Today's world is a world of progress, no one can doubt that. We have been able to make in 200 years of continuous industrial change, something we could not do in the thousands and thousands of turbulent history. However, in spite of all these technological and material decline, artificial foods, not to mention the reign of the Plastic King, some people still find the strength and wisdom to wonder how people in the past lived healthy and fit without nutritional supplements, drugs. , even antibiotics. Their secret was to use what Mother Nature had given them: plants to cure themselves. Fortunately, this information has not been forgotten; even if they are not widely used, plants have found their place in our culture.
The story begins thousands of years ago, before recorded history, when a person could not write or read, but knew to follow his instincts. They found that certain remedies could alleviate their pain, some that could cause the ulcer to disappear and others that could even kill it. In time, societies developed and, in the process, developed ways of communicating their knowledge without speaking.
5000 years ago, in Ancient China, people used rhubarb (Rheune palmatum) as a cleanser without knowing anything about the active ingredients. Also, they used Ephedra to treat asthma, although a substance called ephedrine was discovered much later, in 1887 AD. All the ancient Eastern civilizations had an understanding of the fascinating world of plant science, as plants were one of the few things they could turn to for their own healing. The famous Babylonian King Hammurabi (18th century BC) recommended mint to cure constipation and other digestive problems. Mesopotamian physicians thought that the best time to take herbal medicine was at night or early in the morning, a procedure confirmed today by modern studies. The Indians had a whole system of rules, regulations, remedies and practices, called Ayurveda, many of which involved the use of plants. And they had strict rules about when, where, and where plants should be collected
The ancient Egyptians knew and used castor oil, wormwood, saffron and oregano to treat and disinfect wounds; and they put coriander in their graves to keep the spirit alive in his afterlife. There are written records of their use of garlic (especially for pyramid workers), indigo, mint and opium. Greek and Roman civilization have made considerable contribution to the medical field. Although many of their studies came from other cultures (Mesopotamia, Egypt), they added valuable knowledge and, in time, became more concerned with diseases and treatments as natural and practical processes, rather than spiritual or magical. Doctors like Hippocrates, Dioscoride and others recorded their findings; their works would illuminate pre-medieval civilization centuries after their death. Dioscorides wrote the De Materia Medica (first century AD), which contained a list of hundreds of medicinal plants, as well as their description and medicinal properties.
The Dark Ages experienced a shortage of any recorded medical studies; knowledge was probably passed down from generation to generation - parents taught children, nuns, and even herbalists taught teachers. However, there was a great Persian physician named Avicenna (Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah Ibn Sina) who wrote one of the most famous books in the history of medical science: Canon, which also contained information on how plants grow. they should be used in conjunction with their structures.
In 1527, the Swiss theory Paracelsus showed that only a small percentage of the plant has an effect on the human body (1g per 20 kg of plant), which we now call the active ingredient. Later, scientists have developed ways to differentiate these elements.
However, the first complete list of all known medicinal plants was published in John Parkinson's Theatrum Botanicum in 1640 AD. In 1649 Nicholas Culpeper published a book entitled A Physical Directory, considered one of the best herbal pharmacopoeia still in existence.
As the science of chemistry progressed, doctors began using more and more artificial drugs, such as aspirin, which had side effects. Yet all pharmacists and drug manufacturers confirm the fact that, unlike synthetic drugs, plant extracts are easily accessible to metabolism and are friendly to the human body.
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