IT was raining cats and dogs when we arrived at the Herbalist's House.
Primrose Villa stands imposingly overlooking Stanley, and it is here Mary Tassell talks with a passion about the power of plants to heal, restore and dramatically change lives.
They've certainly changed hers. Mary's world is of dandelion tincture, sleep drops, menopause tea, rose hips, soothing chamomile, lavender and much, much more.
Surrounded by bottles and herbs, Mary, 43, is one of only about 1,300 qualified herbalists in the country.
Plants have changed her life dramatically.
Ten years ago, she was working in a hospital laboratory testing blood samples for all manner of complaints, when she took a life-changing decision, quit her job and went grape-picking in Kent.
At the end of the summer, she looked at alternative medicines and as a scientist, was convinced that herbalism works. She started a four-year course to become qualified as a herbalist.
Over a mug of destressing tea, Mary explained how she uses herbs to treat all manner of ills.
She said: "It's a totally different approach. We treat the person. You can have two or three people come with eczema but they will go away with different medicines. One person might be constipated, the other stressed. They are just two very different people and eczema being an excellent example, is people saying 'I have a problem here.'
"We do get good successes with eczema. A lot is down to patient compliance. People need to make changes, healing is always a partnership. It isn't just 'I am going to make you better.'
"We can run to the doctor expecting him to make us better but we should have responsibility for our own health."
It's often people who have come to the end of the line with orthodox medicine who turn up on Mary's doorstep.
She says: "Every third or fourth person says 'I don't want to take pills anymore.'"
She claims to have had remarkable successes with lowering blood pressure and in some cases, people coming off drugs altogether.
One of her most memorable stories is of a woman who was having 10-15 migraines a month: "She didn't have a life. She is now migraine free and has been for the last two years and is free of medication now. Where possible you get people off all medicines, including the herbal."
But, Mary stresses, she doesn't have a magic wand and it is often some weeks before certain conditions improve: "People come with a broad spectrum, from simple complaints to potentially life-threatening and we do like to liaise with GPs where we can."
Herbalism can support the body at times of crisis, whether grief, or having had surgery for breast cancer or any post-surgery situation.
"Does herbal medicine work?" is a frequent question she's asked. Her reply is: "If you had a cup of hemlock and deadly nightshade tea would you drink it?"
The use of herbs for medicinal purposes goes back to ancient times – Egyptians used herbal medicine around 1500BC. Plants with a particular affinity for certain organs or systems of the body are used to "feed" and restore the health to those parts which have become weakened.
And women once kept herbal recipes as cure-alls for their family.
Looking on to her rain-soaked garden, Mary says: "Mother Nature knows what she's doing. Now it's spring and you get the plants and leaves, like nettle for cleansing. It's good for eczema, gout, for pregnant women, a good all-round nutritious tonic that's perfectly safe. Pick the leaves fresh and use nettle in soups and casseroles."
Dandelion leaves dropped in salads may taste a bit bitter but they are a good diuretic and help digest our food.
Sticky jacks are a wonderful cleanser. Mary talks of how she took a group to the woods to pick the leaves which were dropped into organic red wine and strained after 14 days. "It does help the body to de-tox."
She's been talking non-stop and her sore throat needs a soother, so she mixes herself a syrup and talks of an easy-to-make onion syrup, excellent for laryngitis, hacking coughs and lung complaints.
Take one clean glass jam jar and start filling with one layer of raw cane sugar, the next with raw onion slices and leave overnight. Strain off the syrup. A good dessertspoonful a couple of times a day should bring relief. Some people prefer honey rather than sugar.
Onions – especially Spanish ones – are ideal for treating ear infections. Bake the onion in the oven, let it cool and then slice and place around the ear and cover with a heated towel for about an hour. It can prevent taking antibiotics says Mary, who also swears by vinegar and honey, well shaken and taken in a small cup as a preventitive measure for rheumatism and joint complaints.
Oatmeal is a great soother for eczema. Put a couple of tablespoonfuls of oatmeal tied in an old sock and drop into the bathwater. It's soft, milky and soothing to the skin.
A standby for cuts and brusies is to take a jar of honey and add a couple of crushed garlic cloves, mix together and you have an antiseptic lotion.
Mary believes just harvesting herbs, lavender and plants is a good way to get in touch with the world around us and help banish negative thoughts.
She aims to organise walks for
others to learn how to use plants. She's recently arrived in Stanley, when her husband John's work brought him to the north east. Mary is also hoping to open a clinic in Durham.
A first consultation costs £35 and lasts about one-and-a-half hours. Follow-up appointments cost £20 plus medicines, which are from £3-£6 a week.
For more information, Mary can be contacted on 01207 280666.
* For information on the nearest herbal medicine practitioners contact the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, Elm House, 54 Mary Arches Street, Exeter, EX4 3BA. Telephone 01392 426022 or visit www.nimh.org.uk.
* There is also a new Herbal Health Advice Line on 01392 426 022, which puts people in touch with qualified medical herbalists for guidance on herbal health matters.
The National Institute of Medical Herbalists has a register of qualified members.
Call 01392 426022.


