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Plants and People in North America and Great Britain
Journal of Ethnopharmacology 97 (2005) 162–163
Book reviews
Plants and People in North America and Great Britain David E. Allen, Gabrielle Hatfield, Medicinal Plants in Folk Traditions An Ethnobotany of Britain and Ireland, Timber Press, Portland (OR, USA) and Cambridge (UK), 2004, ISBN 0-88192-638-8 (hardcover), £ 22.50/US$ 29.95, pp. 431 numerous B&W line drawings, 31 colour photographs (by Deni Brown), bibliography, indexes (folk uses, scientific names, vernacular names). William Milliken, Sam Bridgewater, Flora Celtica Plants and People in Scotland, Birlinn Ltd., Edinburgh (UK), 2004, ISBN 1-84158-303-0 (hardcover), £ 30.00, 328 pp., numerous colour photographs, bibliography, index glossary. Judith Sumner, American Household Botany A History of Useful Plants 1620–1900, Timber Press, Portland OR, USA and Cambridge (UK), 1900, ISBN 0-88192-652-3 (hardcover), £ 19.99/US$ 27.95, 395 pp., numerous B&W line drawings, 40 colour photographs, bibliography, index, foreword by J. Forti. There certainly is a resurgence in interest in the use of plants in Europe and North America. Over a very brief period three books discussing the historical and current plant use of people in Great Britain and North America were published. These books all heavily rely on historical (mostly written) resources and summarise information about commonly used plants in these countries. In a way these books are latecomers in the field. Many such book have been published for such diverse countries like India, Thailand, South Africa, Spain, and many South and Central American countries. However, these books on the British Isles and in North America are a very timely reminder of the enormous role plants have played in these countries and of the need to ‘bring ethnobotany back home’. The field has sometimes been criticised as being driven by exoticism and thus the three books are in fact an example of how much can be achieved if one looks at ones own (in a way local) traditions. D.E. Allan and G. Hatfield trained in archaeology/anthropology and biology, respectively, and provide an account of medicinally uses of about 400 wild plant species in Britain and Ireland. Their interest is in ‘folk traditions’ and while this is a very problematic concept, it allows the authors to highlight species and uses which they consider to be autochthonous. The book is based on a comprehen0378-8741/$ – see front matter © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.11.018
sive assessment of historical sources mostly from the 20th and 19th century. It uses a strictly botanico-systematical approach largely based on the Cronquist system, covering the bryophytes/lichens/algae and fungi and the pteridophytes/conifers in one chapter each and then dedicating ten chapters to the dicotyledones and a final one the monocotyledones. Two introductory chapters provide a general introduction and an overview on the geographical areas covered, the records used and the nomenclature from a botanical and medico-historical perspective. A final chapter briefly discusses the geographical distribution of the information gathered in this book. The book also includes data from some of the classical early texts like William Turner and John Gerard. The focus is on native plants and thus many of commonly cultivated ones and also the ones derived from Mediterranean traditions are excluded. Most other early publications on medicinal plants which generally are difficult to access (e.g., the surgical writings from the 14th to the 17the century like John of Arderne, Guy of Chauliac, John of Vigo, Thomas Gale) are not included, pointing to the need to systematically study these rich and yet still little used resources – the herbals and surgical/barber-surgical texts, which summarize both scholarly medical knowledge and popular traditions of Europe. As pointed out above the concept ‘folk botany’ is questionable, since – in anthropological terms – it does advocate a problematic opposition between folk and ‘learned’ traditions. William Milliken’s and Sam Bridgewater’s Flora Celtica has a much broader scope covering useful plants used as food, in healthcare, material culture (including housing and crafts), their role in language as well as from an ethnoecological perspective. The authors are both botanists, W. Milliken certainly is one of the best known ethnobotanists in Britain and had previously worked on South America. S. Bridgewater also worked for many years on South American plants esp. on plant diversity. The book is divided into nine main chapters covering • Food and drink. • The bare necessities (i.e., material culture). • Plants in culture and society (including art, language, literature). • Native plants and crafts. • Plants for health and beauty.
