Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) The name belladonna literally means 'beautiful lady' and is thought to refer to the use of the plant as a cosmetic aid in ancient times, when the juice was used as eye drops to dilate pupils - thought then to be a sign of beauty.
Another derivative of belladonna is the drug atropine sulphate, widely used in hospitals today to relax muscles. It is commonly given before a general anaesthetic and to protect the heart. It is also used in ophthalmic procedures to provide long-lasting dilation of the pupil.
Foxglove This was popular with the ancient herbalists for various medicinal purposes.
The herb itself was squeezed and the juices used to treat the swellings caused by TB, while the leaves were crushed and used to dress sores, or boiled in wine and drunk as a cough linctus.
The extracts of the foxglove leaf contain digitoxin and digoxin, which slow down, strengthen and regulate the heart beat. They increase the activity of all forms of muscle tissue, but especially those of the heart, and derivatives are still used in cardiac therapy today.
Opium poppy In medieval times, poppy heads were boiled to make tea, which contained a sufficient concentration of morphine to deaden pain.
Today, the principal constituents of opium juice - morphine and codeine - are widely used in conventional medicine because of their potent pain-relieving properties.
Hydrotherapy In traditional folklore, water possessed magical qualities, and hydropathy or hydrotherapy was widely practised as a way of maintaining health and treating disease.
Steam baths and balneotherapy treatment by baths - were popular ways of improving health. The water was said to help relieve internal congestion, restore energy and vitality and purify the system.
Today, hydrotherapy is an important treatment at many clinics and spas where it is recognised as an important way of reducing stress and anxiety, alleviating insomnia and boosting circulation.
Plastic surgery The ancient Indians were ahead of their time in their practice of plastic surgery - particularly rhinoplasty (surgery to alter the shape of the nose).
Adultery was punishable in India by cutting off the nose, and plastic surgery developed as an attempt to improve the appearance of these unfortunates. A surgeon would cut a piece the size and shape of the missing nose from the leaf of a plant.
This was then laid out on the patient's cheek and cut around to remove a portion of skin the same size. By piecing this onto the nose stump from which the skin had been removed the surgeon stitched the skin in position. Two pieces of hollow reed were put into the nostrils so that the patient could breathe more easily.
Naturopathy Naturopaths believe that good health and the treatment of disease is reliant on natural methods, such as exercise, sunshine and massage.
As long ago as the 1600s, naturopath Thomas Sydenham - the 'English Hippocrates' - was advocating these preventive measures as a means of staying healthy.
Today, the ideals behind naturopathy remain: that is, by boosting the immune system through a healthy lifestyle and diet, the body is more able to ward off disease.
Witch Hazel Witch hazel, extracted from leaves, twigs or bark, has been used since ancient times to stop bleeding and treat bruises and sprains. Today, it is still used in this form as a skin tonic, to ease painful swellings and soothe sore eyes.
Evening Primrose Oil Evening primrose oil, made from the leaves and stems of Oenotherm Biennus, was traditionally used to treat asthma, stomach disorders and female complaints.
The oil contains gamma-linoleinic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid which assists the production of hormone-like substances, and is used for pre-menstrual and menopausal symptoms, eczema and acne. ( dailymail.co.uk )
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