Herbal Cure-alls

Are herbs used as cure alls or are they capable of curing diseases of any type and if so, how do you use them? What herbs are used for cures?

Certain herbs have been promoted as "cure alls" over the many years that herbs have been used for medicinal – since the dawn of civilization and before. Even today, herbs are marketed as "miraculous cures" for every imaginable ailment. Ginseng, for example, has been variously considered a panacea for a large variety of conditions. The truth of the matter is that no herb is a cure all. While many herbs have broad medicinal effects, affecting many systems in the body, none can be considered a cure all for all that ails man.
Having said that, I would like to add that the conventional medical system can be disingenious in trying to expose these "cure alls". Their argument goes like this: since there is no such thing as a true panacea, and since there are herbal promoters who are marketing herbal formulas as "cure alls", they say that that proves herbs are quackery. Nothing can be further from the truth. Herbs are very effective medicines when used appropriately. In fact, fully one quarter of modern medicine's materia medica comes from, or is inspired by, plants.
To learn more about the medicinal properties and uses of herbs, there are many good books that I can recommend. Check the online catalogue at www.richters.com for selections from Richters. Two excellent books you may wish to look at are "Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants" and "Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine".