Medicinal Plants in Tropical West Africa

This book describes the most important medicinal plants in tropical West Africa and similar humid tropical climates. After an introductory chapter about early traditional medicine, the bulk of the book gives an account of locally occurring plants, grouped by their medicinal actions. Plants that affect the cardiovascular and nervous systems are discussed, as are those with antibiotic, insecticidal and molluscicidal properties. Those which affect the hormonal systems of humans are catalogued as are others that act as adrenal-cortex, sex and thyroid hormones. There is a full botanical index, which includes the commonly found synonyms for many of the plants, and the work is illustrated by the author's own water-colours. It will be of particular interest and use to botanists and pharmacologists and will be of great value also to those who exploit locally available resources in treating diseases in tropical areas.Oliver-Bever, Bep is the author of 'Medicinal Plants in Tropical West Africa', published 1986 under ISBN 9780521268158 and ISBN 052126815X.