Traditional home and herbal remedies - Jan De Vries

Jan de Vries first became interested in herbs and natural remedies when, as a child during World War II, he was shown the secrets of the herb garden by an old monk in occupied Holland. After training as a pharmacist as an adult, he felt increasingly drawn to this ancient knowledge and learned all he could from Dr Alfred Vogel, the renowned Swiss herbalist; from a group of gypsies who took him up into the mountains; and much later, during his travels in China and the Far East. Today, more and more people are beginning to rediscover the healing powers of roots and plants. Indeed, some of the most frequently prescribed and powerful drugs are based on plant extracts. Jan de Vries has researched as far back as the twelfth century and has recorded the folk wisdom of various countries, learning from them the popular remedies passed on to them by their forebears.