Medical Botany: Plants Affecting Human Health Hardcover - 2003

From the rear cover

Advance Praise for Medical Botany . . . "The Second Edition fully reflects the explosion of interest in and research on botanicals in the twenty-five years since the first edition was published . . . the most comprehensive and authoritative textbook on medicinal plants available anywhere . . . can inspire almost any student to pursue a career in ethnobotany, natural medicine, or related disciplines."
-Mark Blumenthal
Founder and Executive Director of American Botanical Council and Editor of HerbalGram "The first edition of Medical Botany is one of the most used references on my bookshelf and helped to shape my view of world medicine. This new edition has been completely updated, but retains the extensive research and the well-written background of the original. It will be a valued resource through the rest of my professional career."
-Ron Hobbs, ND, Adjunct Basic Science Faculty, Bastyr University "Medical Botany is a labor of love by two of the world's foremost ethnobotanists. As was the first edition, this will be a classic reference and text, as well as extremely enjoyable reading for a variety of audiences."
-Samuel W. Page, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland Medical Botany, Second Edition provides, through examples, an understanding of the world's traditional pharmacopeias and how research is affording ways to authenticate their value for use in complementary and alternative medicines and as the basis for the development of new therapies and pharmaceutical agents. This fascinating approach illustrates how plants through the ages have affected human health. It combines scientific information in human physiology, pharmacognosy, pharmacology, and ethnobotany, and intertwines these data with a variety of colorful stories and anecdotes-from Socrates' fatal use of hemlock to the evolution of such pharmaceuticals as digitalis, taxol, and lovastatin and botanicals, including Echinacea, Ginkgo, St. John's wort, and ginseng. Richly illustrated and expanded, this revised edition addresses the injurious, remedial, and psychoactive properties of thousands of plants, fungi, and microorganisms. Each chapter focuses on a body system and thoroughly discusses how pharmaceuticals, botanicals, and dietary supplements affect its function in both normal and disease states. Mindful that the ultimate goal of integrative medicine is to optimize the worth of all types of treatment approaches, this edition provides the practitioner, patient, and public at large with information regarding the current state of research and treatment practices in this expanding field. Medical Botany, Second Edition is a valuable text for students of pharmacology, botany, medicine, and biology, and an indispensable tool for professionals in medicine, pharmacology, and botany, as well as an informative resource for patients and everyone interested in plants and their potential for human health.