The popularity of Tibetan medicine plays a central role in the international market for alternative medicine and has been increasing and extending far beyond its original cultural area becoming a global phenomenon. This book analyses Tibetan medicine in the 21st century by considering the contemporary reasons that have led to its diversity and by bringing out the common orientations of this medical system. Using case studies that examine of the social, political and identity dynamics of Tibetan medicine in Nepal, India, the PRC, Mongolia, the UK and the US, the contributors to this book answer the following three, fundamental questions: What are the modalities and issues involved in the social and therapeutic transformations of Tibetan medicine? How are national policies and health reforms connected to the processes of contemporary redefinition of this medicine? How does Tibetan medicine fit into the present, globalized context of the medical world? Written by experts in the field from the US, France, Canada, China and the UK this book will be invaluable to students and scholars interested in contemporary medicine, Tibetan studies, health studies and the anthropology of Asia. 'Winner of the ICAS Colleagues Choice Award 2009"

This is the first book to set out a full range of research strategies for evaluating the clinical practice of acupuncture. Leading acupuncturists and researchers with international reputations share their expertise. They illustrate their descriptions with practical examples of what has worked and what has not. It outlines many of the key challenges in the field. These challenges relate to the nature of acupuncture and the gap between current research evidence and the actual experiences of acupuncturists in the field. By focusing the chapters on key research questions, rather than methods, the book has a user-friendly feel. Each chapter is easily accessible with brief explanations of research designs as well as vignettes of relevant past research. The book is based on a deep understanding of acupuncture, with its inherent complexity in practice, whether based on traditional principles or more modern concepts. By incorporating a more sophisticated understanding of the field, this book details a range of strategies aiming to develop the evidence base with the utmost rigour. It is the first book on acupuncture research to take this unique view, integrating the very best of evidence-based medicine with a genuine sensitivity to the discipline of acupuncture, from its traditional and holistic roots to its more modern interpretations.

This book focuses on tested hypnoanalytic techniques, with step-by-step procedures for integrating hypnosis into psychoanalytic processes. In its examination of the latest thinking, research, and techniques, the book discusses historical origins of hypnosis as well as how to apply it to current events, such as using hypnosis in the treatment of trauma with soldiers coming out of the war in Iraq. The text shows how hypnosis can be combined with psychoanalysis to make it possible to understand the subjective world of clients. Its accessible nature, rich detail, and significant updates make the book an invaluable resource for the professional who wishes to incorporate hypnosis into his or her practice. With the authors' extensive and impressive knowledge, careful updates, and comprehensive coverage of the proper and appropriate techniques to use, this volume is an indispensable addition to the field.

Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth is a concise highly illustrated and practical guide to using acupuncture to treat women throughout their pregnancy and labour. Drawing on an unparalleled wealth of experience as a midwife and an acupuncturist, the author has produced a book accessible to both acupuncture students and practitioners covering physiology related to pregnancy and childbirth, illuminating links between Western knowledge and acupuncture approaches and suggesting points and point combinations for particular stages and actions during pregnancy and labour. Many practitioners are reluctant to treat pregnant women as they feel they lack a full understanding of pregnancy and fear harming the baby. This exciting new edition provides the practical advice and instruction required to bridge that gap in knowledge and give practitioners the confidence they need. Highly illustrated with summary boxes and guidelines Covers nutritional aspects of pregnancy Gives practical advice and instruction on the use of acupuncture through the four trimesters of pregnancy and labour Uses case examples to further illustrate the text Covers recent advances in relation to the effects of aspirin and heparin to the immune system and pregnancy Includes IVF pregnancies Glossary and appendix of useful addresses Fully updated and revised throughout to include recent research Nutrition and its effect on the foetus (new and developing area of research)

Hypnotherapy provides a powerful tool for utilizing the power of the mind to reduce distress and suffering. This concise guide provides readers with a rich source of ideas on starting hypnotherapy practice, and thinking seriously about hypnosis as a powerful adjunct to psychotherapy and medical interventions. With a clear definition of what hypnosis really is, readers can develop an understanding of the rationale for utilising hypnotherapy with particular disorders.As the medical community is progressively adopting a biopsychosocial model of healing, there is a serious move toward validating the scientific credibility of hypnosis, and hypnotherapy has become a well-established treatment. Unlike any other introductory text, "Hypnotherapy Explained" adopts a uniquely scientific approach among introductory texts; reviewing theories and offering practical ways to integrate hypnotherapy in medical, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic practice. It is enlightening reading for general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists and other healthcare professionals.

