Commission E
Encyclopedia
The German Commission E Monographs are a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine with 380 monographs evaluating the safety and efficacy of herbs for licensed medical prescribing in Germany. The commission itself was formed in 1978, and no longer exists.
The monographs were published between 1984 and 1994 in the Bundesanzeiger
, they were not updated since then. A summary of the publications is available on the website of the commission, unofficial copies of the monographs are available at the Heilpflanzen-Welt Bibliothek.
There is an English translation by the American Botanical Council.
by the late Varro Tyler, a well-known professor of pharmacognosy
at Purdue University
. Tyler states in his foreword that "...safety data were reviewed by the Commissioners according to a "doctrine of absolute proof" and efficacy according to a "doctrine of reasonable certainty."
The 1998 book mentioned 10 but omitted 11 possible fatal reactions to the medicines described.
"All [of the monographs] lack literature references. . .."
The best known critic of Commission E is Jonathan Treasure, MNIMH, a UK licensed medical herbalist and author of numerous herbalism monographs.
Treasure's lengthy review (31K) offers detailed evidence that the book is not a work of science, medicine, or vitalist herbalism. Rather it is a book of German legal-medical regulations, since "In Germany, only those herbs with Commission E Approved status are (or will eventually become) legally available."
The monographs were published between 1984 and 1994 in the Bundesanzeiger
Bundesanzeiger
The Bundesanzeiger is an official publication of the Federal Republic of Germany published by the German department of Justice with a scope similar to that of the Federal Register in the United States. It is used for announcing laws, mandatory legal and judicial announcements, announcing changes in...
, they were not updated since then. A summary of the publications is available on the website of the commission, unofficial copies of the monographs are available at the Heilpflanzen-Welt Bibliothek.
There is an English translation by the American Botanical Council.
Criticism concerning the American version of the monographs
The Commission E Monographs were imported into the United States with considerable fanfare in 1998 by The American Botanical Council. They were unequivocally endorsed in a forewordForeword
A foreword is a piece of writing sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and the book's primary author or the story the book tells...
by the late Varro Tyler, a well-known professor of pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy as "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well...
at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. Tyler states in his foreword that "...safety data were reviewed by the Commissioners according to a "doctrine of absolute proof" and efficacy according to a "doctrine of reasonable certainty."
The 1998 book mentioned 10 but omitted 11 possible fatal reactions to the medicines described.
"All [of the monographs] lack literature references. . .."
The best known critic of Commission E is Jonathan Treasure, MNIMH, a UK licensed medical herbalist and author of numerous herbalism monographs.
Treasure's lengthy review (31K) offers detailed evidence that the book is not a work of science, medicine, or vitalist herbalism. Rather it is a book of German legal-medical regulations, since "In Germany, only those herbs with Commission E Approved status are (or will eventually become) legally available."