Medicine

The term medicine is used to refer to the science of healing, as well as any substance that is used to treat diseases and promote health. Today there is a variety of different health care professions that use medicine as a tool to improve and maintain health. The use of medicine and plants with medicinal properties has taken place since the prehistoric times when people believed that herbs and animal parts could help heal sick and injured people. Many countries around the world such as Egypt, India, Persia, and China have been developing traditional medical practices for hundreds of years. Since then the use of medicine has become greatly intertwined with most people’s lives and it is often used on a daily basis by many people in order to help with things such as lowering blood pressure or cholesterol. Medicine is prescribed by educated doctors in order to cure illnesses and infections, as well as to maintain a healthy body. As science and technology continue to improve medicine is becoming more and more reliable. Medicine and the advances made in medical technology has greatly increased life expectancy and has made coping with illness more comfortable. Medicine exists for a to help with a variety of different issues. There is medicine that is used to lessen pain such as morphine, anti-depression medicine, and medicine such as antibiotics that kills bacteria that causes sickness. Millions of dollars are spent every year by pharmaceutical companies who are researching and developing new types of medicine. The United States’ National Library of Medicine houses many historical documents, videos and photographs related to the field of medicine.

Medicinal is a term that refers to anything that contains therapeutic properties. There are foods, plants, herbs and mushrooms that contain medicinal properties. The medicinal herb called bloodroot is used in small doses to cure throat infections, and the paste that is made from bloodroot can be used externally in order to help with skin diseases and warts. St. John’s Wart can be used to treat depression, diarrhea and bladder problems, as well as bed wetting in children. The medicinal herb ginseng has the ability to help the body deal with heat, cold, stress and fatigue. There are hundreds of plants that contain medicinal properties and dictionaries of therapeutic herbs and plants can be found at most book stores. There are many types of medicinal mushrooms that are used in the practice of medicine. Medicinal mushrooms help to boost the immune system. Research done on fungus has led to the development of medicine such as penicillin, which is used a lot today to cure serious illnesses such a strep throat. Many foods are referred to as medicinal foods and are used to improve health or prevent disease. This usually includes foods that are enriched with vitamins and minerals. An example of a medicinal food includes cranberries, which contain antioxidants and are known to improve urinary health and help with urinary tract infections. Whether it be pharmaceutical medicine or alternative medicine, the increase in medical technology has greatly improved our quality of life.