Historically, plants have been the primary source of medicine for people of every culture. Healing plants were mentioned in the Bible, and in other historical literature. Plants that were used as medicines were referred to as "herbs" over 4000 years ago by European and the Mediterranean cultures, hence the word "herb", being a derivation of "herbe" and the Latin word, "herba".
Although, the term "herb" once only applied to non-woody plants. Today, "herb" refers to any part of any plant used for flavoring or medicine. Although the term "herb" can also be equated with food spices, it is generally used in reference to any plant, or any part of a plant, having nutritional and / or medicinal value(s). Additionally, an "herb" may be a fruit, a bark, a flower, a leaf, or a root, as well as a non-woody plant.
Many different herbal medicine systems are used today including European, Native American, Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbalism. Despite differences in terminology and in the herbs used, there is a common thread that joins these systems: all of these systems treat the body as a 'whole', and they each utilize the energy of plants to 'work as needed' in synergy with the natural energy in each individual.
Because there are many different herbal systems, there are also many different ways of classifying herbs. Some systems being used over the years tend to classify herbs by 'plant part'; by humoral theories; by botanical family; by colour or by morphology. A simple method is to identify five (5) major herbal categories:
Aromatic (volatile oils)
Astringent (tannins)
Bitter (phenol compounds, saponins and alkaloids)
Mucilaginous (polysaccharides)
Nutritive (food stuffs)
This classification system makes it easy to identify herbs using 'taste' and 'smell', and becomes useful when substitute one herb for another.
Herbs are considered the "best" when they are grown in the wild, untouched by industrial pollutants. Others prefer to harvest herbs that are cultivated indoors, away from all contaminants, in a controlled environment. Some herbalist's recommend gathering only certain herbs (depending on the seasons, the weather, and the time of day) to achieve the highest level of medicinal qualities. And still others may disregard this practice, and will purposefully plant herbs 'out of season' so that they will be available for sale year round.
Many believe that the energy with which the herbs are gathered is also very important, and should always be done with great spiritual awareness and prayerful thankfulness. And others feel that herbs should be handled with reverence and respect.
In addition to growth and gathering techniques, harvesting practices vary as well. Recommendations may include taking the whole plant at once (buds, roots, seeds, leaves and blooms), or taking each part of the plant in a particular order, and only using younger, or older, plants.
There are also several ways to dispense herbs. The most common methods are herbal pastes, juices, decoctions, hot or cold infusions, powders, pills (tablets, capsules), aromatics, tinctures or extracts (alcohol or glycerol bases), liniments, syrups, poultices and fomentation’s, medicated oils, salves and ointments, lotions, teas, and whole herbs. Each type is good for specific ailments, and often may be used together (i.e. internally and externally for an external wound) to take full advantage of the healing attributes of each.
All these choices, like others, should be integrated with both your personal external needs and your internal ideals for the best possible results. An experienced herbalist can help you decide which system is right for you. Please be aware that herbs are foods. And like any other food, herbs should be taken in moderation. Always follow the manufacturer's directions for use.
