Since the birth of mankind there has been a close relationship between life, disease and plants. Ancient men started studying the diseases and treatments. There is no evidence till today that the prehistoric man had used synthetic drugs for their ailments, but proofs are there for the usage of things they could easily get for these kinds of problem. The common thing what they can procure easily for these ailments were from plants and animals. They found out that majority of flora were useful as food and others were of medicinally useful or of poisonous nature. By their own experience the knowledge on these plants were transferred from generations to generations and these forms as a basement of folk medicine. Thus the history of herbal medicine …show more content…
For about thousands of years the mankind has been utilizing the rich sources of flora for various diseases and disorders . Written record shows the usage of plants dates back to at least 5000 years and archeological surveys indicates the usage of the medicinal plants even before that . Greek botanist, Pedanios Dioscorides described about 600 herbs in his book in 78 AD and this treaty remained as a major source of reference for about many centuries on the medicinal plants. The therapeutic action of numerous plants were identified by observations and experimentation and were transmitted from one generation to the other by the by the ancient peoples. Swiss physician - Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, in his “Theory of signatures” informs that the colour, shape, odour and flavor of plants will attribute towards their therapeutically properties and thus gives clues to their clinical importance.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine includes the use of plants, plant parts, plant extracts, plant constituents like essential oils, , resins, gums, exudates or any other form of advanced products made from plant parts which are used therapeutically to provide proactive support of various physiological systems; or, in a more conventional medical sense, to prevent,
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Whereas, China’s annual herbal drug production is about US $48 billion with export of US $3.6 billion. Currently, United States has the largest share for Indian botanical products which accounts for about 50% of its total export. The major importers of herbal medicine from China are Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore which accounts for 66%. WHO includes phytotherapy in its health programmes and gives basic procedures for the validation of herbal drugs in developing countries. Eastern countries like India and China have well-established herbal industries and Latin American countries have been carrying out research programs in medicinal plants and their standardisation procedures. In Germany, 50% of phytomedicinal products are sold on medical prescription and the cost being refunded by health insurance companies. In North American countries, phytomedicinal products are sold as .health foods. Consumers and professionals have struggled to change this by gathering information about the efficacy and safety of these products and new guidelines for their registration are now part of FDA policy. In 1997, the North American market for products of plant origin reached US$ 2
The multiple use of plants used for nourishment, medicinal purposes and practical use were ignored by Lewis and Clark during their monumental trek across the United States. Rather than consider the Native Indian’s use of native plants they persisted on using Dr. Rush’s Thunderbolt pills that probably caused more problems than the condition that inflicted them. Many modern day cultures continue to ignore native remedies and have come to depend on synthetic pharmaceutical drug production. In recent years the wealth of indigenous knowledge has been acknowledged revealing the use of native plants and the importance it had in the survival of indigenous people.. Pharmaceutical companies have utilized the immense knowledge of the indigenous people and their use of natural plants. The application of natural plant species have revealed the main reasons mankind has survived into present day. Following is a few of the plants, their application and their specific purposes.
Lindberg, D. (n.d.). Herbal Medicine: MedlinePlus. U.S National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herbal
Plants cleanse, regulate and nourish the body through an unspoken intelligence. All living creatures have a predisposition for whole plant medicine. Think of it as a type of genetic memory. I know for some, especially those practicing allopathic Western medicine, it
Stories of Native Americans contributions to the advancement of health and medicine traces were discovered in a small town in Nali, Africa. The very first onset of the beggining of modern pharmacology is the substance called "quinine". This is the substance that came from a bark of a tree that grew in high elevations. The Indians has been using this substance to cure malaria, cramps, chills, hear-rythm disorders and many other ailments. Prior to the disovery of quinine, the old world suffers enormously because the lack of medical knowledge that the old world posess. Quinine would have probably been introduce somewhere in 1630, as it was mention in a belgian medical text. Quinine made extensive settlement in America possible due to the fact that it cures malaria better than any other medicine and because its potent medicinal values. Until recently, quinine has been sold in Timbuktu as a medical tonic that promotes vitality and refreshments drink. This Indian tonic is apearant through out the city of Timbuktu in Africa. It`s a relic of a long line of deriratives tonics sold in the ninteenth and early twentieth century as a cures for all known imaginable ailments. There were realtive of the tree that provide quinine also cure amoebic dysentery and lethal infection of the intestine. Amoebic dysentery is a disease that cause by ingestions of certain amoebes, the symptoms range from bloody diarrhea to high fever. Ipecac is a medincine the Indians of the Amazon had created using three to four yearl old cepahlaelis ipecacuanla and c. acuminia plants to cure intestinal infections that is deadly among children. Up till now, poison clinic through o...
