Therapeutic Overview of Galenical Preparations

Over the centuries, after much trial and error, many techniques have been developed for the preparation of herbal medicines. Today it is well known that herbal medicines must be used in a specific type of formulation (dosage form) in order to achieve the desired results. Knowing the composition and physicochemical characteristics of active principles allow us to establish the best or most appropriate method of extraction, and therefore administration in order to obtain the desired effect. Herbal medicines and their active ingredients possess various beneficial properties which can be used in the treatment of different illnesses (Figure 9.1, p. 46). As will be shown later, appropriate drug mixtures or their derivatives are used to obtain a particular synergistic effect. Many drugs turn out to be equally effective for a particular disease, but as people react differently it is important to be aware of the alternatives (Table 9.1). This topic is dealt with in aseparate section of this book.