"Herbalism is an ancient and venerable art that has thrived in all cultures of the world and in all historical periods, until the very recent past in the industrialized West. As a constant and vital thread in human life, it is alive and well and even in the western world there is a rediscovery of the value of herbal medicine.
The rich and colorful history of herbalism is the history of humanity itself. As a branch of medicine, it has occasionally found itself on the wrong side of the establishment, but this ebb & flow of acceptance is just an artifact of the changing fashions and opinions of medical and legal elites." The Herbalist by David Hoffman.
History Of Herbalism
Herbs have been used by man for over 60,000 years. Yet, in the past hundred years (since the advent of the drug age) they have been all but abandoned as viable medications by medical practitioners, particularly in the USA.
This does not mean that herbs are of no use to you as an athlete. On the contrary. There appears to be a new-found interest in the healing power of herbs just beginning in the USA, although it's not medical practitioners showing the interest.
Instead, it's lay people. Athletes, fitness buffs, health freaks. You and me. Self-taught herbalists are growing in number, much to the dismay of those formally schooled in herbalism. We believe that this interest is going to grow more, and we believe it's going to grow particularly fast among athletes who have always sought an edge for improved performance ability. That's why we -- self-taught "performance herbalists" - are writing this book.
The earliest record of medicinal exploitation of herbs goes back 60,000 or so years to a grave in northern Iraq discovered by archeologists. They found what appeared to be a Neanderthal medicine man surrounded by the remains of eight species of flowers, most of which are used to this day by the inhabitants of the region.
Ayurveda, sometimes referred to as the world's oldest health care system, originated in India over 5,000 years ago. While much of their knowledge is believed to have been lost over the centuries, a vast record of precise and sophisticated applications for thousands of herbs has been recorded, largely through the efforts of the Maharishi Mahesh Yoga, a famous modern day "seer."
An Egyptian papyrus document written over 3,500 years ago lists nearly 700 herbal remedies, many of which are still used today. And, somewhat later than Ayurveda, written records which document the practice of herbalism are both Sumerian and Chinese in origin have been dated back to sometime between the year 2000 and 2700 BC. The Sumerian herbal was thought to be written by an herbalist named Enlil - bani.
Noted herbs in this book include laurels ( which are still used today for digestive disorders as well as colds and flu ); caraway ( which helps menstruation and cramp ) and thyme coughs, sore throats, swelling and bruises ). All of which are still recommended by herbalists today.
Shen - Nung, a Chinese emperor, is believed to be the first herbalist to record herb use for medical purposes. The document is known as Pen Tsao, which was written around 2700 BC.
Huang - Ti, another emperor, authored the Nei Ching Su Wen sometime around the year 2600 BC. Among the herbs discussed was ma huang, which is still used today to produce ephedrine, and widely used by athletes despite the fact that it is on the IOC's list of banned ergogens (substances with known performance-enhancing porperties).
The American Indians, Mayans, Aztecs and Incas also had a sophisticated herb-based healing system. In fact, most cultures throughout history are known to have used indigenous plants as medicine. So powerful did herbs appear to the ancients that they were often worshipped as gods.
The Chinese philosophy of treatment of illness, along with that of Eastern Indians, Tibetan and Native Americans, greatly differs from how we treat illness in the United States today. While we try to isolate the disease or symptoms from the person, and then treat the disease by relieving symptoms, the philosophy of these ancient cultures is to treat the underlying cause(s) of the disease itself. While we tend to take aspirin (or white willow bark) for a headache, the philosophy of the ancient culture will try to cure what caused the headache in the first place.
The current drug-based "Allopathic" medical philosophy and use of chemical drugs came about for several reasons. A paradigm shift of major proportions taking place at the beginning of the industrial revolution had spawned a reductionistic point of view among many industries, including medicine. Scientists were, for the first time ever, able to isolate specific elements and to break complex chemical compounds down into their component parts.
But let's get real for a moment. Because of these major advancements in both science and technology, MONEY became a major force in shaping the current Allopathic medical philosophy. As chemical medicines became more popular, herbal medicines declined to the point of being known as "wives tales" or "folk medicine".
The first big blow to Herbology and Naturopathy (which combines the uses of herbs with healthy living practices) came in 1910 with the publication on the Flexnor Report. A survey given to medical schools was distributed to find schools willing to develop and research chemical drugs in exchange for financial aid. Not being subjects of high interest to naturopaths or herbalists, the vast majority of their schools were closed.
By : ISSA
