Western herbalism evolved out of the knowledge, experience and philosophies of various cultures. The earliest evidence of the use of medicine in the West seems to be found at the time of Pharaoh Zoser at around 2980 BC.  Imhotep, an architect astrologer and magician was also known for his healing powers.  His reputation lived on after his death and the legends that grew around his work eventually elevated him to the god of healing and very different from the portrayal of Imhotep in the popular ‘The Mummy’ movies.

The evolution of herbalism in the Western World became clearer with the discovery of the Ebers Papyri in 1862.  These documents were found in Egypt in 1862 by German archaeologist G.M. Ebers.  They date back to between 2000 and 1800 BC and contain, besides remedies of mineral and animal origin, remedies based on vegetable matter, indicating the use of herbal medicines.  These herbal remedies make up about 85% of the documents.  The Ebers papyri also mention, for the first time, detoxification of the body as a cure of disease. You can read some of the English translation here. Continue reading »