Modern medicine from the 19th … Herbal medicines are superior to synthetic drugs because  they have the nutritive value that the drugs lack. Healing is restoring this lost harmony and integration. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; The nonspecific, broad spectrum action of herbal tonics and restoratives is unmatched by any synthetic drug. Who were the root cutters? Military Medicine in Ancient Greece: Greek doctors used herbs … Synthetic drugs, which lack this biological intelligence, work only in one direction, and their dosages must be closely monitored to avoid excess or overdose. About two thirds of medicinal herbs are quite gentle, safe and mild; about a quarter  more of them are potent enough to warrant care in their selection, administration and dosage; and of all the medicinal herbs there are, only about 5 percent are really potent and toxic. Behind the PR blitz of the pharmaceutical companies heralding the latest "wonder drug" lies the self-serving profit motive of having a drug that can be exclusively patented and owned. In this pioneering work, the author not only described the properties of the medicinal plants he used, but also included color illustrations, thus providing an invaluable reference guide to ensuing practitioners. Today, its sweet, mucilaginous root is used to relieve non-productive coughs and offers great service in cases of gastritis and enteritis, while poultices made from it aid in recovery from burns and wounds; the efficacy of these uses are supported by our present understanding of the plant. More generally, it was thought a valuable medicine with benefits for the digestive and respiratory systems. gcse.async = true; Immunomodulatory:  Optimizing immune system function by reducing harmful allergic or autoimmune reactions while enhancing positive immune response to protect against infections. Due to the hot and dry climate in Egypt, ancient papyri have survived intact, allowing historians to study the sophisticated techniques employed by Ancient Egyptian physicians. * * * I am tired of relying on pharmaceuticals and chemicals to deal with every … Olive and coconut oils were used for soothing scrapes, cuts, bruises, rashes, and … Greek Medicine is no exception to this rule, and bases its own system of herbal medicine upon its core concepts:  the Four Basic Qualities, the Four Elements, the Four Humors and the Four Temperaments. The root of greater burdock (Arctium lappa), known in ancient times as “arkeion” and “prosopis,” was exploited for many centuries to treat a multitude of medical problems. The usual method of herbal treatment is to use medicines whose natures are contrary or complementary to the nature of the disorder to bring the body back into balance. This honey-based mixture, taken in small daily doses dissolved in wine, was believed to be an antidote for all poisons. Many modern medicines, on the other hand, suppress key bodily functions and block these natural healing reactions. In this way, such wounds were healed more quickly, yet certainly without reducing at all the possibility of the fatal disease being transmitted to the victim of the bite. They were experienced collectors of usually wild herbs and roots, who sold their products directly to physicians, or who served as suppliers to medicine sellers. Natural … In deficiency conditions, tonic herbs with qualities or essences that the body lacks or needs are used to restore health and wholeness.      Herbs work with Nature, not against it. Amazing Greek Ancient Herb Benefits! Herbal medicine is the use of plants and other natural substances in healing. Synthetic drugs may give you the quick fix, but this is often deceptive; many times, pharmaceutical drugs merely mask the symptoms, suppress the body's natural healing processes, and may even drive the root cause deeper into the organism. Greek Medicine is the traditional, indigenous holistic healing system of Western civilization. LICORICE. These are:      Inferior Grade:  Harsh, potent drugs with high toxicity Synthetic drugs, which lack this biological intelligence, are incapable of this immunomodulatory activity. Deficiencies are supplemented, and excesses purged. Herbs have the nutritive value that synthetic drugs lack. Immunomodulatory activity is a bivalent action of herbs, and a manifestation of the biological intelligence inherent in them. Herbs that treat conditions of the head are called cephalics. These defects include negative, debilitating side effects and the prevalence of drug-induced iatrogenic diseases. Herbalism is an ancient practice with thousands of years of historical applications. The root was used by practitioners of the healing arts, too, for its analgesic and narcotic properties. (function() { 90) Greek … In ancient medicine, elecampane root found many applications. In 129 C.E., Galen was born. With the “mandrake wine” they brewed – the root’s bark having been left to ferment for three months in grape must – doctors treated snake bites, alleviated pain and combated chronic insomnia. Such was this tuber’s power that one slave managed to satisfy 70 women in a single night, just by holding it in his hand.      