Page 23 - Simply Vegetables Spring 2025

Herbs
KELVIN MASON FNVS
Whilst having a bit of a sort out I found
a talk I gave many years ago and
thought it would make an article for S.V
especially as we have not had many on
herbs so I hope you find it interesting.
A definition of plants considered to be
herbs include: Plants that have a special
use for mankind, be it food, medicine,
flavouring, colour, cosmetic, scent or fibre.
Oxford English Dictionary
An alternative is: Plants of which the
leaves, stems, flowers, seeds or roots are
used for food, medicine or in some other
way for their scent or flavour.
Herbs can be annuals, biennials,
herbaceous perennials, shrubs or trees
depending on the species being grown.
Herbs are grown all over the world and
have a wide range of uses with many
being used in local cuisine. Many are now
imported into the U.K. as they are grown in
warmer climate but there is a wide range
that can be grown in the U.K some as
decorative shrubs in the flower borders.
Depending on the plant being grown
different parts of the plant can be used
including roots, stems, leaves flowers, and
seeds. There many uses include:
•
Medicines
•
Cosmetics
•
Food and drink (herbal teas)
•
Flavouring
•
Ointments
•
Tinctures
•
Dyes
•
Fibres
•
Illicit drugs
HISTORY
The ancient Egyptians were using herbs
in 2980BC this is based on evidence
found on papyrus and it is likely they were
using them before that. They were using
around 400 substances which were often
Herb Border
Basil 'Aristotle'
prescribed by their equivalent of doctors.
The plants used included carob, date
palms, fig, olive, peach and pomegranate.
They used the leaves, flowers, fruits, roots,
juice and oil as well as sawdust and resin.
Some plants were smoked!
Babylonians kept records of the drugs
they used which included apple, box,
coriander, cucumber, dill, fennel, garlic,
liquorice, and many more. They used up to
250 different plants and made beverages,
infusions and medicines.
India the ancient Hindus used herbs to
prolong life and had two main types, one
was used to cleanse the body and the other
as sedatives. Among the herbs they used
were aloe, caraway, castor oil plant, clove,
ginger, hemp, sugar cane.
The Chinese were ahead of the game
and appear to have been using herbs
5000 years ago where they used herbs
along with acupuncture. They produced
a compendium written in 3737BC and the
last published version was in 1597AD, and
this lists a vast number of plants used. The
Chinese believe that for every illness there
is a remedy. Amongst the plants they used
were ginseng root, camphor, pomegranate,
and monkshood. The final version of the
Herbs in vertical wall
compendium listed 8160 prescriptions
made from 1871 substances which are
mainly from plants. They used the herbs
in decoctions, mixtures, powders, pills,
plaster, suppositions, and ointments. Other
plants they used included greater burdock,
caraway, daisy, gentians, liquorice, peach,
rhubarb, ribwort plantain and walnut.
Hippocrates a well known Greek who
lived from 460 to 377BC was using deadly
Corriander 'Leisure'
Simply Vegetables 23