Your Intro to Monographs
H E R B A L M O N O G R A P H | (noun)
A document whose purpose is to provide a scientific summary of all data available on the safety and efficacy of an herbal substance and its recommended preparation intended for medicinal use.
Monographs are a necessary tool in any Herbalist’s toolkit when working with our medicine, and they are commonly left solely to the Herbalist’s use. Oftentimes when people are left without the full picture, they are open to information that lacks what’s necessary for informed decision making. This is especially the case in online spaces, like TikTok, where important information such as life-saving contraindication profiles are ignored. Monographs allow us the opportunity to get a fuller understanding of our herbal allies, and most importantly how they may work (or not work) for us!
We believe that knowledge is not only empowering, but necessary in making intuitive decisions about your skin, body, & mental health. We hope to change the culture around being “influenced” and support a future where we instead make informed, empowered decisions. Not everything is meant for you, not everything will resonate with you, and you are capable of making the call.
Monographs are usually comprised of the following components:
The name of the herb, including the common names and - most importantly - the latin name
The botanical family the herb belongs to
The parts of the plants used
Chemical constituents (what the herb contains)
Actions (what the herb does)
Indications (when to use the herb)
Contraindications (when to not use the herb)
Preparation & dosage
As we step into a new era for Saturn’s Daughter Apothecary, we will be expanding education opportunities for our community (both online and in person). You can expect to see condensed monographs on the blog for Apothecary favorites and our most-used herbs, as well as more in-depth and expansive herbal education on Patreon.