Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. / Michael Moore. Santa Fe:Red Crane Books, 1993. ISBN 1878610317. 359 p.
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West / by Michael Moore; illustrated by Mimi Kamp. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Red Crane Books, 1993. 359 p. After introductory notes and the main section on herbs, these sections follow: Supplemental Herb List, Therapeutic Uses List, Glossary, Selected References, Index.
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West / by Michael Moore; illustrated by Mimi Kamp is primarily a source of information on herbal medicine from the flora of mountainous and coastal regions of the Pacific West.
“Herbal medicines are biologic agents.” –p. 16
Here is a dazzling array of details about local flora is offered, so replete with herbal, natural, medicinal and self-care instruction that it could very well serve as a companion volume to native medicinal plants in any part of the country for professional or beginner botanist, naturalist, herbalist or simply the curious reader. The book’s main section lists 79 plants by common name(s), Latin (or botanical) name(s) and taxonomy, and is described under a set of parameters about a plant’s qualities as a medicine. These are Appearance, Habitat, Constituents, Preparation, Collecting, Stability, and Medicinal Uses. Each plant is illustrated by a line drawing with its native habitat shown in a regional area map. At the end of the entry, the author discusses Contraindications and Other Uses.
Did you know that Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolia and others) is the state flower of Oregon and used to be listed in the National Formulary? Are these culinary or garden plants exclusive to the Pacific West? Deciphering the plant’s name will be helpful—if you do not know the Latin name for western Bleeding Heart, it is Dicentra Formosa. But don’t be fooled! Moore’s admonition to learn the plants by sight, by smell, taste and habitat (by site) will alert you to the presence of a blueberry (Vacinnium species) while it may also be known locally as Huckleberry, Bilberry, Whortleberry, or Grouseberry, all purportedly bearing the same capacity and constituents with medicinal qualities. It’s just that his text is so friendly and precise, you have the feeling that the writer is speaking clearly to you–in botanical, ecological and medicinal terms.
I don’t think you can easily put this book down, for it is as much about native plants as it is about the human constitution and its afflictions. Michael Moore’s books provide collectors, readers, doctors and herbalists with profound information about the pathologies, both acute and chronic, that we all suffer from—whether due to stress, disease or some other exposure, which do not get alleviated through the usual channels in Western medicine. This a frank discussion, paired with facts about medicinal plants, and gives us the means to learn about the secrets of the earth, our heritage, and how our bodies can respond. Moore’s more than 25 years’ experience when the book was written, compellingly illustrates a lifetime of commitment. He passed away in 2009, leaving an over-40 year legacy to us, Gentle Readers! How rich we are…
Glossary: section of a text listing terms commonly referred to or specific to the content. Moore’s Glossary (p. 318-346) makes the book valuable as a reference. The glossary lists the following kinds of terms: botanical, human anatomical and physiological, medical, bodily processes of digestion, circulation, elimination, etc., chemical substances, medicinal actions, professional titles, herbalist’s terms, schools of thought, and more. Terms not marked otherwise below are attributable to Moore’s Glossary.
Local flora: all the plant species that make up the vegetation of an area or region (see Oxford Dictionary of Plant Sciences. / Michael Allaby. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Botanist: one who studies the life forms of plants
Herbalist: one who prepares and administers medicinal plants; “one who sells herbs” (see Dictionary of Pharmacy. / Dennis B. Worthen. New York and London: Pharmaceutical Products Press, the Haworth Press, 2004.
Naturalist: one who studies life science topics in biology
Michael Moore’s books: Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West; Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West; Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West.
Pathology: anatomical or physiological deviations from the normal that characterize a particular disease. (see Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Mass.,1988.)
Acute; Chronic: having sudden onset, sharp rise and short course; marked by long duration or frequent recurrence. (see Webster’s Dictionary.)
Oregon Grape: common name for Mahonia aquifolia, a spiny, evergreen-leaved shrub
National formulary: “compilation of medicines (drug products) considered appropriate to stock and use in… a given geographic region…”. See Worthen, p. 141. Dictionary of Pharmacy.
Culinary: pertaining to food, to preparing food, the culture of food
Latin name: Botanical binomial that fixes a permanent identity to a given plant
Huckleberry: common name for Vaccinium species, some known as Blueberry
Dicentra Formosa: Latin name for Bleeding Heart, especially Western Bleeding Heart
Taxonomy: the scientific classification of organisms (see Allaby, p.441)
Therapeutic: remedial agents or methods relating to disease or disorders (see Webster’s Dictionary.)
Plant monograph: a written account of a single plant. (see Webster’s Dictionary.)
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