Ttif
’he Battalion
Aggielife
Page 3 • Friday, February 5, 1999
other Nature, M.D.
Herbs offer alternative to modern medicine, help prevent illnesses
kowiil
BY KIFFIN COLLINS
The Battalion
s 10 p.m. and the first symptoms of a
fcld begin to surface. Head is spinning,
stomach is aching and the symptoms of
lausea are making themselves known.
^fee local pharmacy may be closed, but
trip down the fresh food and produce
of the grocery store may prove bene-
utficia!
J \ U ^■tiring an illness has become a contro-
V ^ ersy. To use medication or not to use med-
‘y / :atibn — that is the question.
r _ | JMhe answer, according to a growing mi-
I - tori! r, is herbal medicines.
y^^^^^Bowever, to the public, the knowledge
jl if what they are used for, what the bene-
J Tflll' its find dangers are and where they came
J HHh tom are still in the air.
pedicinal herbs have been used for
"^hoisands of years, dating back to the Pil-
HHs who used them to cultivate gardens
nd maintain their health.
A ■hroughout time, the use of herbs has
[|jon|e from trial and error methods of ear-
lerjrivilizations.
^»day, almost half of the pharmaceuti-
ation at resc a i | nc | over-the-counter drugs available
•an come b\ omt , f rom h er b a i sources.
-iat theorganii: ^ti h . application of herbal treatments
tunities there i a vc become common and focus on the
odwin, prerr »od\ ’s ability to heal itself, as opposed to
3 ; oundation ir helsymptom-specific medications pre-
ie the keync cribed by physicians.
^Hany people turn to herbal remedies to
os, a junior fivoid the harmful side effects of pharma-
=r, attended t :eutical drugs, when they fall victim to fail-
nd said shei lreo1 niodern medicine, or when they find
ion she gar )U,: ^ ie me d> c al industry does not have
hei own woi reahnent for their illness,
illy neat oppr
• tier school i
Jd.
■workshop om
eoplo involvdl
t enabled rdl
l&M. ”
Jason Elias, adviser for the National
Food and Drug Administration, said the
FDA has not approved herbs for medicine
usage.
“An herb, unlike a drug, cannot be
patented by any one company in the Unit
ed States which means that manufacturers
of these remedies have little incentive to
brave the costly and lengthy gauntlet of the
FDA’s approval process,” he said. “Also,
the FDA cannot allow the packager of
herbal products to make any healing
claims on the labels of their products and
the FDA requires warning of any possible
side effects of herbs.”
Generally, people take herbs as a sup
plement or to help them stay well, rather
than when they get ill.
Most people prefer herbs because they
offer natural remedies. Herbs have the abil
ity to cleanse the body of impurities as well
as build the immune system to keep illness
from setting in.
Herbs come in many different forms.
Some herbs are used externally in the form
of lotions, ointments and salves. Others are
taken internally in the form of pills or liq
uid.
Some of the more common herbs in use
today include Echinacea, Ginkgo bibola,
St. John’s Wort and Ginseng.
Echinacea is used extensively to prevent
and treat the common cold as well as oth
er viruses and bacterial infections.
It is used frequently as an antibiotic, an
tiseptic, immune stimulator, a blood puri
fier and to produce sweat.
It also helps to stimulate the body’s cells
to produce a chemical, which is naturally
produced by the white blood cells while
fighting infection.
Elisa Blankenship, a freshman biomed
ical science major, said she has found
many benefits from taking Echinacea.
“After working in a health food store, I
discovered the advantages in taking it,”
she said. “I didn’t get sick as often, and
when I did, my illness was not as severe as
it could have been.”
Along with the benefits of Echinacea
there are side effects. It can cause a tingling
sensation in the mouth when ingested, and
in some cases, lightheadedness can occur.
Echinacea is also listed with the FDA as
an “undefined safety” Elias said.
This is due to the fact that “no one has
ever had a toxic reaction to the herb yet,”
he said.
Ginkgo biloba is another common rem
edy among herbal users.
It is effective in helping to repair the
brain from damage, while improving con
centration and memory, increasing blood
flow and helping menstruation and de
pression.
see Herbs on Page 4.
StageCenter play marries comedy, drama
H
hack in a
alk or dream
In 60 miam
in hand.
Z\ Biological'
!3 Wellborn Ri
846-8855
GUY ROGERS/The Battalion
itageCenter thespians Michelle Poe and
lharles Pittman perform in “Alone Together.”
BY MICHELLE MCNEELY
The Battalion
’elen and George Butler are left
alone for the first time in 30 years
.after their youngest son, Keith,
heads to college.
