Eclectic medicine was a branch of American medicine which made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.
The term was coined by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1784 to 1841), a physician living among the Native Americans, and observing their use of medicinal plants. Rafinesque used the word "eclectic" to refer to those physicians who employed whatever was found to be beneficial to their patients (eclectic being derived from the Greek word "eklego", meaning "to choose from").
Therefore, "Eclectics" were doctors who practiced with a philosophy of "alignment with nature," learning from and using concepts from other schools of medical thought. They opposed the techniques of bleeding, chemical purging and the use of mercury compounds common among the "conventional" doctors of that time.
Eclectic Medicine
Gemmotherapy
Gemmotherapy-[from Lat. gemma, bud, and New Lat. therapīa, Grk. therapeia, medical treatment] is a form of herbal medicine that uses remedies made principally from the embryonic tissue of various trees and shrubs (the buds and emerging shoots), but also from the reproductive parts (the seeds and catkins) and from newly-grown tissue (the rootlets and the cortex of rootlets). In two instances, remedies are also made from the sap.
This raw material is taken in the Spring (in the case of the seeds, in the Autumn), at the peak time of the tree or shrub’s annual germination, in order to capture the various nutrients, vitamins, plant hormones and enzymes that are released during this process, and which in some cases are only present in the plant at this time. Some practitioners of gemmotherapy (they are rarely referred to as ‘gemmotherapists’) furthermore believe that:
- the vital energy of trees and shrubs is at its highest point when the new leaves, branches and flowers begin to emerge
- the vital energy is concentrated in these parts
- this energy in some way remains in or informs the resulting gemmotherapy remedies; and
- the efficacy of gemmotherapy remedies is enhanced or explained by it
Ethnopharmacology
Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources. The American Society of Pharmacognosy, defines pharmacognosy as "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources."
The word "pharmacognosy" derives from the Greek words pharmakon (drug), and gnosis or knowledge. The term pharmacognosy was used for the first time by the Austrian physician Schmidt in 1811. Originally - during the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century - "pharmacognosy" was used to define the branch of medicine or commodity sciences ("Warenkunde" in German) which dealt with drugs in their crude, or unprepared, form. Crude drugs are the dried, unprepared material of plant, animal or mineral origin, used for medicine. The study of pharmakognosie was first developed in German-speaking areas of Europe. The term drogenkunde ("science of crude drugs") is also used synonymously.
Although most pharmacognostic studies focus on plants and medicines derived from plants, other types of organisms are also regarded as pharmacognostically interesting, in particular, various types of microbes (bacteria, fungi, etc.), and, recently, various marine organisms.
Pharmacognosy is interdisciplinary, drawing on a broad spectrum of biological and socio-scientific subjects, including botany, ethnobotany, medical anthropology, marine biology, microbiology, herbal medicine, chemistry (phytochemistry), pharmacology, pharmaceutics, clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice. The contemporary study of pharmacognosy can be divided into the fields of:
- medical ethnobotany: the study of the traditional use of plants for medicinal purposes;
- ethnopharmacology: the study of the pharmacological qualities of traditional medicinal substances;
- the study of phytotherapy (the medicinal use of plant extracts); and
- phytochemistry, the study of chemicals derived from plants (including the identification of new drug candidates derived from plant sources).
Chinese Patent Medicine
Chinese patent medicines are easy and convenient. They are not easy to customize on a patient-by-patient basis, however. They are best used when a patient's condition is not severe and the medicine can be taken as a long-term treatment.
These medicines are not "patented" in the traditional sense of the word. No one has exclusive rights to the formula. Instead, "patent" refers to the standardization of the formula. All Chinese patent medicines of the same name will have the same proportions of ingredients.
Herbology
Herbology is the Chinese art of combining medicinal herbs.
