Herbal medicine is the extraction of herbs or plants that have medicinal value in the treatment of diseases (Brody 1). A weed is known as a plant that does not have a woody stem and usually dies at the end of each growing season. It is also known as a “natural” medicine because it is derived from nature. This is different from pharmaceutical drugs, which are synthesized from chemicals. Herbal medicine goes back a very long time. More than 4,000 years ago, the Chinese emperor Qien Nong collected a book, or herbarium, of different medicinal plants (O' Sullivan 2). It contained descriptions of over 300 plants. Some of these plants are still used today. The Sumerians, at the same time, recorded prescriptions on clay tablets. Additionally, the Egyptians recorded their information regarding medicines on papyrus scrolls. A very famous papyrus is the Ebers Papyrus, which includes specific information on how to use different plants (Brody 1). The Greeks and Romans learned about herbal medicine from these early civilizations. They also recorded them in books. We know these works because they are translated into Arabic. Monks in Europe studied and cultivated plants for medicinal use. They translated the Arabic and it helped them with the plants. The first pharmacies were in Baghdad (present-day Iraq) in the 9th century (Smith 1). In the 13th century, a large trade in herbs and spices took place in London. In the absence of standards, poor quality herbs and poor substitutes were often sold. Carolus Linneaus introduced the binomial system of plant nomenclature in 1753 (O'Sullivan 1). This allowed plants to be identified scientifically, which helped avoid errors between different plants. Many medications commonly used today are of plant origin. In the United States, about a quarter of prescription drugs dispensed by pharmacies contain at least one plant-derived ingredient. Today, everyone from healthcare consumers to healthcare providers is discovering natural options to stay healthy. “Herbalists, or individuals who use medicinal plants to relieve pain, are on the rise in the United States” (Tremmel 1). In 1995, a survey was conducted of about 600 doctors across the country...... middle of paper...... many kinds of medicinal plants available today. The best way to get the most bang for your buck is to ask for the most popular one. This is not the only step, but also ask for clinical trials, consult your doctor and/or the product company. This way you can get the most effective product while being safe. I think this new era of using natural herbal medicine is great and I greatly support it. Trying something new for a change is good. Although some types of medicinal plants can produce harmful effects, many others are beneficial. The only problem I see is that the Food and Drug Administration has not required manufacturers to submit drug studies. Therefore, sellers may be able to make specific claims about preventing a disease, even if it is not true. So if the FDA starts testing drugs and helps separate the good from the bad, then everything will be fine. So, herbal medicine is medicine made from different parts of plants. They have become very popular in modern times. Some of these herbal medicines may be helpful while others may be harmful..