The compleat herbal;: Being a description of the origins, the lore, the characteristics, the types, and the prescribed uses of medicinal herbs, ... guide to all common medicinal plants

The Compleat Herbal - Well-known for his books on edible plants, Ben Harris now guides the reader through an entirely different but equally fascinating botanical subject: medicinal herbs. He traces the origins of herbal remedies, offers various methods of 3 identification and prescription - including the intriguing doctrine of signatures - and instruction on the preparation of herbal medicines, As part of the background, a discussion of American Indian remedies is included. The core of the book is a complete herbal, alphabetically arranged. Over 200 common plants are identified and their uses listed. This is a valuable reference book as well as required reading for the growing number of people who shy away from the use of chemical synthetics in food and drugs. The author disclaims any mystical properties or 'cure-alls, for herbs but reminds us that life-saving drugs such as quinine and digitalis as well as hundreds of medications found in every drugstore were created not in the chemist's but in nature's laboratory. An authentic and comprehensive guide to medicinal plants. Ben Charles Harris' many popular books on herbs include Eat the Weeds, Better Health with Culinary Herbs and Kitchen Medicines. He is a registered pharmacist and a member of numerous pharmacognostical, natural food and botanical associations.