This book marks a new authority on herbal medicine. Following the indispensable pioneering work of the Commission E in Germany, ESCOP has taken the lead role across Europe over the past decade in reviewing the therapeutic uses of herbal medicinal products. This is now recognized by the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, which formally receives ESCOP monographs as a basis for core dossiers on herbal medicines. Initial funding for the enterprise was provided by the European Commission. ESCOP, representing national phytotherapy associations across Europe, is uniquely placed to provide an international consensus. Preparation of the monographs by the ESCOP Scientific Committee has involved delegates from 15 countries with the assistance of numerous external experts on herbal medicine and an eminent Board of Supervising Editors. Sixty ESCOP monographs were published during the late 1990s. All have been updated and expanded, and this second edition includes a further twenty monographs. The text constitutes an up-to-date review of scientific information on the therapeutic uses of herbal medicines, including indications, dosage, contra-indications, interactions and undesirable effects, together with summaries of pharmacological, clinical and toxicological data. It is extensively referenced to scientific literature - almost 5,000 full citations appear in the book. The ESCOP monographs are an invaluable resource for health professionals, regulators, manufacturers and many others. They provide the evidence base for clinical use of herbal medicinal products.