Herbal Medicine in the East and West

Many people think of herbal supplements and immediately think of Chinese or other Eastern medical traditions. But herbs have been used in the western world for centuries too. John Gerard, English botanist and superintendent of the gardens of William Cecil (Queen Elizabeth I's most trusted court member), published Herball for the first time in 1597. Though this edition contained many errors, later editions were considered standard reading for generations of English students of plants and herbs.