| Herbal medicine has great antiquity, with therapeutic | | | | medicine is among the plants listed in the compilation. |
| roots extending back to ancient Egypt in what was | | | | Included are references to 247 substances that were |
| then known as Khemet or Tamare. | | | | used by these early people for many different |
| In the written record, the study of herbs dates back | | | | maladies among them back pain relief. Succeeding |
| over 5,000 years to the Sumerians, who described | | | | generations from the Han Dynasty to the Tang |
| well-established medicinal uses for such plants as | | | | Dynasty augmented on the Shennong Bencao Jing. |
| laurel, caraway, and thyme. | | | | By 1596, the Ben Cao Gang Mu of the Ming medical |
| The ancient Egyptians who were themselves actual | | | | literatus Li Shizhen (1518-1593) exemplified the |
| descendants of the near mythical and pre-historic | | | | apogee of Chinese herbalism. Published three years |
| Sumerian civilizations are credited to have had the | | | | after his demise, this Grand Materia Medica contained |
| worlds earliest holistic medicine systems. These | | | | no less than 1892 entries. In the succeeding centuries |
| systems were officially endorsed and recognized by | | | | of the Imperial Era, Chinese herbal medicine continued |
| even the almighty priest class that wielded such | | | | to develop. Despite the temporary setbacks incurred |
| enormous powers over the populace. | | | | following the collapse of the Manchu Dynasty in 1911, |
| Ancient Egyptian medicine traditions of 1000 B.C. and | | | | it remains on equal footing with biomedicine in China |
| of an even much much earlier period, are known to | | | | today. |
| have used garlic, opium, castor oil, coriander, mint, | | | | Another system of medicinal herbs, the Indian |
| indigo, and other herbs for medicine and the Old | | | | Ayurveda (Sanskrit for "science of mind body" ) has |
| Testament also mentions herb use and cultivation, | | | | used herbs such as turmeric possibly as early as 1900 |
| including mandrake, vetch, caraway, wheat, barley, | | | | B.C. Many other herbs and minerals used in Ayurvedic |
| and rye. This is an over simplification however as | | | | medicine were later described by ancient Indian |
| Egyptians had an almost universally revered | | | | herbalists such as Charaka and Sushruta during the |
| reputation as practitioners of highly sophisticated | | | | 1st millenium BC. The Sushruta Samhita attributed to |
| forms of medicine. The excellent embalming of | | | | Sushruta in the 6th century BC describes 700 |
| mummies is a prime example of an Egyptian practice | | | | medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral |
| which could be traced even further back in time to | | | | sources, and 57 preparations based on animal |
| near pre-historical times by Egyptian calendars' | | | | sources. Here again, we could find clear evidence of |
| reckoning. Records of the existence of these highly | | | | the unquestionable influence of antiquity and |
| sophisticated healing systems are just beginning to | | | | pre-historic Egypt which pre-dated all ancient world |
| emerge with the discoveries of new methods of | | | | civilizations by possibly tens of millenniums. |
| understanding the language semantics of antiquity | | | | Today, many modern, and Western, medicine |
| Egypt. | | | | practitioners are beginning to look at herbal remedies |
| Like almost every other invention or technological | | | | for some common, and not-so common, disorders |
| advancement in antiquity (the pre-historic Sumerians | | | | like arthritis and psoriasis. The lower cost, and often |
| and their predecessors in early Egyptian kingdoms) | | | | safer use, has attracted many medical professionals. |
| these therapeutic systems were then transferred | | | | Some physicians use herbs to off-set the side |
| and adopted by the outside world through centuries | | | | effects of pharmaceuticals a practice that's already |
| and millenniums of interactions and contacts. | | | | rapidly picking up in most parts of the Western |
| Chinese herbal medicine like it's near counterpart in | | | | World. |
| Egypt also has great antiquity, with therapeutic roots | | | | We have witnessed the rapid rise of the use of |
| extending back to Zhou Dynasty, Late Bronze/Early | | | | herbal plants for medicinal purposes as traditional |
| Iron Age at about 2500 to 3000 years ago. From its | | | | healing arts aka alternative medicine become more |
| shamanistic origins, herbalism in archaic China evolved | | | | accepted in the western medical practices. The |
| in response to causation or origination concepts | | | | Wellness Industry and Health/Fitness Industry have |
| current at the time. These notions of the causes of | | | | gained massive popularity with near geometric |
| disease in human society related directly to the | | | | growth last 20 or so years. We have seen the rise in |
| troubled socio-economic environment that prevailed in | | | | popularity even among household brand names for |
| early China in the latter half of the first millennium BC. | | | | Personal Care and Beauty products containing |
| The Shennong Bencao Jing, the first Chinese herbal | | | | therapeutic herbal extracts, as the modern informed |
| book compiled in the Hang Dynasty era, lists 365 | | | | consumers discover the hidden therapeutic secrets |
| medicinal plants and their uses. Ma-Huang the shrub | | | | and rejuvenating powers of mother natures flora. |
| that introduced the drug ephedrine to modern | | | | |