Doctrine of signatures

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The Doctrine of Signatures Dr. M. Manjunath Setty Department of Pharmacognosy MCOPS, Manipal, India

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History of botanical medicine 200 BC “Here, eat this root.” 1000AD “That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.” 1850 AD “That prayer is superstitious. Here drink this potion. 1940 AD “That potion is snake oil. Here swallow this pill.” 1985 AD “That pill is ineffective. Here take this antibiotic. 2000 AD “That antibiotic is artificial. Here eat this root.”

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Watermelon How nature helps us Warm season crops - Helps to restore water content of our body Muskmelon Pumpkin

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Ephedra – grows at higher altitude of Meghalaya and Sikkim is a remedy in ayurveda for respiratory disorders Where there is a disease, there is a medicine Oxygen scarcity at higher altitude leads to respiratory disorders

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Nature balance the male female ratio

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observations on animals utilizing plants to cure their diseases, accidental or incidental, unfortunate experiences (trial and errors) of mankind over the immemorable past, divine knowledge of Seers/Rishis, doctrine of signatures. Medicinal remedies have been revealed in past by different methods or sources :

Doctrine of Signatures : 

Doctrine of Signatures It took a shape as spiritual philosophy. God has marked everything he had created. This sign was a clear indicator of the items true purpose as intended by god. Doctrine states that by careful observation one can learn the uses of a plant from some aspect of its form or place of growing

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The doctrine states that if a part of the plant was shaped like part of the body it would be useful in treating a disease of that body part. Red juice of bloodwort to treat blood disorders.Lobed appearance of liverworts to aid the liver.Walnut with its brain shaped kernels for brain disorders. Every plant having useful medicinal properties bears somewhere about it the likeness of the organ. Some believe that creator gave physical clues about the value he imbued to plants.

History : Europe : 

History : Europe Auroleus Phillipus Theostratus Bombastus von Hohenheim Paracelsus (1493-1541) - Alchemist

The father of Chemistry, founder of medicinal chemistry and father of toxicology : 

"All things are poison and nothing is without poison, only the dose permits something not to be poisonous." Paracelsus The father of Chemistry, founder of medicinal chemistry and father of toxicology

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The Doctrine of Signatures “I have ofttimes declared, how by the outward shapes and qualities of things, we might know their inward virtues, which God hath put in them for the use of man.” Paracelsus He believed that the shape, colour, taste, smell and other properties of a plant can hint its use in healing.

Giambattista della Porta (1535-1615) : 

Giambattista della Porta (1535-1615) A disciple of Paracelsus, Della Porta interpreted the virtues of plants based on their physical characteristics.

A German religious mystic : 

A German religious mystic Jakob Bohme (1575-1624) – revealed the relationship between god and man was signalled in all creation

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“De Signatura Rerum and Misterium Magnum” The signature of all things and the Great Mystery

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Nicholas Culpeper 1616-1654 Nicholas Culpeper 1616-1654 English Physician, herbalist and astrologer

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English herbalist William Cole (1616-1654) is one of the strongest proponent of DOS

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Medicinal herbs are stamped, as it were, with some clear indication of their uses. The inner qualities and the healing powers of the herbs might be revealed by external signs. The external characters represent God’s signature. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURE

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In modern period, medicines are being searched out in laboratories by chemical, biological screening and clinical trials. This change in method of searching out medicines deprived away the modern scientists from new ideas, notions and speculations about the nature of material phenomena. Obviously, the scientists are distanced away from the ‘Nature’ as well as the form of reflections and experiences of primitive human societies.

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“Experience, the most efficient teacher of all things especially in medicine, gradually degenerated into mere words and verbiage. For it was pleasanter to sit diligently listening in lecture-rooms than to go out into the fields and look for different plants at the different seasons of the year”. Pliny Natural History, XXVI, 11. (c.AD 70)

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OBSERVATIONS

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A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiatinglines look just Like the human eye…and YES science now shows thatcarrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. Daucus carota

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A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has fourChambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart andblood food. North Carolina researchers have shown an increase in tomato products may reduce risk of CCF

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Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food. Blood cells.

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A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function Walnut - Juglans regia Walnut Brain

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Kidney Beans actually heal and help to maintain kidney function and , they look exactly like the human kidneys. Kidney Kidney beans

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Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body. Bok choy Rhubarb stalks Bone

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Avocado Pear Avocado Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? …. It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

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Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility Signifies testicles Pair of Figs

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Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries ovary Olives ovaries

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Grapefruit look like mammary glands of females They assist the health of breast and movement of lymph in and out of breasts

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Onion look like body cells Onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes

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Bananas, Cucumber, Zucchini more target the size and strength of male sexual organ Banana Cucumber Zucchini

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Peanuts have a profound effect on the testicles and sexual libido. Arginine, main component comes from peanuts Peanuts

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Aerial roots of Banyan tree help in hair growth

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Natural pearl cream helps in forming acne free radiant skin Oyster pearl

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Cissus quadrangularis – useful in bone fracture

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Brahmi – appear like brain and spinal cord -memory enhancer

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Bauhinia leaves – useful in simple goiter Bauhinia leaves

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Madhunashini - Good anti-diabetic Sugar cubes

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Karela looks like pancreas – good antidiabetic pancreas

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Ashwagandh – smell of horse urine – signifies aphrodisiac Ashwagandh

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Sensitive plant – signifies constriction – used in bleeding disorder Mimosa pudica

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Shatavari fasciculate roots signifies galactogogue activity

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Bombax trunk signifies acne

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Ginseng = "man essense," used as a general human panacea

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Ginseng ( Human shape) Anti fatigue, adaptogenic, aphrodisiac

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Bryonia alba – Useful in dropsy Swollen foot Bryonia signifies dropsy – used to treat swollen foot

By the late 1700s… : 

By the late 1700s… “The porosity of holes in the leaves signifies to us that this herb helps inward or outward holes in the skin - Cure for punctures or cuts” Saint John’s-Wort

Liver signatures… : 

Liverwort Hepatica spp. Liver signatures… Liver

This plant must be good for bloodand heart… : 

This plant must be good for bloodand heart… Sanguinarea canadensis - Blood root

Scalp or hair issues? No problem! : 

Scalp or hair issues? No problem! Hair grass

European orchid whose flowers resemble bumble bees in shape and colour : 

European orchid whose flowers resemble bumble bees in shape and colour Bee Orchid (Ophrys spp.) – increase fertility in men

And these must be good aphrodisiacs : 

And these must be good aphrodisiacs Phallus impudicus - resembled male organ of copulation Orchis spp.

Cocos nucifera : 

Cocos nucifera

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Alabu Lagenaria siceraria Cucurbitaceae Urinary bladder

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USHEERA Vetevaria zizanoides Graminae NEPHRONS

CRITICS OF DOS : 

CRITICS OF DOS John Ray (1627-1705) Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) T.F. Thiselton-Dyer (1848-1928) James Mooney (1861-1921) Rembert Dodens (Flemish physian) Absurd, fanciful, far-fetched and pseudo-scientific

New perspectives : 

New perspectives Its role in the discovery of medicinal plants Post hoc attribution of signatures Nature of signatures Its role as a mnemonic.

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Summary of the Herbal Myths Myth: Herbs are natural, so they must be safe and effective. Myth: Herbs must be safe and effective because they’ve been used for thousands of years. Myth: You don’t need to tell your doctor you’re taking herbs. Myth: If the label says an herb works, there must be some evidence that it does. Myth: All products that say they contain a particular herb are essentially the same. Myth: There is not much you need to know about how to take herbs.