The Garden Bug: Herbals

By Brenda Weaver

Many of the earliest medical writings were known as "herbals." They were books that described plants and how they might be used to heal illnesses. Most began as traditional oral information, written down so they could be shared more widely. These collections also included other natural materials in the environment which were thought to be useful as medicines, such as milk, salt, honey, and even gemstones.

"Gladiolus bulbs with leaves and flowers" from De Historia Plantarum (1644).

Source: circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov
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