Handbook Of Medicinal Herbs Second Edition

Still considered the definitive work on medicinal herbs and their uses after two decades, the Handbook of Medicinal Herbs has undergone a long-anticipated revision. In the second edition, world-renowned ethnobotanist James A. Duke provides up-to-date data on over 800 of the world’s most important medicinal plant species. The book contains more species, phytochemicals, proven indications, folk indications, and dosage data than the first edition in a new easier to use format. The in-depth content, the addition of color plates and over 200 black and white illustrations makes this book the most comprehensive resource on medicinal herbs available. NEW IN THE SECOND EDITION: · Over 100 color plates, 4 color maps · Over 200 black and white illustrations · Over 800 medicinal plants — more than twice as many as the previous edition organized alphabetically by common name · More herbs from the African, Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Jamu traditions EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION YOU NEED Designed to give you fast access to the information you need on a regular basis, this new edition is organized more systematically than any other medicinal herb publication. The entries are now arranged alphabetically by common name with the scientific name in parenthesis. Major synonyms are also provided. · It has become increasingly clear that there are hundreds of biologically active compounds, often additive or synergistic, in all our plants, foods, spices, herbs, medicinal, and poisonous plants. The debate continues on how these plants work and how they should be used. Blending scientific fact with folk uses and the author’s personal experience, Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition provides the most well rounded discussions of safety, efficacy, toxicity, and rational use found in any herbal reference.

A Practical, Authoritative Compendium This handbook catalogs 365 species of herbs having medicinal or folk medicinal uses, presenting whatever useful information has been documented on their toxicity and utility in humans and animals. Plants from all over the world - from common cultivars to rare species - are included in these 700 pages. The toxicity of these species varies, but the safety of each has been formally or informally questioned by the Food and Drug Administration, National Cancer Institute, Department of Agriculture, Drug Enforcement Administra-tion, or Herb Trade Association. Easy-to-Locate Facts and Figures Designed to enable fast access to important information, this hand-book presents information in both catalog and tabular forms. In the catalog section, plants are presented alphabetically by scientific name. (The index permits you to locate an herb by its common name.) A detailed sketch of the chief identifying features accompa-nies most catalog entries. For each species the following information, as available, is presented and referenced: Family and colloquial names Chemical content Uses and applications - present and historical Processing, distribution, and economic potential Toxicological agents and degree of toxicity Poison symptoms in humans and animals Treatment and antidotes References to original literature Five Tables of Accessible Data Given a plant species, you can easily determine its toxins; or, given a toxin, you can discover which plants contain it. These and other data are presented in convenient tabular formats as appendixes to the handbook. Other information contained in these tables include toxicity ranking and other toxicity data (as applicable), such as mode of contact, organs affected, and lethal dose; and proximate analyses of selected foods. These tables are titled: Medicinal Herbs: Toxicity Rank

Stay up-to-date with this important contribution to rationalized botanical medicine The Handbook of Medicinal Plants explores state-of-the-art developments in the field of botanical medicine. Nineteen experts from around the world provide vital information on natural products and herbal medicines—from their earliest relevance in various cultures to today’s cutting-edge biotechnologies. Educated readers, practitioners, and academics of natural sciences will benefit from the text’s rich list of references as well as numerous tables, figures, and color photographs and illustrations. The Handbook of Medicinal Plants is divided into three main sections. The first section covers the use of herbal medicines throughout history in China, Australia, the Americas, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, emphasizing the need for future medicinal plant research. The second section discusses the latest technologies in production and breeding, crop improvement, farming, and plant research. The third section focuses on groundbreaking advances in the medicinal application of therapeutic herbs. In the Handbook of Medicinal Plants, you will gain new knowledge about: recent research and development in Chinese herbal medicine modern methods of evaluating the efficacy of medicinal plants by “screening” the newest developments of in vitro cultivation prevention and therapy of cancer and other diseases using medicinal plants the challenges and threats to medicinal plant research today trends in phytomedicine in the new millennium The Handbook of Medicinal Plants demonstrates the global relevance of sharing local knowledge about phytomedicines, and highlights the need to make information on plants available on a worldwide basis. With this book, you can help meet the challenge to find scientifically rationalized medicines that are safer, more effective, and readily available to patients from all walks of life.

