In 1978, the World Health Organization responded to increased interest in medicinal plants by convening a series of international consultations, seminars, and symposia to explore and promote the use of medicinal plants. Medicinal Plants presents the proceedings of the last of these symposia. It brings together an incredible range of information and sets out an overview on the use of medicinal plants that includes a discussion of a variety of issues - scientific, economic, regulatory, agricultural, cultural - focused on the importance of medicinal plants to primary health care and global health care reform.