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Herbal remedies
have been a fundamental part of man's medicine cabinet since the beginning of time. In every ancient civilisation the medicine man, shaman or witch doctor played a significant role in society. In western cultures traditional cures are often passed down within the family but much of the detailed knowledge of herbal medicine has been lost.
Thousands of people swear by the efficacy of herbs and herbal remedies but cynics dismiss the knowledge as 'old wives tales'. In reality, the majority of modern medicines owe their origins to herbal remedies. Pharmaceutical companies still scour the rainforests and ancient texts for hints and clues as to the efficacy of particular plants. They then strive to extract specific active components and make compounds in the laboratory that will mimic the effect of the natural ingredient. These mimics can then be patented, put through clinical trials and may eventually be licensed as medicines. Thousands of synthetic chemicals are created and tested to produce an effective medicine which makes the whole process very time-consuming, expensive and much safer.
Herbal remedies can be licensed or authorised but this is an expensive process that few individual producers can afford. And as herbal remedies are in the public domain no individual or company can patent a traditional remedy.
European laws in the shape of The Medicines (Traditional Herbal Products for Human Use) Regulations 2005 and The Medicines Act 1968 impose strict rules on the labelling and sale of herbal products. The Medicines (Advertising) Regulations prohibit the use of medicinal claims for unlicensed products which means that it impossible to advertise individual remedies and even to list the typical uses of a herb or product.
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