The East was known for its exotic plants and the lore associated with them. Down the ages, the inhabitants of our forests have been using their collective wisdom gained through centuries of experience and experimentation, sometimes fatal, to find out and use the medicinal properties of these plants for their own welfare. Of late, Western scientists too have begun appreciating the medicinal value of the varied plant life and many of them prefer to base modern medicines on what Nature provides through its bountiful storehouse of plant life. This book discusses the characteristics of 560 genera covering nearly 1170 species. An integrated and comprehensive account of all related aspects of the subject such as nomenclature, description, distribution, cultivation, processing, physical and chemical properties of a large selection of plants have been incorporated. Moreover, several interesting aspects on history, isolation and characterisation of active principles, transformation of medicinal system, medicinal plants, which are widely known for their curative effects of certain diseases, export of medicinal plants and phytochemicals, suggestions for improvement of medicinal crop industry, etc. are also discussed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Supriya Kumar Bhattacharjee
Prof. S.K. Bhattacharjee is an eminent scientist in the field of horticulture, retired as Project Coodinator, all India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture, Indian council of Agricultural Research, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, on January 31, 2003. He obtained his M.Sc. (Ag.) in Horticulture from Calcutta University. He is also a diploma holder in Business Management and Industrial Administration, United Nations studies and Landscape Architecture. He has 38 years research, teaching, management, developmental and administrative experience in private organisations, Indian Botanic Gardens, Botanical Survey of India, State Agricultural Universitites and ICAR Institutes. He was Head of the Division of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Bangalore. He has also served as Professor of Horticulture and Professor in charge, North Bengal Campus, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Visvavidyalaya, Cooch-Behar, West Bengal, which has later converted into a full-fledged Agricultural University presently named as Uttar Banga Krishi Visvavidyalaya. While serving in private organisations, he has laid out many landscape gardens in different agro-climatic conditions of the country, collected a wide range of indigenous and exotic plants from India and abroad and propagated tem on a large scale for use in gardens. Prof. Bhattacharjee has visited several foreign countries. He has published about 400 research papers and popular scientific articles in journals of national and international repute. He is the author of seven books among which Advanced commercial Floriculture, Handbook of Medicinal Plants have been widely acclaimed and well-received.
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