4. Pharmacognosy

Video vocabulary exercise. Look at the words below taken from the video. Can you explain their meaning in English or find a suitable synonym?

abscess (n) ......

decoction (n) ......

infusion (n) ......

counterbalance ......

vessel (n) ......

cough (n) ......

playing card (n) ......

pliable (adj) ......

evenly (adj) ......

contraption (n) ......

scoop (n) ......

protrude (v) ......

percolation (n) ......

laxative (n) ......

stir (v) ......

clot (v) ......

lump (n) ......

spirit (n) ......

chloroform (n) ......

weigh (v) ......

Label the pictures of some traditional and natural means used in treatment.[1]

Crude drugs and drug extraction. You will see a video where a Danish pharmacist shows in 2 examples how to prepare crude drugs in the traditional way based on the most elementary principles. Try to put down the individual steps of preparation for each example.

Example One – DECOCTION OF CHINCONABARK (cough medicine) AND SENEGA ROOT

______

Example Two – FLUID HERBAL EXTRACT (A LAXATIVE FROM ALDER BUCKTHORN)

______

Post-watching exercise. Can you remember what the following numbers refer to in the video?

1619 – 1581 ......

1672 – 3000 ......

100 ......

90 ......

25 ......

15 ......

7 ......

10 ......

200 ......

150 ......

Look at the diagram above and fill in the suggested steps of crude drug preparation. After you complete it, describe the whole process.

Collecting of medicinal plants / stabilization / infusion
drying / use of tooth mills / solvent - solvent precipitation
freeze-drying / Extraction / distillation
manual / Grinding of crude drugs / digestion
Preservation of plant material / use of knife mills / continuous hot extraction
rules for collecting regarding different plant parts / Storage of crude drugs / percolation
suitable time for collection / fermentation / maceration
use of agricultural harvesters / use of hammer mills / decoction

Medicinal herbs

There are many herbs containing active constituents capable of cure or relief of symptoms when used appropriately and in the right dosage. Some of the herbs sold today are safe and are considered to have some therapeutic benefits, while others may have no measurable effects. Some, however, can be toxic and dangerously toxic and fatalities resulting from the use of certain herbal teas have been reported. Over the past decade many herbal teas have been found to contain substances that cause serious poisoning - including disorders of the liver, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, as well as blood disorders. Since manufacturers are not required to mark potential toxicities visibly and clearly on the packaging of the product, consumers may be exposed to dangerous substances.

Here are some examples of the principal aromatic and medicinal plants and herbs listed in 2000/115/EC: Commission Decision of 24 November 1999 relating to the definitions of the characteristics, the list of agricultural products, the exceptions to the definitions and the regions and districts regarding the surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings (notified under document number C(1999) 3875). Can you guess each herb on the basis of the information in the middle column of the table and add the Czech name?

angelica, belladonna, camomile, cumin, digitalis, gentian , hyssop, jasmine, lavender, marigold, marjoram, Melissa, menthe, periwinkle, poppy, psyllium (seed), saffron, sage, valerian

English (Latin) name / synonym or other characteristic / Czech name
38 Bach flower remedies
a symbol of sleep, peace, and death
a traditional birthing herb (used to help bring on a delayed labour and to help expel the placenta following childbirth)
all-heal
commonly used by beekeepers to produce a rich and aromatic honey
contains a carotenoid pigment
deadly nightshade
foxglove
India is the biggest world producer of this
Ispaghula
its florets are edible
lavandin
lemon balm
mint
over 86 alkaloids extracted from the plant
synonymous with oregano
the symbolic flower of Damascus (Syria)
the tea prepared from its leaves is called a "thinker's tea"

