Instead of producing negative side effects, herbs deliver multiple side benefits. In deficiency conditions, tonic herbs with qualities or essences that the body lacks or needs are used to restore health and wholeness. 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.”. 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. 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. Herbs work with Nature, not against it. And finally, with the advent of antibiotics, synthetic pharmaceuticals took over. 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 Greece, this happened with Hippocrates. The poet is also known for his herbal blend called “alimon,” a small draught of which he drank every day in order to never feel hungry. var gcse = document.createElement('script');
In Chinese herbal medicine, for example, there are three classes of drugs: 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. gcse.type = 'text/javascript';
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. 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 … 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. Crateuas also authored his own “Art of Root Cutting,” which had a powerful, far-reaching influence. Pungent stomachics are even hotter and more stimulating in their action, and strongly eliminate excess coldness and phlegm. 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. Modern medicine from the 19th … If you are interested to try some herbs in your cooking, these ones are worth using. 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. An age-old belief about sernikovotano, as the orchid is now popularly known in Greek, was first expressed by Dioscorides and has been preserved nearly unchanged in many regions: namely, that while the big root, eaten by men, leads to the birth of male children, smaller roots consumed by women will produce girls. The Greek Way of Herbal Healing. In herbal prescribing, the weather, climate and environmental conditions must also be taken into account. Who were the root cutters? Hippocrates said, "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." Herbs whose actions focus on the heart are called cordials. LICORICE. Some of its present-day applications in plant therapy, such as its prescription for the healing of wounds and ulcers, are proving the legitimacy of its ancient uses. 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. 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. Antibiotics, once hailed as "wonder drugs", are now powerless against many "superbugs" with resistance to multiple antibiotics. Throughout the vast majority of mankind's history, herbs and other natural medicinal substances were the mainstay of medical practice. Olive and coconut oils were used for soothing scrapes, cuts, bruises, rashes, and … 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. This honey-based mixture, taken in small daily doses dissolved in wine, was believed to be an antidote for all poisons. Herbs usually take longer to work than synthetic drugs, but they work naturally, and get to the root of the problem. 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. Greek and Roman Medicine Herbs played a prominent role in ancient Greek and Roman medicine. 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. Alterative: Cleansing the blood and lymph and improving detoxification and eliminative organ functioning. Theophrastus reports (although he characterizes the story as fanciful) that widespread measures were taken to ensure peonies were only uprooted at night, since, if this operation were undertaken in daylight and a woodpecker happened to see you, you risked having your eyes pecked out or irreparable damage done to your rear end. Theophrastus, the philosopher and “Father of Botany,” in his treatise “Enquiry into Plants,” mentions that “Scythian Root” is useful in cases of asthma, non-productive coughs and chest pain. Botanical medicines make up about 85% of traditional pharmacopeias, with mineral substances comprising about 10% and those of animal origin about 5%. Ancient herbalists, including those of Cathay, India, Sumer, Assyria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, testify to the use of herbs in the treatment of disease. Hepatoprotective: Balancing, normalizing and optimizing liver and bile metabolism; regenerating liver cells. Immunomodulatory: Optimizing immune system function by reducing harmful allergic or autoimmune reactions while enhancing positive immune response to protect against infections. In conditions of plethora or excess, eliminative herbs with qualities contrary to those of the offending humor are used to reduce or disperse it. There is no clear distinction between food and medicine; they are all part of a vast continuum. The entire animal kingdom and all sentient beings depend on the plant kingdom for food, for medicine, indeed for the very air we breathe. 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. The therapeutic use of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) can be traced back almost 4,000 years, with an entry inscribed in the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (18th century BC) revealing its use as a treatment for asthma. 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. .© 2021 GREECE IS, KATHIMERINES EKDOSEIS SA, Powered by: Relevance | Developed by: Stonewave, 8 Healthy and Delicious Greek Herbal Teas, Taking a Virtual Tour of the Acropolis with Clio Muse, Feeling Healthy and Whole: Holistic Wellness Retreats in Greece. Aloe Vera, or "Lily of the Desert", is most famous for the benefits it provides when applied … Such legendary effects are nothing more, however, than the product of a vivid imagination, as in no part of the orchid have there ever been detected any substances with aphrodisiac properties. The importance of roots in ancient Greek medicine related not only to their active ingredients but to their symbolic significance as well. 