()  Modern health care and medical advances move at such a lightning pace and use the latest in technology for surgery, diagnosis and treatments. Sometimes we forget that for thousands of years, and in all cultures in the world, health care consisted of herbal remedies for everything from aches and pains to headache to upset stomach and beyond.

Even with the advances in health care that exist today, many people still turn to the old forms of herbs and Chinese medicine for help with their health.

Duane Wiles is the owner of The Herb Trader, a small shop in Hazel Dell that carries bulk herbs, both Western and Chinese, and spices from around the world. He has studied herbal medicine as a college student, through workshops and an apprenticeship, and through his own reading and research. He said he's also "learning something new all the time from clients."

Chinese herbs are used both internally and on the skin. Many herb treatments are taken in the form of a tea. Wiles explained that, "Chinese teas are made differently than they are in America." For Chinese herbal teas, you take a packet of herbs combined just for the ailment being treated, and add it to three cups of water, simmering it until there is one cup of liquid left. Strain off the liquid and add another three cups of water, and again simmer down to one cup of liquid. Then combine the two cups of tea, and it is ready to drink. The Chinese believe the two cups of liquid each contain different elements even though they used the same herbs, so the tea is more healing.

Wiles chuckled as he showed one Chinese preparation, saying that it has only been used for 960 years, a relative newcomer compared to thousands of years for many of the herbs he carries. His store is one of very few in the northwest that carries such a large variety of herbs and spices.

He said that a good herbalist knows about three hundred herbs, and uses about three dozen of them on a regular basis.

Herbal medications are enjoying a resurgence of interest and are being studied carefully to see what can be applied in old and new ways to medical problems in 2002. One such school in the Portland area is the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, where they offer a master's degree program in traditional Oriental medicine. The degree includes course work and training in acupuncture, herbal medicine, traditional Chinese physio-therapy, exercise, and cultivating Qi, or energy flow. In addition, they teach adjunct courses in Western medicine that include anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and clinical diagnosis, as well as community health and service, research, and other topics.

The college includes The Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic that provides affordable quality health care complementary to Western medicine.

For more information on the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, visit their website at www.ocom.edu.

Locally, Wiles of the Herb Trader will be offering a one-session class in February on creating tinctures and salves. He is working on materials for a six to eight-week herbal class to be offered in the spring.

Wiles cautioned that there are many herbs that may treat the same problem but in different ways, so it is important to consult with a knowledgeable herbalist who can carefully evaluate your needs and interactions with other medications you may be taking.

The ancient ways of Chinese medicine are still helping people in the high tech age of 2002, and are being studied for their healing properties in new and different ways.