David, I was looking at the Materia Medica sheets regarding a formula herbalists have used to help with the pain and passing of kidney stones less than 5mm. The recommendation is to use Gravel Root, Kava, Khella, Yucca, Hops, Hydrangea and incremental drop doses of Lobelia. As we have been doing triunes, I am curious as to how you would determine the parts of each of these herbs in a formula. Would the 1/6th herbs be 2 parts, the 1/9th herbs be 1 part, and the 1/18th herbs be 1/2 part? Or are you looking more at the energetic balance of the formula in addition to the specific patterns and energetics of an individual. Or all of the above?! Sorry for the rudimentary question, but I would like to know the thinking behind how to determine the amount of each herb in a formula without 9 triune herbs. You've often said we can do whatever we want to if we don't want to use a triune, but I sure am curious about how you personally go about this, and I feel I might be a bit dangerous without some guidance. Hehe Jami

David said: first of all Herbalists in general do not necessarily use these herbs, I do. Converting parts to triune numbers or vice versa is as you mention a simple ratio 2p = 1/6, 1 part = 1/9 and 1/2 p = 1/18. Forgive me, but I am unclear if you have a further question here. Recall in the 2 year class I spent about a year doing cases each week with examples of “simple” formulas, using parts rather than triune numbers, you might want to review those cases perhaps that will clarify this?

David,, No further questions here:) Thank you for the reminder about the cases in the undergrad class. It's been a few months since I reread those, and, of course, it's a great resource and reminder how to formulate outside of a triune! A perfect example of getting hyper focused to the point of missing the obvious. Jami