This expansive text offers a comprehensive mind/body/spirit framework for relieving individual patients of the debilitating effects of long-term disease while reducing the public burden of chronic illness. It introduces the patient-centered Pathways Model, featuring a robust scientific base for psychotherapy, complementary and alternative modalities, and a religious/spiritual element, in progressive levels of treatment from self-help to professional help. Chapters spotlight component skills of the model, including treatment planning, patient rapport, and choosing therapies for optimal well-being. The authors advocate for interventions ranging from lifestyle change to mindfulness, and biofeedback to pastoral counseling. In addition, in-depth case studies detail memorable patient journeys from diagnosis and referral to assessment, engagement in treatment and outcome. Among the topics covered: * Mind, body, and spirit in chronic illness. * The need for an integrative model to support comprehensive health-supportive change. * Chronic disease from a functional medicine perspective. * Mechanisms by which religious engagement and religion-based variables affect health. * Complementary and integrative medicine for the Pathways Model. * PLUS: Pathways approaches to chronic pain, caregiver stress, diabetes, mood disorders, PTSD, brain injury, heart disease, cancer, and more. Emphasizing patient individuality and clinician creativity, Integrative Pathways models a compassionate approach to lessening persistent suffering for use by health psychologists, physicians, counselors, health coaches, and other practitioners involved in complementary and integrative medicine, pain medicine, and rehabilitation. "The Pathway Model addresses what clinical researchers in the field have been calling for, a research-based approach to health and wellness that clearly explains important concepts and provides an optimal foundation from which to approach health interventions." Patrick R. Steffen, PhD, BCB, Brigham Young University

This book explains in full how the emotional, mental and physical elements of Chinese Medicine in illness are an extremely effective therapy in dealing with cases where the alterations of the shen are both obvious and subtle. This book focusses on the psycho-spiritual aspects of patients' conditions and is purposely constructed to facilitate practitioners' formulations of diagnosis and treatment. It reflects throughout on the patient-practitioner relationship, resources and various characteristics of acupuncture, and inherent problems and qualities. "Shen: Psycho-emotional aspects of Chinese medicine is more than an acupuncture book or a clinical text on how to treat psychological diseases. The authors, by connecting personal clinical experience and through study of classical texts, have created a model that shows how to develop Chinese medicine in the West. This is a very important achievement." From the Foreword by Volker Scheid Practitioner of Chinese medicine and Director of the European Institute of Oriental Medicine (Munich/London). Offers clinical guidelines for treating people with psycho-emotional symptoms. Includes researched material and clinical applications concerning emotions and movement. Describes the causes and progression of psycho-emotional symptoms in terms of etiological and pathological mechanisms, specific symptoms, and classical syndromes. Features in-depth description of 29 clinical case studies with discussion on points, ongoing treatment, and problematic situations.

