This miniature herbal is created as a demonstration of structured data published in non-proprietary formats (HTML and XML). It is not intended for use as a reference on herbal remedies. Compiled by a non-expert from publicly-available sources, its content is not deliberately falsified or distorted; nevertheless it should not be regarded as authoritative in any way.
While the contents of the herbal may not be trustworthy, however, its structure should be perfectly serviceable for the need: to present organized information in a way that both improves access for readers, and renders the dataset suitable for such automated processes as indexing and filtering.
There is a consistent organization to each entry. Note that not all entries have all sections.
Each herb is listed with its common name and its formal (Latin) botanical name.
Where the herb is commonly found is listed as its habitat. This section is mainly for interest: amateurs are not encouraged to go to anyplace described, harvest a likely candidate, and boil it up.
Any names by which the herb or plant may also be commonly known are listed here.
Common ailments for which the herb is a known palliative (or even a cure), are listed here. This list is not exhaustive, of course; nor is it necessarily correct. (Herbal medicine has largely been an inexact science.)
Any preparation(s) for the herb is (are) described in this section. If different parts of the plant are used, their preparations are described separately.
In some cases, where the active chemical component or components of an herb are known, they are listed here.
Medical terms describing the pharmacological effects of the herb (e.g. sedative) are listed here.
Each herb is briefly described in one or more paragraphs.
Any supplemental notes on the herb, especially respecting possible warnings associated with it, appear here.
This guide is adapted from several sources on the Internet (see references below).
Botanical.com, a hypertext edition of A Modern Herbal (M. Grieve, 1931) http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/mgmh.html
Herbal Medicine Center at Healthworld Online: see http://www.healthy.net/clinic/therapy/herbal/
The Warnings page of Dr. Yang's Herbs and Gems for Health: http://www.ocnsignal.com/yangwarn2.shtml