HERBAL MEDICINE
Centuries ago, when Christianity was spreading across the globe, hundreds of apothecaries were trialled and persecuted as witches. Perhaps it is for this reason that many Pagans feel a strongest kinship with this practice, as we use the magickal properties of herbs constantly for rituals and charms. This page is designed to inform of the origins of Herbal Medicine. Later I hope to be adding information as to which herbs are best for which systems, but time is little and there is much to do...
Dating back over 1000 years, Herbalism is the oldest form of medication that is still used today. In fact, herbs are the oldest known tool and are worked into the history of every culture and civilization. These cultures and tribes were adapted to what was available from their local areas plantlife. For this reason, sicknesses that occured within tribes were curable by local plantlife, however when trading began, foreign sicknesses plagued tribes and many of these diseases proved to be incurable.
Each tribe had their own Healer and Spiritual Leader (aka Shaman, Witchdoctor, etc). This healer was led to plants via dowsing and dreams (intuition) and was informed of the plants usage via the same means. In the situation where there was both a male and a female healer of the tribe, the woman would be responsible for minor complaints and her area of expertise would be womens problems and childbirth, and the only the male would be responsible for the most potent of herbs.
Shamanic tradition originated in Eurasia in approximately 4000BC. Shamans would use these potent herbs for travelling between world (ie. as narcotics), communication with spirits and also to discover more information regarding the uses of herbs. In this way, a Materia Medica (a book of herbal knowledge) was slowly built on local plants and herbs.
Each plant has its own Dorctine of Signature. This means that a plant will show certain characteristics to show what the herb is used for. Eg. Lily of the Valley has flowers that resemble the heart valves, so it is a herb used to treat ailments of the heart. Similarly, Ginseng's roots resemble a person, so they are used to treat the whole body. Animals (homone therapy could be done using a pregnant woman's urine, the placenta and membrane were eaten after birth) and fungus (mouldy bread contains penicillin) were also used.
By 1500BC there was brisk drug trade between the Meditteranean and lands as far away as Syria (medicinal as well as pleasurable herbs). Doctors were also developing in this time, although not many people could afford their treatments and so people went to the herbalists who were still practicing on the streets. People of education began writing lists of all the herbs and their uses. In 100AD, Discorides put together De Materia Medica - a book of all known herbs and their uses which is still used today (under the title of "The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia").
The Romans used plants regularly and considered their usage very important, so much so that the Roman Army would carry seeds of the most-used herbs and plant gardens at every camp. This was how the Roman Army helped spread the knowledge of herbs all over Europe.
Hippocrates (468 - 377 BC) was known as the "Father of Medicine" and discovered the four "humors" of the human body. These were: black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm. The balance between these brought on health and wellbeing. Galen (131 - 200 AD) was known as the "Saint of Medicine". He was a surgeon to the Gladiators and balanced the elements with the humors. This was the beginning of conventional medicine (Shamanism was the beginning of alternative medicine). Conventional medicine involved intervening in nature to bring faster results (sucha s blood letting and vomoiting, diarrhoea could cure problems associated with certain areas faster). However, this had little or no results with diseases such as cholera, maleria and cyplhilis.
Prescriptions were given by doctors as the competition between themselves and physicians grew (physicians made things like cough drops, etc. and this took money away from doctors). King Henry VIII developed the Quack's Charter to stop this competition as he held a great respect for apothecaries. Herbalism was medicine for poor people and the Quack's Charter enabled Herbalists to practice. It is now popularly known as the Herbalists Charter, and is still practiced under today, though it was written in 380 AD. The Charter also enabled women to practice and treat the poor as physician and surgeon. This did not go down well either (as mentioned previously). Medical knowledge was considered only for the well-educated and was not given to the apothecaries.
Nicholas Culpeper (1616 - 1654) abandoned his practice as a doctor and became an apothecary after the death of his fiance on their wedding night. He became a major apothecary and gave away some of the medical "secrets".
Samuel Thompson (1760 - 1843) combined Culpeper (English) and American practices to perform what was known as Thompsonian medicine. Dr Albert Coffin (1790 - 1866) was Thompson's pupil.
Dr Wooster Beach (1794 - 1868) founded Eclecticism using herbs, minerals and chemicals. Physiomedicalism was developed soon after by Thurston, Cook and Lyle. In 1864 the British Meical Reform Association was founded, which later became the British Medical Herbal Association. In 1920 the National Herbal Association of Australia (NHAA) was founded.
Physiomedicalism believed in treating the holistic body - to boost the vital force and return the body to a state of homeostasis. It operated on four principles:
1. Recognition of the vital force.
2. Respect of traditional knowledge.
3. Treatment of the patient as an individual.
4. The cause should be treated rather than the symptoms.
Because of this, it was considered a system of physiology rather than pathology.
Thompsonian Medicine was developed by combining herbal medicine as it was in England with herbal medicine in America (Shamanism). This used the four elements (earth, air, fire and water); earth and air combined to make the solids of the body; fire and water for the body's fluids.
In a healthy body, bodily heat and warmth were present. If the body was too cold, something was wrong and herbs that would warm it again were given; if the body was too hot then this also indicated something was wrong and the herbs that would promote sweating were prescribed. The more vital energy/force a person has, the stronger their resistance will be. Herbs that are known to warm the body stimulate the vital force (and for this reason are known as stimulants).
The stomach is considered to be the centre of health (or the "seat" of the vital force). If the stomach is diseased then this will bring on decreased warmth and circulation resulting in the sensation of feeling cold and bring on disease to the rest of the body. A fever is treated with diaphoretic herbs.
There are four methods of detoxification to tardet the four elimination organs of the body.
1. Emetics induce vomiting (targeting the stomach)
2. Steam baths encourage diaphoretic action (targeting the skin)
3. Enemas induce bowel evacuation
4. Blood purifying herbs
(alternatives)
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