National Geographic Desk Reference to Nature's Medicine

by Foster, Steven; Johnson, Rebecca

• ISBN13: 9781426202933
• ISBN10: 1426202938
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-08-19
• Publisher: National Geographic

Summary

For millennia, humans have looked to nature for remedies to ailments great and small. Long before formal science enabled us to take a systematic approach to medicine, healers used plants to alleviate pain, ease the symptoms of dozens of diseases, and treat complaints of every kind. And today, countless people still use medicinal plants, whether in traditional roles or as building blocks for new research and innovative drugs. Featuring 350 full-color photographs, botanical drawings, and maps, this accessible, fact-filled book is based on the work of renowned botanical experts and presents alphabetically arranged, beautifully illustrated entries for hundreds of plants touted for millennia to soothe, even heal. Each is clearly described, with full details of its physical appearance and medicinal uses; its origins and geographic distribution, how it's harvested and used in conventional and alternative medicine, a range map; and more. It's also a fascinating medical chronicle filled with informative sidebars on everything from ancient folklore to the latest research. Readers learn how aspirin evolved from a concoction of willow bark to the familiar white pill of today, how the foxglove's flowery beauty contributes to the potent heart drug digitalis, and how many other now common treatments have deep historical and cultural roots. It's a journey that starts many centuries ago in remote places like the Amazon rain forest, where shamans practiced their powerful curative magic of plants, and leads to the high-tech pharmaceutical labs of today's scientists working to discover new plant-based drugs that can be used effectively to treat diseases major and minor alike, from cancer to the common cold.

Author Biography

Steven Foster is the best-selling author of Tyler’s Honest Herbal and the award-winning 101 Medicinal Herbs. He is a photographer, consultant, and lecturer with three decades of experience in the herbal field.

Rebecca L. Johnson has authored more than 60 books for adults and children on diverse scientific subjects ranging from polar exploration to climate change and has received national awards from Scientific American and the National Teachers Association.