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In medieval Europa monasteries were required since Pope Gregor to grow a number of medicinal plants to ensure that the population has access to medicine. While

In medieval Europa monasteries were required since Pope Gregor to grow a number of medicinal plants to ensure that the population has access to medicine. While i am not an opponent of modern medicine, it is kind of sad how little modern humans use the remedies nature provides. Search for monastery medicine for more info.

bschwarz 4y ago
There is also the capitulare de villis[0] from around AD 800. The German Wikipedia entry has a well formatted list of all the plants and trees. Very interesting! [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulare_de_villis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulare_de_villis
- luminouslow 4y ago
  Wow I did not know that list was on wikipedia - thanks for sharing
zasdffaa 4y ago
We probably haven't lost as much as you think - we either still use it or it was bunkum (for a given application). eg. Chamomile - still used for bad stomachs (is a costive), whether it works on herpes simplex seems really dubious.
- luminouslow 4y ago
  Agreed! In a lot of areas that knowledge is still alive and well, not least in cooking. I think food can still have a lot of healing properties. Often modern medicine is based on these plants. And of course there are modern treatments that go way beyond what we were able to achieve with just plant-based medicine.
jalk 4y ago
Is it naïve to think that clinical trials have show that modern medicine is more effective? And the active molecules in those plants have been identified and can probably in many cases be synthesized more easily than extracted from the plants.
- mtrpcic 4y ago
  While I think the assessment that modern medicine is more effective, and often stands on the shoulders of these types of historically used plants, not everyone has safe access to modern medicine (either because "modern" medical treatments aren't available where they're located, lack of finances to pay for it in egregiously overpriced areas, or general mistreatment by the medical community). Using alternatives, while not as refined or high quality, is better than nothing.
  - vorpalhex 4y ago
    Except those alternatives will kill you dead if mishandled. This isn't a choice between "cough medicine" and "slightly less effective cough medicine", it's a choice between a controlled and inspected product and random plants that may or may not be the right genus, dose and concentration.
    - blacksmith_tb 4y ago
      'Wrong Genus' seems to be giving monks and other gardeners less credit than they deserve? Sure, amateurs foraging for wild herbs could make some dangerous mistakes, but if you're intentionally growing a plant it's presumably the right one?
      - vorpalhex 4y ago
        Frequently it's not. Seeds can be mislabeled and many plants are extremely difficult to identify reliably, much less grow to have a consistent dose of whatever active ingrediant.
  - Cass 4y ago
    In areas so remote that modern medical treatments aren't available at all, people do often still grow their own medical plants. If lack of finances is an issue, growing your own herb garden certainly isn't the solution. These plants aren't going to replace a $500 shot of insulin. At best you could maybe replace the occasional aspirin, dramamine, or buscopan, all of which are available over the counter at price points much lower than what it would cost to even buy a bag of quality seeds, never mind soil, fertilizer, and the garden to plant it all in. (Or the time and labor to plant and tend it).

bschwarz 4y ago

There is also the capitulare de villis[0] from around AD 800. The German Wikipedia entry has a well formatted list of all the plants and trees. Very interesting! [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulare_de_villis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulare_de_villis

luminouslow 4y ago
Wow I did not know that list was on wikipedia - thanks for sharing

zasdffaa 4y ago

We probably haven't lost as much as you think - we either still use it or it was bunkum (for a given application). eg. Chamomile - still used for bad stomachs (is a costive), whether it works on herpes simplex seems really dubious.

luminouslow 4y ago
Agreed! In a lot of areas that knowledge is still alive and well, not least in cooking. I think food can still have a lot of healing properties. Often modern medicine is based on these plants. And of course there are modern treatments that go way beyond what we were able to achieve with just plant-based medicine.

jalk 4y ago

Is it naïve to think that clinical trials have show that modern medicine is more effective? And the active molecules in those plants have been identified and can probably in many cases be synthesized more easily than extracted from the plants.

mtrpcic 4y ago
While I think the assessment that modern medicine is more effective, and often stands on the shoulders of these types of historically used plants, not everyone has safe access to modern medicine (either because "modern" medical treatments aren't available where they're located, lack of finances to pay for it in egregiously overpriced areas, or general mistreatment by the medical community). Using alternatives, while not as refined or high quality, is better than nothing.
- vorpalhex 4y ago
  Except those alternatives will kill you dead if mishandled. This isn't a choice between "cough medicine" and "slightly less effective cough medicine", it's a choice between a controlled and inspected product and random plants that may or may not be the right genus, dose and concentration.
  - blacksmith_tb 4y ago
    'Wrong Genus' seems to be giving monks and other gardeners less credit than they deserve? Sure, amateurs foraging for wild herbs could make some dangerous mistakes, but if you're intentionally growing a plant it's presumably the right one?
    - vorpalhex 4y ago
      Frequently it's not. Seeds can be mislabeled and many plants are extremely difficult to identify reliably, much less grow to have a consistent dose of whatever active ingrediant.
- Cass 4y ago
  In areas so remote that modern medical treatments aren't available at all, people do often still grow their own medical plants. If lack of finances is an issue, growing your own herb garden certainly isn't the solution. These plants aren't going to replace a $500 shot of insulin. At best you could maybe replace the occasional aspirin, dramamine, or buscopan, all of which are available over the counter at price points much lower than what it would cost to even buy a bag of quality seeds, never mind soil, fertilizer, and the garden to plant it all in. (Or the time and labor to plant and tend it).