Rational Phytotherapy: A Physicians’ Guide to Herbal MedicineAuthor: Prof. Dr. med. Volker Schulz, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Rudolf Hänsel, Prof. em. Varro E. Tyler Ph. D., Sc. D. Published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg ISBN: 978-3-642-97706-0 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-97704-6Table of Contents:Medicinal Plants, Phytomedicines, and Phytotherapy Central Nervous System Cardiovascular System Respiratory System Digestive System Urinary Tract Gynecologic Indications for Herbal Remedies Skin and Connective Tissues Agents that Increase Resistance to Diseases Appendix: The 100 Most Commonly Prescribed Herbal Medications in Germany, Includes bibliographical references and index, Electronic reproduction, Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002, digitized, Description based on print version record, 1 Medicinal Plants, Phytomedicines, and Phytotherapy -- 1.1 Common Roots of Pharmacotherapy -- 1.2 Making Medicines Safer by Isolating and Modifying Plant Constituents -- 1.3 Extracts as Pharmacologically Active Components of Phytomedicines -- 1.4 Phytomedicines -- 1.5 Phytotherapy -- 1.6 Medicinal Teas Today -- 2 Central Nervous System -- 2.1 Ginkgo in the Treatment of Cognitive Deficiency -- 2.2 St.John's Wort as an Antidepressant -- 2.3 Kava as an Anxiolytic -- 2.4 Restlessness and Sleep Disturbances -- 3 Cardiovascular System -- 3.1 Heart Failure and Coronary Insufficiency -- 3.2 Hypotension and Hypertension -- 3.3 Atherosclerosis and Arterial Occlusive Disease -- 3.4 Chronic Venous Insufficiency -- 4 Respiratory System -- 4.1 Cold Syndrome (Flulike Infection) -- 4.2 General Phytotherapeutic Measures -- 4.3 Herbal Cough Remedies -- 4.4 Herbal Expectorants -- 4.5 Phytotherapy of Sinusitis -- 4.6 Drug Products -- 5 Digestive System -- 5.1 Anorexia and Dyspepsia -- 5.2 Bloating and Flatulence -- 5.3 Gastritis and Ulcer Disease -- 5.4 Irritable Bowel Syndrome -- 5.5 Acute Diarrhea -- 5.6 Constipation -- 5.7 Liver Diseases -- 6 Urinary Tract -- 6.1 Inflammatory Diseases of the Urinary Tract -- 6.2 Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia -- 6.3 Therapeutic Significance -- 6.4 Drug Products Other than Teas -- 6.5 Bladder and Kidney Teas -- 7 Gynecologic Indications for Herbal Remedies -- 7.1 Chasteberry -- 7.2 Black Cohosh -- 7.3 Other Herbs -- 7.4 Therapeutic Significance -- 7.5 Drug Products -- 8 Skin and Connective Tissues -- 8.1 Dosage Forms and Preparations -- 8.2 Inflammations and Injuries of the Skin -- 8.3 Post-traumatic and Postoperative Conditions -- 8.4 Inflammatory and Degenerative Joint Diseases -- 8.5 Transdermal Pain Relief -- 8.6 Formulations -- 8.7 Drug Products -- 9 Agents that Increase Resistance to Diseases -- 9.1 Adaptogens -- 9.2 Immune Stimulants -- 9.3 Therapeutic Significance -- 9.4 Botanical Antioxidants (Grapeseed, Green Tea, Pinebark) -- 10 Appendix The 100 most commonly prescribed Herbal Medications in Germany, Rational Phytotherapy adds a truly significant dimension to the practice of science-based herbal medicine. Detailed examination of the original German edition led to the conclusion that the book simply had to be translated into English to make the valuable information it contained available to a broader audience. That desire has now been realized, and the results of scientific studies and clinical trials of therapeutically use ful botanical drugs are now placed before interested readers in the uni versallanguage of science. Even the most cursory acquaintance with phytotherapy, herbal treat ment, botanical medicine - whatever you choose to call it - causes one to recognize that throughout most of the world, and especially in the United States and the United Kingdom, the practice is at best an imper fect art. In Germany, the use of plant drugs is a science. There are many reasons for this. Tradition can certainly not be discounted. However, the principal reason is, without question, the enlightened system of laws and regulations governing the sale and use of such products in that country