Medicinal Plants

Information regarding 420 medicinal plants which are in use in Ayurvedic practice; belonging to 106 different families is included in this book. I have adopted family as a basis for grouping of these plants. Families are presented in alphabetical order. Species of plants belonging to each family are also presented in alphabetical order of their botanical names. In dealing with each plant, after its botanical name, all available synonyms are mentioned. This is followed by names popularly used in English and Indian languages. Many of the plants have a number of different names in Sanskrit. These names are mentioned. To help to identity the particular plant a line drawing with the characteristic botanical features is given below information about its habit and habitat. Available information about the chemical composition of the plants is given. Only certain parts of the plant are generally employed in medicine and these are mentioned. Side effects of allopathic drugs have scared people all over the world and there is a consorted effort to find an alternative therapeuptic method. As drugs of vegetable origin preponderate in Ayurvedic recipes, Ayurveda is increasingly attracting attention of the medical scientists of the advanced countries. Hence, Ayurvedic therapeutics is given special attention. Under Ayurvedic properties, for each plant material, information regarding its Rasa, Guna, Virya, Vipaka is given. Sanskrita Slokas from relevent Nighantus describing these properties are first given in Devanagary script followed by its rendering in Roman script using internationally recognized transliteration markings. This is followed by giving its action and uses according to Ayurvedic therapeutics. Information about its use in general therapeutical practice is then given.