Ethnobotany: Evolution of a Discipline
Bulletin of the history of medicine September 1, 1998 Karen Reeds 3 citations
Ethnobotany, a term coined in 1895, is surveyed at its centennial in a volume edited by Richard Evans Schultes and Siri von Reis. The book's mood is elegiac: just as the discipline has proven its relevance, both the plants and the unlettered societies it studies are being destroyed by the modern world. Historical essays explore psychoactive plants in ancient cultures, including William Emboden Jr.'s finding that dynastic Egypt used mandrakes, poppies, water lilies, and probably Datura, but not hemp, in shamanic rituals. Peter T. Furst analyzes sacred and medicinal uses of Datura, morning glory, tobacco, and cacao in Aztec medicine. The book lacks indexes, limiting its usefulness.