Pliny’s pharmacopoeia or the Roman treat

Pliny’s pharmacopoeia is considered to be the cradle of pharmacotherapy. Its compilation, accessibility and distribution on a larger scale then ever before took care of the spread of knowledge, which contributed to its name and fame throughout the ages. References to a (nonspecified) cardiac diagnosis are discussed with special interest in glycosides, flavonoids, alkaloids and synergy in drug action. The importance of systems biology leading to a scientific-based herbal medicine is underlined as a major issue in future pharmacotherapy, bridging more than 21⁄2 thousand years of pharmacological intervention. (Neth Heart J 2007;15:118-20.)