Edited by a clinical psychologist who has been on the ground helping to develop psychosocial support for Ebola survivors in one of the hardest-hit regions of West Africa, this book explains the devastating emotional aspects of the epidemic and its impact on survivors and the population in West Africa, families in the diaspora, and people in the United States and other countries. It also describes lessons learned from past epidemics like HIV/AIDS and SARS, and valuable approaches to healing from future epidemics. While the devastating Ebola epidemic has been contained, the effects of this outbreak—referred to by the World Health Organization as "the most severe acute public health emergency seen in modern times"—have wreaked a tremendous emotional toll on the populations of West Africa as well as on families and survivors worldwide. This groundbreaking book covers the psychosocial needs, programs, and policies related to the Ebola epidemic and examines broader lessons of the outbreak, such as changes in the ways in which healing from future epidemics can be handled. Edited by Judy Kuriansky, PhD, a noted clinical psychologist and United Nations NGO representative with extensive experience helping after disasters worldwide, and direct experience gained from being "on the ground" in West Africa in the midst of the epidemic, this book identifies and explains universal psychological factors at play in all such crises. It debunks myths regarding Ebola and describes the resulting psychological and social harm caused by the epidemic. The chapters cover overarching emotional issues and problems as well as the long-term impact on at-risk groups, such as children, women, and health workers; the impact of emotional issues on social and economic life; responses of government officials, media, and various aid organizations; and solutions being offered by groups worldwide, including service and humanitarian organizations, politicians, policymakers, and public health education groups.

As spas become hugely popular, trendy and busy environments designed to ease the stress of the weary, the spa therapist is often at the sharp end of a predominantly service oriented industry. The therapist's role is an intimate one and they can often become prone to imbalances in the body, mind and spirit as a consequence of the demands and pressure of the work. The physical proximity to clients, which is the nature of hands on body work, can bring up intense imbalances for the therapist that they are often not aware of. Training is usually inadequate and does not address the finer points of the therapists role on a psycho-physiological level as well as what is appropriate protocol.This book covers the 5 important key areas of their work giving valuable guidance, exercises, advice and information on how to take care of the body, prepare the mind, protect and utilize the spirit, channel the breath and provides a resource of legal and corporate matters to support the spa therapist at all times. Relevant in any culture and detailed to address the different type of spas, this book is the must have aid to support hands on therapy.

Although research and practice in hypnosis has seen unprecedented expansion, there has been a definite lack of inclusive and comprehensive surveys to aid the student and researcher. This collection of original chapters written by leading experimental investigators is the first work to offer a current state-of-the-art in hypnosis research. A compendium of the historical background, theories, issues, and trends in hypnosis, this volume represents all major experimental viewpoints while providing a virtual "who's who" in the field of hypnosis.
The first two chapters (written by the editors) establish the current theoretical base of the field and review the historical background. Seventeen contributions focus directly on key aspects of present day hypnosis research. These contributions are organized as surveys of broad topic areas, descriptions in depth of individual investigator's programmatic lines of research, and reports on research within specific areas, especially those representing new viewpoints and holding promise for programmatic development. A final chapter develops questions for future research.
Offering an inclusive survey of the field from its historical inceptions to its current and predictive state, this book presents many new ideas while updating established positions in research and theory. The vital areas covered in connection with hypnosis include: psychophysiology, creativity, dreams, imagination, suggestibility, simulator controls, cognitive activity, and ego-psychological theory. In addition there are chapters on hypnosis as a research method, the measurement of altered states of consciousness, and hypnotic programming techniques in psychological experiments. "Hypnosis: Research Developments and Perspectives" is written for researchers in hypnosis and clinical practitioners in medicine and psychology. The book will serve as a basic text in all courses in hypnosis at the graduate level.
, One man alone cannot construct an entire profession, but David Shakow is one of the architects responsible for shaping clinical psychology into the profession it is today. Reflecting the ideas of a man whose name is synonymous with the field, this volume brings together for the first time his most significant papers in this area and presents a comprehensive, far-reaching overview of clinical psychology addressed to all of its professionals and students.
Dr. Shakow's forty years of influence as a clinician, training program administrator, professor, researcher, and public servant are profoundly reflected in these papers. They offer insight into the work and world of the clinician, the nature of training programs, the history and development of the profession, and the relationship between clinical psychology and other disciplines. Not simply a descriptive record of one man's achievements, the thinking mirrored in this volume is pertinent, even crucial, to the future development of the field.
The author's persistent and continuing concern for top quality in training and practice pervades these essays, making them a unified chronicle of the professional growth of clinical psychology and of a master professional's ideas and involvements with the problems and issues in his field. No clinician or student can fully understand the nature of the field, how it came to be, and where it is going, without reading this volume.
"David Shakow" (1901-1981) was Senior Research Psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health. He was Chief Psychologist and Director of Psychological Research at the Worcester State Hospital for eighteen years. He has taught at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and at the University of Chicago, He was also Chief Psychologist at the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute and a past president of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association as well as chairman of the Association's Committee on Training in Clinical Psychology.
"Erika Fromm" (1909-2003) was Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Chicago; she was President of the American Board of Psychological Hypnosis, and the Clinical Editor of the "International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis" and associate editor of "The Bulletin of the British Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis." She was also past president of The American Psychological Association psychological hypnosis division, Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and American Board of Psychological Hypnosis. Ronald E. Shor is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of New Hampshire and Vice-Chairman of the Education and Research Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

