The role of herbs throughout time

Information has come from burial sites, tombs and buried temples where archeologists discovered many documents and scrolls about medicine.

by Joanne Henning Tedesco —

Herbs have played a huge role in healing throughout the centuries, and one of the major contributors has been Egyptian medicine, which has provided some of the oldest documented remedies. From the 33rd century B.C. until the Persian invasion in 525 B.C., Egyptian medical practices were highly advanced for the time.

Information has come from burial sites, tombs and buried temples where archeologists discovered many documents and scrolls about medicine. These include the Ebers Papyrus, Edwin Smith Papyrus, Hearst Papyrus and London Medical Papyrus, which contained the earliest documented awareness of tumors. The most famous plant medicine work is the Ebers Papyrus, a 110-page scroll that is about 65 feet long. It contains some 700 remedies, including empirical practice and observation.

Some of the remedies mentioned in the ancient Ebers Papyrus scrolls are:

• Aloe vera was used to alleviate burns, ulcers, skin diseases, allergies, chest pains and headaches.
• Basil was prescribed as heart medicine.
• Bayberry was used for diarrhea, ulcers and hemorrhoids.
• Caraway soothed digestion and was a breath freshener.
• Coriander tea was taken for urinary complaints and cystitis.
• Dill was recognized for laxative and diuretic properties.
• Fenugreek was prescribed for respiratory disorders, to cleanse the stomach and calm the liver and pancreas.
• Frankincense was used for throat and larynx infections and to stop bleeding and vomiting.
• Honey (a natural antibiotic) was applied to open wounds.
• Licorice was used as a mild laxative, to expel phlegm and to alleviate chest and respiratory problems.
• Parsley was prescribed as a diuretic.
• Poppy was used to relieve insomnia and as an anesthetic to deaden pain and to treat headaches.
• Thyme was given as a pain reliever.
• Tumeric was used for open wounds.

Sources: reshafim.org and naturalnews.com.

Joanne Henning Tedesco is editor of AzNetNews.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 32, Number 2, April/May 2013.