Introduction to Herbalism and Botanical Medicine

Vocabulary flashcards covering the foundations of herbal medicine, key historical figures and movements, regulatory frameworks, and specific herbal substances.

Herbal medicine

The practice of using plants, or preparations of them, to change how the body, mind, or spirit work.

Dale Pendell

Author of Pharmako/Poeia who combined botany, chemistry, and pharmacology.

Pharmako/Poeia

A book written by Dale Pendell that combines botany, chemistry, and pharmacology.

The Eclectics

A botanical movement founded in the 1820s as a response to harsh conventional practices involving toxic chemicals; it emphasized natural methods, recorded folk and indigenous plant knowledge, and matched plants to a person's whole image rather than a disease name.

Dr. Wooster Beach

Founder of The Eclectics in the 1820s who coined the term "eclectic" to describe his mixture of medical sources.

DSHEA ACT

A 1994 act stating that herbal supplements and substances require no FDA approval before sale.

Passionflower/maypop

A botanical substance used as a calming, sleep-bringing tea; carries risks of increasing sedation from alcohol, benzodiazepines, and other depressants, and should be avoided in pregnancy.

American Skullcap/ scutellaria

A botanical substance referenced in herbal medicine under the genus name Scutellaria.