Ancient Medicinal Texts, Writings and Herbals

Posted by Sharon Falsetto Jul 27, 2009

It is well documented and discussed that the ancient Egyptians used many plants and herbs for medicinal puropses; one of the most famous ancient writings on medicinal plants and herbs from this time period is the Ebers Papyrus. The Ebers Papyrus contains approximately 700 prescriptions for medicinal plant use.

However, the history of medicinal herbs contains some other important documents and people who have shaped the use of medicinal herbs and plants throughout the centuries. One of the oldest medicinal records of plant use is the ancient Indian book, Vedas, which dates back over 5000 years.

Perhaps one of the most well known Greek healers and physicians was Hippocrates (460 B.C. - 377 B.C.), commonly referred to as the Father of Medicine. Hippocrates' teachings are recorded in Corpus Hippocraticum, although it is widely believed that Hippocrates himself was not responsible for the actual writing of this text but that it was written by his students.

The Arab physician, Avicenna, (980 A.D. - 1037 A.D.) contributed the ancient medicinal texts of The Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine on herb and plant use but perhaps Avicenna's greatest invention was the use of a refrigerated coil in the distillation process of plants.

Other important people who have contributed to the medicinal use of herbs and plants include Dioscorides, author of the book De Materia Medica; his ancient text was heavily referenced in medieval Europe. Medieval Europe produced two of the greatest herbalists of all, John Gerard (1545- 1612) and Nicholas Culpeper (1616 - 1654). John Gerard produced the Herball and Nicholas Culpeper wrote The English Physician.

The use of medicinal Medieval herbs was common, despite the Witchcraft Acts (often misunderstood herb and plant use was seen as a 'witch act') and it wasn't until the industrialization of the 17th and 18th centuries and scientific advancements that the use of herbs and plants for medicinal purposes was impacted.

Today, these ancient medicinal texts, writings and herbals provide valuable resources and insights into the historic use of medicinal herbs and plants...