AIMS

On successful completion of the course you should be able to do the following:

• Distinguish between medicinal herbs in cultivation including twenty-five different genera and fifty different varieties.
• Discuss the history of medicinal herb usage.
• Compare the chemical components of different medicinal herbs in terms of their general affect on the human body.
• Prepare simple and safe herbal remedies in a domestic situation.
• Explain the potential dangers involved in dealing with plants.
• Prepare a schedule of cultural practices for a medicinal herb crop.
• Develop a production plan for a medicinal herb crop.

 

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS

Here are just some of the things you may be doing:

• Define the term "medicinal herb" according to both horticultural and naturopathic meanings.
• Compile a resource file of different sources of information regarding medicinal herbs.    
• Distinguish between different plant families which common medicinal herbs belong to.
• Prepare a plant collection of different medicinal herb varieties.
• List different medicinal herbs which were often used more than one hundred years ago, but are no longer commonly used.
• Identify modern trends in the use of herbs in medicines in your country.
• Discuss the role of home remedies in modern society.
• Discuss the role of the naturopath in modern society.
• Summarise the history of medicinal herbs since early civilisation, to modern times.
• Explain the characteristics of different types of chemicals found in medicinal herbs.
• Write brief definitions to explain the mode of action of different herbal medicines.
• Write an essay describing the chemical actions which different herbs have upon the human body.
• Explain various factors which can influence the effectiveness of active constituents of a herb.
• List herbal remedies derived from different commonly grown herbs.
• Identify the morphological parts of different herbs which are used medicinally.
• Explain thoroughly how to prepare different types of simple medicines, including a:  *Poultice  *Infusion  *Decoction  *Tincture.
• Develop a list of safety procedures to follow when preparing a given herbal medicine.
• Explain methods to administer six different herbal medicines which are safe and appropriate for an unskilled person to make and use at home. (ie. medicines which do not have any dangerous risks if prepared or administered incorrectly).
• Describe, in summaries, twelve commonly occurring plants which contain poisonous substances, including:  *names (botanical and common)  *dangerous parts of the plant  *poisonous substances    *mode of action of poison   *remedy (if any).
• List herbs that should never be taken internally.
• List herbs which should never be used by pregnant women.
• List herbs which should never be used by children.
• Describe specific examples, precautions when dealing with unknown herb materials.
• Develop guidelines for the culture of a specified variety of medicinal herb.
• Explain natural pest and disease control methods for five medicinal herb varieties.
• Prepare a sample of soil suitable for growing a specified herb variety in the open ground.
• Demonstrate propagation techniques for different medicinal herbs.
• Produce container plants of  different medicinal herbs, propagating and growing on the plants to a marketable stage and condition.
• Record the development of medicinal herbs in a log including a summary of the condition of the plant, growth, and cultural practices carried out.
• Develop a list of criteria for selecting the most commercially viable variety of a nominated medicinal herb species available.
• List different varieties of a medicinal herb species which are readily available for purchase as "reliable" seed or tubestock.
• Compare different varieties of  nominated medicinal herb species to determine a commercially viable variety  to grow in your locality.
• List tasks to be undertaken in the production of a selected medicinal herb variety, including:   *soil preparation  *planting  *growing practices  *harvest and post harvest.
• Write a production schedule for a medicinal herb variety which designates tasks to be undertaken systematically at each stage of crop development.
• Explain the facilities which would be required to produce a specified commercial medicinal herb crop, including:         *equipment  *materials  *land.
• Estimate the cost of producing a specified medicinal herb crop, itemising the cost components into categories.

Herbs Have a Long History of Use in Medicine

Various systems of medicine have evolved around the world over thousands of years and each has its roots in medicinal plants. In fact, botany and medicine only became separate disciplines in around 1500 AD. Of particular interest are the ancient systems of India and China because these have written records of plants and formulations which can be traced back about 3000 years:

• Ayurveda - traditional Indian medicine which holds that disease can be caused by external or internal factors and emphasises the role of diet and drugs in combating disease.
  
• Chinese medicine - traditional Chinese medicine includes dietary therapy as part of its approach to achieving balance in bodily systems to avoid the onset of disease. 

Other systems such as those which emerged in Egypt, the Middle East, South America and Africa also made wide use of plants though there is a lack of written records for the latter two. In Europe, much of medicine was based on the teachings of the ancient Greeks like Hippocrates and included plant preparations like herbal teas.    

Nowadays, the majority of people around the world still rely on medicinal herbs and local herbal remedies which have evolved in their cultures. In Western society at least ten percent of pharmaceuticals have herbal components and many others are based on natural plant compounds.   

Medicinal herbs are used to treat a broad array of physical problems. This is because they contain secondary metabolites which act as bioactive ingredients. In particular they have been used to treat cancers, cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, neurological disorders e.g. Parkinson's disease and epilepsy, and malaria. For instance, vinblastane, vincristine and taxol have anti-neoplastic properties meaning that they attack and destroy cancer cells i.e. neoplasms or tumours. Digoxin is used as a cardiotonic because it helps to stimulate heart contractions and thereby cause it to pump more blood around the body. Reserpine has an effect on the regulation of blood pressure. Quinine and artemisinin are used in the treatment of malaria. Morphine has been used for centuries to ease pain and codeine remains the benchmark of antitusive drugs used to ease the symptoms of coughs. Some other bioactive ingredients are also involved in the treatment of mental health disorders e.g. schizophrenia and dementia.

Medicinal plants play a significant and increasing role in drug research. New discoveries in terms of active constituents promise to improve our understanding of the significance of herbal plants.

How Do Herbs Affect the Body?