Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture

Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy

Pharmacognosy is that the study of crude drugs obtained from plants, animals and mineral and their constituents. The word ‘Pharmacognosy’ springs from the Greek Pharmakon, ‘a drug’ and gignosco, ‘to acquire knowledge’.Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines or crude drugs derived from natural sources. The American Society of pharmacognosy defines pharmacognosy because the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs , drugs substances or potential drugs of natural origin as well because the look for new drugs from natural sources.

Phytotherapy (Herbalism/herbal medicine) the use of plant-derived medications in the prevention and treatment of disease. This a science-based practice and thus is distinguished from other, more traditional approaches like medical herbalism, which relies on an empirical appreciation of medicinal herbs and which is usually linked to traditional knowledge. The scope of herbal medicine is typically extended to include fungal and bee products, also as minerals, shells and certain animal parts. Herbal dietary supplements most frequently fall into the phytotherapy category.