Herbal medicine ancient medicines

Plugge, P. C. 1891. Das alkaloid von Sophora tomentosa L. Arch. Pharm. 229 561-565. Zhu, J. S., G. M. Halpem, and K. Jones. 1998. The scientific rediscovery of an ancient Chinese herbal medicine Part I. Cordyceps sinensis. J. Alternative and Complementary Med. 4 289-305. 

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine has a long history, dating back 5000 years to the beginning of the Chinese civilization. It is the result of people s effort to utilize nature for survival and is developed on the basis of long-term observation, study and practice under the guidance of ancient philosophy. 

The Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Native (North and South) American cultures all have traditional systems of herbal medicine. In China and Japan, the use of herbal remedies is officially promoted by a government ministry and included in national health systems. In India, herbalism is part of the ancient but still widely used system of Ayurvedic medicine. Native Americans use herbs in a spiritual sense, placing emphasis on their purifying and cleansing properties both physically and mentally. 

The following table provides a few examples of herbal plants and their ancient medical uses (Swerdlow and Johnson, 2000). Some individuals take herbal plants as medicines and others take them regularly as food products. No attempt has been made to distinguish between the two practices. 

Cinnamon is an ancient herbal medicine, long used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. It increases intestinal movement, heart rate, and perspiration by stimulating the vasomotor center. It improves circulation. The astringent tannins in cinnamon treat diarrhea the catechins treat nausea. Its essential oils are considered analgesic, antifungal, and germicidal. 

Han, H., Miller, G.E., and Deville, N., Ancient Herbs, Modem Medicine, Improving Your Health by Combining Chinese Herbal Medicine and Western Medicine, Bantam Dell, New York, 2003. 

Residents of Okinawa, Japan, who eat small portions of Sardina, Italy, who drink red wine and of Loma Linda, California, who eat nuts and beans, live longer, are healthier than anyone else on earth (Buettner, 2005), and have some form of spirtual faith. Herbal medicines have been used effectively by ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Hebrew, Indian, Japanese, and Persian cultures in their arts of healing and in sustaining life. 

Gleaning from herbal medicine the genesis of pharmacology (digitalis salicylic acid—aspirin morphine quinine artemisinin reserpine taxol). Ancient history-present. 

Since prehistoric times, humans have attempted to alleviate ailments or injuries with the aid of plant parts or herbal preparations. Ancient civilizations have recorded various prescriptions of this kind. In the herbal formularies of medieval times numerous plants were promoted as remedies. In modern medicine, where each drug is required to satisfy objective criteria of ef cacy, few of the hundreds of reputedly curative plant species have survived as drugs with documented effectiveness. Presented below are some examples from local old-world floras that were already used in prescientific times and that contain substances that to this day are employed as important drugs. 

This book summarizes current knowledge of the molecular basis of our interaction with plant defensive components that represents a major aspect of our dance with nature. However, knowledge must be used responsibly and has intrinsic dangers as illustrated in the ancient Greek myth of Pandora s box and as more recently explored in The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. Herbal medicine still represents a major therapeutic resort for a large part of humanity but the potential for deleterious effects of plant bioactive compounds means that expert medical advice should be sought before use of herbal extracts for medical conditions. 

Pharaohs regarded food to be the bearer of both divinity and vital strength. The current interest in the positive health effects of functional foods, nutraceuticals and herbal medicines seems to be a return to the philosophy of ancient Egypt. The public seems to have an impetuous optimistic view about these natural products and so a realistic risk-benefit analysis for these products is not requested by the consumer. As a result these products are consumed without any toxicological hesitation, and concerns on the safety of these products are scarce. 

Zhu JS, Halpem GM, Jones K. The scientific rediscovery of an ancient Chinese herbal medicine Cordyceps sinensis parti. J Altem Complement Med 4(3) 289-303, 1998a. 

The Latin name for mistletoe is Viscum album. It is a semiparasitic plant that grows on old apple, ash, and hawthorn trees. It is one of very few cancer medications with a rich traditional history. Ancient Greeks used it as an anticancer medication, and it was a popular herbal medicine of the Druids, who used it for treating epilepsy and nervous system disorders. Dr. Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Society for Cancer Research, advocated its use in 1920 for the treatment of human cancer. " Presently, it is widely used in Europe and North America to treat arthritis and rheumatism and for palhative treatment of malignant tumors. Viscum album is listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States Mistletoe is marketed under the brand names Iscador, Isorel, Helixor, Eurixor, Vysorel, etc. 

Herbal medicines are any plants or plant extracts used for treating ailments, aches, pain, or discomfort. They can range from culinary remedies (like chicken soup for the common cold), to calming extracts (like mint tea), to eating whole herbs. Every ancient civilization seems to have discovered the use of plants as medicines in one form or another. Even as far back as five thousand years ago, humans were using herbal medicines, as evidenced by herbs being found alongside well-preserved, mummified humans like Otzi the Iceman. 

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