History of Herbalism

ALTHOUGH the use of plants in the alleviation of bodily ills goes as far back as the history of the human race itself, probably the first official reference to herbalism as a definite art and the practice of a inct group of persons, is contained in no less tortant a document than an Act of Parliament of reign of King Henry VIII. The enactment headed finis Tricesimo Quarto et Tricesimo Quinto, Henrici VIII Regis. Cap. VIII is still part of the Statute Law of England, and is popularly known as "The Herbalists' Charter."

It seems that in the early years of the sixteenth century there was considerable discontent concerning the methods of practice of the official school of medicine and the fees charged by its practitioners for conferring of dubious benefits. Further, the Act referred to makes it fairly clear that the doctors of the period did not boggle at legal and other persecution of those who disagreed with their theories and who used, apparently with some success, a different method of healing to their own. The abuses must have reached rather serious dimensions, and have affected even the high and mighty of the land, as it is extremely likely that a Tudor monarch and his advisers would have deigned to notice officially a matter that oppressed only the poorer population.

The text of the Act first draws attention to the fact that in the third year of the same king's reign it was enacted that no person within the City of London or within a seven-miles radius should practise as a physician and surgeon without first being "examined, approved and admitted" by the Bishop of London and others. Since then, the new Act tells us, "the Company and Fellowship of Surgeons of London, minding only their own Lucres, and nothing the Profit or Ease of the Diseased or Patient, have sued, troubled and vexed divers honest Persons, as well Men as Women, whom God hath endued with the knowledge of the Nature, Kind and Operation of certain Herbs, Roots and Waters, and the using and ministering of them to such as been pained with customable Diseases. . . ." Further, "it is now well-known that the Surgeons admitted will do no Cure to any Person but where they shall know to be rewarded with a greater Sum or Reward than the Cure extendeth unto ; for in case they would minister their cunning unto sore people unrewarded, there should not so many rot and perish to Death for Lack or Help of Surgery as daily do."

To this accusation of venality is added the charge of professional incompetence, "for although the most Part of the Persons of the said Craft of Surgeons have small cunning yet they will take great Sums of Money, and do little therefor, and by Reason thereof they do sometimes impair and hurt their Patients rather than do them good." With a view to remedying this somewhat scandalous state of affairs it is then decreed "by Authority of this present Parliament, That at all Time from henceforth it shall be lawful to every Person being the King's subject, having Knowledge and Experience of the Nature of Herbs, Roots and Waters, or of the Operation of the same, by Speculation or Practice, within any part of the Realm of England, or within any other the King's Dominions,to practice, use and minister in and to any outward Sore, Uncome Wound, Apostemations . . . any Herb or Herbs," etc.; "or drinks for the Stone, Strangury or Agues, without Suit, Vexation, Trouble, Penalty, or Loss of their Goods ; the foresaid Statute in the foresaid Third Year of the King's most gracious Reign, or any other Act, Ordinance, or Statutes to the contrary heretofore made in anywise, notwithstanding."