Herbal Medicine

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” discovered frozen in the Austrian Alps several years ago, carried with him a “first aid kit” consisting of two small pieces of birch fungus, which is still used today to stop bleeding and disinfect wounds. In the Middle Ages herbal lore used to be concentrated in the monasteries, with monks cultivating herb gardens for medicinal purposes. St. Hildegard of Bingen, an 11th century Swiss abbess, owned a large garden of medicinal herbs, and even imported herbs from the Indies.

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are still popular, in many cases still being used for the same conditions, but sometimes their traditional use has been superseded by a modern one.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.

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 how herbs work, and this often confirms the traditional use of the particular remedy, that our forbears discovered by practical use.

Herbal medicine can treat a range of conditions, including skin 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 that can be successfully treated 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 can be successfully treated by herbal medicine, in the case of cancer the treatment is best left to orthodox profession. However herbs can be used as an adjunct to treatment, for example in alleviating the side effects of the therapies.