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 choice is yours: Do you want to be healed slower, but better, or quickly but not as well? Greek Medicine is the traditional, indigenous holistic healing system of Western civilization. Copyright © 2007 - 2018 by David K. Osborn L. Ac.. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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. … The nonspecific, broad spectrum action of herbal tonics and restoratives is unmatched by any synthetic drug. Ιn the few surviving lines of his lost tragedy “Rhizotomoi” (Root Cutters), the playwright Sophocles (496-406 BC) describes the notorious sorceress and healer Medea, naked, chanting and averting her eyes as she collects in a bronze vessel the silvery secretion oozing from the root of a plant sliced open with a bronze sickle. 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. This is the basis of how Greek Medicine … 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. *** * * * LIMITED TIME OFFER! A pharmaceutical drug is a very potent, refined substance that has been designed for a very narrow, specific purpose; and so, it is not metabolized in a balanced, harmonious way by the body and its humors, which creates a whole host of negative side effects. There were. Practical experience, either one's own or transmitted from one's teachers, is necessary to select the right herbs and medicines, which actually work. 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. 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. 40 to ca. Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. In the Bible, the book of Genesis tells us that the fruit of the tree was used for food, and the leaf for medicine. Excessive heat is cooled, and excessive coldness is warmed and dispersed. 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. The beneficial effect of this soluble fiber on the intestines gives great credence to the ancient belief that elecampane root improves digestion. (function() {
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. The root was used by practitioners of the healing arts, too, for its analgesic and narcotic properties. 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. This herb is common in Greek cuisine … In ancient medicine, elecampane root found many applications. Hippocrates, Galen, Charaka and Pedanius Dioscorides, … Ancient Greek thinking and philosophy paved the way for significant advances in medicine. New powers, however, are also being discovered, including its slow but effective result when taken orally in cases of psoriasis and eczema. Superior Grade: Tonics that build health and vitality even specialists including gynecologists who specialized in childbirth and. 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. Gods dominated the lives of the Greeks. })(); The holistic healing philosophy of Greek Medicine states that Man is essentially a product of Nature, or the natural environment. Large-Fruited Juniper. The root of the mandrake (Mandragora autumnalis), a plant which thrives in rocky places in the Cyclades and Crete, often exceeds half a meter in length and branches out at the end. Equally important is understanding and recognizing the contributions of ancient Greek … Theory is necessary to guide the observations and hypotheses of the physician in formulating a diagnosis and treatment strategy. He and other doctors would help to spread Greek ideas about … herbal medicine is the answer. Natural … In ancient times, amazing qualities were associated with the underground part of this plant, most likely because of its resemblance to the male genitalia. 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. There are certain things that only natural herbs can do for the body, which will probably never be matched by any synthetic pharmaceutical drug. This isn't to negate the benefits of many modern drugs, which can truly be lifesavers in medical emergencies. diseases of women. Although it's true that not all herbs are safe and innocuous, their numbers are very limited. Some four centuries later, Dioscorides, calling it “Pontic Root” and “Skythion,” recommends it as a curative for harshness of the throat, heartburn, and chest and liver diseases. Immediately, the maenads, the god’s female followers, tore him to shreds. It was first codified and systematized by the Greek philosopher - physician Hippocrates in the 4th century B.C.E. Ancient Greeks without access to a physician often self-treated using herbs to treat the following conditions. The practical details of Greek Medicine's system of herbal healing grew out of the accumulated clinical experience of generations of Greek physicians. Hippocrates (460–375 BCE), author of the Hippocratic Oath and described by many as the father of … This is one of the few plants that all traditional Old World therapeutic approaches agree has important medicinal properties. Plants have always played a prominent role in the field of medicine since the first recorded examples. 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. Greek : Pharmakon (singular), pharmaka (plural) Species : Various (some were purely mythical) Description : In ancient Greek, the word pharmakeia referred to the use of herbal … 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. It seems that ancient Greek physicians were taught its use by the root cutters and plant collectors of Cappadocia and Pontus – regions in which it continues to flourish even today. Many herbal therapies are unequaled by synthetic drugs. So which medicinal herbs that the Ancient Greeks use are worth using today? gcse.src = 'https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=' + cx;
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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 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. 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