Using herbs to treat illness has been done for many years with some written records dating back 5000 years. It is also known that ancient Egyptians in 1000 BC were using herbs for medicine and they are even mentioned in the old testament of the bible. Indian medicine dates even further back with evidence that herbs and minerals were being used in 1900 BC and even back in the 6th century BC there were lists of medicinal plants and minerals.
The first Chinese herbal book, with information dating back to 2700 BC lists hundreds of medicinal plants and even includes suggestions for use. Ancient Greeks and Romans both promoted the use of herbs some in higher quantities than others. The Roman and Greek writings were used by monasteries in early Medieval Europe and the monks tended to their herb gardens and treated simple illnesses with them. There was a growing area of folk medicine where herbalists would practise, either travelling from village to village or settling in a village and accepting visitors to tend to. Some of these herbalists also prescribed spells and were sometimes branded as witches.
The medieval Islamic world was more advanced and from about the 9th century medical schools began to be established. They translated ancient texts from the east and the west and the travelling Arabs were able to gather the appropriate plants and herbs and bring them back for use. Muslim botanists and physicians expanded on the knowledge listing plant drugs and making lots of discoveries of new ones. The in the 13th century the scientific method was introduced and empirical testing started to take place. This was a massive leap forwards as it was possible to actual report the results of observations and tests done when the herbs were actually being administered and this eventually evolved into the science of pharmacology.
In 1025 there was a text written which listed 800 tested drugs, plants and minerals and a further text describing the healing properties of herbs. After this there was a surge of books written about herbs and their medicinal uses and slowly clinical trials, randomised controls and efficacy tests were introduced. This meant that there were proper defined methods for testing these medicines, so it was possible to prove whether they were really having an effect and what effect that was. Alongside these new discoveries, folk medicine continued and once printing was invented there were a great number of books produced.
During the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries many of these books were translated in to English. One famous book was The English Physician Enlarged by Culpeper and it was basically a translation of a foreign book with illustrations from elsewhere which made it rather mismatched. He also combined magic, folklore and astrology in to his text which physicians thought rather ridiculous but it was still a book which was very popular.
However, once many nasty diseases began to spread such as Black Death and it was found that the herbal medicines of the time were not sufficient to cure it, faith in the techniques began to decline. Chemistry began to evolve and then chemical drugs began to be introduced.
In the modern day, in the undeveloped world herbs are commonly used as medicines. In the developed world many of the pharmaceuticals used do have herbal origins but some are manufactured. There is still a selection of people using herbal medicines in the more traditional sense. However, it has been found that many practitioners of herbal remedies are not using combinations, quantities or types of herbs which have been proven to work in clinical trials. They also often use herbs in a liquid form which is very different to the original use of the raw leaves.
Nowadays about one quarter of modern drugs used in the USA have plant derivation. Within these about 80% are now used to treat the same disorders that they were used for in ancient times.
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