17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating ethnobotany, February 6, 2004
This review is from: Marijuana Medicine: A World Tour of the Healing and Visionary Powers of Cannabis (Paperback)
This fascinating book considers the role of cannabis or hemp as medicine in a multitude of cultures from around the world. The author looks at the historical role and medicinal and cultural uses of hemp in these societies.
The introduction deals with botany, taxonomy, chemistry and pharmacology and also looks at the literature and research, providing an impressive bibliography.
Some of the interesting chapters include information on shamanism in Nepal, hemp in the Chinese herbal arts, Vijaya in Ayurvedic medicine, Bhanga in Indian and Nepalese folk medicine and the use of the plant in Africa and the Americas.
Each chapter includes recipes and remedies that contain hemp from these traditions for various disease conditions. The plant has a long history as herbal medicine with a multitude of applications.
The author discusses the German saint, seeress and musician Hildegard von Bingen and German medieval medicine, and provides one of her hemp containing remedies for stomachache. The role of hemp in Alchemy, Rastafarianism and Homeopathy is also investigated.
A list of diseases which hemp is used to treat is provided, from abdominal pains to wounds, whilst the bibliography includes books, articles, periodicals, multimedia and website addresses.
The text is enhanced by black and white illustrations whilst the beautiful full colour plates include botanical illustrations, photographs, paintings, album covers, T-shirts and buttons. There is also an impressive painting by Alex Grey of the hemp goddess.
The book includes a glossary of terms and concludes with an index. Every chapter has its own bibliography. This is a valuable reference and source book and provides a spellbinding read.
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9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anthropology blends with medicine, November 8, 2001
This review is from: Marijuana Medicine: A World Tour of the Healing and Visionary Powers of Cannabis (Paperback)
Marijuana Medicine provides a visual record of cannabis growing and its role in medicinal applications around the world, from Asian healing traditions to applications in Latin American and Indian folk medicine. Anthropology blends with medicine in this survey of how marijuana is used around the world.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent, March 3, 2009
This review is from: Marijuana Medicine: A World Tour of the Healing and Visionary Powers of Cannabis (Paperback)
I bought this book that I found on the discounted book pile ... Ratsch's book, "Marijuana Medicine" is very well written. It discusses the cultural and historical uses of marijuana as a medicine through the years. I found it very interesting. The pictures were a nice touch! The sections on current western medicine and self-medication were of particular interest to me. I found that, overall, most of the relevant topics in these two sections were addressed. They could have, and ought to have been of sufficient detail, including analysis and studies found throughout the literature. Again, it was engaging, well written, informed me about historical and intercultural uses that I'd not known before. But, it lacked sufficient detail for adoption as a scholarly book or resource. Interesting topic that probably merits further discussion. I give it a B.
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