Centuries ago man defined them differently than we do today.. "Herbes"
included all sorts of plants, trees, flowers, roots and seeds, used to
season and preserve foods and those that had curative or beautifying
powers. The ancients included in this category many plants that we now
consider vegetables. Among them are Asparagus, Beans, Beets, Brussels
Sprouts, Cabbage, Celery, Cucumber, Garlic, Leeks and Onions.
How IS the word pronounced anyway?
Well, I had a gentleman ask me that once. He wanted to know if the word was pronounced 'erb, or Herb. I replied that most Americans pronounced it 'erb, and most of the British said Herb (unless of course, they spoke with a Cockney accent). The gentleman then smiled and winked at me and asked how it would be pronounced if one was Jewish. Without thinking, I smiled back, shrugged my shoulders and said "Well, it'd have to be 'oib". Then realizing what I said might well cause offense, I started to make ammends. The gentleman between guffaws, assured me that he and his friends were Jewish and took no offense, and actually 'oib is just how they did pronounce it!
So, the moral to my embarrassing moment, is pronounce it however you want! It doesn't matter to me, and shouldn't matter to anyone else.
Are herbs and spices different?
Well, in a word, yes ---- and no. According to Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (Deluxe Second Edition)
1. any seed plant whose stem withers away to the ground after each season's growth, as distinguished from a tree or shrub whose woody stem lives from year to year. 2. any such plant used as a medicine, seasoning, or food: mint, basil, and sage are herbs.
1. (a)any of several vegetable substances, as clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, etc., used to season food; spices are usually dried for use and have distinctive flavors and aromas; (b) such substances collectively or as a material.
So, by these definitions, thyme would be a spice, not an herb because it's stem doesn't wither away to the ground each year, (actually my sage doesn't either, so I guess Webster may be wrong) but chili peppers would be an herb because their stems do wither away. Hmmmm, sounds confusing to me!
In an archeological dig at a 60,000 year old Neanderthal burial ground, discoveries were made that indicated these early people used marshmallow, yarrow and groundsel, which are still in use today.
An ancient papyrus believed to have originated in the 16th century BCE (before common era), lists over 800 recipes which refer to 700 plus herbs used medicinally, including wormwood, peppermint, myrrh, aloe, henbane and castor oil. The papyrus also notes the used of moldy bread on sores and wounds to prevent infection.
We know from the cuneiform writings of the ancient Sumerians, that 400 BCE, opium, licorice, thyme and mustard were commonly used as medicinals. The Babylonians used them also as well as senna leaves, saffron, coriander, cinnamon and garlic.
Prior to 372 BCE, most herbal knowledge was passed verbally - much of these herbal "secrets" were forgotten or misconstrued. Then Theophrastus (372-287 BCE) and Discorides (1st century CE) compiled detailed volumes identifying the medicinal herbs and giving formulas and recipes which detailed the proper usages (Inquiry Into Plants and Growth of Plants - Theophrastus, De Materia Medica - Discorides). These volumes provided fundamental knowledge, much of which has been proven quite valuable to this day.
Another major collection of herbal information was the 37 volume compilation Natural History written by a Roman named Gaius Plinius Secundus or Pliny (the Elder) as he is known today. Much of Pliny's information, however must be taken with a grain of salt, for it relied heavily on legend, fabrications and superstitions. It makes fascinating reading but it's not something one would want to base a medicinal formula on.
Another common modern medicine was written about by poets of the Dark Ages during the 5th century. These sad poems chronicled the Willow Tree, which according to legend, had bitter bark because the Christ child had once been beaten with one of it's branches. Tea made from the bark eased many kinds of pain, colds, fever, malaria and various other maladies. Today we know that the active ingredient in Willow bark is Salacin, which we have synthesized into acetesalicylic acid - aspirin.
700 years ago Foxglove was prescribed by physicians to their patients who suffered from chest pains and heart trouble. Now, we know that Foxglove contains digitalis, which is used to treat many heart patients.
Christianity had its own contributions to herbal history, even though the curch itself made a point of discrediting much of what non-christians were teaching. One of which was the hospital, first established in Byzantium by charitable christians. Another was the founding of the first of the university medical schools. Students of this school actively experimented with the medicinal aspects of various plants. In the 12th century, the German Abbess, Hildegard of Bingen, wrote Book of Healing Herbs. As a Benedictine nun, Hildegard was taught the ancient doctrine of humors, she also was very intuitive and had a broad knowledge of fold cures gathered on her own. All this information was put together in her book.
The ancient Aztec Emperors encouraged their people to learn about all varieties of the regions plants. When Cortez and the Conquistadors invaded Mexico in the 1500's, they found the Aztecs quite learned in herbal knowledge and lore. Fortunately, some of this knowledge survived the destruction of the Aztec's civilization. King Phillip II of Spain, sent his personal physician to catalogue and describe the Aztec plants. Francisco Hernandez wrote down this information, which was to serve as the basic text on the plants of Mexico for years to come.
Quinine was discovered by a European doctor, visiting Peru in 1638, who observed a puma with a fever chewing the bark which relieved it's fever. This bark was originally called "Peruvian Bark". 200 years later Pasteur found that the bark contained quinine.
Probably the most famous herbal of all, was Nicholas Culpepper's The English Physician, which was published in 1653. However, it is debatable whether Culpepper really did any favors for herbal medicine. Though much of his information was factual, his belief in Astrology was one discrediting factor, another problem was his translation into everyday language the Latin Pharmacopeia, which threatened the monopoly that the College of Physicians held, making medical knowledge accessable to the masses. The physicians attempted to discredit Culpepper by calling many of his herbal formulations and preparations quackery.
In the early years of this century, Seminole indians used to grow Water Hyacinths to clear fouled swamp water, we now know that Water Hyacinths destroy pollution in water. Midwives of many Native American tribes used an herb called Calvacin Puffball to prevent infection in freshly cut umbilical cords. Research at Michigan State University has proven that an extract of the same herb has stopped many forms of cancer in animals. The Chinese used the stems of a low growing shrub to relieve asthma, colds, congestion and coughs. The Chinese called this herb Mahuang, we call it Ephedra, the source of Ephedrine, which is in many of our over- the-counter decongestants.
Native Americans had a vast storehouse of knowledge regarding medicinal plants. They instructed the early settlers in healing wounds, safe childbirth practices and setting fractures. The aspiring medicine-men of the Chippewas were extensively educated in the various plants, then they specialized in one disease or related group of diseases. We can thank our Native American brothers and sisters for the vast knowledge of many herbs that we use today, like cascara sagrada, American ginseng, joe-pye weed, goldenseal, sassafras and witch hazel.
Chickweed
The contents of this page are provided purely for the purpose of
information. Any references to claims of medicinal or health benefits
have been derived primarily from folklore and are not meant to treat or
diagnose any physical problem or illness. Herbs and herbal based
nutritional and dietary supplements should under no circumstances be
substituted for the qualified diagnosis and supervision of a licensed
physician.