Vocabulary

abscess (n) /ˈæbses/ absces

all-heal (n) /ˈɔːlˌhiːl/ kozlík

angelica (n) /ænˈdʒelɪkə/ andělika

arnica (n) /ˈɑːnɪkə/ arnika

belladona (n) /ˌbeləˈdɒnə/ rulík

black cherry (n) /blæk ˈtʃeri/ střemcha pozdní

buckthorn (n) /ˈbʌkˌθɔːn/ řešetlák

camomile (n) /ˈkæməmaɪl/ heřmánek

clot (v) /klɒt/ srazit se, ucpat se

contraption (n) /kənˈtræpʃ(ə)n/ udělátko, zlepšovák

cough (n) /kɒf/ kašel

counterbalance (v) /ˈkaʊntə(r)ˌbæləns/ vyvážit

cumin (n) /ˈkʌmɪn/ or /ˈkjuːmɪn/ kmín

decoction (n) /dɪˈkɒkʃən/ dekokce, odvar

digestion (n) /daɪˈdʒestʃ(ə)n/ digesce (extrakce bylin za tepla)

digitalis (n) /ˌdɪdʒɪˈteɪlɪs/ náprstník

digitalis (n) /ˌdɪdʒɪˈteɪlɪs/ náprstník

distillation (n) /ˌdɪstɪˈleɪʃən/ destilace

elderberry (n) /ˈeldəˌberɪ/ bez černý

evenly (adv) /ˈiːv(ə)nli/ rovnoměrně, pravidelně

gentian (n) /ˈdʒenʃən/ hořec

ginkgo (n) /ˈɡɪŋkɡəʊ/ jinan dvoulaločný

ginseng /ˈdʒɪnˌseŋ/ ženšen

hammer mill (n) /ˈhæmə(r) mɪl/ kladivový mlýn

hawthorn (n) /ˈhɔːˌθɔː(r)n/ hloh

hyssop (n) /ˈhɪsəp/ yzop

chloroform (n) /ˈklɒrəˌfɔː(r)m/ chloroform

infusion (n) /ɪnˈfjuːʒ(ə)n/ infuze, nálev

ispaghula (n) /ˌɪspəˈɡuːlə/ chmelík

jasmine (n) /ˈdʒæz mɪn, ˈdʒæs-/ jasmín

jimson weed (n) /ˈdʒɪmsən wiːd/ durman obecný

knife mill (n) /naɪf mɪl/ nožový mlýn

lavandin (n) /ˈlævəndɪn/ levandule

lavender (n) /ˈlævəndə(r)/ levandule

laxative (n) /ˈlæksətɪv/ projímadlo

liquorice /ˈlɪkərɪs/ or /ˈlɪkərɪʃ/ lékořice

lump (n) /lʌmp/ hrudka, žmolek

maceration (n) /ˌmæsəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/ macerace (vyluhování za studena)

marigold (n) /ˈmærɪˌɡəʊld/ měsíček

marjoram (n) /ˈmɑː(r)dʒərəm/ dobromysl

melissa (n) /məˈlɪs ə/ meduňka

mint (n) /mɪnt/ máta

percolation (n) /ˌpɜː(r)kəˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ perkolace (kontinuální uspořádání)

periwinkle (n) /ˈperɪˌwɪŋkəl/ barvínek

playing card (n) /ˈpleɪɪŋ ˌkɑː(r)d/ hrací karta

pliable (adj) /ˈplaɪəb(ə)l/ ohebný

poppy (n) /ˈpɒpi/ mák

precipitation (n) /prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən/ precipitace, srážení

protrude (v) /prəˈtruːd/ vyčnívat, trčet

psyllium (n) /ˈsɪlɪəm/ chmelík

saffron (n) /ˈsæfrən/ kurkuma

sage (n) /seɪdʒ/ šalvěj

scoop (n) /skuːp/ naběračka, lžíce, lopatka

silverweed (n) /ˈsɪlvəˌwiːd/ mochna husí

spirit (n) /ˈspɪrɪt/ líh, alkohol

St. John's wort /ˌseɪntˈdʒɒnzˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt/ třezalka tečkovaná

stir (v) /stɜː(r)/ míchat

tooth mill (n) /tuːθ mɪl/ mlýn s ozubenými koly

valerian /vəˈlɪər i ən/ kozlík

vessel (n) /ˈves(ə)l/ nádoba

woodruff (n) /ˈwʊd rəf/ svízel vonný, mařinka vonná

[1] https://botanical.com

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AmCyc_Leech.jpg