Tommie Bass

Arthur Lee "Tommie" Bass (January 24, 1908 – August 28, 1996)^{[1][citation needed]} was an Appalachian herbalist who lived near Lookout Mountain, Alabama.

At the time of his death at age 88 on August 31, 1996, Bass was one of the best-known local herbalists in the United States. He was profiled on the pages of the Wall Street Journal in 1985,^[2] subject of a film on his life,^[3] interviewed on national television, subject of a master's thesis^[4] and subject of scholarly and popular books.^[5][6][7] Bass's immense knowledge of herbal lore encompassed more than 300 local plants in his personal pharmacopoeia and others that might not be useful to "give ease" to others.^[8] He was well known for his tinctures, salves and compounds.^[9]

To quote his apprentice, Darryl Patton:

There are many 'Herbalists' around recommending all sorts of strange herbal treatments. But they have absolutely no knowledge of what a medicinal plant looks like in the woods and outside of a bottle. These herbal "pharmacists" come and go like every other fad. Tommie and those who follow in his footsteps will continue to use simple herbs for healing.^[10]