The use of medicinal plants and medical practices in the Andes is as old as Andean culture itself. Ancient Mochica pottery depicting curanderos dressed in splendid garments, holding parts of the potent San Pedro cactus in their hands, and bending over a patient suggest that healers have long held a prominent place in Andean society. The Incas built on the medical achievements of the societies preceding them, adding a diversity of practices such as trepanation and embalming which we know well from archaeological sites. In ancient times knowledge of herbs and healing methods was not monopolized by specialists but was widespread within the population at large. Where the help of a specialist was required, this service could be easily obtained and was either free of charge or much less costly than is today's modern medicine.
