Herbal medicine has always had an unusual relationship with the law, and unlike many other countries in Western Europe, herbalists have been able to practice, with legal protection, in an almost unbroken line since the Tudor period (Griggs, 1997).

In 1542, the medical profession (professionalised in 1518), wanted to prevent Herbalists from practising, previous to which they had been protected under Common Law. However, Henry VIII (1491-1547), himself an avid user of herbs, came to the rescue and implemented The Herbalist's Act of 1542 (also known as the Herbalists Charter) which underpinned the right to practice by anyone with knowledge of herbs (ABC, 1998).

This long history has included many changes and challenges through to the present day and this module introduces you to your herbal legacy.

Another aim of this module is to introduce you to global influences on Western Herbal Medicine (WHM) throughout its long history of development and trace where our materia medica herbs originate.

The final component of this module is to introduce you to the laws and regulations around practicing as a medical herbalist, vital to starting practice.