Herbology is traditionally one of the more important modalities utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Each herbal medicine prescription is a cocktail of many herbs tailored to the individual patient. One batch of herbs is typically decocted twice over the course of one hour. The practitioner usually designs a remedy using one or two main ingredients that target the illness. Then the practitioner adds many other ingredients to adjust the formula to the patient's yin/yang conditions. Sometimes, ingredients are needed to cancel out toxicity or side-effects of the main ingredients. Some herbs require the use of other ingredients as catalyst or else the brew is ineffective. The latter steps require great experience and knowledge, and make the difference between a good Chinese herbal doctor and an amateur. Unlike western medications, the balance and interaction of all the ingredients are considered more important than the effect of individual ingredients. A key to success in TCM is the treatment of each patient as an individual.
Medicinal Plants
- Artichoke may reduce production cholesterol levels in in vitro studies. Clinical evidence of reduction in serum cholesterol is lacking.
- Soy and other plants that contain phytoestrogens (plant molecules with estrogen activity) (black cohosh probably has serotonin activity) have some benefits for treatment of symptoms resulting from menopause.
- Butterbur (Petasites )
- Calendula
- Cranberry may be effective in treating urinary tract infections in women with recurrent symptoms.
- Echinacea extracts may limit the length and severity of rhinovirus colds; however, the appropriate dosage levels, which might be higher than is available over-the-counter, require further research.
- Elderberry may speed the recovery from type A and B influenza.However it is possibly risky in the case of avian influenza because the immunostimulatory effects may aggravate the cytokine cascade.
- Feverfew is sometimes used to treat migraine headaches.However, many reviews of these studies show no or unclear efficacy.However a more recent RTC showed favorable results,Feverfew is not recommended for pregnant women as it may be dangerous to the fetus.
- Garlic may lower total cholesterol levels
- Ginger
- Purified extracts of the seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa may have some antihypertensive, antifungal and antibacterial effect. Toxicity tested low except for an isolated case of damage to the testes of a rat after prolonged and excessive consumption.
- Magnolia
- Milk thistle
- Nigella sativa (Black cumin) has demonstrated analgesic properties in mice. The mechanism for this effect, however, is unclear. In vitro studies support antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and immune modulating effects. However few randomized double blind studies have been published.
- Oregano may be effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria.
- Pawpaw can be used for insecticidal purposes (killing lice, worms).
- Phytolacca or Pokeweed is used as a homeopathic remedy to treat many ailments. It can be applied topically or taken internally. Topical treatments have been used for acne and other ailments. It is used to treatment tonsilitis, swollen glands and weight loss.
- Peppermint oil may have benefits for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome.
- Pomegranate
- Rauvolfia Serpentina, high risk of toxicity if improperly used, used extensively in India for sleeplessness, anxiety, and high blood pressure.
- Salvia lavandulaefolia may improve memory
- St. John's wort, has yielded positive results, proving more effective than a placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate depression in some clinical trials. A subsequent, large, controlled trial, however, found St. John's wort to be no better than a placebo in treating depressionHowever more recent trials have shown positive results or positive trands that failed significance. A 2004 meta-analysis concluded that the positive results can be explained by publication bias but later analyses have been more favorable.The Cochrane Database cautions that the data on St. John's wort for depression are conflicting and ambiguous.
- Saw Palmetto can be used for BPH. Supported in some studies, failed to confirm in otherrs.
- Shittake
- Valerian root can be used to treat insomnia. Clinical studies show mixed results and researchers note that many trials are of poor quality.
- Vanilla
- Ocimum gratissimum and tea tree oil can be used to treat acne.
- Green tea components may inhibit growth of breast cancer cells and may heal scars faster.
- Lemon grass can lower cholesterol.
- Honey may reduce cholesterol. May be useful in wound healing.
Types of Herbal Medicines
Use of medicinal plants can be as informal as, for example, culinary use or consumption of an herbal tea or supplement, although the sale of some herbs considered dangerous is often restricted to the public. Sometimes such herbs are provided to professional herbalists by specialist companies. Many herbalists, both professional and amateur, often grow or "wildcraft" their own herbs.
