| From the Herbalist: | |
Healing Through the Ages
by Lori Harger Witt, from the December 2001 newsletter
Winter is upon us. During these dark days, the blossoming radiance of summer
often seems like an imagined past. It is not surprising that so many religious
traditions have celebrations of light at this time of year. In lighting the
menorah or advent wreath we affirm that darkness will pass, that sunlight will
again warm our faces and make our gardens grow.
Human history also seems to move in seasons. When the Roman Empire fell in the 5th Century, most of the ancient texts of Greek and Roman learning were lost. Throughout Europe, advances in medicine, science and philosophy were forgotten, and the ensuing centuries are often referred to as the Dark Ages.
But while the lamp of learning was overshadowed by superstition in Europe, the arts and sciences were flourishing in the Islamic civilization of the Middle East.
In the 5th Century, Baghdad emerged as an intellectual hub. Medical treatises by Hippocrates and Galen were translated from Greek into Arabic and provided the foundation upon which Muslim physicians built a sophisticated system of medicine, known as Unani-Tibb. Unani medicine is based upon the assumption that balance is the key to health and that disease is the result of imbalance. The physician's role is to maintain balance and to restore it when disease arises.
In the year 805, the first modern hospital was founded in Baghdad. Like many more to follow, it was connected to a medical school and library. Physicians were dedicated to scientific observation in discovering and promoting prevention and cure of disease. Surgical techniques for repairing hernias and removing cataracts were refined. A basic understanding of the contagious nature of certain diseases led to the implementation of effective quarantine strategies. Islam teaches that God provides a cure for every illness, and it became the physician's obligation to discover and provide effective remedies. A vast pharmacopoeia of herbal, mineral, and animal-based remedies was established.
At this time in Europe, sickness was often accepted as judgment from God. Emphasis on the care of the soul often led to a neglect of the physical body. Sanitation and personal cleanliness were rare and contagious diseases found fertile breeding ground. Hospitals were places to go to die rather than be cured. Monks, the main providers of medical care, were forbidden by the church to practice surgery lest they damage the soul by cutting into the body.
Thanks in no small part to the Arabic scholars who kept learning alive, Europeans began to regain their intellectual heritage in the late Middle Ages.
As the Renaissance approached, Greek and Roman texts were translated from Arabic into Latin. The 11th Century text, Al-Qanan fi al-Tibb, or the "Canon of Medicine," by Arab physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna), was translated into Latin and was used as a primary reference and medical text well into the 19th Century.
So as you go about your own celebration this holiday season, remember those who have kept the light alive through the darkness. And as you sip your spiced cider and mulled wine remember that some of our favorite holiday spices are herbs that were first valued for their healing properties.
Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom all figure prominently in Unani medicine and found their way into European usage with the introduction of Eastern medicine.
While each of these plants has its own properties, in general their aromatics make them effective antimicrobials and carminatives, or digestive aids. Savor your holiday treats, and savor the riches of human learning that are ours to inherit and protect.
For more on this subject, see "Arab Roots of European Medicine" by David W. Tschanz.
Lori Harger Witt is a clinical herbalist who loves to study human history.
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