Herbal Medicine: plant constructed goods that can be included as part of a personalized treatment plan. The majority of these products will be sourced and produced by synergistic-wellness for patients to conveniently fill prescriptions. These products may be prescribed as part of a personalized treatment
Native Americans form of medicine to treat illnesses and injuries were more along the line of herbs and remedies they made. For example, to relieve the common cold and act as a throat aid, the roots of the sannich plant would be crushed into a juice and then swallowed, this acted as cough medicine. Native Americans had many experiment trials and errors with natural plants and herbs to determine their properties, effects and which would most benefit them. As the Spanish, English and other Europeans arrived in American, Native Americans shared their knowledge to them about their remedies and other herbal medicine and healing practices. Europeans took careful notice of these practices and soon started developing ways of their own. One Spanish explorer who took much interest in medicine, was Francisco Vasquez Coronado, who eventually developed the first medical book in American in 1570.
Herbal medicine dates back a very long time. More than 4,000 years ago, the Chinese emperor Qien Nong put a book together, or a herbal, of different medicinal plants (O’ Sullivan 2). It contained descriptions of more than 300 plants. Some of these plants are still used today. The Sumerians, at the same time recorded prescriptions on clay tablets. Also, the Egyptians recorded their information regarding medicine on rolls of papyrus. A very famous papyrus is the Ebers Papyrus, which includes specific information on how to use different plants (Brody 1).
The knowledge Native peoples have gained over generations of trial and error about what different species of plants do medically far exceeds what modern drug companies know about them. For instance, Natives in Latin America knew the uses of what is now known to be Vitamin C, and they knew that it could be found in the barks of certain trees, leafy plants, and even mosses that are totally different from each other in appearance. Currently, there is a great deal of interest among natural scientists and drug researchers in Native American traditions of medicine, especially regarding their knowledge and use of drugs. Since anthropologists began documenting Native people’s use of plants for healing, they have been responsible for contributing
Herbal medicine have played an every important place in the health of living beings for thousands of years. Indeed, according to different archaeological evidences, humans have been using medicinal plants since approximately 60,000 years and even non-human primates ingested used to treat illness by ingesting medicinal plants. Furthermore, centuries later, herbalism was used all around the world to cure diseases. For example, near 4,000 BC In India, Ayurveda medicine used many herbs like turmeric, moreover, in 2,000 BC, Chinese started prescribing over 365 herbal medicines including ephedra, hemp and chaulmoogra, and around 1500 BC, Ancient Egyptians used over 850 medical plants such as garlic, juniper, cannabis, castor bean, aloe, and mandrakeand. Even though herbalism has been known to be effective for thousands of years ago, modern society has a lot of prejudices concerning medical plants, like cannabis. Those prejudices make the
Using plants for medical purposes is an idea that has been around throughout history. Many different types of peoples, cultures, and religions use what is found in nature to cure their ailments, prevent illness, or prolong beauty. Many of these peoples use symbols, creams, or even watch the stars to achieve these actions all over the world. We see symbols of herbalism even as far back as the Garden of Eden. The bible states,
In conclusion, herbal medicines have been around for a long time. Plenty of our drugs have ingredients from herbs and are still being used today. I would not recommend the use of herbal medicines due to complications it can have on the body unless the physician suggested the product. The more I read up on these herbal medicines the more precautions I came across. I believe these herbal medicines should be reviewed as a drug under the FDA to avoid any health complications for these
Over the centuries, several treatment methods have been utilized by humans for remedy diseases when they caught. Two of them are modern medicine and traditional medicine. Traditional medicine, which is also called alternative treatment, is older than modern medicine. This effective treatment had been used for many centuries before modern medicine was found. On the contrary, modern medicine has been used since the 1900’s (Lyons). In this system, drugs’ tests are carefully done in the safe laboratories, and their side effects are identified before they are given to the patient. Moreover, the effects of the pills are written on the leaflets which are found in the drug packages to warn the patients for these effects. However, sometimes the side effects are not blocked, so people have to take another pill to get better. It makes people take more chemicals into their bodies. Even traditional medicine, give its place to the modern medicine when its beginning times, it is used efficaciously like modern medicine at the present time. In course of time, people will gain reliance on traditional medicine again, since alternative medicine is more efficient and powerful in order to get better and soothe the diseases than modern medicine. In fact, in traditional medicine, there are fewer drugs, side effects, holistic therapy that people can be availed.
Herbal products are medicinal agents obtained from the plants. It’s all started 100 years ago by ancient people. Since synthetic medicine are not yet invented by that time, ancient people had invented medicine out of the plants. Through generations the original herbal medicine had been modified due to the new knowledge discovered and technologies invented.
Today people are becoming more aware of the advantages of using natural health products. Apart from it being a cost-efficient solution to maintain and attain healthier body, the products made from herbal and natural ingredients offer a myriad of benefits compared to those made from chemical and artificial ingredients. The followi...
When you are sick you take medicine, but there are many remedies for the same problems. The use of herbal remedies traces back to the Chinese in the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well by a compiled book in China written back more than 2,000 years ago (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011). Modern medicine has roots that are more recent in the development and production of synthesize drugs (Wachtel-Galor & Benzie, 2011). The old generations took herbal remedies to improve their health, but now as time and people, progressed modern medicine comes on top. Herbal and modern medicines have good and bad points, but one has qualities that are more effective.