Overview
People have always been curious about the plants and animals with which they coexist. Primitive cultures identified edible and poisonous plants largely by trial and error, and then used them for hunting, executions, euthanasia, and magico-religious rites, as well as for their medicinal properties. In this fascinating book, John Mann investigates the evolution of modern medicine from its roots in folk medicine, and reveals the continuing importance of natural plant and animal products, many of which remain undiscovered but under threat by the wholesale destruction of the Earth's wild places. In this new edition, he has updated the material to include discussion of the background to some of the most talked about drugs of recent years, including Prozac and Viagra.
The book contains black-and-white illustrations.
Editorials
Reviewer: Douglas M. Haynes, PhD(University of California Irvine)
Description: The book offers an engaging exploration of the history of the pharmacological properties of plant and animal extracts and modern synthetic compounds.
Purpose: In this new edition, the author devotes equal attention to the use and understanding of xenobiotics and drugs in magic, medicine, and murder during the pre-modern and modern era.
Audience: This is a book that should appeal to readers who are familiar with the basics of pharmacology and lay readers who are interested in the history of medicine.
Features: The author does a particularly fine job of illuminating the meaning of literary references as well as tribal/traditional uses of poisons and potions in the world. Readers also will profit considerably from his discussion of the biochemical effects of drugs on the body, ranging from the reproductive system, heart and circulation, central nervous system, to the gastrointestinal tract.
Assessment: The visual aids in the book are well chosen. The diagrams, charts, and photographs complement the narrative and add needed clarity to the body's biochemistry and the chemical composition of extracts and drugs.
3 Stars from Doody