Use Of Medicinal Herbs example essay topic

"Medical Practices in the Early Middle Ages" The Article "Medical Practices in the Early Middle Ages" is placed in the chapter directly before the reading on health and medical practices in the Carolingian times. This is a good place because it expresses the high use of medicinal herbs. The article goes a step further then the chapter by giving examples of remedies from three different medical manuscripts from Anglo-Saxon England. From the first manuscript, Anglo-Saxon Herbal, they give cures for balding heads, dandruff, and indigestion. For each of the three, parts from the plant cress and other natural ingredients are used in such a way to relieve the illness. From the Leech book of Bald are ointments for all wounds and every type of burn (sunburn, fire, liquid.) The ointments are again all made from herbs and other natural ingredients.

Lastly, are remedies for a broken head, sleep, and sore hands. These are all examples taken from the Peri-Didax eon. Medicinal herbs came to be due to the fact that back in the day people still got sick. There was not always such thing as chemistry so medicinal plants and herbs were the only thing capable of healing man. Today the use of medicinal herbs is very large. All over the world people have natural remedies for anything one could imagine.

People who do not have access to modern medicines depend on medicinal herbs for the survival. Drug companies also rely on these herbs for their active principals. Today medicinal herbs can be broken down into eight different forms. The first is infusions. Infusions are a simple way to extract the active principals of the herbs using hot water. The plants or herbs are placed in hot water to brew like tea then drunk by the ill.

Next are decoctions, which is used to extract the active principals from barks, roots, and fruits by simmering them in boiling water. Tincture is the third form and consists of immersing the plant in alcohol to extract the active principals. Syrups are used to disguise the taste of an infusion or a decoction by mixing it with honey or sugar. The syrups also have a soothing action on sore throats. Infused oils such as sunflower oil and almond oil dissolve fat-soluble active principals; these can then be used to make creams and ointments.

Essential oils are the natural oils found in aromatic plants and trees. These oils are mostly used for perfumes but some do have therapeutic properties. The last two are ointments and creams, which are both made of oils and fats and are applied to the skin. Although many plants have wonderful healing properties some plants and herbs can be very dangerous. Whenever taking medicinal herbs one should be very careful not to use any poisonous plants or too much of a good plant.

Even though the remedies are all natural one still needs to take great caution when using any sort of medicine.