Medicinal Plants in China: A Selection of 150 Commonly Used Species (WHO Regional Publications)

Catalogues the 150 species of medicinal plants most commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The book, which was compiled in collaboration with the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, was produced in an effort to communicate knowledge about herbal medicine that has accumulated over thousands of years, has been confirmed through both empirical experience and scientific evaluation, and yet has rarely been published outside the Chinese literature. The book also responds to increasing respect for the value of medicinal plants as a source of efficacious and inexpensive new drugs that offer an important alternative to chemically synthesized medicines. Each plant species is first documented by a full colour photograph taken under natural conditions during the flowering or fruiting season. Where relevant, a second photograph illustrates the plant parts from which the crude drug is extracted. Explanatory notes for each species cover botanical name and synonyms, Chinese name, English name, parts used, description of the plant, its habitat, and geographical distribution, and clinical indications and dosage. Some of the syndromes and clinical signs are described in traditional Chinese medical terminology. Information on indications and dosage is in keeping with theories for the prescription of medicinal plants taken from traditional Chinese pharmacology. To facilitate retrieval of information, plant species are indexed according to botanical names, English names, names in Chinese phonetic alphabet, and Chinese (Han) characters. The book, which was compiled for reference and educational purposes, includes a note advising readers of the dangers of self-treatment. frontmatter 1 toc 2 preface 7 acknowledgements 8 introduction 9 notice 11 1stpage 12 medicinal plants 13 03 13 05 14 07 15 09 16 11 17 13 18 15 19 17 20 19 21 21 22 23 23 25 24 27 25 29 26 31 27 33 28 35 29 37 30 39 31 41 32 43 33 45 34 47 35 49 36 51 37 53 38 55 39 57 40 59 41 61 42 63 43 65 44 67 45 69 46 71 47 73 48 75 49 77 50 79 51 81 52 83 53 85 54 87 55 89 56 91 57 93 58 95 59 97 60 99 61 101 62 103 63 105 64 107 65 109 66 111 67 113 68 115 69 117 70 119 71 121 72 123 73 125 74 127 75 131 76 133 77 135 78 137 79 139 80 141 81 143 82 145 83 147 84 149 85 151 86 153 87 155 88 157 89 159 90 161 91 163 92 165 93 167 94 169 95 171 96 173 97 175 98 177 99 179 100 181 101 183 102 185 103 187 104 189 105 191 106 193 107 195 108 197 109 199 110 201 111 203 112 205 113 207 114 209 115 211 116 213 117 215 118 217 119 219 120 221 121 223 122 225 123 227 124 229 125 231 126 233 127 235 128 237 129 239 130 241 131 243 132 245 133 247 134 249 135 251 136 253 137 255 138 257 139 259 140 261 141 263 142 265 143 267 144 269 145 271 146 273 147 275 148 277 149 279 150 281 151 283 152 285 153 287 154 289 155 291 156 293 157 295 158 297 159 299 160 301 161 indexes 162 botanical names 162 english names 166 chinese names 170 han names 173 Compiled By The Institute Of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy Of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Includes Also Chinese Botanical Names. Includes Indexes.