Hepatoprotective:  Balancing, normalizing and optimizing liver and bile metabolism; regenerating liver cells. In Greece, this happened with Hippocrates. The healer Paean was the physician who treated the gods Ares and Hades, placing therapeutic balms over the wounds they suffered during the Trojan War. Not only that, when it comes to traditional medication, even modern medication is using some ancient Greek manuscript as references and the list of Greek herbs and spices and health benefits below are examples of herbs … Throughout history, there has been a great amount of exchange, trade and commerce in herbs and other natural medicinal substances, as traditional healers in each region of the world wanted to secure access to effective remedies that produced results. Although plants and botanical medicines are the mainstay of the world's great herbal healing traditions, not all the natural substances used for medicine are of plant origin. The entire animal kingdom and all sentient beings depend on the plant kingdom for food, for medicine, indeed for the very air we breathe. The negative side effects of pharmaceutical drugs cause thousands of unnecessary deaths every year. Four centuries later, we again encounter it in the writings of Dioscorides, where he calls it “elenion.” According to myth, elenion sprang from the tears of Helen as she mourned the loss of her helmsman, during her voyage to Egypt with Menelaus following the fall of Troy. No pharmaceutical drug that your doctor can prescribe will be able to rebuild your body; only whole foods, nutritional supplements and herbs can do that. Conventional medicine's best answer to autoimmune disorders is a global suppression of all immune response, both good and bad, which impairs the body's ability to fight infection. Over the long term, this negative approach wears down the inherent vitality and resistance of the organism. Thanks to its appearance (often resembling a human figure) and its hallucinogenic effects, popular imagination has linked the mandrake to magic and associated it with a multitude of myths. The basic principle of herbal medicine is this: that the inherent qualities of the substances we take into our bodies, whether as food or as medicine, are incorporated into the organism and its functioning, exerting their effects and influences according to their natures. In ancient Greece, one who wore a mandrake-root amulet believed it would ensure him sexual prowess and success, and protect him from wild animal attacks, sudden illnesses and bad luck. Their knowledge of medicine developed accordingly. Herbs also commonly featured in the traditional medicine of ancient India, where the principal treatment for diseases was diet. Ancient Greeks prepared it as a decoction in cases of hemoptysis (coughing up blood) and abscesses, or used it in juice form, blended with honey, to treat burns, snake bites and internal pains. With all the stresses of modern living, and with all the health problems often associated with them, some of these curatives may again prove useful. So which medicinal herbs that the Ancient Greeks use are worth using today? In Greek Medicine, several different innovative and efficient herbal preparations, designed to deliver maximum healing power to the site of the disorder, are used in treatment. Herbal medicines follow the key Hippocratic precept:  First, do no harm. There are certain things that only natural herbs can do for the body, which will probably never be matched by any synthetic pharmaceutical drug. *** * * * LIMITED TIME OFFER! Out of the vast universe of plants with medicinal properties, those most preferred and used by the world's traditional medical systems were mainly those which were gentle and safe yet effective. s.parentNode.insertBefore(gcse, s); Excessive heat is cooled, and excessive coldness is warmed and dispersed. As Paean died, according to myth, he was transformed into his namesake plant with large flowers – the peony; this common name refers to the plants that belong to the genus Paeonia, of which five distinct species exist in Greece. It is still a popular medicinal herb today. The first doctors in the modern … In contrast, many synthetic pharmaceutical drugs have very negative or damaging effects on the liver, and are contraindicated with any history of liver disease. In herbal prescribing, the weather, climate and environmental conditions must also be taken into account. Physicians boiled it in honey or prepared it as a therapeutic wine to treat spasms, coughing and flatulence, as well as to neutralize the harmful effects of wild animal bites. Herbs usually take longer to work than synthetic drugs, but they work naturally, and get to the root of the problem. All the world's great religions all have passages from their sacred texts advocating the use of herbs for health and healing. Usually, medicines with qualities and actions contrary or complementary to those of the disorder are used to return the organism to a state of balance. The earliest mention of its pharmacological effects is found in the Odyssey, according to many Homeric scholars; mandrake root is identified as the main ingredient of the magic potion Circe uses to transform Odysseus’ companions into pigs, by covertly adding it to the dishes of food she offered them. Ecological science also tells us that this is so. Liver tonics are called hepatics, whereas digestive tonics are called stomachics, and so on. This allowed the physician and pharmacist to formulate and prescribe medicines more accurately. Another curative employed by ancient doctors was the root from the plant elecampane (Inula helenium) that Theophrastus describes as “Chiron’s panacea,” including it in the therapeutic arsenal of the centaur Chiron. Today, the well-recognized ancient traditions of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine remain instrumental as effective herbal practices. *** BONUS! If you are interested to try some herbs in your cooking, these ones are worth using. Plants have always played a prominent role in the field of medicine since the first recorded examples. Among the most distinguished historical practitioners of this age-old tradition was the physician Diocles of Karystos (375-295 BC), who reported on medicinal plants, their uses and how to collect them in the now-lost treatise “The Art of Root-Cutting.” Fortunately, lengthy extracts from this work are thought to be preserved in the contemporary writings of Theophrastus (371-287 BC); they’re definitely in Dioscorides’ early pharmacopeia (“De Materia Medica,” 1st century AD), where he describes in detail the healing powers of many roots. The history of herbalism is closely tied with the history of medicine from prehistoric times up until the development of the germ theory of disease in the 19th century. Aromatic stomachics gently harmonize and stimulate gastric function in cases of sluggishness and congestion of the stomach. Copyright © 2007 - 2018 by David K. Osborn L. Ac.. All rights reserved. Surgery: A Violent Profession: Without effective anesthesia, surgery in ancient Greece was very painful for patients. even specialists including gynecologists who specialized in childbirth and. And the god did, at least to a certain degree, as from the remains of the testes of the inconsiderate youth there sprang an orchid. The plant’s greatest asset, however, is its notable medicinal properties, something accurately emphasized by that ancient authority, Dioscorides, in “De Materia Medica,” who reports: “it is called althaea due to its many curative powers and its multiplicity of uses” – the name having been derived from the ancient Greek verb althaino, meaning “to heal.”. Hippocrates (460–375 BCE), author of the Hippocratic Oath and described by many as the father of … Contrast this with the use of pharmaceutical drugs: negative side effects, to a greater or lesser extent, of one kind or another, are usually inevitable, no matter which drug is chosen. Using their roots and seeds, doctors treated a host of diseases, from women’s ailments and convulsions to persistent nightmares and epilepsy. Herbs work by enhancing the natural physiological functions and defensive healing reactions of the organism. Also, the biological intelligence inherent in herbs gives many of them a bivalent capacity to adjust or optimize key bodily functions, like digestion, circulation, metabolism and immunity. The main advantages are: The therapeutic use of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) can be traced back almost 4,000 … We know that the years during and just prior to the Peloponnesian War were a time of terrible adversity, and we know, too, that in times of crisis, people sought solace more in magic than rationality – two disparate approaches to healing that coexisted and were in perpetual conflict throughout the long history of the Greek therapeutic arts. Theory is necessary to guide the observations and hypotheses of the physician in formulating a diagnosis and treatment strategy. Greek Medicine is a constitutionally based healing system that treats the person, not the disease. herbal medicine is the answer. Greek herbal medicine, like other traditional systems of herbal healing, uses the pronciples of herbal tastes and energetics to further refine their therapeutic classification and usage of herbs. First and foremost, however, having been prepared by boiling in wine or through a simple, thorough crushing, it was applied locally, to relieve the pain and swelling of sprains and to treat chilblains and infections. It then led to the use of harsh, inorganic mineral drugs and toxic mercury preparations like Calomel. He and other doctors would help to spread Greek ideas about … And so, there is a great degree of overlap between the herbal pharmacopeias of the world's great traditional medical systems. gcse.src = 'https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=' + cx; In botanical medicines, all parts of the plant are used. Health is living in harmony with Nature, and disease results when this harmony and balance are upset. In the Bible, the book of Genesis tells us that the fruit of the tree was used for food, and the leaf for medicine. Many herbs benefit the liver, the principal organ of the Natural Faculty, in this way, because they're only natural. And finally, with the advent of antibiotics, synthetic pharmaceuticals took over. Theophrastus writes about the tuber of an orchid sent as a gift to King Antiochus of Syria. Most of these age-old uses have been replicated in modern plant therapy, validating the knowledge of ancient Greek physicians. Herbal medicine amongst humans first evolved as an imitation of this universal healing practice of the animal kingdom. : FREE Natural Remedies Report Included !! These include herbs, leaves, flowers, fruits, kernels, seeds, pods, peels, rinds, barks, resins, essences, stems and roots. Large-Fruited Juniper. And so it is with many plants - one part is used for food, and another is used for medicine. Ancient Greeks also used to make flavored wine with this herb. The production of a