Herbs
Most of us use Herbs evryday knowing and unknowing lets start what is a Herb
Herbs was around De Materia Medica of Diosorides (Latin name for the Greek work Περὶ ὕλης ἰατρικῆς, Peri hulēs iatrikēs, both meaning "On Medical Material") is a pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants and the medicines that can be obtained from them. The five-volume work was written between 50 and 70 CE by Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the Roman army. It was widely read for more than 1,500 years until supplanted by revised herbals in the Renaissance, making it one of the longest-lasting of all natural history and pharmacology books.
The work describes many drugs known to be effective, including aconite, aloes, colocynth, colchicum, henbane, opium and squill. In all, about 600 plants are covered, along with some animals and mineral substances, and around 1000 medicines made from them.
De materia medica was circulated as illustrated manuscripts, copied by hand, in Greek, Latin and Arabic throughout the mediaeval period. From the 16th century on, Dioscorides' text was translated into Italian, German, Spanish, and French, and in 1655 into English. It formed the basis for herbals in these languages by men such as Leonhart Fuchs, Valerius Cordus, Lobelius, Rembert Dodoens, Carolus Clusius, John Gerard and William Turner. Gradually these herbals included more and more direct observations, supplementing and eventually supplanting the classical text.
Several manuscripts and early printed versions of De materia medica survive, including the illustrated Vienna Dioscurides manuscript written in the original Greek in 6th-century Constantinople; it was used there by the Byzantines as a hospital text for just over a thousand years. Sir Arthur Hill saw a monk on Mount Athos still using a copy of Dioscorides to identify plants in 1934.
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices. Herbs generally refers to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), while spices are usually dried and produced from other parts of the plant, including seeds, bark, roots and fruits.
Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal, aromatic and in some cases, spiritual. General usage of the term "herb" differs between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs; in medicinal or spiritual use, any parts of the plant might be considered as "herbs", including leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark (and cambium), resin and pericarp.
In botany, the noun "herb" refers to a "plant that does not produce a woody stem", and the adjective "herbaceous" means "herb-like", referring to parts of the plant that are green and soft in texture
That every plant has some special virtue which in most cases is still to be discovered. However, of the herbs that are important to man for medicine, aromatic uses, and for flavouring food i.e. those important enough to be in the commercial trade there are about two to three thousand herbs.
Where would we be without Herbs
Here is a very small list of herbs and the uses
Chamomile Anthemis nobilis Chamomile is said to take away weariness and pain/inflammation of the bowels. The oil from the flowers can be used against many pains and aches, including joint cramps. Chamomile is also helpful in healing migraines and regulating menstrual periods.
Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans Cinquefoil is used to reduce inflammation. It can also treat sore mouths and ulcers. The juice is known to aid jaundice. As well as helping hoarseness of the throat and cough, Cinquefoil can be applied to painful joints.
Columbine Aquilegia vulgaris Because columbine is slightly poisonous, its astringent properties are mainly exploited in lotions and used externally.
Feverfew Chrysanthemum parthenium - Feverfew is known as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and fevers. It may also help ease diseases like arthritis.
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea A pure form of the plant is used to strengthen cardiac contractility and regulates heart rhythm.
Golden Rod Solidago virgaurea Golden rod can be used as a treatment for painful menstruation, arthritis and eczema. Externally, it can be applied to skin ulcers to stimulate healing.
Lady's Mantle lchemilla vulgaris - This herb has been used to cure excessive menstruation. The root of lady's mantle has been recommended to stop bleeding.
Lavender Lavandula angustifolia Lavender prevents fainting and allays nausea. In oil form, it is often used in therapeutic baths to reduce stress. It can also lower blood pressure. A small amount makes a useful application on skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis.
Lovage Levisticum officinale Lovage is used as a digestive aid. It eases inward pains. This herb is also known to diminish redness of the eyes.
Pennyroyal Mentha pulegium Pennyroyal is said to ease headaches. It has been used as a remedy for colicky pains in the abdomen. It has also been known to ease the feverish symptoms that come with measles and whooping cough.
Poppy Papaver rhoeas The poppy is known to soothe coughs and induce sleep. The petals are helpful in treating asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough and angina.
Primrose Primula vulgaris Primrose, a sedative, induces rest and sleep by reducing tension. An infusion of the root taken in spoonful doses is effective in healing headaches. It has also been used for treating gout and rheumatism.
Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary has been used to treat headaches, epilepsy and poor circulation. It can also be used as a disinfectant in the form of mouth wash and also to treat fever. It is also reported to stop dandruff and improve memory.
Sage Salvia officinalis Sage is helpful for head pains, hoarseness and cough. It is one of the best known remedies for laryngitis, tonsillitis and sore throats. An infusion of the herb sweetened with honey is mildly laxative and stimulates menstrual flow.
Sorrel Rumex acetosella or Rumex acetosa The cooling leaves of sorrel are known to allay thirst and aid in fevers. These leaves also serve as a diuretic.
Vervain Verbena officinalis Vervain is known to be a good remedy for coughs and colds. It aids against the wheezing and shortness of breath that comes with fevers.
Wintergreen Pyrola minor Wintergreen is known for its cooling properties, flavoring everything from mouthwash to gum. Medicinally, it can be used topically on wounds and internally to aid ulcers in the kidney and bladder. The plant contains a natural antiseptic.
Woodruffe (Sweet) Galium odoratum Woodruff can be taken for its tranquilizing effects to treat insomnia. Used as an infusion, it can strengthen the stomach and removes obstructions from the colon.
Yarrow Achillea millefolium Yarrow is used topically for wounds, cuts, and abrasions. An infusion of yarrow is known to speed recovery from sever bruising. Yarrow flowers are used for various allergic mucus problems, including hay fever.
Ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus divided the plant world into trees, shrubs, and herbs. Herbs came to be considered in three groups, namely pot herbs (e.g. onions), sweet herbs (e.g. thyme), and salad herbs (e.g. wild celery). During the seventeenth century as selective breeding changed the plants size and flavor away from the wild plant, pot herbs began to be referred to as vegetables as they were no longer considered only suitable for the pot.
Botany and the study of herbs was, in its infancy, primarily a study of the pharmacological uses of plants. During the Middle Ages, when humoral theory guided medicine, it was posited that foodstuffs, possessing their own humoral qualities, could alter the humoral temperaments of people. Parsley and sage were often used together in medieval cookery, for example in chicken broth, which had developed a reputation as a therapeutic food by the 14th century. One of the most common sauces of the age, green sauce, was made with parsley and often sage as well. In a 14th-century recipe recorded in Latin "for lords, for settling their temperament and whetting their appetite" green sauce is served with a dish of cheese and whole egg yolks boiled in watered down wine with herbs and spices.