Pharmacognosy is the study of chemicals from natural sources for medicinal uses.

Most of such chemicals are derived from plants, and there are plenty to choose from. There are now approximately 250,000 species of flowering plants in the world, and only a small percentage would have been studied for medicinal use.

It is noteworthy that many native cultures have made use of local plant material for promotion of health and treatment of ill-health for many thousands of years. It is important that such local knowledge is not lost.

Having good quality standards for herbal medicine production is crucial in maintaining the good name of herbal medicine, as well as in clinical governance. I always remember that it is paramount as a doctor to “first do no harm”.

As well as being something of interest to me as a doctor, pharmacognosy is extremely useful for helping animals. My good friend, Elizabeth Whiter, who developed and wrote the diploma in animal healing that I started in 2004, uses pharmacognosy to an extremely good effect for a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and pigs. It is fascinating to watch her at work. Take a look at her book, available in the NHP Store.

The variety of complementary therapies available to us never ceases to amaze me, and we are so lucky to be able to integrate the best of complementary therapies with the best of modern medicine and that they are medicines that are for our own and our animals’ health.

Wishing You and Your Animals True Health – from Within
Dr. Alison Grimston

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