WHY THIS INITIATIVE ( I )

The history of therapeutic use of plant parts is as old as that of human civilization. The traditional system of Medicine, using natural products, was in vogue for many millennia, until about hundred years or so ago, when synthetic drugs, with their apparently miraculous, efficient and quick remedial effects, came into use to alter Pharmacotherapy drastically. Traditional knowledge and indigenous practices were forced to take back-seat and much of those were lost due to absence of methodical documentation exercise. However, during the last several decades, the unwelcome and sometimes severely harmful side-effects, as well as drug resistance and other complications arising out of the administration of many synthetic drugs have been realised. Consequently, the need to look back towards the age-old traditional practices and efficacy of plant based products has been urgently felt. In the recent past, the prevalent health care system has witnessed a marked paradigm shift, greater emphasis being put on products of natural origin.
Meanwhile, the enormous growth of human population and resultant anthropogenic activities have continued to destroy biodiversity and natural vegetation at an ever increasing rate, critically endangering numerous species of plants and making many totally extinct. Besides, some plants, well known to have medicinal properties are facing threat also because of their indiscriminate and unscientific over exploitation from natural sources to meet the ever-growing market demand.

DISCLAIMER

The viewers can use information provided in this database only for non-commercial, educative awareness generation purposes and not to treat, cure or prevent any disease and no medical claim can be made. The "Thinking Laymen" do not claim any proprietary right to information compiled in this database. All rights belong to the original researchers, authors or publishers from whose work the information has been obtained and we acknowledge our indebtedness to all of them. However, the pictures uploaded in this website, unless otherwise indicated, belongs to the "Thiking Laymen" and are copyrighted. Any one using the pictures or any information available here must properly acknowledge it by prominently mentioning the name of the website "www.thinkinglaymen.org.in".

Dr. Hiranmay Biswas
Initiating Layman
With the conviction that, the involvement of the common people is absolutely necessary for furtherance of the mission of protecting the medicinal plants of each and every locality, a group of persons, with varied educational and occupational background, christened as "Thinking Laymen", having very little or no expertise in the subject, yet concerned about the importance of these apparently useless, unfancied and neglected plants, occurring around us, in preserving biodiversity and ecological balance, has voluntarily taken up the task of compilation of relevant data on the Medicinal Plants of Bengal.
Dr.H.Biswas

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Quotation

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.
--Carl Jung.

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"Seeking information about ex-situ Plant Gardens. " 2014-03-20" "view