“Uprooted Medicine is an important and highly readable book, which contains a wealth of historical detail backed by solid academic research and informed by decades of clinical practice. It shows convincingly that the story generally told, that patient outcomes have justified the replacement of folk and natural medicine traditions by synthetic medicines and surgical interventions, has been largely an invention, and argues forcefully for a gentler approach to patient care that does not let ideology or turf wars get in the way of real world evidence of benefit.”
Adrian McDermott Biography: a co-founder, teacher, and learning platform developer for the Heartwood Professional Course in Herbal Medicine. He is co-authorwith Hananja Brice-Ytsma of the book Herbal Medicine in Treating Gynaecological Conditions: Herbs, Hormones, Pre-Menstrual Syndrome and Menopause.
“If you are intrigued by the title and contents of this book, prepare for it to exceed your expectations. ‘Uprooted Medicine’ is a meticulous critical analysis and historical context for current modern medical systems that, unlike many scholars and authors, avoids a blanket caricature of historical medicine that sidelines the efficacy of medicinal plants. Instead, it runs through with the warmth of real life herbal medicine patient stories and practice experiences from a doctor who works as a medical herbalist physician, and has been pleasantly surprised by this ancient and still very relevant health profession.”
Anita Ralph Biography:MSc (herb med) FNIMH MCPPBiography:Consultant Medical Herbalist, and co-author of Native Healers: which offers a foundation in Western herbal medicine is the text-book to accompany the Heartwood Foundation Course co-written with her colleague Mary Tassell. Anita also contributed the herbal medicine chapter of the DK Natural Menopause book by Anne Henderson and published a prospective audit of menopause patients receiving herbal treatment in the Journal of Herbal Medicine in 2020.
“This is a huge, sweeping undertaking, accomplished with clarity, erudition, and deep, practical knowledge of our health systems (plural). I expect to see this on the required reading lists for all clinical herbal medicine degree courses, and our evolving conventional medicine schools would do well to put it on theirs.
Anne Cheshire Biography: BA(Hons), BSc (Hons), SEP, MNIMH is director of the Trauma Recovery Clinic in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has, for the past 15 years, specialised in addressing trauma, traumatic stress, post traumatic stress syndrome, other complex stress-related syndromes and immune system dysfunctions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and all mind-body responses to emotional stress and physical trauma.
REVIEW BY MELANIE LYNCH
“Dr. Clare begins with a powerful, simple question: “Why did they not teach me about herbal medicines in medical school?”
Uprooted Medicine is a brilliantly researched deep dive into collaborative medical history. I realise that as a non-medical reader, I have been waiting for this book for a long time. This is not just a standard history text; it offers a fresh and well-researched perspective.
In partnership with Dr Tim Morrissey, the authors handle the subject with a collaborative and balanced outlook, acknowledging both the advances of modern medicine and the efficacy of traditional approaches. In doing so, they cross unexpected boundaries and link wide historical events in search of answers. They highlight medical advances, medical hubris and traditional medical approaches that genuinely stand the test of time.”
Biography: Melanie Lynch is an award-winning Irish communicator, curator, and social innovator with almost 20 years experience in the arts, education, advertising, and non-profit sectors. She is the Founder of HerStory and Our Story. Melanie was celebrated in the Government of Ireland’s 21 Standout Women on International Women’s Day 2025. Melanie has a track record of delivering world class communications and pioneering programmes that open hearts and minds, resulting in lasting social change. From grassroots community engagement to platforming causes on the world stage, her work has been showcased at the United Nations, Council of Europe, US Congress, Irish Parliament, President of Ireland’s residence, and across the media in the Los Angeles Times, FORBES, Washington Post, CNN, BBC, The Guardian, RTÉ and all Irish media.