Herbal medicine, or phytotherapy, is the
science of using herbal remedies to treat the
sick. It therefore covers everything from
medicinal plants with powerful actions, such as
Digitalis and Belladonna, to those with very
gentle action, such as chamomile, mint and
many others. It should be noted that ‘very
gentle’ action, when referring to chamomile or
mint, does not mean they are more or less
ineffective, but rather that one would not
expect these plants to produce instant and
powerful effects like those seen, for instance,
after an injection of digitalis or strophanthin.
‘Gentle’ action also means that these ‘simple’
medicinal plants do not as a rule have any
appreciable toxic effects, and may therefore
be safely taken over an extended period of
time.