The Journals of Hipolito Ruiz, Spanish Botanist in Peru and Chile, 1777-1788

Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary ethnobotanical adventure in the 1700's
Review: If you like plants and the ethnobotanical uses of them (like I do), along with exploration and adventure, then this book is for you. Hipolito Ruiz was a Spanish botanist in Peru and Chile from 1777-1788. Along with all the many hardships which he encountered back in those days, he observed and recorded the many different kinds of medicinal and non-medicinal plants which the natives used. It truly is a fascinating account of his travels and what it was actually like in the 1700's. Along with being an adventure in ethnobotanical exploration , it is also a cultural portrayal of the peoples who lived there. I also enjoyed the appendix at the end of the book which lists the medicinal plants in alphabetical order which are mentioned in the text. Maybe this book should be required reading for medical students (?). Could be a cure for cancer, aides, etc. down there (!)

Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary ethnobotanical adventure in the 1700's
Review: If you like plants and the ethnobotanical uses of them (like I do), along with exploration and adventure, then this book is for you. Hipolito Ruiz was a Spanish botanist in Peru and Chile from 1777-1788. Along with all the many hardships which he encountered back in those days, he observed and recorded the many different kinds of medicinal and non-medicinal plants which the natives used. It truly is a fascinating account of his travels and what it was actually like in the 1700's. Along with being an adventure in ethnobotanical exploration , it is also a cultural portrayal of the peoples who lived there. I also enjoyed the appendix at the end of the book which lists the medicinal plants in alphabetical order which are mentioned in the text. Maybe this book should be required reading for medical students (?). Could be a cure for cancer, aides, etc. down there (!)