5000 Years Of Herbal History
Over the centuries the healing properties of plants and herbs has not
Today we have the opportunity to benefit from the accumulated herbal
Many of synthetic medicines on the market today owe their existence to
While I do not want to get on a soap box and throw rocks at modern
A final word before you continue into the following pages. Many of the
changed. What was a healing plant or herb five thousand years ago is
still a healing plant or herb. Because great confidence was placed in
them, Witches and physicians of the ancient world were expected to know
their herbs. Plants gave healing powers to those who studied them, worked
with them, and respected them. In many lands and in many times, healers
spent a good part of their lives in the field and forest gathering green
medicines. They remembered and scribed what they learned passing it on.
wisdom of the ages. This advantage allows us to peer back through
history, harvesting for our own benefit only those herbs that have stood
the test of time. But even the herbal uses that didn't pan out are
fascinating. While the story of healing herbs has it's comic episodes,
it is also a dramatic story of human sacrifice, complete with medical
hero's, men and women whose work deserves to be recognized. Much of this
credit in my opinion should go the the Witches of the past because they
are the ones who essentially began the work of learning and understanding
herbs and their benefits. However when the male physician arrived on the
scene, they essentially benefited from the inquisitions and burnings
claiming the right to and credit for this knowledge. The topic of how
modern drug companies have distorted this knowledge for profit is an area
I probably shouldn't delve into, but what the heck, the truth generally
only hurts if it ought to.
natural occurring herbs, plants and trees. The original pain killer
marketed just a little over 100 years ago is a derivative of White
Willow Bark, what is it's name? Asprin. It is pretty much a foregone
conclusion, that the only reason the major drug manufactures synthesize
these drugs is because you cannot patent a naturally occurring substance,
obviously there isn't as much profit in something that everyone has access
to producing. Ultimately the drug manufacturers create a substance that
copies the healing properties of these herbs, plants and trees, then
market it to the world while down playing the benefits of the natural
herb.Currently the drug industry is the single most profitable business
in the United States spending over $5 BILLION per year on advertising and
marketing alone! Much of this goes into seducing and providing perks for
the doctors who prescribe their magic potions, many of which are
completely useless at effectively treating the problem or cause serious
side effects. But for the drug manufacturers there is an up side to the
negative side effects because that provides them with the opportunity to
create new drugs to counteract the side effects their product produced to
begin with.
medicine and the drug industry since they have provided benefits and in
many cases cured disease. The point is though, there are alternatives
which are quite often a better choice if we would only take the time to
learn, and understand natures own cures, then take responsibility for our
own health.
herbs and plants listed here offer a proven track record of alleviating
symptoms and helping with different conditions, but there are risks
involved in using many of them without adequate knowledge. Without a
sound understanding of their properties and potential effects, one would
be foolish to blindly use them. Therefore it is recommended that you
carefully research those of interest, seek the guidance of a health care
professional who is competent in herbal knowledge and use common sense as
you proceed. It is also vitally important to remember that the use of
herbals should not be used in lieu of sound medical council and advice,
instead they should be used in combination with the care of your personal
physician. It is not the intent of these writings to suggest otherwise.