“Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals” edited
by Max Wichti.
The book is written by number of German scholars and is meant actually
for Europe.
Though it is written in the book in General Instructions that “Indian
Systems of Medicine (Ayurvedic and Unani) have also been included.
In the Synonyms Sanskrit and Hindi names are not included.
This is bound to go hard for Indians, reading the book, to understand
easily about the described herbs.
There are number of herbal drugs well detailed in books of Indian
Materia Medica, Dravya Guna Vigyan, etc. written by Indian scholars
like AK Nadkarni, Dr Priyavrat Sharma of Benaras Hindu University,
etc. They can be easily understood and used in practice by the
regular practitioners provided they are included in regular medical
education.
There are number of Indian drugs included in this book under review
like Tagar, Shatavari, Jeera, Kalajeera, Sounf, etc. but they are
not easily understood in this book written by Germans.
This book, therefore, is good for Institutions where it can be
read comparing with Indian Materia Medicas, etc.
PN Awasthi
Retd. Chief Surgeon
M.A. Podar Hospital |
