Beyond Clarkia-100: Why Max Barlow Created Vermicyde

Some herbal formulas come and go with the latest trends. Others stand the test of time because they were developed through years of careful observation, study, and a deep understanding of medicinal plants.

Three of those formulas are Clarkia-100, Vermicyde, and Mycocyde.

They were originally developed by my father, Dr. Max G. Barlow, a medicinal botanist whose work was well known throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. He dedicated his career to studying the medicinal properties of plants, teaching others how to identify them in the wild, grow them, prepare them properly, and use them to support health.

Here's a quick revisit to these original formulations that continue to be trusted by herb lovers everywhere nearly five decades after they were first developed.

1) Clarkia-100: A Broad-Spectrum Botanical Formula
Clarkia-100 has been one of our most requested formulas for nearly fifty years.
Its ingredients include:

• Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
• Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)
• Black Walnut Hull (Juglans nigra)
• Quassia (Quassia amara)

My father believed that no single herb could accomplish everything. Instead, he combined botanicals with complementary traditional actions to create a balanced formula designed to provide broad-spectrum support.

He often described Clarkia-100 as addressing both mature parasites and their reproductive cycle, making it a cornerstone of a comprehensive botanical parasite protocol.

Its longevity speaks for itself. Nearly half a century after it was first formulated, Clarkia-100 remains one of the most requested products in our catalog.

2) Vermicyde: The Formula Many Haven't Yet Discovered
Although Clarkia-100 receives most of the attention, one of Max Barlow's most thoughtful formulations is actually Vermicyde.
Over many years of research and observation, he concluded that while broad-spectrum support was valuable, certain organisms sometimes warranted a more focused botanical approach. One organism he devoted particular attention to was Giardia.
Rather than altering Clarkia-100, he created an entirely separate formula designed specifically for that purpose.
Vermicyde contains:

• Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
• Black Walnut Hull (Juglans nigra)
• Lomatium (Lomatium dissectum)

Each herb was selected intentionally.

Tansy has a long history of traditional use in European herbalism. Black Walnut Hull was one of my father's foundational botanicals because of its broad traditional applications. Lomatium, a plant native to western North America, was one of his favorite herbs and appears in several of his formulations because of its remarkable versatility and powerful antimicobial properties.
Instead of viewing Vermicyde as an alternative to Clarkia-100, he viewed it as a complementary formula.

Many people choose to pair the two together, using Clarkia-100 as the foundation of a broad-spectrum parasite protocol while adding Vermicyde for more targeted botanical support.

Another application my father frequently discussed was international travel. He often recommended Vermicyde as part of a travel wellness protocol for individuals visiting areas where unfamiliar food and water might present digestive challenges. Many of our customers continue that tradition today, packing a bottle of Vermicyde whenever they travel abroad.

While Clarkia-100 has become widely recognized, Vermicyde remains something of a hidden gem. For people looking to expand their botanical toolkit, it deserves another look.

3) Mycocyde: Supporting the Terrain
One of Dr. Barlow's observations was that parasitic burden and Candida overgrowth often appeared together.
Rather than viewing them as isolated concerns, he believed they could create an internal environment that allowed each to persist. His approach was to support the body's efforts to restore balance on multiple levels.
That philosophy led to the development of Mycocyde, containing:

• Sarsaparilla
• Cayenne Pepper
• Poke Root
• Lomatium

Many people choose to include Mycocyde alongside a parasite-support protocol when addressing the broader terrain, reflecting Dr. Barlow's belief that successful botanical protocols should consider the whole internal ecosystem rather than focusing on a single organism.

The formulas Dr. Barlow created were never intended to follow trends. They were the result of decades spent studying medicinal plants, listening to patients, and refining botanical combinations based on experience.

It is an honor to see these formulas continue to serve naturopaths, chiropractors, osteopaths, medical doctors, herbal practitioners and people everywhere nearly fifty years after my father first introduced them.

Thank you for allowing Barlow Herbal to be part of your herbal wellness and for helping preserve a tradition of botanical medicine that continues to benefit new generations of human beings far and wide!

* This information is not meant to be medical advice.  This is meant for entertainment and education purposes only.  Please do your own due diligence when adding any supplement for herb into your daily routine.  Thank you!