Herbal Medicine is the oldest form of medicine known, and dates back thousands of years. For early man, plants were the most easily available source of food, and their use in treating disease was probably discovered incidentally. Such discoveries would be passed down from generation to generation, forming a body of knowledge that developed into the traditional usage of herbs in medicine. The knowledge of healing plants was passed down to a particular person or family. Thus herbalists came into existence.
There is much historical evidence revealing the use of herbs by early man. The Stone Age “iceman” Oetzi discovered frozen in the Austrian Alps several years ago, carried with him a “first aid kit” including two small pieces of birch fungus, which is still used today to stop bleeding and disinfect wounds + other herbs, berries and fire making kit, proving that they used natural medicine. In the Middle Ages herbal lore used to be concentrated in the monasteries, with monks cultivating herb gardens for healing the local people. St. Hildegard of Bingen, an 11th century Swiss abbess, owned a large garden of medicinal herbs, and even imported herbs from the Indies.
Ibn Sina changed the whole attitude of medicine from superstition to MODERN medicine. He was born in 980 and died in 1037, his book "Canon of Medicine" was the first book to deal with evidence-based medicine, randomised controlled trials, efficacy, medications and the understanding of clinical pharmacology.
Today, many of the herbs used in earlier times are still popular, in many cases still being used for the same conditions, but sometimes their traditional use has been superseded by a modern one. In his “Historie of Plants” (Herbal), John Gerard (1545-1612) gives a recipe for an oil of St. John’s Wort, for use in healing wounds. This is still used as a vulnerary (wound healer) today, but the herb is more generally known for its use as a remedy for mild to moderate depression.
Nicholas Culpeper was another herbalist who worked in this period; being a radical he refused to patent his work and published in English so the people of modest means could treat themselves cheaply. At this time most medical information was in Latin, he considered this to be a "closed shop" and so wasn't available to the poor masses - for them it was charity if you could get it or help yourself. He was hated by Apothecaries........who wanted him tried for Witchcraft!
With the advent of scientific analysis, we have knowledge of chemical constituents of herbs, so that we can understand better how they work. However, because herbs are so complex, in contrast to orthodox drugs which are usually just a single chemical constituent, research into the mechanism of a particular herb in its action on the human body can be very difficult, as there are so many variables involved. Despite this, we know much more nowadays about herbal remedies that our forbears discovered by practical use. How herbs work in current use is often confirmed by the traditional use of the particular plant.
As a Qualified Medical Herbalist I can take a herbal consultations in a range of ailments and discuss and support clients in the management of problems such as eczema, psoriasis and acne; digestive disorders, such as peptic ulcers, IBS, diverticulitis and colitis; heart and circulation conditions e.g. angina, high blood pressure, varicose veins and Raynaud’s disease. Other conditions include gynaecological ones such as fibroids, PMS, polycystic ovary syndrome and menopausal problems; arthritis and muscular problems; nervous conditions such as stress, anxiety, headaches and insomnia; infections (acute conditions) including influenza, colds and sore throats, tonsillitis etc; allergies such as asthma and hay fever; respiratory problems including chronic catarrh and sinusitis, bronchitis; and conditions particularly associated with children, e.g. childhood eczema and asthma, other skin and scalp conditions, chronic constipation, sleep problems etc.
Although as seen above there are many conditions that herbal medicine could be used in, in the case of cancer and STD's the treatment is best left to orthodox professions. However herbs can be used as an adjunct to treatment of cancer, for example in alleviating the side effects of the therapies.