History of Herbal Medicine

In historical records, the study of herbs began in 5,000 years ago by the Sumerians, who has been using herbs for medical purposes. The people of Egypt from 1000 BC. known to frequently use garlic, opium, castor oil, coriander, mint, indigo plant, and other herbal plants for treatment. At the time of the Prophet SAW, he uses herbal medicine such as Black Seed which is still widely used to treat some diseases such as increasing stamina, prevent allergies, blood pressure control sugar levels in the blood, breaks up kidney stones, etc.

In Ancient documents also mention the use of plants / herbs, including plants mandrak (poisonous), vetch, a plant fragrance, wheat, barley, and rye. Books on herbs from China was recorded around the year 200 BC which contains 365 medicinal plants and herbs, uses it, among others mentioned including ma-Huang, who introduced efedrina to modern medicine. The Greeks and ancient Romans did use herbs for healing.

As written in the notes Hipocrates, especially the Greeks and Romans in herbal medicine to be a reference in the implementation of the treatment in the west at a later date. Hippocrates advocated the use of simple herbs, such as healthy air, fresh and clean, reasonable rest and diet. While Galen advocated the use of large doses of drug mixtures including plants, animals, minerals and herbs.

Medical experts Greeks are Europeans who first made reference to the use of medicinal plants De Materia Medica. In the first century after AD, Dioscorides wrote a summary of over 500 plants, which become a reference during the 17th century. Equally important for herbalists and plant experts found the book of the Greeks, Theophrastus Historia Plantarum, written in the 4th century.