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

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

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EGYPT:

Circa 2980 BC – Imhotep: astrologer, magician, physician, king, god. His healing temples werededicated to holistic health and included a strong emphasis on the value dreams.

Ebers papyrus: Egyptian medical text. circa 1800 BC + onwards

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MESOPOTAMIA:

Sumer / Sumerians (south Mesopotamia): Magic, clay tablets starting from 2500BC

Assyria: up to circa 600BC

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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 putrificationamd 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 andpractices. The spread of military also into Asia also expanded the knowledge base. This knowledgebecame 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 Alexandrianschool. Famed for his work on antidotes for poisons. Making complex formula’s as a bit of a hobby.His recipes became famous and still are used today. Up until the 18th century AD all physicians wouldcarry 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 `DeMateria Medica’ is the foundation of today’s modern herbals and the formatting of plantmonographs. 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

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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 ofsignatures. Wrote `Historia Naturalis’ (Natural history, 37 volumes)

Galen 131 – 201AD: Galen revolutionised medicine: Was born a Greek. Seen as the most importantmedical figure after Hippocrates; he translated the Hippocratic works, father of experimentalmedicine (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.

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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 ofknowledge 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 usingGalen as its backbone.

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ARAB MEDICINE:

Around AD 900+, all the surviving Greek medical works had been translated in the great culturalcentres 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 requireexamination 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 otherworks) The canon was used in university medical schools up until the 17th century.

MAMOIDES (12th century): Jewish physician practicing in Cairo. Well known for establishingprinciples of medical ethics.

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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

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AFTER THE DARK AGES – after rome – shifting rulers (Arab/Christian) – Europe/Iberia/ regions nowknown 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’.

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10th – 12th century TRANSLATIONS

TOLDEO SCHOOL – 12th century. From Arabic to Romance (the old French), then from Romance toLatin.

CONSTANTINE: 1020 – 1087 (11th century) – translator. Arabic to Latin. Became a Benedictine monknear the end of his life. His translations were popular and `spread far’.

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12th CENTURY MEDICAL SCHOOLS

Salerno– the works of Constantine were influential

Montpelier – where they translated the canon of medicine

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RENAISSANCE 14th – 17th century (Da vinci 1452-1519)

Anatomy – Padua 16th- 18th century

Paracelsus (1493) – doctrine of signatures, alchemy, pharmaceutical chemistry, metal drugs in lowdoses (homeopathy)

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DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES

PlinyParacelsus (1493)Culpeper (1616- 1654)____________________________________________________________________________

Apothecaries, Physicians, Grocers, Barbers and Gardens

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Printed Herbals (1500-1900)

Turner, Gerard, Parkinson, Culpeper, Still-room herbals, Samuel Thomson, Rasmussen, Maiden, VonMueller

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History continues– as we briefly discuss Culpeper, Thomson, Physiomedicalism and thetransference of knowledge between UK and America. (eventually to Australia)

We culminate our discussion of traditional systems of medicine next session (Lesson 3) in the contextof `The New Synthesis’ presented in your textbook (Bones & Mills) & the Lesson 3 itself.