Natural Drugs in Greco?Arabic and Islamic Medicine

Abstract

Throughout history, humans have relied on natural products for their health care and basic needs to produce foodstuffs, shelter, clothing, modes of transportation, flavors and fragrances. Hundreds of wild plants and wild and domestic animals and their byproducts (eg, bones, feathers, hooves, skins, and tusks) form important ingredients for the preparation of curative, and preventive medicine. The first records are from Mesopotamia and date from about 2600 BC; among the substances discovered were oils of Cedrus species (cedar) ...