Critical approaches to the history of western herbal medicine : : from classical antiquity to the early modern period / / edited by Susan Francia and Anne Stobart.

• TeilnehmendeR: Francia, Susan,; Stobart, Anne,
• Place / Publishing House: London ;, New Delhi ;, New York : : Bloomsbury,, 2014.
• Year of Publication: 2014
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (366 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

"Why has the history of Western herbal medicine received such little research coverage in any systematic and authoritative way, even though it has figured large in both lay and learned healthcare of the past? What methods and sources are most appropriate for the study of medicinal herbs and herbal practices of the past? This collection provides historians with a coherent guide to a variety of sources in relation to medicinal plants that they have thus far lacked. Critical Approaches to the History of Western Herbal Medicine encourages a serious re-assessment of research in the history of herbal medicine and provides examples of appropriate methodologies and critical examinations of relevant sources. In this innovative collection, historians and researchers from a range of disciplines come together to share material on the identification and use of medicinal plants, the activities of people involved with herbal medicine and the investigation of past herbal therapeutic beliefs and practice. Classical and medieval scholars, social and literary historians, archaeologists and ethnobotanists all contribute to this exploration of the history of Western herbal medicine."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Table of Contents

pt. 1. Revisiting original texts comparative textual analysis and new perspectives on original sources -- pt. 2. Using archival sources extending the evidence available -- pt. 3. Focusing on one individual biographical and other textual sources -- pt. 4. The multi-disciplinary nature of the history of herbal medicine, and contributions from archaeology and ethnobotany.