Herbalism is one of the oldest ways of treating ailments and is said to have been around since the mankind came on the earth. Early civilisations would eat many plants for their medical properties and this knowledge has been passed down through the ages.
The first written records of the benefits of herbal use was put down by the ancient Egyptian priests who practised herbal medicine.
Records have been found which date back to 1500 BC and list herbs like caraway and cinnamon.

The ancient Greeks and the Romans also used herbs for their healing and medical uses. The Romans carried their knowledge with them as they invaded new lands they brought the herbal remedies and introduced new plants to other countries.

The Chinese have a history of using herbal medicines too as well as the Indians and the British who's monasteries grew them in herb gardens.
Over the years more records were set down and the first herbals were written. There were many famous herbalist in the 15th century who wrote books and became famous for their knowledge of herbs and the medical uses of them. Lots of people have heard of Nicholas Culpepper who wrote one of the most famous books on herbs which is called. The Complete Herbal and English Physician.
This can still be found and is a very useful book to have on your book shelf as it lists the herbs with pictures, descriptions and how to use the herb for which ever ailment your looking to cure. Other famous herbalists who have written books are John Parkinson and Henry Potter who then began a business to sell herbs and to supply them.

It was in the 15th century that scientific work was at one of it's heights with conventional medicine top of the list of things to study and with this came the decline in herbal medicines, there were still the country folk and the traditional herbalists in rural were still practicing, but with the popular interest and more discoveries and breakthroughs with other medicines, herbal medicine was discarded and more conventional medicines became widely used, but over the last twenty years or so herbal medicine has been making a come back.

More people are looking for an alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, which have bad side effects and sometimes get withdrawn from the market ten years down the line.
Herbalism is a more natural was to treat your ailments and people are becoming more self aware and confident in the old ways which have always been there but have been left behind with progress and evolution.

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