Mid semester exam

Question 1

the healing power of nature means what in Latin?

Answer 1

Vis medicatrix naturae

Question 2

who is the father of modern medicine?

Answer 2

Hippocrates

Question 3

what was galens philosophy?

Answer 3

Galen recommended a research agenda for determining the potential of a remedy based on the observance of eight conditions.
• the drug must be of good unadulterated quality
• the illness must be simple, not complex
• the illness must be appropriate to the action of the drug
• the drug must be more powerful than the illness
• one should make careful note of the course of the illness and treatment
• one must ensure that the effect of the drug is the same for everybody at every time
• one must see that the effect of the drug is specific for human beings (in an animal it can have another effect)
• one must distinguish the effect of drugs (working by their qualities) from foods (working by their substance)

Question 4

what do yin yang refer to?

Answer 4

Yin and yang reflect opposing qualities that are considered complimentary. they continually interact with each other and when one increases the other declines, moving in and out of balance

Question 5

identify 3 doshas in Ayurvedic medicine

Answer 5

vata dosha- made up of ether and air, in Sanskrit it means “that which blows”
pitta dosha- made up of fire and water, translates to “to which cooks and digests things”
kapha dosha- combination of water and earth, translates to “that which sticks or clings”

Question 6

who is Samuel Thomson and what is he known for?

Answer 6

Samuel Thomson influenced medicine in America in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s by his simplistic approach to treatment. he brought back the concept of vis medicatrix naturae.

Question 7

one of the initial material medica was developed by whom?

Answer 7

dioscorides

Question 8

how many divisions are there in taxonomy?

Answer 8

7 major categories, Kingdom, division or phylum, class, order, family,genus and species

Question 9

what does the term family mean?

Answer 9

plants are grouped into families based on similarities at the organism, cellular and molecular level. thus, plants within a family will have certain resemblances

Question 10

what is taxonomy?

Answer 10

it is the method used to name and classify plants and other organisms.

Question 11

how do we name plants? according to what?

Answer 11

plants are know by common and botanical names. naming of plants is controlled by the international code of botanical nomenclature

Question 12

why is the specific botanical name important in herbal medicine?

Answer 12

it distinguishes the differing species within a particular genus.

Question 13

where do the flowering plants belong to? which class?

Answer 13

they are divided into 2 classes according to the number of seed leaves. the 2 classes are monocots and dicots

Question 14

how many kingdoms are there in plants?

Answer 14

6

Question 15

where do dicots and monocots belong? which division?

Answer 15

they belong to the anthophytae division

Question 16

why is it important to name plants scientifically?

Answer 16

it distinguishes the differing species within a particular genus. it is generally referred to as the species and has no relevance in it own, only when it follows a generic name. the word can describe either than actual species of plant or a descriptive characteristic of the plant or animal in question.

Question 17

what are some characteristics of heating remedies?

Answer 17

warming expectorants were used to warm the body. slows digestion. considered effective in the treatment of cold and damp in the lungs. Moving the circulation

Question 18

what herbs do we use in cooling remedies? when do we use Cooling remedies?

Answer 18

we cool to stimulate digestion. bitter herbs are the classic digestive remedies.

Question 19

when May we use heating remedies? would we need to have caution when using this?

Answer 19

it is to move circulation. we use cinnamon and ginger, they are centrally warming, diffuse peripheral and circulatory stimulant. we use diaphoretic methods. it is important to remember that heating agents act by increasing thermogenesis and circulatory activity, which requires energy. therefore caution has to be exercise in certain people

Question 20

what are the four principle in herbal treatment?

Answer 20

cleansingd: detoxification and elimination
heating: moving the circulation
cooling: stimulating digestion
tonification: repair and nourishment

Question 21

what do we use tonifying herbs for?

Answer 21

raising vitality. improving resistance to and/or recovery from illness. we use adaptogens to improve capacity of the body to resist and respond to stress.

Question 22

what are emetics?

Answer 22

a substance that causes vomiting

Question 23

what is purgative?

Answer 23

strong acting laxative

Question 24

what is expectorant?

Answer 24

substance that encourages the removal of mucus from the lungs

Question 25

what is diuretic?

Answer 25

increases output of urine

Question 26

what is diaphoretic?

Answer 26

substance that helps to manage a fever, often by promoting sweating

Question 27

what does a thymoleptic herb do?

Answer 27

This is an older term that raises the mood and counteracts depression.

Question 28

what is emmemogogue? what does it do?

Answer 28

a substance that stimulates or increases menstrual flow.

Question 29

what do adaptogen herbs do? what do they create in the body?

Answer 29

they improve the capacity of the body to resist and respond to stress.

Question 30

what is meant by the term pharmodynamics?

Answer 30

it assesses he influence the drug has on the body

Question 31

what is a functional assay?

Answer 31

it is an investigation done to determine the presence of a substance and/or the biological or pharmacological potency

Question 32

what are observational studies?

Answer 32

they asses the overall effect of a medicine (herbal or otherwise) on disease

Question 33

what is a placebo?

Answer 33

a medicine or procedure prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient rather than for any physiological effect.

Question 34

which herbs are restricted for use I Australia? who regulates this?

Answer 34

plants that are poisons. datura and circuta species are key amongst these. the TGA regulates this

Question 35

what are some challenges that researches face today in their quest for providing good clinic research?

Answer 35

• to produce results carrying sufficient statistical weight is expensive and labour intensive
• herbs are photochemically complex
• the photochemical profile of a herb can vary depending on growing l, harvesting and manufacturing conditions
• the effects of herbal medicines can be more subtle than conventional medicines
• blinding can be more difficult due to obvious smell and taste.