Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent condition. No notes or highlighting. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> The use of plants in the treatment of disease has its origins in the antiquities of man’s evolution from his more primitive forms. At first all the experiences of these early societies were passed from one generation to another by word of mouth and it was not until many thousands of years had gone by that communication from one person to another was made possible by means of the written or printed word. Many of these earlier forms of communication are available for consultation today and it is clear that with the development of different societies based on different ideologies so the use of plants for medicinal purposes became related to superstitions and religious beliefs currently held in those societies. Not only that but new developments often arose out of the conflicts between different groups within the societies. There were few exceptions to this and when the struggle in England between the old landowning class and the new class of industrialists became intensified in the early seventeenth century it was inevitable that the practice of medicine and the use of plants should reflect this struggle to a considerable extent. It was a period which saw the growth of a proletarian population in the developing industrial areas at the expense of a depopulated countryside. It was a period which saw a conflict between the physicians who preferred to attend to the needs of the wealthy and the herbalists-and some apothecaries -who exploited the needs of the poor working classes. Many of these people. when living in the country would have treated themselves when ill by collecting plants from near their homes but now that they lived in urban areas they had to rely on herbalists – many of whom were charlatans – for their medicines