The Butler’s oldest son, Michael, has a
research job in Boston and their middle
son, Elliot, is married and living in Dallas.
Thoughts of permanent bliss enter
the Butlers’ minds. They have plans of
vacations, extra-curricular activities and
most of all, privacy.
But just before the Butlers place the
do not disturb sign on the door, their
oldest son returns without warning,
their middle son soon follows after a
falling out with his wife, and Jaine, a
college girlfriend of the youngest son,
shows up at the Butler’s doorstep in
search of a temporary home.
Surprise — it is not a new show on
the WB network. It is StageCenter’s pro
duction of Lawrence Roman’s comedy
“Alone Together. ”
The play takes a look at the relation
ship between parents and their grown
children.
“Alone Together” is directed by Cathy
McWhorter and stars a group of local ac
tors with a wide variety of backgrounds.
“College students can relate to the
contents of ‘Alone Together,’ ” McWhort
er said.
“The play is very interesting and fun
ny because it combines all the sayings
that your parents say such as ‘Home is
where the heart is’ into.the plot.”
Michele Poe, who plays Helen Butler,
said students can relate to the close re
lationship between the Butlers and their
children.
“Helen and George Butler have giv
en them a sense of security,” she said.
“Their children do not feel uncomfort
able coming home. Home is still a place
they can come to in their time of need.”
Eventually, the Butlers’ children do
come home, seeking shelter from their
various problems.
Tfacy Johnson, who plays the Butler’s
eldest son Michael, said his character
suffers from the anxieties of the real
world.
“Michael is afraid of not making it af
ter college,’’Johnson said. “He is con
stantly changing in order to keep de
pending on his parents.”
The Butler’s middle son Elliot, played
by Tom Tarver, returns to escape his mar
ital problems.
“Elliot is completely self-absorbed,”
Tarver said. “He is kicked out by his wife
for having affairs and all he ever thinks
about is himself.”
Stephanie Lozos, who plays the role
of Jaine Johnson, said her character is
trying to learn how to survive in a new
environment.
“Jaine has the typical college dilem
mas,” Lozos said. “She can’t find hous
ing on campus, she has term papers to
write and other problems to deal with.”
Audiences can expect a different per
formance every night.
“You never know what to expect,”
McWhorter said. “There is a certain
spontaneity and enthusiasm that you
don’t get at the movies. There is a total
ly different emotional bond between the
actors and the audience. ”
Charles Pitman, who plays George
Butler, said live theater is more “In your
face. ”
“It’s different every night, and some
times there are screw ups, which make
it interesting to watch.”
“Live theater is fun,” Tarver said. “It’s
like you’re entering someone’s living
room and coming into the people’s lives. ”
Performances of “Alone Together”
start at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday, Fri
day and Saturday through Feb. 20. All
ages are welcome; however, the play
does contain some adult language. For
reservations, call 823-4297.
The University of Arizona.
1999 GUADALAJARA SUMMER SCHOOL
Meier, Editor in
Byers, Managing Ec ::
Her, City Editor
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Veber, Sports Editc'
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Mication of advertising does
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July 5 - August 12 or July 12 • August 19,1999
(Istthru 4th semesters) • 4 hours a day. Earn: 8 units of credit
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July 5 • July 23 or July 12 * July 30,1999
(1st thru 4th semesters) * 4 hours a day
Earn: 4 units of credit
July 12-August 11,1999
Upper-division Spanish & Literature, and Mexico-related courses:
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For information or application, contact: * * Guadalajara Summer School
The University of Arizona * P.O. Box 40966 * Tucson, Arizona 85717 ♦ Phone: (520) 621-5137
E-Mail: GSS@U.Arizona.edu ♦ Home Page: www.coh.arizona.edu/gss
week sessions
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^ Official Texas A&M
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on sale
Jan. 11 - Feb. 26, 1999
For Information and to place your order
access the Web at:
http://graduation.tamu.edu
All orders must be placed over the Web
All payments must be received by February 26
MSC Box Office
845-1234
Mon-Fri 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
RICE UNIVERSITY
WIESS SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDY
The Wiess School of Natural Sciences at Rice University pro
vides excellent opportunities for graduate study in a wide range
of outstanding research programs with prominent faculty men
tors. The departmental programs include Biochemistry & Cell
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each Department and interdisciplinary graduate
programs) or send e-mail to gradinfo@rice.edu.
LAW TALK
from STCL
Join Professor of Law Helen Jenkins
and a panel of attorneys
taking live call-in questions
Tonight
Friday, February 5,1999
at 8:00 p.m. on KAMU - TCA Channel 4
Each show in this monthly series will focus on a different topic.
This Friday, the program will deal with sports law.