A Brief History of Western Herbal Medicine: (For Your General Interest / Extra Notes )

The first medical records: India, China, Egypt and Assyria

_____________________________________________________________________________
EGYPT:
Circa 2980 BC Imhotep: astrologer, magician, physician, king, god. His healing temples were
dedicated to holistic health and included a strong emphasis on the value dreams.
Ebers papyrus: Egyptian medical text. circa 1800 BC + onwards
_____________________________________________________________________________
MESOPOTAMIA:
Sumer / Sumerians (south Mesopotamia): Magic, clay tablets starting from 2500BC
Assyria: up to circa 600BC
_____________________________________________________________________________
GREECE:
Asclepius: circa 1250 BC. Became a demi-god and carried a staff with an entwined snake (called the
Caduceus, or Vital staff) this emblem has become the basis of medical symbolism with 2 snakes
entwined/coiled upon a staff. Temples of Asclepius were common after his time, right up until the
times of Jesus and the rise of Christianity (AD).
It has been said that early Christians (and temples) were in competition with Asclepiad temples as
popular practices/religions until Christianity outlived and became more popular than its many
rivals and earlier practices.

Rhizomists (Rhizotomoki) the word `rhizome means root. These people were the `root gatherers
who would gather herbs for trade and also give some medical treatment. Hippocrates once said that
instead of attempting miraculous cure, a physician should refer to a root-gatherer; meaning that if a
person was very ill, if the physician did not know what to do then he would preserve his reputation
and assist the patient by calling upon a specialist rot gatherer and their experience.

Hippocrates 460 BC 370 BC: born on the island of Cos. Described as the father of medicine. Koan
school of medicine (competing with the knidian school). His system of medicine we will discuss later
in more detail (humors, elements, temperaments, etc..)

The koan school was based in diagnosis and finding cause; the knidians in putrification
amd symptoms (not the cause)

The methods used included Food, water, air and place as central components in the system of
medicine, along with:

Exercise
Detoxification
Catharthis
Tactile therapies
Cupping, blood letting
Dream/soul/spiritual therapies

The goal was to rebalance the humors.

Diocles 4th century BC: herbal author

Theophrastus: 372BC 296BC. Pupil of Aristotle. Two herbal works, one titled Historia Plantarum
Alexandrian School: 331 BC (Hellenistic cultural `zone in Egypt during Greek and Roman periods)
A major convergence of knowledge occurred by drawing upon a variety of different beliefs and
practices. The spread of military also into Asia also expanded the knowledge base. This knowledge
became the foundation of much European and Arab knowledge in the middle ages.
Mithridates: 120 BC 63BC. King of Pontus. Encouraged work under the banner of the Alexandrian
school. Famed for his work on antidotes for poisons. Making complex formulas as a bit of a hobby.
His recipes became famous and still are used today. Up until the 18th century AD all physicians would
carry a mithridates antidote in their medkit.
Krataeus: was Mithridates rhizotomist & an author of herbal knowledge.
Disocorides 1st century AD. ..of Greek heritage, he travelled with the Romans. His work `De
Materia Medica is the foundation of todays modern herbals and the formatting of plant
monographs. The categories and layout have changed little to this day. Could be considered as the
`Father of Materia Medica and even of western herbal medicine
_____________________________________________________________________________
ROME:
Three central figures that we studied were Galen, Pliny and Dioscorides.

Pliny: much of what he wrote passed into European folklore. In his works originates the Doctrine of
signatures. Wrote `Historia Naturalis (Natural history, 37 volumes)

Galen 131 201AD: Galen revolutionised medicine: Was born a Greek. Seen as the most important
medical figure after Hippocrates; he translated the Hippocratic works, father of experimental
medicine (e.g. animal studies). His followers were called `eclectics they used what worked.
Galenical medicine was the primary medicine of the west for 1500 years.
Dioscorides: Greek born, ROMAN military physician - 1st century AD.
_____________________________________________________________________________
MIDDLE AGES the fall of the roman empire (circa 476AD) When the last Western emperor,
Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by Odoacer (the barbarian!)
After Rome falls we have a 600 year gap in knowledge. We look towards religion as the keeper of
knowledge in monasteries, manuscripts, translations and religious texts.