Some researchers trained in both western and traditional Chinese medicine have attempted to deconstruct ancient medical texts in the light of modern science. One idea is that the yin-yang balance, at least with regard to herbs, corresponds to the pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant balance. This interpretation is supported by several investigations of the {ORAC ratings of various yin and yang herbs.
Eclectic medicine came out of the vitalist tradition, similar to physiomedicalism and bridged the European and Native American traditions. Cherokee medicine tends to divide herbs into foods, medicines and toxins and to use seven plants in the treatment of disease, which is defined with both spiritual and physiological aspects, according to Cherokee herbalist David Winston.
In India, Ayurvedic medicine has quite complex formulas with 30 or more ingredients, including a sizable number of ingredients that have undergone "alchemical processing", chosen to balance "Vata", "Pitta" or "Kapha."
In addition there are more modern theories of herbal combination like William LeSassier's triune formula which combined Pythagorean imagery with Chinese medicine ideas and resulted in 9 herb formulas which supplemented, drained or neutrally nourished the main organ systems affected and three associated systems. His system has been taught to thousands of influential American herbalists through his own apprenticeship programs during his lifetime, the William LeSassier Archive and the David Winston Center for Herbal Studies.
Role of Herbal Medicine in Modern Human Society
Role of herbal medicine in modern human society
The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal among non-industrialized societies.[17] A number of traditions came to dominate the practice of herbal medicine at the end of the twentieth century:
The herbal medicine system, based on Greek and Roman sources
The Ayurvedic medicine system from India
Chinese herbal medicine (Chinese herbology)
Unani-Tibb medicine
Shamanic Herbalism
Many of the pharmaceuticals currently available to physicians have a long history of use as herbal remedies, including opium, aspirin, digitalis, and quinine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the world's population presently uses herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care.Herbal medicine is a major component in all traditional medicine systems, and a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional Chinese medicine, and Native American medicine.
The use of, and search for, drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Pharmacologists, microbiologists, botanists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and leads that could be developed for treatment of various diseases. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation, approximately 25% of modern drugs used in the United States have been derived from plants.
Three quarters of plants that provide active ingredients for prescription drugs came to the attention of researchers because of their use in traditional medicine.
Among the 120 active compounds currently isolated from the higher plants and widely used in modern medicine today, 80 percent show a positive correlation between their modern therapeutic use and the traditional use of the plants from which they are derived.
More than two thirds of the world's plant species - at least 35,000 of which are estimated to have medicinal value - come from the developing countries.
At least 7,000 medical compounds in the modern pharmacopoeia are derived from plants.
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medicinal botany,medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.
Many plants synthesize substances that are useful to the maintenance of health in humans and other animals. These include aromatic substances, most of which are phenols or their oxygen-substituted derivatives such as tannins. Many are secondary metabolites, of which at least 12,000 have been isolated — a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total. In many cases, these substances (particularly the alkaloids) serve as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds.
Here are some Tips of Natural homemade herbal recipe
Natural homemade herbal tips
Natural homemade herbal tips here gives remedies for most of all our problems. Herbals are safe. If we follow naturals it won't give any side effects.
Natural home made herbal tip to treat pimples Wipe your skin with rose and camphor water tonic. Follow it up by rubbing tomato halves on the affected areas. This will reduce the oiliness and help shrink open pores. Also apply a mask of sandalwood paste to which add a piece of camphor. Drink 10-12 glasses of water everyday.
Herbal tip to remove suntan Take 4 tsp of sandalwood powder, five tbsp. of coconut and two tsp of almond oil. Mix together and apply on the exposed areas.Natural way to help remove tan in armsMassage with sandalwood based cream and apply a paste of multani mitti (fullers earth) and sandalwood powder mixed together.
Tip to treat dull skin Mix 2 tsp of whole-wheat flour with milk and scrub all over the face until the milk is absorbed. Wash off with cold water.
