Acne represents a significant challenge to dermatologists because of its prevalence, complexity and range of clinical expression. It is the single most common skin disease affecting 85% of teenage boys and 80% of teenage girls and can continue throughout adulthood. Treatment of acne with topical and systemic allopathic medicines results in mild to severe side effects. Hence, herbs and herbal pr...

Contents 1. Introduction―safety of phytotherapeutic preparations 2. Examples of safety issue with traditional remedies 2.1. Acute toxicity 2.2. Chronic Toxicity 2.3. Drug interactions 2.4. Adulterations 2.5. Quality of botanical products used 3. How frequent are toxic effects of traditional remedies 4. Quality control measures 5. Toxicity of traditional medicines – a public health perspective 6...

In their recent analysis of the alleged decay in modern economics, Ben Fine and Dimitris Milonakis claim to find its source and origin in the ‘marginal revolution’ of the 1870s. They argue that this development led to ‘methodological individualism’ and the detachment of economics from society and history. I contest their account of the marginal revolution and of the role of Alfred Marshall amon...

Ulcers can really eat at you. They typically occur in the lining of the top of the small intestine, the duodenum (duodenal ulcers), or the stomach (peptic ulcers). Common culprits of stomach ulcers include the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria and prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. To learn more about ulcers, ch...

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease of the connective tissue characterized by fibrosis and thickening of various tissues. It can be limited to the skin or affect multiple organs, and its course ranges from slowly to rapidly progressive. Penicillamine, glucocorticoids, and other drugs are used to treat scleroderma, but none of these treatments has a high degree of efficacy. This article reviews...

Ulcers can really eat at you. They typically occur in the lining of the top of the small intestine, the duodenum (duodenal ulcers), or the stomach (peptic ulcers). Common culprits of stomach ulcers include the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria and prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. To learn more about ulcers, ch...

The essence of ethnopharmacology is interdisciplinary research that usually involves traditional healers, botanists, chemists and pharmacologists. The role of researchers from pertaining disciplines is well defined in ethnopharmacological investigations. However, the exact role of a physician has not yet been distinctly clear in ethnopharmacological investigations. Historical data shows that di...

The essence of ethnopharmacology is interdisciplinary research that usually involves traditional healers, botanists, chemists and pharmacologists. The role of researchers from pertaining disciplines is well defined in ethnopharmacological investigations. However, the exact role of a physician has not yet been distinctly clear in ethnopharmacological investigations. Historical data shows that di...

BACKGROUND The efficacy of homeopathy is controversial. Homeopathic remedies are made via iterated shaking and dilution, in ethanol or in water, from a starting substance. Remedies of potency 12 C or higher are ultra-dilute (UD), i.e. contain zero molecules of the starting material. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain how a UD remedy might be different from unprepared solvent. One ...

Traditional remedies are part of the cultural and religious life of the African people. In this manuscript the nature and range of traditional remedies used for female complaints in relation to gynaecological conditions and disorders is reviewed. A total of 156 medicinal plant species are documented as being used for gynaecological complaints in South Africa. These are presented in a table with...