Les espèces végétales odorantes et la phytothérapie

Abstract

AbstractAromatic plants have played an important role in traditional medicine from the earliest times. The aromatic medicinal plants can be classified into those (I) where the attractive odorous principle is reponsible for the pharmacological activity of the drug (or at least one of its activities). There are three chief groups of these: (a) antiseptics, (b) digestive agents (antispasmodics, secretion stimulants, carminatives, etc.); and (c) psychotropics. The second large group are (2) those plants in which the odorous principle is not responsible for the medicinal values. These can be subclassified into (a) plants either entire or odorous portions which are no longer used in pharmacy or have no activity recognized at the present time (such as Dianthus gallicus); and (b) plants whose drug form owes its activity to inodorous principles (for instance, quinine, sterols) even though the plant may be itself odorous (as Convallaria majalis).