The subject Pharmacognosy is that branch of study in the modern Pharmacy curriculum which deals with natural products of plant, animal and mineral origin used in modern medicine and research in chemistry at molecular level on natural products and in biotechnology.
The author in this book tries to give focus on an area where Pharmacognosist can interact clinically between traditional Indian systems of medicine and modern medicine by acting as a bridge between the two systems which are conceptually divergent in their basic idioms of practice. At present many super-specialty hospitals in India maintain in private sector a wing for alternative systems without any practical interaction. It underlines the importance of opening a new avenue for the subject Pharmacognosy from the existing role of ‘Phytochemist’ in the laboratory to ‘Herbal Clinical Pharmacist’ working in hospital environment to work as a mediator so that many patient oriented result could be documented for the nation through clinical interaction.
The book has ten Chapters roughly about 95 typed pages and the contents are as follows:
1) The first chapter is about the subject Pharmacognosy and the history of Development of therapy in west as modern medicine.
2) The second chapter is on Holistic medicines in India- history of development of Ayurveda through Atharvaveda, Caraka, Susruta, Vagbhata,Nagarjuna et.al, history and present status of Siddha, Unani, Yoga, Naturopathy,and Homeopathy.
3) The third Chapter is on Tribal medicine and the importance of preservation.
4) The fourth chapter is on Law of nature and Kosa theory.
5) The fifth chapter is on the influence of Ayurveda on the other global traditional systems.
6) The sixth chapter is on the Pharmacy education in the present India explainimg the first and second phases of development.
7) The seventh chapter is on the third phase of development envisaged by the author by introducing a concept of Herbal Clinical Pharmacist.
8) The eighth chapter is on reorientation in teaching Pharmacognosy.
9) The ninth chapter is on ethics and jurisprudence to be applied in therapy and need for co-existence of two parallel systems under one umbrella.
10) The tenth chapter is on standardization of traditional drugs & formulations.
The book cannot be considered as a text book right now, but is important to attract the attention of organizations like PCI, AICTE, APTI, IPA, AYUSH and Pharmacy students and institutions to rethink about the bifurcation of the subject Pharmacognosy and its social relevance in preserving traditional systems.
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