Anti-wrinkle face pack for dry skin One tsp of honey, 2 drops of sandalwood oil and two tsp of milk. Mix together and massage this into your skin. Wipe off with a moist cotton wool pad. Apply egg white that has been whipped thoroughly. Let it dry completely and wash off with chilled water to which add 2 drops of geranium oil. This tightens skin, makes it soft and fragrant too.
To treat cracked lips and to keep it soft Apply pure coconut oil on your lips, add a tsp of honey. Massage your lips with this several times a day.
To treat scaly legs Take 5 tbsp. of sea salt and mix with milk. Scrub on the skin vigorously and wash off. It acts as a powerful cleanser and exfoliater.
Natural blood purifier Boil 10 neem leaves every day and drink this water. Keep the skin completely oil free. Add a tsp of camphor powder to 100ml of rose water. Wipe face with this tonic several times a day.
To treat marks Take a cup of both red and white sandal wood powder and half cup of oatmeal. Mix with a little milk and rose water and scrub all over face and body, 3times a week until mark fades.
For a glowing skin It is essential to clean, tone and moisturize skin daily. Take a tsp of milk and honey and massage face with it, followed with an application of a tsp of almond paste and a tsp of sandalwood paste mixed together with the juice of a lemon and some mashed papaya. Scrub your face well with it in slow circular motions; this will cleanse face and glow.OREat healthy food and add the cucumber and banana to your daily diet. Drink at least 2 glasses of milk everyday.
Make the following mask.
Take 2 tsp of sandal wood paste, 2tsp of gram flour, a pinch of camphor powder, 3 tsp of almond paste, 10 strands of saffron, the white of an egg and some milk to mix it all into a smooth paste. Apply all over the skin and leave on for 20 mins. Dab with cold milk and scrub off gently. This should be used 3 times a week.
Natural homemade herbal tips to remove dark circles
Cause: lack of sleep, tension, inadequate diet, lack of water, internal weakness, cause dark circles under the eyes. If any of the causes may be the reason then get down to treating it. Most of our skin problems are internal and require treating from within before we even begin other skin treatments.
1)Massage the area with almond and coconut oil daily and wipe off after 30 mins.
Make the following eye pack.
2)Take one tsp of almond paste, half a tsp of sandalwood paste, half a tsp of grated potato, 10 drops of lemon juice and half a tsp of fresh cream.
3)Mix together and apply around your eyes. Let dry completely and wash off gently. This should be done on alternate days.
4)Start to massage the area around the eyes with 2 to 5 drops of coconut oil every day before going to bed. Wipe off with some moist cotton wool after 20 mins.
5)Drink 10-12 glasses of water.
6)Wipe skin daily with rose water and glycerin mixed together.
7)Apply a face pack of sandalwood powder with rosewater once a week.
Cucumber and Aloe Vera Face Pack
Sensitive skin is prone to redness and rashes very easily so one should not use anything harsh. Be very careful when selecting your SkinCare products. Always go for Mild Cleanser formulated specially for Sensitive Skin. Chemical products tend to react very quickly on Sensitive Skin so always go for Organic products.
Try this simple face pack
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Fresh Cucumber Juice
2 Tbsp Pure Aloe Vera Gel
1 Tbsp Plain Yogurt.
Mix these ingredients properly and apply on your face and neck. Rinse off after 15 minutes. Cucumber and Yogurt are natural Cleanser and Aloe Vera is a Skin Soother and Moisturizer. Just perfect for Sensitive Skin.
Avocado,Honey and Egg Face Pack For Dry Skin
Avocado, Honey And Egg Face Pack For Dry And Dehydrated Skin
Moisturizing is very important specially in Winters. If our skin is not moisturized well, it becomes dry and flaky resulting in wrinkles. Avocado is really good for dry and dehydrated skin. Egg Yolk and Olive Oil are also an excellent moisturizer and honey is a natural cleanser. Try this Hydrating Face Pack-
1 Ripe Avocado
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mix these ingredients together in a blender and apply on your face and neck. Rinse off after 20 minutes. Do this regularly to get rid of dry and flaky skin.