Healing Plants of Nigeria: Ethnomedicine and Therapeutic Applications offers comprehensive information on the use of herbal medicines in West Africa. Combining an evidence-based, ethnobotanical perspective with a pharmacological and pharmaceutical approach to phytomedicine, the book bridges the gap between the study of herbal plants' pharmacological properties and active compounds for the development of clinical drugs and community-oriented approaches, emphasising local use. It demonstrates how the framework of African traditional medicine can be preserved in a contemporary clinical context. The book outlines the history and beliefs surrounding the traditional use of herbs by the local population alongside their application in contemporary phytotherapy in Nigeria and West Africa. It features a critical assessment of the scientific rationale behind the use of these plants in ethnomedicine and offers a composite catalogue of phytotherapeutic and wellness agents, detailing the safety profile, efficacy, and scientific integrity of plants used to treat diseases and optimise health. Features: An ethnobotanical survey containing over 200 full-colour photographs of Nigerian and West African plants. A unique combination of ethnobotany and pharmacognosy, bridging the divide between pharmaceutical and community-oriented approaches to herbal medicine research. Contextual discussion of the therapeutic potential of Nigerian herbal medicine. Offers a template which can be used to separate the superstitious aspects of ethnomedicine from culturally inherited deposits of knowledge. A handbook for herbal and natural medicine practitioners, the book is aimed at African thinkers, scientists, healthcare providers and students of pharmacology and ethnomedicine.

Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) have become big business both in Australia and other western countries. Alongside the growing consumption and provision of CAM has emerged a small but significant body of research literature exploring these medicines.
Nevertheless, CAM research is in its infancy and there is a real and urgent need for further capacity building in this area of study. CAM remains heavily under-researched and the growing number of private and University CAM courses and qualifications acknowledge and address this need for further research capacity building. With this context in mind, this book constitutes a valuable and timely resource for those looking to understand, initiate and expand CAM research.
The collection brings together leading international CAM researchers (UK, Germany, Canada, New Zealand and Australia) with backgrounds and expertise in health social science, statistics, qualitative methodology, general practice, clinical trials methodology, clinical pharmacology, health services research and public health. Contributors draw upon their own CAM research work and experience to explain and review core methods and research issues pertinent to the contemporary field of CAM and its future development. The book addresses such questions as: what is the use and limitation of evidence in CAM research? What are the issues facing practitioners (GPs, therapists, nurses, etc) who wish to conduct research? How and why should qualitative methods be combined alongside quantitative methods to help explore CAM? How does the randomized control trial (RCT) method relate to CAM? What types of research questions relating to CAM can be addressed by variousmethods? What should be the future direction of CAM research in terms of public health and policy-related agendas?

