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American Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated and Descriptive Guide to Plants Indigeous to and Naturalized in the United States Which Are Used in Medicine

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Did you know the root of the common iris found throughout the United States was reputed by the American Indians to be a remarkable cure for gastric disturbances? Or that hopes, aside from being used in brewing, were noted for their sedative qualities? There are hundreds of different plants growing wild throughout the U.S. that over the centuries have become recognized for their medicinal qualities. This book was one of the first to catalogue these many plants and to present thorough exacting descriptions, of them as well as their uses and properties to the layman.

After general descriptions of the order and genus, every plant is presented in botanical sequence. Common and scientific names are given along with the name of the botanist who classified it. Then follows a detailed description of the plant with full information on its size, color, shape, range, habitat and other distinguishing characteristics.

The uses of the plant for medicinal purposes are equally detailed, citing observations from the time of the Greeks up to the near present. Each disease or ailment it is reported to have an effect upon is noted, as well as are the plants adverse or toxic effects. Methods of preparation are dutifully given along with the chemical constituents extracted from the plant. Altogether 180 individual plants are covered...each with a full page illustration; but considering the generic descriptions given at the beginning at each section, over 1000 valuable species are touched upon.