The presented paper provides a comprehensive survey and evaluation of medic
inal plants described in the veterinary literature of the 18(th) and 19(th)
century as used for the treatment of sheep and goats. A range of 40 books
on sheep- and goat-diseases was covered and 381 bibliographical data were e
valuated. One aim of this study is to possibly enlarge today's selection of
phytopharmaceutic remedies.
Symptoms and diseases have been sorted on a pathological classification. Th
e plants surveyed have been evaluated following a certain scheme. Six categ
ories of evaluated plants per indication could be stated: (1) plants still
used in veterinary medicine, (2) plants recommended for clinical tests in s
heep and goats, (3) plants providing a supporting activity, (4) plants with
effects still unexplored, (5) noxious or toxic plants, (6) plants without
therapeutic activity.
The evaluation of the plants surveyed was carried out according to pharmace
utical standard literature, in addition the rather rare veterinary phytothe
rapeutic literature was used. These publications provided the information o
f the therapeutic values of these plants.
As a result some medicinal plants were recommended for future clinical stud
ies especially on diseases of sheep and goats. More knowledge about these m
edicinal plants would reveal their usefulness in today's phytotherapy.