Book reviews
• Plants in the Scottish economy. • Plants and the Scottish environment and sustainability. This book uses a very modern approach and while it partly draws from the similar sources as the previous one, its approach is quite different. While it may not be as precise in recording the diversity of uses, the authors put these data into a modern context (e.g., as it relates to the sustainable use of resources). Lastly, Judith Sumner offers us an account of the practical experiences and knowledge of early colonists and USAmericans. She is a medical botanist with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Settlers to this ‘New’ World found not only unknown people they considered strange, but also many unusual animals (e.g., turkey) and plants (e.g., mayapple: Podophyllum spp. and poison ivy: Toxicodendron radicans). The book traces the history of the immigrant’s dependence on these unknown resources and provides a very well written lively history of the settler’s numerous ways of coping with and utilising plants. The book includes ten chapters, eight dedicated to special types of useful plant-derived products: • • • • • • • •
Grains. Gardens, seeds and vegetable staples. Fruits. The botanical pantry I: preservation, vine, vinegar and beverages. The botanical pantry II: herbs, spices, sweets anbd miscellany. Herbs, herbalism and the practice of domestic medicine. Wood, fibres and textiles. Domestic landscapes.
Again an introductory and concluding chapter provide a conceptual frame for this book, which is very rich in botanicohistorical details. How can one compare these three books. Clearly, the topics they cover are rather similar and all authors are interested
163
in informing a wider public about the knowledge and use of plants on the British Isles and the USA. Looking up three genera of commonly used plants found in both regions—Betula, Myrica and Viola, the differences become apparent. From and ethnobotancial perspective W. Milliken and S. Bridgewater consistently provide the most detailed description while D.E. Allen ad G. Hatfield offer use a concise overview of common uses. J. Sumner’s book, on the other hand, is less detailed, but incorporates these plants more into general stories about the ‘olden days’. Clearly W. Milliken’s and S. Bridgewater’s Flora Celtica has the advantage of covering a relatively small region, but I personally found the lively descriptions about people and plants particularly stimulating. The authors draw from a wealth of information and are able to summarise this in a fascinating way. To highlight this with a different example: On p. 129 a short inset chapter is dedicated to a weaver of grass—Angus McPhee and about the ‘discovery’ of this weaver’s art, which he developed as a patient in a psychiatric hospital. He wove trousers, boots and many other items, which are certainly not traditional, but a beautiful example of human’s artistic use of the environment. All three books come at the topic very much from a botanical perspective, but they also show the cultural complexities of these historical societies. They are clearly tailored to the market of people with a genuine, general interest in ethnobotany, but are certainly also useful to teach introductory classes in economic botany and related topic. They also make very enjoyable and stimulating reading to anyone working in the field of ethnobotany.
Michael Heinrich Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy The School of Pharmacy, University London 29–39 Brunswick Sq., London WC1N 1AX, UK Tel.: +44 20 7753 5844; fax: +44 20 7753 5909 E-mail address: [email protected]
Book reviews
Plants and People in North America and Great Britain David E. Allen, Gabrielle Hatfield, Medicinal Plants in Folk Traditions An Ethnobotany of Britain and Ireland, Timber Press, Portland (OR, USA) and Cambridge (UK), 2004, ISBN 0-88192-638-8 (hardcover), £ 22.50/US$ 29.95, pp. 431 numerous B&W line drawings, 31 colour photographs (by Deni Brown), bibliography, indexes (folk uses, scientific names, vernacular names). William Milliken, Sam Bridgewater, Flora Celtica Plants and People in Scotland, Birlinn Ltd., Edinburgh (UK), 2004, ISBN 1-84158-303-0 (hardcover), £ 30.00, 328 pp., numerous colour photographs, bibliography, index glossary. Judith Sumner, American Household Botany A History of Useful Plants 1620–1900, Timber Press, Portland OR, USA and Cambridge (UK), 1900, ISBN 0-88192-652-3 (hardcover), £ 19.99/US$ 27.95, 395 pp., numerous B&W line drawings, 40 colour photographs, bibliography, index, foreword by J. Forti. There certainly is a resurgence in interest in the use of plants in Europe and North America. Over a very brief period three books discussing the historical and current plant use of people in Great Britain and North America were published. These books all heavily rely on historical (mostly written) resources and summarise information about commonly used plants in these countries. In a way these books are latecomers in the field. Many such book have been published for such diverse countries like India, Thailand, South Africa, Spain, and many South and Central American countries. However, these books on the British Isles and in North America are a very timely reminder of the enormous role plants have played in these countries and of the need to ‘bring ethnobotany back home’. The field has sometimes been criticised as being driven by exoticism and thus the three books are in fact an example of how much can be achieved if one looks at ones own (in a way local) traditions. D.E. Allan and G. Hatfield trained in archaeology/anthropology and biology, respectively, and provide an account of medicinally uses of about 400 wild plant species in Britain and Ireland. Their interest is in ‘folk traditions’ and while this is a very problematic concept, it allows the authors to highlight species and uses which they consider to be autochthonous. The book is based on a comprehen0378-8741/$ – see front matter © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.11.018