... but the jury's out on other alternative therapies

A GROUP of Britain's leading doctors say funding of what they dismiss as "unproven or disproved treatments" in the NHS is unacceptable.
The 13 scientists, who include some of the most eminent names in British medicine, have written to the chief executives of all 476 acute and primary care trusts to demand that only evidence-based therapies are provided free to patients.
The Department of Health does not keep figures on the total NHS spending on alternative medicine, but Britain's total market is estimated at £1.6 billion.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "It is up to individual clinicians and trusts to decide whether they think a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is the best treatment for a patient.
"We know it is important that as more people turn to these therapies, a solid evidence base is developed. That's why we have provided nearly £3million to develop CAM researchers to help build research capacity. We have also provided £324,000 for three research projects looking at the role of complementary therapies in the care of patients with cancer."
She added: "Patients rightly expect to have clear information about the range of treatments that are available to them, including complementary therapies.
"Patient guides, such as that produced by the Foundation of Integrated Health, are an important way of making sure this information is easily accessible to patients and ultimately help them to make the right treatment choices."
THE EVIDENCE
THERE are few firm rules about which complementary and alternative medicines may be prescribed on the NHS. The decision to refer patients is usually left to GPs and consultants, and different trusts have different policies. Common therapies offered by the NHS include:

HOMEOPATHY
IT is based on the principle of "like cures like", so conditions are treated with chemicals that produce similar symptoms.
Only tiny amounts however, are given: solutions are diluted so heavily that sometimes not a single molecule of the supposedly active ingredient remains.
Does it work? The evidence says no. A review, led by Matthias Egger, of the University of Berne, and published in The Lancet, examined 110 trials and suggested that it has a placebo effect.

ACUPUNCTURE
NEEDLES are inserted into the skin along lines known in Chinese medicine as meridians.
Does it work? It is one of the best-supported treatments, at least for pain relief, in which several good-quality studies have found genuine benefits. The concept of meridians, however, has no scientific support.

MAGNET THERAPY
MAGNET bandages have been approved for the treatment of patients with ulcers.
Does it work? Most scientists say no. A study of 28 patients published in the Journal of Wound Care found an effect, but a larger study in the British Medical Journal found no benefit.

CHIROPRACTICE
A PRACTITIONER manipulates a patient's spine, usually to ease back, neck and joint pain. Benefits claimed for other ailments, including migraine and period pain.
Does it work? The jury is out. There is no evidence it can treat non-spinal complaints such as allergies and period pain.

HERBALISM
A WIDE variety of medicinal herbs are prescribed for particular illnesses. Usually, the whole herb is used rather than just a purified form of its active ingredient.
Does it work? It depends on the herb, and the condition being treated. St John's wort is of proven effectiveness for mild depression, though it can interfere with prescription medicines. Other herbs have been shown to be ineffective – echinacea, for example, does not reduce the severity of colds.

OTHERS
Osteopathy: another manipulation therapy, though performed using different principles to chiropractic. Some evidence for utility for spinal pain.
Reflexology: massaging the feet to alleviate complaints in other parts of the body. No good evidence of effectiveness.
Cupping: hot cups are placed on the skin, usually on the back, to "draw out" toxins. No evidence of effectiveness.
Aromatherapy: the scents of essential oils are sometimes claimed to have curative properties. Evidence for assisting relaxation; poor evidence for therapeutic effects.
Hynotherapy: hypnosis is used to alter people's behaviour and relieve stress. One of the alternative treatments better supported by evidence.