This is a reprint of a book originally published in 1981. It is probably the most definitive history of the origin and development of herbal medicine in the West and as such should be required reading for every herbalist, pharmacist, physician, and regulatory official. The author gives a painstakingly accurate and detailed account of the development of herbalism from the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans through medieval Europe through the age of enlightenment to modern times. From the time of Paracelsus in the middle sixteenth century to the present, the author focuses on the dynamic tension that has developed between herbalism and conventional medicine. Unfortunately, the chapter titled "Herbs and the Law" was written in the late 1970's and no longer accurately reflects the current state of affairs regarding herbalism in the U.S. This is probably the only unfortunate weakness of this book; the publisher did not elicit from the author a revised version of this chapter whic h would have made it much more relevant for today's reader.
Article copyright American Botanical Council.