sive assessment of historical sources mostly from the 20th and 19th century. It uses a strictly botanico-systematical approach largely based on the Cronquist system, covering the bryophytes/lichens/algae and fungi and the pteridophytes/conifers in one chapter each and then dedicating ten chapters to the dicotyledones and a final one the monocotyledones. Two introductory chapters provide a general introduction and an overview on the geographical areas covered, the records used and the nomenclature from a botanical and medico-historical perspective. A final chapter briefly discusses the geographical distribution of the information gathered in this book. The book also includes data from some of the classical early texts like William Turner and John Gerard. The focus is on native plants and thus many of commonly cultivated ones and also the ones derived from Mediterranean traditions are excluded. Most other early publications on medicinal plants which generally are difficult to access (e.g., the surgical writings from the 14th to the 17the century like John of Arderne, Guy of Chauliac, John of Vigo, Thomas Gale) are not included, pointing to the need to systematically study these rich and yet still little used resources – the herbals and surgical/barber-surgical texts, which summarize both scholarly medical knowledge and popular traditions of Europe. As pointed out above the concept ‘folk botany’ is questionable, since – in anthropological terms – it does advocate a problematic opposition between folk and ‘learned’ traditions. William Milliken’s and Sam Bridgewater’s Flora Celtica has a much broader scope covering useful plants used as food, in healthcare, material culture (including housing and crafts), their role in language as well as from an ethnoecological perspective. The authors are both botanists, W. Milliken certainly is one of the best known ethnobotanists in Britain and had previously worked on South America. S. Bridgewater also worked for many years on South American plants esp. on plant diversity. The book is divided into nine main chapters covering • Food and drink. • The bare necessities (i.e., material culture). • Plants in culture and society (including art, language, literature). • Native plants and crafts. • Plants for health and beauty.
Book reviews
• Plants in the Scottish economy. • Plants and the Scottish environment and sustainability. This book uses a very modern approach and while it partly draws from the similar sources as the previous one, its approach is quite different. While it may not be as precise in recording the diversity of uses, the authors put these data into a modern context (e.g., as it relates to the sustainable use of resources). Lastly, Judith Sumner offers us an account of the practical experiences and knowledge of early colonists and USAmericans. She is a medical botanist with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Settlers to this ‘New’ World found not only unknown people they considered strange, but also many unusual animals (e.g., turkey) and plants (e.g., mayapple: Podophyllum spp. and poison ivy: Toxicodendron radicans). The book traces the history of the immigrant’s dependence on these unknown resources and provides a very well written lively history of the settler’s numerous ways of coping with and utilising plants. The book includes ten chapters, eight dedicated to special types of useful plant-derived products: • • • • • • • •
Grains. Gardens, seeds and vegetable staples. Fruits. The botanical pantry I: preservation, vine, vinegar and beverages. The botanical pantry II: herbs, spices, sweets anbd miscellany. Herbs, herbalism and the practice of domestic medicine. Wood, fibres and textiles. Domestic landscapes.
Again an introductory and concluding chapter provide a conceptual frame for this book, which is very rich in botanicohistorical details. How can one compare these three books. Clearly, the topics they cover are rather similar and all authors are interested
163
in informing a wider public about the knowledge and use of plants on the British Isles and the USA. Looking up three genera of commonly used plants found in both regions—Betula, Myrica and Viola, the differences become apparent. From and ethnobotancial perspective W. Milliken and S. Bridgewater consistently provide the most detailed description while D.E. Allen ad G. Hatfield offer use a concise overview of common uses. J. Sumner’s book, on the other hand, is less detailed, but incorporates these plants more into general stories about the ‘olden days’. Clearly W. Milliken’s and S. Bridgewater’s Flora Celtica has the advantage of covering a relatively small region, but I personally found the lively descriptions about people and plants particularly stimulating. The authors draw from a wealth of information and are able to summarise this in a fascinating way. To highlight this with a different example: On p. 129 a short inset chapter is dedicated to a weaver of grass—Angus McPhee and about the ‘discovery’ of this weaver’s art, which he developed as a patient in a psychiatric hospital. He wove trousers, boots and many other items, which are certainly not traditional, but a beautiful example of human’s artistic use of the environment. All three books come at the topic very much from a botanical perspective, but they also show the cultural complexities of these historical societies. They are clearly tailored to the market of people with a genuine, general interest in ethnobotany, but are certainly also useful to teach introductory classes in economic botany and related topic. They also make very enjoyable and stimulating reading to anyone working in the field of ethnobotany.
Michael Heinrich Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy The School of Pharmacy, University London 29–39 Brunswick Sq., London WC1N 1AX, UK Tel.: +44 20 7753 5844; fax: +44 20 7753 5909 E-mail address: [email protected]