Abstract:

Medicinal herbs have been used by humans since prehistoric times. Plants have been considered to have curative qualities as least as far back as Neanderthal man. Evidence of its usage dates back to ancient Babylonia, around 1770 BC. Ancient Egyptians and those who followed Hammurabi's law both considered therapeutic herbs to have value beyond life and death. The Cairo Museum's Access Excellence Resource Centre has a display case full of Giza pyramid-era plant specimens. The study of plants, or botany, is where ethnobotany got its start. In turn, the search for medicinal plants was a primary inspiration for the development of botany. In reality, there has always been a strong relationship between botany and medicine. Drugs used today, for example, often start off as extracts from plants. Pharmocognosy refers to the research of plant-based medicines and natural toxins. Yet, as science and medicine progressed, natural medications were gradually supplanted by synthetic ones. Most pharmaceuticals used in developed nations come from plant sources. Certain drugs were still developed with plant materials as their starting point, but laboratory research became the primary focus.

Description:

Ethnomedicinal Wisdom, Tribal Communities, Medicinal herbs, natural medications