Cabbage Masks
Grind a couple of cabbage leaves and extract juice. Dissolve one-fourth teaspoon of yeast in it and stir in one teaspoon of honey. Mix well and apply thickly over face and neck. Keep it for 15 minutes. Remove with cotton-wool soaked in water. This mask will counteract any tendency towards wrinkles and dryness and give your skin a flower-like bloom
Herbal Recipe for sunburn
Aloe vera (ghrita kumari) is a natural sunscreen. Apply aloe vera paste on the skin before going out into the sun. It is a natural barricade to the harmful rays of the sun.
• Sandalwood (chandana) has cooling properties and is an herbal sunscreen. Apply its paste on the skin before going out into the sun. Dilute the paste otherwise it becomes too thick and stretches uncomfortably on the skin.
• Apply onion juice on sunburn affected area to keep the skin cool and reduces inflammation.
An apple a day Blend
An apple a dayBlend half an apple into a puree, add two teaspoons of honey and squeeze in a capsule of vitamin E. Mix well and apply for 10-15 minutes.
Oranges-yogurt masks Whisk
Orange-yogurt mask Whisk three tablespoons of full cream yogurt with three teaspoons of orange juice. The lactic acid in the yogurt helps peel off dead skin cells and is a whitening agent. The orange juice acts as a skin toner, tightening up open pore.
Pumpin-eggyolk
Pumpkin-egg yolk nourisher Take a two-inch cube of ripe orange pumpkin and puree it. Add an egg yolk and blend well. You can add a few drops of rose or sandalwood essence to disguise the odour of the egg. Egg yolk contains vital nutrients that nourish the skin and pumpkin is a rich source of vitamin A.
Grandma's sandal pack
Grandma's sandal pack The age-old recipe for beautiful skin -- sandalwood paste -- does indeed work wonders. Crush a small piece of sandalwood (available at shops selling pooja supplies) till you get half a teaspoon of brown paste. Mix this with besan (gram flour) or Multani mitti (Fuller's earth) and a few drops of milk to make a thick paste. Apply over face and neck and leave for 15 minutes.
Use this pack at least twice a week for best results
.Even with normal skin, there may be seasonal fluctuations. For instance, your skin might feel a slightly drier in winter or a stickier in summer, so vary your face pack accordingly by adding an extra ingredient or two. You can add milk cream or olive oil in the winter to your routine pack to increase its moisturising capacity. Conversely, a few drops of lemon juice in the summer take care of any excess oiliness.
Banana Moon Facial
Banana Moon Facial Mask- recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 banana, just ripe1 tablespoon honey1 egg yolk1 teaspoon wheat germ oil1 tablespoon finely powdered oats1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional, if mask will not be used immediately)1 drop each rose and Melissa essential oils (optional)
Procudure
1. Peel and mash banana. Add honey, egg yolk, wheat germ oil, oats, and lemon juice, if used, and mash further to form a smooth, creamy paste.
2. If mask is too thick, add a bit of distilled water, and stir until smooth.
3. Add essential oils last, and stir to mix well.
4. To use, apply to clean face and neck, avoiding eye and mouth areas. Rest for 10 minutes, or longer if your skin is very dry. Rinse with warm water, and follow with toner and moisturizer, if desired. Use mask within a few hours of making.
Tomato paste pack
We often look to fancy tubes of skin care treatments to pamper our skin. But these products can be expensive and contain harsh chemicals. The next time you want to relax with an at-home facial, look to your refrigerator instead. This tomato face mask recipe may seem more like a recipe for dinner, but it will have your skin glowing and looking younger in minutes.
