are still being used by Chinese herbalists both in China and in Britain, eg rhino horn, tiger bones, sea horses. Read more about my protest.

No, never. There are far better and more effective herbs available as an alternative. In the Chinese system of herbal medicine there are many animal parts, insects, and such like used with little or no scientific ratification. I am strongly against all use of non-plants in Chinese herbal medicine. The continued use of tiger bones, rhino horn and other endangered animals I regard as an exploitation of gullible patients for financial gain, and I strongly support the campaign to legislate for these medicinally valueless products to become illegal both in China and throughout the world.

Homeopathy began just 100 or so years ago with a formula which says “like cures like”. So using a minute amount of a herb or poison or virus or parasite is said to provoke the body to respond and heal. It has taken this theory beyond reason, called dilutions. By diluting a herbal tincture (the mother tincture) by a thousand times, even a million times, gives the product power over emotions, mental or even so-called spiritual levels of the individual to heal these unknown subtle fractures which are regarded as the cause of the illness. Hence, since it cannot be proven its claims are false, and since it has not a molecule left in the dilution, it is totally safe to take because it is “energized” water.

Herbal Medicine is a physical extract of chemicals from the plant (only plants are used in Herbal Medicine [although Chinese Herbalists use animals, insects, fish, minerals, etc as part of their pharmacy]). These chemicals are unique to each plant. Their action was determined over thousands of years of trial and error so that their uses are now known. Modern scientific analysis confirms these actions and sometimes discovers other important uses, eg recently against mycoplasma, and melatonin which was thought impossible. Plant medicines therefore work from the physical symptom or cause and also affect emotions, stress, and the mind, eg depression, insomnia, dementia, etc.