Text a medicinal plants

Pharmaceutical students usually have their practice at the end of each year. I’d like to tell you what I have known during my last practice at the Botanical Station. My own interest in herbs began in my childhood. I always tried to learn as much as possible about the history of plants. I knew that many of them were used in the treatment of certain diseases.

From ancient times many plants were an extremely important source of effective medicines. Some, like foxgloves and poppies, are still used today. The active ingredients are extracted from their leaves, seeds and roots and made into tablets. In primitive medicine these plants were used to treat symptoms of any disease. People thought of them as of magic plants. Now it is known that foxglove leaves contain digitalis. The latter one regulates heart beat and reduces the water retention in the body after heart attack. Poppy capsules contain opium from which we get the painkiller, morphine.

It’s not a secret that many such herbal plants, like garlic and onion, are used almost every day in cooking to flavour food. They are very important in the processes of digestion. Garlic has some additional properties. It is used as an antiseptic, to cure sores and to prevent infection. Members of the carrot family (dill, coriander and parsley, for instance) stimulate stomach action and relieve flatulence. Other herbs, like mints, fennel and thyme relieve sore throats. Parsley, rosemary and watercress act as diuretics and stimulate the kidneys. Sage helps to relieve inflammation.

It’s also very important to mention wound plants. Chickweed can be useful for treating leg ulcers for instance. Common St John’s Wort is used in healing cuts. I hope you know that some members of the daisy family, like Yarrow and Wild Chamomile are also effective. Others of the daisy family provide treatments for respiratory infections. Coltsfoot is still used in proprietary cough medicines. Feverfew was used for hundreds of years to reduce body temperature.

I have given you only some examples. The discussion of medicinal plants can be endless. It’s evident that we live in the modern era of phytochemistry and pharmacology. Drugs made of plants play a great role in keeping people’s health. In general, I find it interesting to collect medicinal plants, to distinguish them from each other and to be aware of everything connected with people’s health.

Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Exercises

Ex.1. Complete the following sentences replacing the Russian

words and word combinations by English equivalents in the

correct form:

1. I’d like to tell you what I’ve known during my last practice at ... (ботаническая станция) 2. My own interest in herbs ... (начинаться) in my childhood. 3. I always tried to learn ... (как можно больше) about the history of medicinal plants. 4. Many plants are used in the treatment of ... (определённые заболевания). 5. From ... (древнейшие времена) many plants were an extremely ... (важный источник) of effective medicines. 6. The active ingredients are extracted from ... (листья, стебли и корни). 7. I know the following medicinal plants: ... (ромашка, зверобой, шалфей, тысячелистник, мать-и-мачеха, наперстянка и др.). 8. It’s well-known that foxglove leaves ... (содержать дигиталис). 9. Digitalis regulates heart beat and reduces ... (задержка воды) in the body after ... (сердечный приступ). 10. Many representatives of the daisy family provide treatments for ... (инфекции дыхательных путей). 11. ... (Мать-и-мачеха) is still used in proprietary cough medicines. 12. ... (Петрушка, кресс водяной и розмарин) stimulate ... (почки). 13. Sage helps ... (снимать воспаление). 14. ... (Зверобой) is used in healing cuts. 15. I find it interesting (знать всё) connected with people’s health.

Ex.2. Express the following in English:

1. Я бы хотел рассказать Вам о своей последней практике на ботанической станции. 2. Я стал интересоваться растениями в детстве. 3. Я всегда старался учить как можно больше об истории растений. 4. Многие травы используются в лечении определённых заболеваний. 5. Среди лекарственных растений мне известны ромашка, чеснок, зверобой, мать-и-мачеха, шиповник, тысячелистник, пиретрум девичий и другие. 6. С древнейших времён многие растения были важным источником эффективных лекарственных средств. 7. Например, наперстянку и мак используют и сейчас. 8. Раньше наперстянку и мак использовали для лечения любых заболеваний, так как люди думали, что эти растения волшебные. 9. Сейчас известно, что дигиталис регулирует сердцебиение. 10. Мак является источником опиума, из которого мы получаем болеутоляющее средство - морфий. 11. Не секрет, что многие растения, как, например, чеснок, лук, петрушка, укроп, мята, чабрец используют в приготовлении пищи как приправа. 12. Они очень важны для пищеварения. 13. Чеснок используют как антисептик, а также для предотвращения инфекции. 14. Шалфей помогает устранить воспаление. 15. Зверобой применяется для заживления порезов. 16. Приготовленные из растений лекарства играют большую роль в поддержании здоровья человека. 17. Полагаю, что очень интересно собирать лекарственные растения, уметь отличать их друг от друга и знать обо всём, что связано со здоровьем человека.

Ex.3. Look through the text and state what it has to say on the following points:

Our practice at the Botanical Station.

The history of ‘magic’ plants.

The role of plants used every day in cooking to flavour food.

Wide application of wound plants.

The importance of medicinal plants in the modern era of phytochemistry and pharmacology.

Ex.4. Answer the following questions:

1. When do pharmaceutical students have their practice? 2. Did you have your last practice at the Botanical Station? 3. What drug herbs, plants and trees do you know? 4. What was known to the ancient people about foxgloves and poppies? Did they use them? If so, what for? 5. What can you say about the properties of foxgloves and poppies? Are they useful nowadays? 6. What are the examples of herbal plants used almost every day in cooking to flavour food? 7. Are garlic and onion very important in the processes of digestion only? 8. What are the members of the carrot family famous for? 9. How can we relive sore throats and inflammation? 10. What is usually used in healing cuts? 11. Where is coltsfood still used? 12. What was used for body temperature reduction? 13. What is the role of drugs made of plants? 14. Are you interested in collection of medicinal plants? Why?