Before the advent of modern synthetic chemistry, all
medicines were composed of natural products.
The term that applies to the use of processed plant materials or raw
plant materials is Phytotherapy. The
study of Phytotherapy dates back to 4,000 BC, when the Sumerians used such
ingredients as Opium, Ginseng, Rhubarb and Ephedra for medicinal purposes. Since then, interest in Phytotherapy remains
strong and the study continues to evolve and improve. Today, extracts of crude drugs can be
standardized to specific quantities of active ingredients to insure proper
dosage and treatment levels.
Since Phytotherapy has practitioners throughout the world and with a growing interest in natural remedies, there is a strong need for medical translation professionals that have a multidisciplinary knowledge of botany, agriculture phyto-chemistry, pharmacology and internal medicine to name a few. This is particularly true in such European countries as England, France and Germany where the number of practitioners seems to be the largest.
