MEDICINAL PLANTS AND DRUGS Created by XMLmind XSL-FO Converter. MEDICINAL PLANTS AND DRUGS Created by XMLmind XSL-FO Converter. Table of Contents 1. Medicinal Plants and Drugs ............................................................................................................ 1 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 2. Part I. General information ................................................................................................... 2 2.1. 1. The History of Herbal Medicine ........................................................................... 2 2.2. 2. The History of Hungarian Herbal Medicine ......................................................... 4 2.3. 3. The definition of medicinal plants. ....................................................................... 5 2.4. 4. The definition and nomenclature of drugs ............................................................ 6 2.4.1. Test questions .............................................................................................. 7 2.5. 5. Can herbs be carcinogenic (cause cancer)? ........................................................ 10 2.6. 6. Active ingredients ............................................................................................... 10 2.7. 7. The function of active ingredients in the vegetable kingdom ............................. 13 2.8. 8. Factors affecting the production of active ingredients ........................................ 13 2.9. 9. Collecting and preserving medicinal plants ........................................................ 15 2.9.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 17 3. Part 2. The Description of Medicinal Plants ....................................................................... 19 3.1. 1. From Horsetail to Common agrimony ................................................................ 20 3.1.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 26 3.2. 2. From Dog rose to Alder buckthorn ..................................................................... 27 3.2.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 33 3.3. 3. From Garden chervil to Common marsh mallow ............................................... 33 3.3.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 40 3.4. 4. From Dwarf mallow to Summer savory ............................................................. 41 3.4.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 48 3.5. 5. From Hyssop to Greater celandine ..................................................................... 48 3.5.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 55 3.6. 6. From Corn poppy to Tansy ................................................................................. 56 3.6.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 63 3.7. 7. From Mugwort to Common chickweed .............................................................. 64 3.7.1. Test question .............................................................................................. 69 3.8. 8. From Cowslip to Sweet flag ............................................................................... 70 3.8.1. Test questions ............................................................................................. 76 3.9. 9. Sample questions for the final examination ........................................................ 77 4. Part 3. Appendices .............................................................................................................. 78 4.1. Bibliography ........................................................................................................... 78 4.2. Index of English – Latin names of medicinal plants ............................................... 79 4.3. Index of Latin–English names of medicinal plants ................................................. 85 4.4. Questions for the final examination ........................................................................ 89 4.4.1. Test A. ....................................................................................................... 89 4.4.2. Test B. ....................................................................................................... 90 4.5. List of figures ......................................................................................................... 90 iii Created by XMLmind XSL-FO Converter. Chapter 1. Medicinal Plants and Drugs Dr. Imre Németh This course is realized as a part of the TÁMOP-4.1.2.A/1-11/1-2011-0038 project. 1. Introduction Mankind has been using herbs and their healing power for thousands of years. Herbs played an important part in everyday life for a long time. Methods of their collection, storage and use have developed overtime, just as experiences of their application. In the 20th century, however, the sudden development of chemistry and the pharmaceutical industry created the impression that man-made substances are the solution for everything. This idea proved to be false; we still need medicinal plants. The pharmaceutical industry itself uses them extensively and many of them are essential home remedies. It is important to treat symptoms of any ailments in time and these plants can be of great use to us. Besides, they are often as effective as so-called modern substances but usually they have no side effects. In order to be able to survive in the world, we need information. Even herbs can cause damage, so we need to know at least which of their applications are harmless, risky or having possible side effects. Our knowledge may not allow us to collect all the herbs we need and prepare the right infusions ourselves, but we can still be aware of the possibilities of what to get and where, and of how to treat simple ailments. If we don‟t know something exists, we cannot possibly try it either. With our present textbook, Medicinal Herbs and Drugs, we would like to provide future herb growers and storers with the sufficient rudiments of their profession. The information hereby contained, however, may help anyone who wants to find one‟s way in the world of medicinal herbs or deepen one‟s knowledge about them. After reading this manual, one‟s attitude to nature and plants will most probably change. And more importantly, one will be able to apply dozens of simple and safe methods based on this textbook in everyday life. We will give a concise historical overview of the use, collection and processing of herbs and the making of herbal teas. We will also outline factors influencing the production of active ingredients as well as their possible side effects. Readers will find an English-Latin index of the most important plants, plant parts and drugs in the Appendix. Key to our subject is the description and identification of plants. The present textbook contains relatively short descriptions of herbs and lists only their most important contrastive features. 118 plants have been included in 1 Created by XMLmind XSL-FO Converter. Medicinal Plants and Drugs the list of the most important medicinal herbs. But this number is in effect higher because closely related species with similar effects have also been described. Furthermore, we have also given possible uses of medicinal herbs and added further information about them if available. The identification of plants is made easier by photographs (all taken by the author). In the case of each plant, we indicated the drug to be collected, its Latin name, its ideal collection time, special processes and common mistakes. 2. Part I. General information 2.1. 1. The History of Herbal Medicine Motto: “There is nothing in the most advanced contemporary medicine whose embryocannot be found in the medicine of the past.” (Maximilien E. P. Littré) Two thirds of the world‟s population still use herbs as a first choice to treat diseases. But besides the realm of medicine, several mass-consumed eatables and stimulants also have beneficial side-effects. For example, coffee and tea are both stimulants and refreshers, but they are also a rich source of fluorine, while ginger, a popular beverage in England, alleviates indigestion. At the beginning of its career, Coca-cola was a beverage for headache. It was invented in the 1880s by a pharmacist in Atlanta, who used his knowledge of the cola nut in its manufacture. In different parts of the world herbs have been used to treat the same problems. Similarities in herbal medicine are evident despite the fact that American Indian culture was isolated from European, Egyptian, Chinese and Indian influences until the 15th century. Hop and mint species for instance have long been used by every people to treat gastric pain, angelica (Angelica) and liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) were both curative drugs of respiratory diseases, blackberry and raspberry were used against diarrhoea, and bat-willow (Salix alba) was a remedy for inflammation and a natural pain-killer. The name , “aspirin” comes from the old Latin name of meadow sweet, Spirea (today: Filipendula). The medicine was at first extracted from bat-willow and meadow sweet. Both