Editor's Note: This informative article on two contrasting subjects, herbal medicine and the latest technologies in eye care comes from our good friend, Cari Cannon, O.D. in West Roxbury, MA (U.S.) - LMB

April 6, 2009

Herbal Medicine is the oldest form of medicine known to mankind and herbs have played an important part in our development. More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates wrote extensively about herbal medicine and healing. Dioscordies, a Greek surgeon in Nero’s army (54 - 68 AD), described more than 600 plants in his extensive De Materia Medica. It was the mainstay of many early civilizations and still the most widely practiced form of medicine in the world today.

Currently, approximately 25% of all prescription drugs are derived from trees, shrubs or herbs. The World Health Organization estimates that 4 billion people, 80% of the world’s population, presently use herbal medicines for some aspect of their primary health care.

The essential difference between herbalism and conventional medicine is that in herbal medicine extracts from the whole plant are used; while in conventional medicine, the most active constituent is extracted from the plant and then synthesized in the laboratory to make a "drug."

Digitalis is a powerful drug extracted from the leaves of foxglove herb - The discovery of the cardioactive properties of foxglove (Digitalis purpurea Linnaeus) was perhaps one of the most important steps toward modern medicine. In the 1780s, William Withering came to understand the correlation between heart function and health. Withering didn't know why foxglove worked but he knew when the heart beat stronger, fluid retention (edema) decreased and his patients got better.

Unfortunately, the cardioactive properties of foxglove varied from plant to plant; even the stage of the plant's life made a difference in the quantity of the drug present.  Dosages were an educated guess. Withering almost killed a patient with Digitalis leaf and his reputation often suffered, due to the unpredictability of side-effects. Not until the mid-1800s would chemists begin extracting and separating the cardioactive glycosides. Almost another hundred years would pass before all the compounds were elucidated, dosages computed and pure, standardized digitalis-extract began saving more lives than it ended.

Morphine and Codeine are derived from the opium poppy. Scholars believe that man first discovered the opium poppy growing wild in mountains bordering the eastern Mediterranean sometime in the Neolithic Age. It was known to Hippocrates in Greece and in Roman times to the great physician Galen. Although physicians had used various forms of opium for three or four thousand years, it was not until 1805 that medical science finally extracted pure morphine from raw opium. Orally taken, morphine soon became an important medical anesthetic. It was not until 1858 that two American doctors first experimented with the use of the hypodermic needle to inject morphine directly into the bloodstream. These discoveries were important medical breakthroughs, and they greatly improved the quality of medical treatment in the nineteenth century.

Cancer Prevention and Herbs– The use of an ancient herbal remedy for lung cancer prevention is now being studied at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in men and women in Canada and the U.S. More people die each year from lung cancer than from breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.

The Lung Health Study at BCCA, headed by Dr. Stephen Lam, is testing the most recent in a series of chemopreventive agents aimed at reducing the amount of pre-cancerous cells in the lungs of smokers and ex-smokers. The agent being studied, ACAPHA, is a combination of six herbs and has been used for disease prevention in China for centuries. In earlier studies in China, ACAPHA has been shown to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer by 40 to 50 percent. A preliminary open study at BCCA also showed promising results in preventing the development and progression of pre-cancerous lesions in the lung. 

Devil's claw root

Osteoarthritis - Several studies have found that taking devil's claw (an herb used forthousands of years by the Khoisan peoples of the Kalahari Desert) can substantially reduce pain and improves physical functioning in people with osteoarthritis. In a large, well-designed 4-month study including 122 people with knee and hip osteoarthritis, devil's claw root powder reduced pain and improved functional ability as effectively as standard doses of a leading medication for osteoarthritis. Additionally, those who received devil's claw experienced fewer side effects and required fewer pain-reducing medications throughout the study.

Inflammation- Goldenseal is an herb that was introduced to the early American settlers by the Cherokee Indians for its antiseptic wound-healing properties. Goldenseal Root is extracted from the dried roots (rhizome) of the small forest plant Hydrastis canadensis.  It can also be used for its soothing action on inflamed mucous membranes. Goldenseal's major healing compounds are thought to be alkaloid compounds called hydrastine and berberine. The latter has been more widely researched; studies have shown that it can kill microbes, reduce inflammation and possibly stimulate immunity. 

Herbal Side Effects - Herbal remedies are generally less likely to cause unpleasant side effects than orthodox drugs. Medicinal plants can contain a variety of  phytochemicals as well as minerals, vitamins and trace elements. Some of these are pharmacologically active and can exert a therapeutic action on the body. However, it should be borne in mind that plant remedies are very powerful and can be dangerous, if prescribed dosage is exceeded. Herbal remedies should not be taken alongside conventional drugs or in pregnancy without consulting your doctor. If you are scheduled for surgery, stopping herbal supplements for a time prior to surgery is recommended.

Potency and purity - The efficacy of botanical extracts in Western medicine is gaining increasing recognition. However, how an herb or botanical is harvested, how it is processed and when and if it is tested for purity can make a major difference in the quality and effectiveness of a product. Unlike manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, U.S. supplement producers have no set national guidelines to follow. Supplement quality is the responsibility of manufacturers and comes down to purity of ingredients. The recent growth of herbal and botanical products contributes to this problem, as manufacturers' level of experience may vary greatly. 

Have a Vision Question? If one picture is worth a thousand words, then one video should be worth at least a thousand pictures! If you have ever had a question about either your eyes or your vision, you might find the answer to your question if you: Browse Our Video LibraryWhat Causes Presbyopia?

Cari Cannon, O.D.

Presbyopia, also known as the “short-arm syndrome" is a normal part of the eye's aging process that causes near vision to become difficult. Onset is usually between the ages of 40 and 50 and it affects the majority of people. The name presbyopia comes from the Greek word presbus, meaning old man. In young people, the lens of the eye is soft and flexible. The most commonly accepted explanation for presbyopia is that a gradual hardening of the lens takes place over time. Hardening of the lens is thought to reduce its ability to change shape and bring near objects into focus. Presbyopia is often confused with "farsightedness" (hyperopia), which is a term used to describe how the eye focuses distant objects, when the eye's focusing system is in a relaxed state.