A chara, - Your front-page article on herbs and surgery (July 13th), lacked balance.
It is obvious that increasingly sophisticated technology will lead to the identification of subtle interactions, particularly at enzyme level, between herbs, foods and medicines. Such information should be presented in a balanced and unbiased manner.
Despite the existence of comprehensive regulation for pharmaceuticals, there is still wide variation in medical prescribing practice. It is not uncommon, for example, for elderly persons to be prescribed up to a dozen drugs simultaneously, a situation which can be irrational and hazardous.
Such concerns are at the heart of the demand for a safer and less invasive form of medicine.
I note with some amusement that your Saturday magazine features garlic in the cookery section. Surely it is ludicrous to suggest one of the world's most popular foods constitutes a hazard in relation to surgery. If this is really the case, then our celebrity chefs may have a lot to answer for! - Is mise le meas,
Helen Mccormack MNIMH, Irish Herbal Practitioners Association, Philipsburgh Avenue, Dublin 3.