The use of herbs from kitchens fields and forests to alleviate pain and cure sickness has been known in India for centuries. Researched over three decades the volumes in this series meticulously document many parallel and ancient traditions and systems bringing together medicinal and cosmetic recipes and the uses of individual plants to cure and comfort. Each herb is described in meticulous detail through its botanical profile uses in particular ailments and notes on the preparation and dosage of each remedy. Forty common plants such as tea amaltas periwinkle aparajita coffee custard apple ash gourd lemon grass cotton water lily and ashoka along with the not-so-familiar Jamaican thyme Indian sorrel ponnanganni and jujube are included in this book. A comprehensive bibliography of scientific articles separate glossaries for English and non-English technical terms and detailed illustrations make it an easy-to-use reference guide for cures to common ailments. The final volume in the best-selling series. About the Author T.V. Sairam a senior member of the civil services holds a master's degree in botany and a doctorate in alternative medicine. For the past few decades he has been gathering and documenting data relating to the household use of medicinal plants.