Plants have become one of the totems of our times. Ina world, where the damaging effects of food processing, over-medication, and agri-business are daily more evident, the pollution, and Carb- on and toxic gases of our Industrial world are effecting more natural way of life.

Useful plants have already gone beyond, being the concern of small minorities to become commercial successes in both Europe and Asian countries.

There are now new meat substitutes, organic fertilizers, insecticides and fuels all based on plant products.

Herbs are being embraced on a scale unmatched for over three centuries not only in cosmetics, foods, teas but even in domestic products, alternative medicines, even veterinary remedies.

The advertising world in particular has not been slow to play worries about the increasing quantities of man-made chemicals in the environment, and the images and virtues associated with herb have often been merged into a vague green wholesomeness, that may have little to do with a specific plant or product.

But collectively the message is clear and the Western world may see an unprecedented resurgence of interest in herbalism, and usefulness in plants, in the last three decades.

A Global Balancing Act

The growing interest in herb and economically useful plants is part of the movement towards ‘greener’ economics and life Styles.

The study of traditional medicines which originally stemmed from clinical observations and which were gradually refined over the centuries stimulates the mind and leads on to further discoveries and developments. New sources from which medicinal substances can be extracted must also be found.

The discovery of new natural products as medicinal agents basically requires the thorough study of a vast cultural knowledge, scientific expeditions in order to identify the nature of the drugs, chemical investigations and pharmacotoxicological evaluations to allow final clinical confirmation.

Specific Problems Concerning Phyto-Therapy And Phyto-Pharmaceuticals

Though phyto-therapy during the last decade has gained significance in drug therapy, there are still large reservations of so-called classical medicine with respect to this form of treatment.

Today under the sign of the "Green Movement" among patients phyto-therapy is an alternative form of treatment. Paradoxically side effects of drugs are mainly attributed to synthetic drugs.

They are considered to be untolerable and dangerous, whereas herbal drugs are considered to be without side-effects, healthful and absolutely safe.

If drugs with a small therapeutic index such as glycosides from digitalis, colchiane alkaloids from ergot, and other strong acting substances are excluded, most of the herbal drugs indeed have relatively low rates of side effects.

Phyto-pharmaceuticals with a large therapeutic index (LD50/ED50) can therefore be considered to be safe drugs.

The available information concerning drugs and medicinal plants in Europe and India are scattered through a large number of books and periodicals in various languages as well as official documents, which have only a very limited circulation.

The author now presented to the public, have endeavoured to collect and verify this information. British Flora and Indian Floras have been scrutinised and common plants in usage in Ayurvedic Medicine is recorded. Plant species had been con- firmed from local herbia and Kewgardens Phytochemical investigations are been carried over a decade by the Author. Clinical and toxicity studies has been done. The entire herbal investigations are the outcome of the study of three major disciplines : Phytochemical, Botanical and Clinical investigations and summarized into Pharmacopoel standards after comparisation with European and Indian Pharmacopoeia.

European herbal flora represents Temperate Vegetation, while Indian herbal flora of tropical plants. Some plants are com- mon in Europe and India.

India is a sub-continent with varied flora both temperate and tropical species. Ayurvedic herbal medicine encompass both the regions and only those species are recorded which could be useful to physicians interested in herbal therapies.

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