Medicinal plants are wild and cultivated plants used in medicine. They can be processed fresh or dried as drugs. Drugs are differentiated according to the plant part used: root, herb, flower, leaf, bark, or seed. Knowledge of their effects has been passed down and expanded over centuries.
From the abundance of plant material found in prehistoric and early historical settlements in Central Europe, it is clear that the probably oldest and most frequently used medicinal plants had cleansing effects (blood purifying, diuretic, laxative). Plants that helped relieve coughs, heal wounds, and staunch bleeding were second in importance.
Poisons, hallucination-inducing plants, and antispasmodic plants were of great importance. Their constituents and thus their effects depend on the local conditions (climate, soil, plant community). If handled improperly, they can very easily trigger dangerous, or at least undesirable, disturbances in the human metabolism.
The famous Abbess Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1180 AD) wrote a comprehensive description of the medicinal plants used in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and their healing properties. With the help of even older descriptions and finds, the early history of pharmacology can be explored.