complementary medicine

The world of today is a world of progress
no one doubts about that. We have managed to do in 200 years of continuous industrial revolution
what we couldn’t do in thousands and thousands of tumultuous history. And yet
with all these technological breakdowns and synthetic substances
artificial food
not to mention the reign of King Plastic
some people still find the power and the wisdom to ask themselves how people in the past remained healthy and fit without nutritional supplements
drugs
even antibiotics. Their secret was that that they used what Mother Nature gave them: the plants to cure themselves. Fortunately
this knowledge hasn’t been forgotten; even if they’re not so widely used
plants have found their place in our civilization.

The story begins thousands of years ago
before the recorded history
when man didn’t know how to write or read
but knew how to follow their instincts. They discovered that certain herbs could alleviate their pains
others could make a wound disappear and others could even kill them. In the course of time
societies developed and with them appeared the means to transmit their knowledge other than orally.

5000
years ago
in Ancient China
people used rhubarb (Rheune palmatum) as a purgative without knowing anything about the actual active substances they contained. Also
they used Ephedra to treat asthma
even though the substance called ephedrine was discovered much later
in 1887 AD. All oriental ancient civilizations had their insights into the fascinating world of botany
as plants were one of the few elements to which they could resort to heal themselves. The famous king Hammurabi of Babylon (18th century BC) recommended mint to cure constipation and other digestive disorders. Mesopotamian doctors considered that the best time to take a herbal medicine was at night or early in the morning
a principle which is confirmed nowadays by modern studies. The Indians had an entire system of rules
prescriptions
remedies and practices
called Ayurveda
many of which involved the use of plants. They also had strict rules about when
by whom and from where the plants should be collected

People in Ancient Egypt knew and used the castor-oil plant
wormwood
saffron and oregano to heal and disinfect wounds; they also put coriander in their tombs so that the spirit will remain healthy in his afterlife. There are written records of their use of garlic (especially for the workmen who built the pyramids)
indigo
mint and opium. The Greek and Roman civilizations have made a major contribution to the medical science. Although much of their studies stemmed from other cultures (Mesopotamian
Egyptian)
they added precious information and
in time
they became more and more concerned about the diseases and cures as natural and realistic processes
rather than spiritual or magical. Physicians like Hippocrates
Dioscoride and others have recorded their discoveries; their works would enlighten the pre-medieval civilizations for many centuries after their death. Dioscorides wrote De Materia Medica (1st century AD)
which contained a list of hundreds of medicinal plants
along with their description and curative qualities.

The Dark Ages met with a lack of any further recorded herbal studies; the knowledge was probably transmitted from generation to generation – parents taught children
monks
even herbalist taught apprentices. However
there lived a great Persian physician by the name of Avicenna (Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah Ibn Sina) who wrote one of the most famous books in the history of medical science: The Canon
which also contained information about how plants should be used and their properties.

In1527
the Swiss thinker Paracelsus demonstrates that only a small part of the plant has an effect upon the human body (1g per 20 kg of plant)
which is what we now call active substance. Later on
scientists have developed methods to isolate these substances.

However
the first complete categorization of all known medicinal plants was printed in a book called Theatrum Botanicum by John Parkinson in 1640 AD. In 1649 Nicholas Culpeper pulished A Physical Directory
which is considered one of the best herbal pharmacopoeia manuals still quoted today.

As chemistry as a science developed
physicians started to use more and more widely synthetic medicines
such as aspirin
which proved to have side effects. Yet all pharmacists and drug producers confirm the fact that
unlike artificially synthesized substances
medicines extracted from plants are more accessible to the metabolism and friendlier with the human body.