Plants in the development of modern medicine / [a symposium held May 8-10, 1968

The Botanical Museum of Harvard University and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences jointly sponsored a symposium in May 1968 on “Plants in the Development of Modern Medicine.” This volume gathers together the papers written by eleven of the twelve experts attending the meeting who represented six countries and who employed widely differing disciplines in focusing on the single topic. As editor of this work and a contributor to it, Tony Swain defines the broad scope of the meeting—from man’s magico-religious concern with drugs and disease to the practical problems of isolating and identifying the specific compounds of potential medicinal use. Attesting to the pervading interdisciplinary aspect of present-day investigation, this study places major emphasis on the anthropological and pharmacological approaches to research. Introduction: Paul C. Mangelsdorf, P.xi; The Anthropological Outlook For Amerindian Medical Plants: S. Henry Wassen, P.1; Magic And Witchcraft In Relation To Plants And Folk Medicine: John Mitchell Watt, P.67; The Future Of Plants As Sources Of New Biodynamic Compounds: Richard Evans Schultes, P.103; The Significance Of Comparative Phytochemistry In Medical Botany: Tony Swain, P.125; Medicinal Plants And Empirical Drug Research: Rudolf Hansel, P.161; Biodynamic Agents From Microorganisms: Nestor Bohonos, P.175; Drugs From Plants Of The Sea: Ara Der Marderosian, P.209; Ergot-a Rich Source Of Pharmacologically Active Substances: Albert Hofmann, P.235; Recent Advances In The Chemistry Of Tumor Inhibitors Of Plant Origin: S. Morris Kupchan, P.261; The Phytochemistry And Biological Activity Of Catharanthus Lanceus (apocynaceae): Norman R. Farnsworth, P.279; The Ordeal Bean Of Old Calabar: The Pageant Of Physostigma Venosum In Medicine: Bo Holmstedt, P.303; Index: P.361. Edited By Tony Swain. A Duplicate Copy Of This Title Was Part Of The Julio Mario Santo Domingo Collection, But Was Not Retained. Includes Bibliographies. Contents Foreword Preface Introduction The Anthropological Outlook for Amerindian Medicinal Plants Magic and Witchcraft in Relation to Plants and Folk Medicine The Future of Plants as Sources of New Biodynamic Compounds The Significance of Comparative Phytochemistry in Medical Botany Medicinal Plants and Empirical Drug Research Biodynamic Agents from Microorganisms Drugs from Plants of the Sea Ergot-Α Rich Source of Pharmacologically Active Substances Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Tumor Inhibitors of Plant Origin The Phytochemistry and Biological Activity of Catharanthus lanceus (Apocynaceae) The Ordeal Bean of Old Calabar: The Pageant of Physostigma venenosum in Medicine Index