Book Review-Rational Phytotherapy
Book Review
Rational Phytotherapy, by V Schulz, R Hansel, V Tyler. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1998. 306 pp, $49.
March 1999; Volume 1: 29
By Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD
Rational phytotherapy is an invaluable resource for any physician interested in herbal medicine. This scholarly, well-referenced, and thoughtful textbook also contains many interesting tidbits—for instance, the ginkgo, a notoriously hardy tree, was the first green growth to sprout in Hiroshima in 1946.
One frustrating aspect of assessing clinical evidence on specific herbs is that many of these trials appear in German medical literature that are often difficult to find in American medical libraries. This book summarizes the numerous German studies of herbs as well some as studies in English language literature. It includes brief information on production and quality control and a thorough introduction to different dosage forms. The main body uses a systems approach, grouping herbs under central nervous system, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive tract, urinary tract, gynecology, skin and connective tissues, and agents that increase resistance to disease, which includes adaptogens, immune stimulants, and botanical antioxidants.
For most of the 100 herbs covered, active constituents are listed; pharmacological and toxicological information is included; clinical and animal studies are summarized; and risks, side effects, indications, dosages, and contraindications are covered.
The length of sections covered generally reflects the quantity of literature available. Although the recommendations of Commission E (the German agency charged with assembling herbal monographs, roughly equivalent to a division of the Food and Drug Administration) are often mentioned, this book does not rely on Commission E monographs. Its authors are well-known international authorities in herbal medicine.
The clinical trials summaries are the most valuable part of this book; more detail would have been preferable. An effort is made to critique trial methodology. Descriptions of individual trials are relatively brief but usually informative, containing information on number of patients, dose and duration of therapy, and main outcome measures. Some chapters, however, have less information on clinical trials than others, which is maddening. The ideal herbal reference book would include citations from journals in other languages, but this book constitutes a great leap forward in terms of rendering German trials accessible to North Americans.
March 1999; Volume 1: 29Subscribe Now for Access
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