A herbalist dispensing dried flowers of the common marigold, Calendula officinalis, in a herbal remedy shop. Herbal medicine has been practised by many cultures for thousands of years, and has gained some limited acceptance by parts of the modern Western medical profession. Herbalism is still used widely in India and the Far East, using a large variety of plant matter and extracts to cure the symptoms of many illnesses. Modern herbalists dispense 'prescriptions' either in the dried form for making hot water infusions, or in the form of capsules of plant extracts.