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Herbel Remedies.
In recent years the issue of Alternative Healing has skyrocketed to the
forefront of the medical field. A 2004 government survey
concluded that more than one third of adults use alternative medicine
and healing.
One facet of this burgeoning interest is Herbal Medicine. While
it may seem “trendy” to some, Herbal Medicine has been around for
thousands of years. In fact, many of the familiar
pharmaceutical medications we use today were originally created from
“natural” ingredients. Drugs like opium (from poppies), aspirin
(from willow bark), digitalis (from foxglove) and quinine (from the
cinchona tree.)
Interestingly, the synthetic version of “aspirin” is credited
with the beginning of the pharmaceutical industry. A chemist
working for the Friedrich Bayer Company in Germany created the
synthetic. The company registered the term “aspirin” as a
trademark but Bayer lost the patent rights when the Allies seized and
resold its foreign assets after World War I.
The right to use the term “aspirin” in the United States was purchased
by Sterling Drug in 1918. But even before the patent expired in
1917, Bayer had been unable to prevent their formula from being
copied. Hence, the term “aspirin” has been a generic term in the
U.S. ever since.
It would be impossible to cover this topic adequately in one
volume. What we will endeavor to do with this ebook is provide
you with an overview of herbal remedies and subsequently give you an
in-depth look at 47 simple herbal remedies to common, everyday
ailments.
Please remember that there is no substitute for advice from a medical
practitioner. The contents provided here should not replace a
health and fitness program and is provided for educational purposes
only. You should consult your own medical practitioner before
embarking on any program that affects your health and well being.
HISTORY OF HERBAL MEDICINE
Herbal Medicine is the use of botanicals (plants) either singularly or
in combination to prevent and treat certain ailments and illnesses.
People native to different geographical locations have long used plants
and plant extracts to cure specific maladies. Sometimes referred
to as “folk” medicine, it is generally recognized that there are three
schools of research one can follow with regard to the history of these
treatments.
There is the study of medicines based on Greek, Roman and medieval
sources which is largely used by Western schools of thought,
Ayurvedic which comes from India and the Eastern tradition of Chinese
Herbal Medicine. Rather than separation, these different schools
of thought provide more commonality than division.
It stands to reason that most ancient peoples used plants that were
native to their geographical location which provides sound reasoning as
to why different schools of thought exist.
All three of these modalities at one time included both philosophical
and spiritual aspects along with the scientific knowledge that existed
within a specific time frame. While we are not here to render
opinion, one fact does remain. The same study that determined one
third of Americans used alternative therapies, the same number surveyed
showed a dramatic increase in positive results to more than 60% when
“prayer” was included in the mix.
Ayurvedic loosely translates to “knowledge of life.” Dating back
to more than 6,000 years ago, Ayurvedic Medicine practiced not just
Herbal Medicine, but some of the earliest surgical procedures as well
as inoculation. Over the years Ayurvedic Medicine became
increasingly more symptomatic as opposed to treating the root cause of
disease which originally was steeped in strengthening the immune system.
With all our so-called advancements in the medical field, it’s
interesting that physicians are still treating “effect” rather than
“cause.” The old adage that, “an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure” could not be more true. This is especially true
when it comes to natural remedies.
Most natural remedies are botanical. Singularly or in
combination, the numbers of herbs available is astounding. We
will barely scratch the surface in this guide and we encourage further
research and study.
While this is a presentation on “herbs,” we have included other
natural, organic contents. Many of the combinations include both
herbs and other sources such as tree bark, alfalfa and rhubarb.
Because there are so many botanicals and combinations, we are using the
most common and should not be construed as the ONLY use for a specific
herb.
Additionally, please note that we use the “common names” throughout, as opposed to the more confusing, latin words.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
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