Nature's medicine The plant world is an immersive store of active chemical compounds point nearly half the medicine we use today or herbal in origin and a quarter contains plant extract for active Chemicals taken directly from plants point many more are yet to be discovered recorded and researched only a few thousands have been studied across the Global The Hunt will always be on to find species that could form the basis of new medicine. Thousands of years ago the ancient egyptians discovered simple way to extract and use the active ingredients within plants In ancient Greece in the 5th and 4th century BC, Hippocrates , the father of medicine , was already recommending asparagus and garlic for their diuretic qualities, poy as a way of inducing sleep and Willow leaves to relieve pain and fever . ...