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ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK OFMedicinal Plants

ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK OFMedicinal Plants

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    This illustrative handbook includes specific remedies for asthma, headaches, colds, stomachaches, depression, and many other common ailments. Plants have been used for medicinal purposes long before prehistoric period. Ancient Unani manuscripts Egyptian papyrus and Chinese writings described the use of herbs. Evidence exist that Unani Hakims, Indian Vaids and European and Mediterranean cultures were using herbs for over 4000 years as medicine. Indigenous cultures such as Rome, Egypt, Iran, Africa and America used herbs in their healing rituals, while other developed traditional medical systems such as Unani, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine in which herbal therapies were used systematically. Traditional systems of medicine continue to be widely practised on many accounts. Population rise, inadequate supply of drugs, prohibitive cost of treatments, side effects of several synthetic drugs and development of resistance to currently used drugs for infectious diseases have led to increased emphasis on the use of plant materials as a source of medicines for a wide variety of human ailments.

Nature has offered and bestowed us with a large collection of useful herbs, plants and trees. The number of useful medicinal plants and herbs may surprise you and the types of medicinal uses they have may leave you stunned. There are many important medicinal properties and due to these, some plants can help fight fever, provide pain relief and cure various kinds of infections and allergies as well.

Illustrated Handbook of Medicinal Plants lists the taxonomy and medicinal usage of medicinal plants with descriptions, color photos of each plant. It tells when the plant flowers, what part is medicinal, when to gather it and how to use it.

Medicinal plants have been identified and used throughout human history. Plants make many chemical compounds that are for biological functions, including defense against insects, fungi and herbivorous mammals. The use of plants as medicine predates written human history. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food also yield useful medicinal compounds. The use of herbs and spices in cuisine developed in part as a response to the threat of food-borne pathogens. Evidence exist that Unani Hakims, Indian Vaids and European and Mediterranean cultures were using herbs for over 4000 years as medicine. Indigenous cultures such as Rome, Egypt, Iran, Africa and America used herbs in their healing rituals, while other developed traditional medical systems such as Unani, Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine in which herbal therapies were used systematically. Studies show that in tropical climates where pathogens are the most abundant, recipes are the most highly spiced. Further, the spices with the most potent antimicrobial activity tend to be selected. In all cultures vegetables are spiced less than meat, presumably because they are more resistant to spoilage. Angiosperms were the original source of most plant medicines. Many of the common weeds that populate human settlements, such as nettle, dandelion and chickweed, have medicinal properties. Some animals such as non-human primates, monarch butterflies and sheep are also known to ingest medicinal plants to treat illness.

The Illustrated Handbook of Medicinal Plants also includes specific remedies for asthma, headaches, colds, stomachaches, depression, and many other common ailments. The book will be of great practical benefit to a wide-ranging audience. With this book, you will be able to understand about medicinal plants with greater assurance. Herbal medicine remains largely an unproven, inexact science. Although the history of herbal medicine provides decades, sometimes centuries, of anecdotal information, scientific study of herbal medicine is relatively new. Despite the criticism of herbal medicine among mainstream medical professionals, it is wise to remember that many common drugs we use today were derived from plant-based sources. For example, scientists originally derived aspirin from willow bark; herbalists prescribe white willow for headPREFACE aches and pain control. Digitalis, a drug prescribed for certain heart conditions, comes from an extract of potentially toxic foxglove flowers. Traditional systems of medicine continue to be widely practiced on many accounts. Population rise, inadequate supply of drugs, prohibitive cost of treatments, side effects of several synthetic drugs and development of resistance to currently used drugs for infectious diseases have led to increased emphasis on the use of plant materials as a source of medicines for a wide variety of human ailments. Treatment with medicinal plants is considered very safe as there is no or minimal side effects. These remedies are in sync with nature, which is the biggest advantage. The golden fact is that, use of herbal treatments is independent of any age groups and the sexes. The ancient scholars only believed that