Medicine subject guide - Links
Alternative medicine
Reference sources | Databases | Government sites | University sites | Organisations | E-journals
Reference sources
Herbal Materia Medica
Lists over 150 herbal remedies, with brief details of the constituents, actions, indications and preparations and dosage.
NLM Current Bibliographies in Medicine. Acupuncture
University of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden
This site provides pictures of various herbs, taxonomic details, and links to Mrs Grieve's Modern Herbal as well as Medline citations via PubMed. They emphasisis that this is not a guide to self-medication or a source of medical advice.
Databases
Databases: Alternative Medicine Resources
This list includes botanical and ethnobotanical databases.
Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Medherb.com
Provides links to the journal Medical Herbalism and to sites on pharmacology, ethnobotany and plant pharmacy produced by the nonprofit Alternative Medicine Foundation.
Government sites
National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
NCCAM conducts and supports basic and applied research and training and disseminates information on complementary and alternative medicine
to practitioners and the public.
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
University sites
Bastyr University AIDS Research Center
Activities include a survey of alternative medicine practitioners that treat HIV patients, and a longitudinal observational database (Alternative Medical Care Outcomes in AIDS) based on an extensive patient-completed questionnaire supported by laboratory records.
Columbia University Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The Center will initially evaluate dietary and herbal treatments in postmenopausal women. The site includes to women's health resources, breast cancer citations, and botanical medicine.
Oregon University Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Neurological Disorders
The Center will focus on such neurological disorders as Alzheimer's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Initial studies will look at treatment
approaches using herbal medicines and yoga; later investigations will involve other therapies such as chiropractic manipulation, nutritional therapy, and acupuncture.
The European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy
PhytoNet provides an information resource for those involved in the development, manufacture, regulation and surveillance of phytomedicines and herbal drugs.
University of Sydney Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre
The HMREC was established at the University in July 1997 to carry out high quality research and education on herbal and complementary medicines.
University of Texas. MD Anderson Cancer Centre.
The Centre for Alternative Medicine Research in Cancer was established by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the Centre is co-funded by the National Cancer Institute and works in collaboration with Anderson Cancer Center.
Organisations
American Botanical Council
mission includes educating the public, government agencies, research institutions and industry on solid scientific research that can guide decisions about producing and consuming herbal-based products that benefit health and well-being.
British Medical Acupuncture Society
Includes iformation for practitioners as well as information for patients.
HerbMed Organisation
Interactive, electronic herbal database provides hyperlinked access to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health. It is an evidence-based information resource for professionals, researchers, and general public. HerbMed is a project of the Alternative Medicine Foundation Inc.
Herb Research Foundation
The HRF is a non-profit research and education organisation focusing on herbs and medicinal plants.
E-journals
Medical Herbalism: A Journal for the Clinical Practitioner
Articles
BMJ ABC of complementary medicine. Andrew Vickers, Catherine Zollman. Acupuncture. BMJ 1999; 319:973-976 (9 October)
Herbal medicine. Andrew Vickers, Catherine Zollman. BMJ 1999;319:1050-1053 (16 October)
The role of complementary and alternative medicine. E Ernst. BMJ 2000;321:1133-1135 (4 November)