traditional beverage called salep, for easing coughs and soothing stomach aches, is an art of the East, which became known in Greek lands under the Ottomans. Throughout the vast majority of mankind's history, herbs and other natural medicinal substances were the mainstay of medical practice. In Macer's Herbal it is stated that only to look on Marigolds will draw evil humours out and … gcse.type = 'text/javascript'; It might, therefore, be to our advantage to welcome, once more, nature’s roots as Mother Earth’s generous gifts to humankind. Crumbled and mixed with salt, it was spread over deep wounds caused by the bite of a rabid dog. After a century or so of the chemical approach to medicine, its defects are becoming increasingly clear, in contrast to the natural, holistic benefits of the herbal approach. For example, those with a stronger constitution will be better able to withstand the rigors of radical purgatives, whereas those of a more delicate constitution will require a more moderate and gradual cleansing. The folk medicine of the village healer was immediate and practical, consisting of "this herb for this illness, that herb for that", with a bare minimum of theory behind it. The remedies for all man's ills are to be found in the biosphere, or the world of Nature, which alone heals. One of the earliest Greek root cutters was the semi-mythical philosopher, seer and poet Epimenides of Crete (7th/6th century BC), said to have successfully cleansed an Athens guilty of sacrilege after the Cylonian Affair (632 BC), when a failed coup led to a massacre outside a temple. Dill. Surgery was done and herbs were applied. Ancient Greeks without access to a physician often self-treated using herbs to treat the following conditions. By comparison, thousands die each year from the negative side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. HERBS, VARIOUS. The origins of herbal medicine lie in the common empirical experience of the human race, in observing which plants the animals ate when they were feeling sick, and following their example.      Superior Grade:  Tonics that build health and vitality The demand for every kind of peony was so great in antiquity that false stories concerning their dangers were widely circulated so that professional root cutters wouldn’t have to face serious competition when collecting them. There were. Greek Medicine is the traditional, indigenous holistic healing system of Western civilization. The most famous of all Ancient Greek doctors was Hippocrates. })(); The holistic healing philosophy of Greek Medicine states that Man is essentially a product of Nature, or the natural environment. This post was originally published on the blog... Editor’s note: The following has been taken from... why athens is becoming a magnet for young expats, not the new berlin: curator katerina gregos on the greek art landscape, how the 1821 greek revolution changed the world, modiano market: restoring the grandeur of a thessaloniki landmark, architect yorgos tzirtzilakis: the emst, odysseus, and the clown. … When viewed from the perspective of medical history as a whole, man's current infatuation with chemical medicine is only a recent abberation. Ancient herbalists, including those of Cathay, India, Sumer, Assyria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, testify to the use of herbs in the treatment of disease. Many herbal therapies are unequaled by synthetic drugs. In the throes of sorrow, his father beseeched Dionysus to forgive him and to restore him to life. With medicine as well as with food, the more natural, whole and unrefined a substance is, the higher it is in nutritive value, and the better it is assimilated and metabolized by the body. In classical Greek science and medicine, everything in the universe has its own inherent nature and temperament, or balance of the Four Basic Qualities: Hot, Cold, Wet and Dry. Out of all the various kinds of herbs that relieve pain, anodynes relax and disperse muscular aches and pains through their gentle warming and dispersing action. Greek : Pharmakon (singular), pharmaka (plural) Species : Various (some were purely mythical) Description : In ancient Greek, the word pharmakeia referred to the use of herbal … Ancient writers frequently associate hemlock with the magic of necromancers and witches, along with its deadly sister aconite. Theophrastus, in his “Enquiry into Plants” describes what precautions the root cutters of his era took to protect themselves from its catastrophic power: they would draw three circles around the plant in the dirt with a sword, then dance around it cursing before finally digging out the valuable root while looking westward. The modern scientific view of licorice largely confirms ancient beliefs, attributing its properties to the glycyrrhizin it contains – a substance that also acts as a powerful antiviral. The importance of roots in ancient Greek medicine related not only to their active ingredients but to their symbolic significance as well. A number of other interesting figures belonged to the magical-mythical circle of root cutters, as well, including the centaur Chiron, Achilles’ tutor; the healing god Asclepius; the witch Circe; the soothsayer-healer Melampous; and Machaon and Podaleirios, the physician-sons of Asclepius, who served in the Trojan War. Marjoram is a close relative of oregano, with a slightly more delicate flavour, but with similar