The healing properties of herbs and plants have been known to man since prehistoric times. Many ancient cultures actually documented their uses. The Bible, in fact, contains numerous references to herbal remedies.
While the image of the “witchdoctor” or medicine man or woman has been held up to ridicule during the industrial and technological age, and the medical establishment tends to frown upon “natural” healing, there is a growing tendency to return to more natural forms of therapy in order to avoid the harmful and sometimes addictive side-effects of chemical and synthetic drugs. Herbal medicine is a leading branch of what is called “alternative medicine,” and - in the ideal world - should work hand in hand with conventional medicine to conquer disease.
It is sobering to think that many tragedies involving bleeding to death, insect bites, various injuries, and so on, might have been averted had there been a basic knowledge of herbal remedies.
This book is an introduction to a few of the major herbal remedies - there are many more - so that you can become familiar with their properties, and come to realize that there are many simple ways of treating all kinds of symptoms and ailments without resorting to antibiotics and other drugs, which have so many negative side-effects. The aim of the book is to familiarize you with the endless potential of the herbs and plants that grow all around us, and to whet your appetite for a greater and more profound knowledge of the subject.