Covering 400 herbs and supplements, Natural Standard Herb & Supplement Guide: An Evidence-Based Reference provides the high-quality, up-to-date, unbiased information you need to advise your patients. No other book can match its expertise and attention to evidence! Each monograph is concise and easy to read, and includes uses, dosage information, safety considerations, and interactions with drugs and other herbs and supplements. At-a-glance research summaries and an alphabetical organization allow for quick lookup in busy settings! Monographs for the 400 most commonly used and prescribed herbs and supplements - such as arnica, ginseng, lavender, glucosamine, and blue cohosh - provide the information you need for effective clinical decision-making. A unique, evidence-based A-F grading scale evaluates the efficacy of each herb and supplement. Unique! Rating scales show at a glance the quality of available evidence. Updates are peer-reviewed, and include new scientific evidence, dosage recommendations, and more. Dosing information includes dosages for adults and children, and methods for administering. Coverage of allergies, side effects/warnings, and pregnancy/breast-feeding promotes safety by indicating when specific herbs and supplements should not be used, or when caution is required. A review of evidence includes detailed explanations of clinical trials cited and conclusions drawn, especially as they relate to specific diseases and conditions. Evidence tables summarize clinical trial data and provide a quick reference for clinical decision-making. Unique! Cross-referencing by condition and scientific evidence grade provides a convenient decision support tool, making it easy to find the herbs and supplements that may be used for the treatment of particular conditions.

Ayurveda is an ancient system of health care that developed in India several thousand years ago. Allied with the spiritual philosophy of Hinduism, Ayurveda is a practical and inclusive system of health care orientated to the prevention and treatment of disease through the observation of important principles found in biological systems. This unique one-of-a-kind book is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of Ayurveda, and discusses the practical use of therapies such as diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, massage, and herbal remedies. The book also includes detailed information on Ayurvedic pharmacology and pharmacy, clinical methods and examinations, and general treatment protocols. The final section provides a comprehensive materia medica of 50 Indian herbs that include botanical descriptions, traditional Ayurvedic knowledge, constituent data and latest medical research, as well as clinical indications, formulations and dosages. Helpful full-color insert containing photos of the 50 herbs covered, alongside a ruler for scale, allows the reader to quickly identify herbs correctly. Includes useful appendices, including information on dietary and lifestyle regimens, Ayurvedic formulations, Ayurvedic weights and measures, glossaries on Ayurvedic terms, and medical substances. Unique contributions include a discussion of pathology, clinical methods, diagnostic techniques, and treatment methods from an Ayurvedic perspective.

This set of six volumes provides a systematic and standardized description of 23,033 chemical components isolated from 6,734 medicinal plants, collected from 5,507 books/articles published in Chinese and international journals. A chemical structure with stereo-chemistry bonds is provided for each chemical component, in addition to conventional information, such as Chinese and English names, physical and chemical properties. It includes a name list of medicinal plants from which the chemical component was isolated. Furthermore, abundant pharmacological data for nearly 8,000 chemical components are presented, including experimental method, experimental animal, cell type, quantitative data, as well as control compound data. The seven indexes allow for complete cross-indexing. Regardless whether one searches for the molecular formula of a compound, the pharmacological activity of a compound, or the English name of a plant, the information in the book can be retrieved in multiple ways.

This book explores the macro and micro social contexts in which alternative and bio-medicine co-exist in Israel. It includes a history of alternative health care in Israel and analysis of current policies and dilemmas regarding different forms of health care. It provides an in-depth analysis of medical professionals who have added alternative health care to their repertoire of professional skills in their practice settings in hospitals and community clinics. The heterogeneity of patient populations in Israel makes it possible to explore attitudes of different cultural groups toward alternative health care: these include Jewish immigrants from different countries as well as Bedouin and other Arab groups. Since alternative medicine is a growing part of the overall health care system in many countries, the book provides insights gained from the Israeli experience regarding its coexistence along with conventional medicine-to a broad spectrum of health professionals, policy makers and laypersons.

