Preserving Traditional Botanical Medicine in the Tropics

Modern medicine has tremendous benefits from a public health perspective and provides us with a multitude of benefits, options for care, and treatment for disease. However, the cultures of the world have important indigenous medicines that have been used for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years.

Classical Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Amazonian plant medicines and therapeutic techniques are some of the more commonly known traditional medicines, but there are many more to study and to preserve.

Tropical and Hawaiian traditional plant medicine is a blossoming area of science and phytotherapy that is of particular interest to me because of its visual boldness and sheer beauty.