This is a WHO monograph on selected medicinal plants describing their quality control and use. It contains two parts: the first provides pharmacopoeial summaries for quality assurance purposes; and the second describes the clinical applications of the plant material.

NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Wednesday expressed concern over climate change that was threatening the existence of several Indian herbs which are key ingredients in the traditional Ayurvedic system of medicine.

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday said Ayurveda and Unani interventions could be used for increasing the immunity to fight various flu-like conditions. These could be adopted by normal healthy persons as well as those with mild symptoms such as cold, cough and body pain.

The mercury based Indian traditional drug Ras-Sindoor is administered for the various ailments such as syphilis, genital disorders, and for rejuvenation.

Sthaulya is a deprecate state of human being. The physical morbidity of Sthaulya is paramount and enhances several disease processes. In the study, the role of Agnimantha (Premna obtusifolia R. Br.) as antiobesity agent has been studied in 26 subjects with severe form of Sthaulya and has been compared in 24 age and sex matched controlled subjects.

The traditional knowledge of healing plants and their treatment methods are rooted in the Ayurvedic compendia and in the unscripted dialects of the people in India. Scientific documentation of this vast information has been accelerated in the last few decades. A first time study of the medicinal plants used for the treatment of fever in Madhavacikitsa text, one of the most important post Caraka-Susruta Samhitas reveals that there are a total of 182 vernacular (Sanskrit) plant names in the text for the treatment of all major types of fever.

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Ayurveda, according to Caraka, is knowledge which seeks to weigh life in the scales of wholesomeness and happiness against their opposites. Its main themes of health and disease, and recovery of health from disease take the stage against an inspiring background of intuitive philosophy, lofty idealism, and vivid compassion, which are the hallmarks of India

This paper presents authentication and quality evaluation of stem bark of Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde, officially considered as 'Ashoka', in comparison with stem barks of S. declinata Linn and Polyalthia longifolia Benth, which are also known as 'Ashoka'. S asoka is an important indigenous drugs for treatment of various female disorders.

Using the framework of medicine as culture and focusing on the indigenous medicine of ayurveda, this paper examines the relationship between health, culture and medicine, and its social reproduction in contemporary India.

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