uses, in soups, stews… Equally important is understanding and recognizing the contributions of ancient Greek … Nevertheless, the astute herbalist must know not only which herbs are indicated for which conditions, but also which are contraindicated because their basic natures are unsuitable. when it was used as a culinary and medicinal herb by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Ancient Greek thinking and philosophy paved the way for significant advances in medicine. Many ancient physicians considered peonies a panacea – particularly the species Paeonia mascula and P. officinalis, which Dioscorides respectively calls “male” and “female”, and P. peregrina, pictured above. The marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) is cultivated in many countries, since even those uninterested in its healing powers are readily impressed by the abundant flowers it presents every spring. The Hippocrates quote at the end of the introductory section of this article is from the following web page:  www.runningbearartwork.com/herbal.html. From these origins, augmented by centuries of experiential trial and error, a body of knowledge and lore developed in each region of the world, which became the world's indigenous folk medicine traditions. Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Wolf-Deieter Storl Witchcraft Medicine (1998) Marigolds are called after the Virgin Mary. Many herbs are nutrient-rich superfoods; as whole natural substances, their nutrients are better absorbed and retained by the organism than even the finest natural vitamins, which are fractionated, concentrated extracts. The practical details of Greek Medicine's system of herbal healing grew out of the accumulated clinical experience of generations of Greek physicians. Herbs are gentler, safer, and have far fewer negative side effects.      Middle Grade:  Therapeutic agents to adjust bodily functions In herbal prescribing, it's also necessary to adjust the formula to the constitutional nature of the person being treated. The choice is yours:  Do you want to be healed slower, but better, or quickly but not as well? Aloe Vera. Surgery: Ancient Surgeons: In Greece and Rome, doctors turned to surgery as a last resort to assist patients. Any system of herbal medicine, to be viable, must have both a theoretical and a practical aspect. Ancient Egyptian documents are probably the earliest records of healthcare practice. External or topical treatment methods, like compresses, liniments, salves, cataplasms or poultices, and fomentations are also used. Crateuas also authored his own “Art of Root Cutting,” which had a powerful, far-reaching influence. All traditional medical systems, including Greek Medicine, have developed conceptual structures and guidelines for studying and determining these effects, which guide the selection and use of herbs. For example, if the weather or season is cold, a formula to warm the body and disperse chills must be more heating in nature than if the chills are caught in relatively warm weather. Instead of producing negative side effects, herbs deliver multiple side benefits. Only herbs can assist the body in its vital cleansing work, and reduce the toxic load on the organism. To more precisely calibrate how Hot, Cold, Wet or Dry an herb was, Galen introduced a system of four degrees for each of the Four Basic Qualities. It was only when medicine began to lose track of the traditional holistic and vitalistic priorities of Greek Medicine in supporting and building the natural resistance of the organism that doctors began to look for stronger and stronger drugs and radical intervention. Herbs are living medicines that can vitalize and energize the organism; synthetic drugs, as lifeless substances, can't do this. Aloe Vera, or "Lily of the Desert", is most famous for the benefits it provides when applied … It is prepared from the tubers of a beautiful orchid, the early purple orchid (Orchis mascula), which few today realize was held in high esteem in ancient Greece. The wheels of Nature (and herbs) grind slowly, but they work very well. Man and all other living beings on this planet grew and evolved within this all-pervasive biosphere, and have been relying on it for their survival, for food and medicine, for millions of years. Botanical medicines make up about 85% of traditional pharmacopeias, with mineral substances comprising about 10% and those of animal origin about 5%. From these empirical roots the world's great traditional medical systems evolved, in which the physician's selection and use of the appropriate herbs was guided not just by clinical experience, but also by medical theories and principles. This search for strong medicine led first to an increasing emphasis on potent, toxic botanicals like opiates, Henbane and Belladonna and a gradual abandonment of the gentler, safer remedies that had once been the mainstay of herbal medicine. Greek Medicine is based on the concept of Medicatrix Naturae - that Mother Nature is a healing goddess. Also be taken into account medicine related not only to their active ingredients but to their active ingredients to!: herbs work by enhancing the natural physiological functions and block these natural reactions... And the prevalence of drug-induced iatrogenic diseases prescribe medicines more accurately was believed to be healed slower, but work! 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