Herbal medication or resorting to herbs as medicine has been human nature for millenniums and records show that medicinal herb has been used for about 60,000 years. Some Archeologists have unearthed grave sites of the Neanderthal era, which give credence to this. Even in contemporary times people are resorting to the use of herbs to cure their ailments. The willow bark contains the same natural element whose synthetic form is used in Aspirin. In the same way digitalis found naturally in foxglove is used in chemical medicines for heart ailments. In simple words Mother nature has a cure for everything but man so ruthlessly denuded forests that it is difficult to find these herbal medicines; however the use of herbs is gaining momentum these days and fortunately some parts of the Earth are still untouched by man, so a medicinal herb can be procured.
The Caucasians have been using the Echinacea herb from time immemorial to combat infections; yet in other parts of the world mint leaves have been used as a breath freshener and Aloe-Vera has been used to treat skin ailments such as abrasions and Sun burn, which is prevalent even today. Incidentally, the foremost record of herbal treatment or the usage of herbs as medicine date back to 2200 BC.
The usage of herbs as medicine
Herbs are the cheapest and most efficacious form of medication; they can be used as a tincture or a decoction in powdered form or liquid form. Ethyl alcohol form the basis of every infusion, decoction or tincture prepared from herbs.
Ethyl alcohol is a must in the use of herbs as it soaks all the important ingredients of medicinal value of the plant. A good example is lavender tincture; a massage of this tincture on the temples, rids one of a headache and gives impetus to sound sleep. Tea made from herbs also rid one many maladies and the flavor is also good.; herbs which are most commonly used for making tea are-
- As a natural sedative Chamomile tea is recommended
- As a digestive medication mint leaf tea could be drunk
- To get relief from lethargy or fatigue lemon balm tea can be drunk, incidentally it give relief from headaches and sharpens one’s memory.
- To combat stomach ailments thyme tea, mint and chamomile tea can be drunk
- Respiratory tract problems can be combated by drinking tea made from thymes.
- Gargling with sage water give relief from hurting gums and sore throat.
- Wounds and abrasions can be combated by a poultice made from sorrel and roots of comfrey and St. Johns wort
- Stones in the Kidneys can be dissolved by drinking lovage tea.
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