MONKS: seen as healers, often were physicians

FOLK Medicine: e.g. Bonesetters. Wise women, Healers, Ritualistic, Traditional, *imported
(travelling healers)

MEDIEVAL MEDICINE mostly associated with Astrology as a talking point. Medicine is still using
Galen as its backbone.
_____________________________________________________________________________
ARAB MEDICINE:
Around AD 900+, all the surviving Greek medical works had been translated in the great cultural
centres of Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo. (Also included Asian medical knowledge)
With the Arab armies the knowledge spread.
By the end of the 8th century North Africa and Spain were under Arabic rule.
Arabic medicine created secular hospitals, formalised medical education and began to require
examination and licensing of all physicians

RHAZES (865-925 AD) a royal physician in Baghdad; noted for his contribution to clinical medicine,
including clear descriptions of diseases (e.g. smallpox, measles)

AVICENNA (980 -1037 AD): `the prince of physicians. Author of the `Canon of Medicine (and other
works) The canon was used in university medical schools up until the 17th century.

MAMOIDES (12th century): Jewish physician practicing in Cairo. Well known for establishing
principles of medical ethics.
_____________________________________________________________________________
The Principles and Progression of Unani Tibb
Unani/Tibb was developed in the late tenth and early eleventh century efforts of the Avicenna
(Hakim Ibn Sina)

Outline the principles of the Unani Tibb principles of health and medicine.

Identify the four elements.

Define the theory of humors.

Identify the four humors.

Identify the main organs in Unani Tibb.

"health is a harmony of the humours".

By the 18th century the Tibb system became the basis of virtually all medicine in the
`civilised world

_____________________________________________________________________________
AFTER THE DARK AGES after rome shifting rulers (Arab/Christian) Europe/Iberia/ regions now
known as France and Spain. The Arabic influence on European traditions.
Significant influences on the re-emergence of this medicine were:

The Muslim/Arab decline in this region around 12th century

13th century Christian dominance

14th century cemented through politics and marriage (Crowns of Castile & Aragon 1469)

Isabllea and Ferdinand marry

Ends 781 year Arabic rule of Iberia

Translation of medical texts

TRANSLATION = was a major factor. In particular in IBERIA Modern France/Spain region

This region combined Greek, African, Arabic, Roman & Jewish traditions with local knowledge &
traditions to create a unique culture.
1492 Christopher Columbus = `the new world.
_____________________________________________________________________________
10th 12th century TRANSLATIONS
TOLDEO SCHOOL 12th century. From Arabic to Romance (the old French), then from Romance to
Latin.
CONSTANTINE: 1020 1087 (11th century) translator. Arabic to Latin. Became a Benedictine monk
near the end of his life. His translations were popular and `spread far.
____________________________________________________________________________
12th CENTURY MEDICAL SCHOOLS
Salerno the works of Constantine were influential
Montpelier where they translated the canon of medicine
_____________________________________________________________________________
RENAISSANCE 14th 17th century (Da vinci 1452-1519)
Anatomy Padua 16th- 18th century
Paracelsus (1493) doctrine of signatures, alchemy, pharmaceutical chemistry, metal drugs in low
doses (homeopathy)
_____________________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES
Pliny
Paracelsus (1493)
Culpeper (1616- 1654)
____________________________________________________________________________
Apothecaries, Physicians, Grocers, Barbers and Gardens
_____________________________________________________________________________
Printed Herbals (1500-1900)
Turner, Gerard, Parkinson, Culpeper, Still-room herbals, Samuel Thomson, Rasmussen, Maiden, Von
Mueller
__________________________END generic History________________________________________

History continues as we briefly discuss Culpeper, Thomson, Physiomedicalism and the

transference of knowledge between UK and America. (eventually to Australia)
We culminate our discussion of traditional systems of medicine next session (Lesson 3) in the context
of `The New Synthesis presented in your textbook (Bones & Mills) & the Lesson 3 itself.