A Brief History of European Natural and Herbal Remedies. The earliest Roman knowledge of natural healing came from earlier Egyptian methods. The ancients took their medicine from Mother Nature. They didn't have the modern scientific and technological advances or ideas that led to modern medical treatments. In many ways, this is a good thing. Early European healers like Hippocrates, known as the father of modern medicine, understood the benefits of herbal medicines that offer little to no side-effects promised by modern drugs.