Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Zambian Plants Used as Traditional Fever Cures

We live at a time when one in five of the world's plant species is threatened with extinction, and if we had the figures they would probably indicate that loss of knowledge about the usefulness of plants follows a similar trend. Both are vital to our continued ability to adapt and survive on this planet. Traditional knowledge has led to the development of many of our most effective and important medicines, particularly in the treatment of malaria and fever - from quinine to the Artemisia-based drugs of today. If we forget what we have learnt over tens of thousands of years, and we allow plants that have evolved over millions of years to become extinct, then we will have failed in our role as custodians for future generations. The traditional cures contained in this book add significantly to our common knowledge of plants and medicine. Regardless of immediate or future application, this publication ensures that the knowledge is not lost. Dennis Fowler is dedicated to finding this information, much residing in grey literature or rough notes in someone's attic or laboratory. He has meticulously been through both the raw data and the literature, and synthesised it into a format that is readily accessible to all. Whether you are a medical researcher, a botanist, an entomologist, an anthropologist or an interested reader, you will find this book useful and entertaining.