Things You'll Need
* 1 medium-sized ripe tomato
* 1 handful of green beans
* 1 tbsp. sour cream
1) Slice the tomato and place the chunks in a small cooking pot. The natural acids found in tomatoes make them a gentle and natural astringent, helping to clean the pores. Tomatoes are also rich in anti-oxidants which help regenerate skin, giving your face a healthy, younger look
2) Add a handful of green beans to the pot and cook until soft. Green beans are high in zinc, a vitamin which is known to heal damaged skin.
3) Mash the tomatoes and green beans until smooth and add 1 tbsp. of sour cream. The lactic acid found in sour cream will soothe and soften dry, itchy skin. Sour cream adds a moisturizing ingredient while at the same time tightening wrinkles and refining pores.
4) Wash your face with warm water and pat dry. Apply the still warm face mask evenly to your face and neck and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Gently rinse the mask off with warm water and pat dry with a towel.
Natural Skin care whitening
In summer face skin pigmentation becomes plainly visible. Those, who know what this is, agree with me that it is not good-looking. Are there any means helping to get rid of pigmental spots? Yes, there are some. Cosmetologists usually advise to use whitening and peeling means. Of course you can use natural means too. For example, lemon juice, viburnum juice, and also juice of red currant, sauerkraut, fresh cucumber, parsley, grapefruit. You always find the whitening mean in every season.
You’ll get the good result making compresses with wine vinegar and clabber. Wet wad of cotton wool in 5% solution of vinegar and put on the pigmental spot. In 10 minutes put compress from clabber mixed with wheat flour on the same place. Proportion is ¼ glass of clabber to 1 tea-spoon of flour. Make such compress every day for one week and then every other day. When spots become lighter use this procedure once a week.
Mask from sauerkraut can be made every day. Wet napkins in the juice of sauerkraut and put on the pigmental areas 3 times one by one for 10 minutes.
Mask from beans is easy-made and effective. Pour 1,5 glass of beans with 1,5 glass of water and keep to infuse for 36 hours. Then knead, squeeze and add juice of one lemon. Put this mixture on the face before going to bed. If skin is oily, make this mask every other day, if skin is dry, make mask twice a week.
Recipe from Reddening of hands
Facial masks from carrots
We know about useful qualities of carrot since ancient times. It contains a lot of glucose, salt of potassium, cobalt, iron, copper, iodine. Carrot is valued highly because of its provitamin A (carotene). But it also it has many other vitamins like C, D, K, E and vitamins of group B. Sure your skin will be grateful to you for the great vitamin support during winter avitaminotic period. Today I offer some masks from carrot for different kinds of skin. You can find any mask for your taste and spoil your skin. The mask for normal skin. Mix 1 tablespoon of fresh grated carrot with 1 teaspoon of oatmeal, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and ½ of egg yolk. Put the mask on the facial skin for 20 minutes and then wash with warm water. Use this mask regularly and your skin will get natural nutrition and even color.The mask for dry skin. Grate one carrot and squeeze juice. Add 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of cucumber juice. Mix everything and put on the face for 15 minutes. Then wash with cool water. The skin will become soft and velvety after this procedure.The mask for greasy skin. Mix 3 tablespoons of carrot juice with 2 tablespoons of sauerkraut juice. Wet gauze napkins in the mixture and put on the face for 5 minutes. Then wash the face. Make this mask some times a week and your skin will become tender with healthy color.The anti-aging mask. Mix 1 tablespoon of carrot juice with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of curdled milk and 1 tablespoon of rice flour. Put the mask on the face for 20-25 minutes and then wash with cold water. The mask for inflamed skin. Mix 1 teaspoon of grated beet, carrot, potato and add 1 tablespoon of kefir. Put the mixture on the face for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse the face with warm water and then with cold water. This mask will soothe your skin well.The mask for all kinds of skin. Mix 1 tablespoon of grated carrot with 1 tablespoon of grated apples and put on the face for 15-20 minutes. Then wash the face with warm water. This mask has the great nourishing and moistening effect.The lotion against freckles. Mix 1 tablespoon of carrot juice with 5 drops of lemon juice. Clean the face with lotion every evening before sleep, but not before going out.