With over 50,000 distinct species in sub-Saharan Africa alone, the African continent is endowed with an enormous wealth of plant resources. While more than 25 percent of known species have been used for several centuries in traditional African medicine for the prevention and treatment of diseases, Africa remains a minor player in the global natural products market largely due to lack of practical information. This updated and expanded second edition of the Handbook of African Medicinal Plants provides a comprehensive review of more than 2,000 species of plants employed in indigenous African medicine, with full-color photographs and references from over 1,100 publications. The first part of the book contains a catalog of the plants used as ingredients for the preparation of traditional remedies, including their medicinal uses and the parts of the plant used. This is followed by a pharmacognostical profile of 170 of the major herbs, with a brief description of the diagnostic features of the leaves, flowers, and fruits and monographs with botanical names, common names, synonyms, African names, habitat and distribution, ethnomedicinal uses, chemical constituents, and reported pharmacological activity. The second part of the book provides an introduction to African traditional medicine, outlining African cosmology and beliefs as they relate to healing and the use of herbs, health foods, and medicinal plants. This book presents scientific documentation of the correlation between the observed folk use and demonstrable biological activity, as well as the characterized constituents of the plants.

At a time when interest in herbs and natural medicine has never been higher, the second edition of this essential guide shows how to identify more than 500 healing plants. 300+ color photos.

Well-respected herbalist David Hoffmann's comprehensive and practical guide to herbal medicine. • Discusses the history and modern practice of herbalism, including Chinese, Native American, and Welsh influences. • Includes a practical reference section listing the effects of various herbs, with prescriptions on how to use them for a wide range of illnesses. • Covers the fundamentals of growing, drying, storing, and cooking with herbs. • Over 45,000 copies of previous edition sold. This compendium of medical herbalism by one of the most eminent herbalists practicing today is both comprehensive and practical. Answering basic as well as complicated questions about herbal medicine, it provides both the novice and the experienced practitioner with a reliable framework in which to develop their herbal skills. A discussion of the history and modern practice of herbalism, encompassing the influences of Welsh, Chinese, and Native American herbal medicine is followed by a practical reference section that lists the various actions herbs have on the body (carminative, anti-inflammatory, etc.), with examples of herbs and their mode of activity in each category. Herbal prescriptions for various illnesses are also organized under the main systems of the body so that information can be quickly and easily referenced. A final section covers the fundamentals of growing, drying storing and cooking with herbs, as well as the making of infusions, decoctions, oils, and ointments. The author also provides helpful introductions to aromatherapy and plant medicines.

Access to accurate, evidence-based, and clinically relevant information is essential to anyone who uses or recommends herbal products. With input from some of the most respected experts in herbal and integrative medicine, this completely revised edition of the American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook reviews both traditional knowledge and contemporary research on herbs to provide an authoritative resource on botanical safety. The book covers more than 500 species of herbs and provides a holistic understanding of safety through data compiled from clinical trials, pharmacological and toxicological studies, medical case reports, and historical texts. For each species, a brief safety summary is provided for quick reference, along with a detailed review of the literature. Easily understood classification systems are used to indicate the safety of each listed species and the potential for the species to interact with drugs. Enhancements to the Second Edition include: Classification of each herb with both a safety rating and a drug interaction rating More references listed for each individual herb, vetted for accuracy Specific information on adverse events reported in clinical trials or case reports Safety-related pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of each herb, including drug interactions Additional information on the use of herbs by pregnant or lactating women Toxicological studies and data on toxic compounds Representing the core of the botanical trade and comprising the finest growers, processors, manufacturers, and marketers of herbal products, the mission of the AHPA is to promote the responsible commerce of herbal products. The American Herbal Products Association Botanical Safety Handbook, Second Edition ensures that this vision is attained. The book will be a valuable reference for product manufacturers, healthcare practitioners, regulatory agencies, researchers, and consumers of herbal products.