An accessible handbook for patients and practitioners, bringing new clarity to our understanding of CBD and cannabis. In recent years, the popularity of CBD products has exploded - with 'wonder drug' claims being made for nearly every ailment ranging from cancer to anxiety. But what do we actually know about this panacea? There is more often than not a cloud of confusion which surrounds CBD in its many forms. What does it actually do? What's the best way to use it? What's the difference between the vast array of products? Are there herb-drug interactions? Complementary practitioners are not trained in the benefits or contraindications of cannabis when used medically. A quick search on the internet often produces more confusion, with a plethora internet help forums springing up and manufacturers trying to jump onto the bandwagon - often creating products of dubious quality made from vague ingredients. Karin Mallion's new book aims to fill the gaps in our understanding of CBD. The CBD Handbook is an accessible guide, written for patients and practitioners alike, which provides readers with a history and overview of CBD and cannabis. It lists in detail which conditions and ailments CBD can help with and provides a detailed look at cannabinoids, THC, endocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system. It also explores the different types of cannabis, the phytochemistry of cannabis, appropriate herbal medicine to use alongside CBD and cannabis, legal issues, case histories and issues around clinical use.

Have you been traveling down a dead-end road? Are you stuck in patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that cause you unrest? Do you hear a voice within hinting that there is some greater purpose for you? Are you ready to revolutionize how you think, feel and live? This life changing book contains the keys for you to access your best self, and live your most fulfilled life. Detox. Nourish. Activate: Plant & Vibrational Medicine for Energy, Mood & Love by Dr. LuLu Shimek and Adora Winquist offers a visionary approach to empower readers on the path of self-discovery and self-mastery. This three step system is designed to heal trauma at the core level from this lifetime and many previous generations. These three areas of well-being are explored, in depth, with eleven primary alchemical interventions to facilitate healing down to the DNA level. With a series of introspective explorations, meditations, plant based formulas and profound insight, readers connect deeply to Detox, Nourish and Activate the brain, adrenal glands and heart for holistic healing and personal growth. The power for your healing journey is at your fingertips. Transform your health, your life, and your world. Leaders in the field of alternative medicine, Dr. Lulu Shimek and Adora Winquist guide you through the healing journey. Dr. Lulu Shimek is an expert in genetic health and works with patients experiencing chronic disease; she teaches her patients to create new lifestyles and relationships with themselves by a thorough examination of the foundations of health. Master formulator Adora Winquist is a visionary in the nascent field of Quantum Alchemy, an evolutionary transformative path for self-mastery which facilitates healing at the DNA level using an amalgamation of plant and vibrational modalities. She is a pioneer in the fields of aromatherapy and energy medicine..

In-depth knowledge of the chemistry of medicinal plants is essential in understanding the manifold utilities of such plants; and to enhance our understanding of the quality of raw materials, extracts and formulations; and in marketing plant-derived drugs. The selection of plants studied in this treatise is based on its significance, and its representation of members of different taxonomic families as well as of different classes (and subclasses) of compounds. All the available data on the chemical compounds and the pharmacological studies on these plants/compounds have been incorporated. The plants are arranged by the type and nature of chemical compounds they contain. Secondary metabolites have been included in this volume due to their great therapeutic role.

This study provides a comprehensive and balanced view of the New Age through formal studies and original research. Equal attention is accorded to practices and institutions illustrating the New Age as a concrete, living enterprise, not merely a philosophy. The book offers a thorough study of major writings by British, American and other commentators, detailed ethnographic testimony, and a broad survey of the New Age phenomenon in all its aspects.

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 medicinesfrom 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.

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 medicinesfrom 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.

Traditional Chinese medicine commonly prescribes herbal formulas for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Shengmai San, a famous Chinese medicinal formula that has been used for more than eight hundred years in China, is comprised of Radix Ginseng, Fructus Schisandre and Radix Ophiopogonis. Traditionally, Shengmai San is used for the treatment of excessive loss of essence Qi and body fluid that threaten heart failure, particularly in the summer when heat exhaustion and profuse sweating commonly occur. This book provides a comprehensive treatise on the historical, phytochemical, pharmacological/toxicological, clinical as well as pharmaceutical aspects of Shengmai San and its component herbs.