Healing at home – A Dummies Guide
Throughout time people have made use of herbal remedies for a range of ailments. This post identifies a number of common illnesses and shows how herbal remedies have been used to alleviate the problem at different points in time.
Headaches:
Indigestion: The Ancient Egyptians used Camomile as a remedy for indigestion. In the Middle Ages it was used in Europe. We now know that Camomile has a chemical in it which acts as an anti-inflamatory and it continues to be used today. Another herbal remedy that was popular before the introduction of aspirin was Feverfew. This herb was eaten in a sandwich.
Diarrhoea: Portuguese explorers brought Cinnamon into European medicine. This was used for Diarrhoea and other bowel problems. Ginger has also been used for stomach problems. For example the Anglo-Saxons developed Ginger Beer as a remedy for stomach pains.
Coughs: Throughout the Ancient World Liquorice was commonly used to sooth sore throats and to ease coughs. It is also commonly used in traditional Chinese medicines.
Infections: The Ancient Greeks often placed Honey onto wounds to speed up the healing process. Recent research has also shown that Honey is good at combatting staphylococcus aureus, a particularly nasty bug that is found in hospitals.
Fever: In the 15th and 16th centuries herbalists prescribed the use of Willow for fevers. The wilow bark would be boiled up then drunk once it had coled down.
Herbal potions have also been used over time as ‘tonics’ designed to keep people fit and healthy. Galric has been used in this way from Ancient times.
For a longer list of examples of herbal remedies, see this site which looks at how the herbs were used in the past and what modern uses there are of each herb.
This site lists herbal and ‘common sense’ cures that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Ayurvedic Medicines originated in India and make use of herbal remedies. See this site for more information.
