Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Wild and cultivated plants have provided humans with cures for thousands of years. Aspirin, for example, the most widely used drug in the Western pharmacopoeia, was first isolated from willows to treat fever, pain, and inflammation. Writing for the lay reader, the author surveys the history of the use of plants in medicine, the range of chemicals produced by plants, and the prospects for future discoveries.
Synopsis
Wild and cultivated plants have provided humans with cures for thousands of years, from aspirin to quinine. Writing for the lay reader, the author surveys the history of the use of plants in medicine, the range of chemicals produced by plants, and the prospects for future discoveries.
Table of Contents
A brief history of medicinal botany -- Acquiring knowledge -- Medicinal plants in nature -- Toxins and cures -- Defensive strategies and plant chemistry -- Significant discoveries -- Zoopharmacognosy and botanical toxins -- Chemical prospecting and new plant medicines -- Protecting medicinal biodiversity and knowledge -- Herbal histories, considerations, and caveats.