Herbal
Medicine, sometimes referred to as Herbalism or Botanical
Medicine, is the use of herbs for their therapeutic or medicinal
value. An herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal,
aromatic or savory qualities. Herb plants produce and contain
a variety of chemical substances that act upon the body. Herbal
medicine is the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind.
Herbs had been used by all cultures throughout history.
It was an integral part of the development of modern civilization.
Primitive man observed and appreciated the great diversity
of plants available to him. The plants provided food, clothing,
shelter, and medicine. Much of the medicinal use of plants
seems to have been developed through observations of wild
animals, and by trial and error. As time went on, each tribe
added the medicinal power of herbs in their area to its knowledgebase.
They methodically collected information on herbs and developed
well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias.
Indeed, well into the 20th century much of the pharmacopoeia
of scientific medicine was derived from the herbal lore of
native peoples. Many drugs commonly used today are of herbal
origin. Indeed, about 25 percent of the prescription drugs
dispensed in the United States contain at least one active
ingredient derived from plant material. Some are made from
plant extracts; others are synthesized to mimic a natural
plant compound.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4 billion
people, 80 percent of the world population, presently use
herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. Herbal
medicine is a major component in all indigenous peoples’ traditional
medicine and a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic,
traditional oriental, and Native American Indian medicine.
WHO notes that of 119 plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines,
about 74 percent are used in modern medicine in ways that
correlated directly with their traditional uses as plant medicines
by native cultures.
Major pharmaceutical companies are currently conducting extensive
research on plant materials gathered from the rain forests
and other places for their potential medicinal value. Substances
derived from the plants remain the basis for a large proportion
of the commercial medications used today for the treatment
of heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, asthma, and other
problems. For example, ephedra is a herb used in Traditional
Chinese Medicine for more than two thousand years to treat
asthma and other respiratory problems. Ephedrine, the active
ingredient in ephedra, is used in the commercial pharmaceutical
preparations for the relief of asthma symptoms and other respiratory
problems. It helps the patient to breathe more easily.
