Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 3rd Edition Hardcover – July 5, 2016 by Andrew Chevallier (DK) (IBRArtBooks)

With 550 key herbs and their uses as natural remedies for nearly 200 common ailments, Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2nd Edition is the definitive home reference to healing with the world's oldest form of medicine. From ginger to lavender and thyme to dandelion, learn about the chemistry of plants and how and why they work as medicines within the body.

Information on habitat and cultivation, parts used, active constituents, therapeutic properties, and traditional and current uses are described in a unique photographic plant index, and instructions on growing, harvesting, and processing your own home treatments are detailed. With its jargon-free text, fantastic photography, and focus on safety, this guide enables ease of understanding no matter what your level of herbal expertise.

Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, 2nd Edition is the ultimate reference for anyone interested in exploring the healing benefits of plants and who wants to take control of their health with alternative natural treatments. Now updated to reflect the latest research.

First published in 1996, this well-known reference was recently updated in a new 2016 edition. The book begins with general information regarding herbal medicine including how herbal medicine developed, herbal traditions from different parts of the world, and a history of the origins of herbal medicine. It contains information about more than 550 plants including both pharmacological information as well as the lore and traditional uses of plants.
The author estimates that of the 500,000 plants on earth, about 10,000 are used medicinally on a regular basis (Chevallier 55). The book provides detailed information on those plants which have been carefully researched for safety and efficacy are used most frequently. Entries include information regarding the cultivation, natural habitat, key actions and preparations of the plant, cautions and self-help uses. The book is generously illustrated with many full color photos and illustrations. Some of the items included are common food items including, for example, thyme, nutmeg, peppermint, asparagus, and oats. Many other plants will be much less familiar. Some of the plants are commonly available and others may be quite useful but difficult to locate in some areas.
The final chapters contain information regarding the culture, harvesting, and preparation of herbal remedies, safety of herbal preparations, and an index of herbal usage by ailment.

The author, Andrew Chevallier, a practicing medical herbalist for thirty years, helped to found the program in medical herbalism at Middlesex University in London which was the first of it's kind in a European university. He is a fellow and past-president of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), a member of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy, and has written extensively in the field of herbal medicine.