Growing Medicinal Herbs

Here are some growing tips and information about growing specific medicinal herbs. Angelica Angelica archangelica
Medicinal gardens crave the presence of this, the official species. Bitter aromatic, antimicrobial and carminative. Cultivate in ordinary deep, moist loam, in a shady position, as the plant thrives best in a damp soil and loves to grow near running water. Arnica Arnica montana
Herbaceous perennial for cold and hardy zones. Sow within a mix of loam, peat moss, and sand in the spring. Likes acid pH, full sun, moisture, and a high altitude. Used for sprains, bruises, soaks, compresses, and an ingredient for salves and oils. The flowers are collected entire and dried, but the receptacles are sometimes removed as they are liable to be attacked by insects.
http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/growing-medicinal-herbs.html

Examples of plants used as medicine

Main article: List of plants used as medicineFew herbal remedies have conclusively demonstrated any positive effect on humans[citation needed]. Many of the studies cited refer to animal model investigations or in-vitro assays and therefore cannot provide more than weak supportive evidence.[citation needed].
-Artichoke and several other plants may reduce total serum cholesterol levels in preliminary studies. [Gebhardt, R (1998). "Inhibition of Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Primary Cultured Rat Hepatocytes by Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Extracts". J Pharmacol Exp Ther 286 (3): 1122-1128. PMID 9732368.][Artichoke. Retrieved on 2007-07-24.]
-Black cohosh and other plants that contain phytoestrogens (plant molecules with estrogen activity) have some benefits for treatment of symptoms resulting from menopause.[Bai W (2007). "Efficacy and tolerability of a medicinal product containing an isopropanolic black cohosh extract in Chinese women with menopausal symptoms: A randomized, double blind, parallel-controlled study versus tibolone.". Maturitas In print. PMID 17587516.]
-Echinacea extracts can limit the length and severity of rhinovirus colds; however, the appropriate dosage levels, which might be higher than is available over-the-counter, require further research. [Shah SA, Sander S, White CM, Rinaldi M, & Coleman CI (Jul 2007). "Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis.". Lancet Infect Dis.. PMID 17597571.][Schoop, R, Klein, P, Suter, A, & Johnston, SL (2006). "Echinacea in the prevention of induced rhinovirus colds: a meta-analysis". Clinical Therapeutics 28 (2): 174-83. PMID 16678640.]
-Elderberry may speed the recovery from type A and B influenza.[(2004 Mar-Apr) "Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections.". J Int Med Res. 32 (2): 132-40. PMID: 15080016.] However it is possibly risky in the case of avian influenza because the immunostimulatory effects may aggravate the cytokine cascade. [(2001 Apr-Jun;) "The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines.". Eur Cytokine Netw. 12 (2): 290-6. PMID: 11399518.]
-Garlic can lower total cholesterol levels[(2001) "Garlic shows promise for improve some cardiovascular risk factors". Archives of Internal Medicine 161: 913-824.]
-Purified extracts of the seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa may have some anti-microbial effect, but may also have some toxicity to mammalian testes.[Ali BH, Al Wabel N, & Blunden G (2005). "Phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological aspects of Hibiscus sabdariffa L.: a review". Phytotherapy Research 19 (5): 369-75. PMID 16106391.]
-Nigella sativa (Black cumin) is a general medicinal plant can be used for diverse ailments such as cough, pulmonary infections, asthma, influenza, allergy, hypertension and stomach ache. [Hajhashemi V, Ghannadi A, & Jafarabadi H (2004). "Black cumin seed essential oil, as a potent analgesic and antiinflammatory drug.". Phytother Res. 18 (3): 195-9. PMID 15103664.][Salem (2005). "Immunomodulatory and therapeutic properties of the Nigella sativa L. seed". International Immunopharmacology 5 (13-14): 1749-1770. PMID 16275613.][Ali BH & Blunden, G (2003). "Pharmacological and toxicological properties of Nigella sativa.". Phytother Res. 17 (4): 299-305. PMID 12722128.]
-Oregano may be effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria. [Oregano Oil May Protect Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Georgetown Researcher Finds.]
-Pawpaw can be used for insecticidal purposes (killing lice, worms).[citation needed]
-Phytolacca or Pokeweed is used as a homeopathic remedy to treat many ailments. It can be applied topically or taken internally. Topical treatments have been used for acne and other ailments. Internal treatments include tonsilitis, swollen glands and weight loss.[citation needed]
-Peppermint oil may have benefits for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome.[Cappello G, Spezzaferro M, Grossi L, Manzoli L, & Marzio L (2007). "Peppermint oil (Mintoil((R))) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial". Digestive and Liver Disease 39 (6): 530-536. PMID 17420159.][Liu JH, Chen GH, Yeh HZ, Huang CK, Poon SK (Dec 1997). "Enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective, randomized trial.". J Gastroenterol 32 (6): 765-8. PMID 9430014.]
-Rauvolfia Serpentina, high risk of toxicity if improperly used[citation needed], used extensively in India for sleeplessness, anxiety, and high blood pressure[citation needed]. The first proven allopathic medicine for high blood pressure was extracted from this herb.[citation needed] -Salvia lavandulaefolia may improve memory [Sage Improves Memory, Study Shows.]
-St. John's wort, has yielded positive results, proving more effective than a placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate depression in some clinical trials: however, safety and efficacy profiles (that is, amount of drug needed for a clinical effect) have not been shown.[Gaster, B & Holroyd, J (2000). "St John's wort for depression: a systematic review.". Archives of Internal Medicine 160 (2): 152-6. PMID 10647752.]
-Valerian root can be used to treat insomnia. Clinical studies show mixed results[Bent S, Padula A, Moore D, Patterson M, & Mehling W. (2006). "Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis.". Am J Med. 119 (12): 1005-1012. PMID 17145239.][Taibi DM, Landis CA, Petry H, & Vitiello MV (2007). "A systematic review of valerian as a sleep aid: safe but not effective". Sleep Med Rev 11 (3): 209-230. PMID 17517355.] A valerian/hops combination has shown efficacy [Koetter U, Schrader E, K?ufeler R, & Brattstr?m A. (2007). "A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, prospective clinical study to demonstrate clinical efficacy of a fixed valerian hops extract combination (Ze 91019) in patients suffering from non-organic sleep disorder.". Phytother Res In print. PMID 17486686.]
-Feverfew can be used to treat migraine headaches.[Shrivastava R, Pechadre JC, & John GW (2007). "Tanacetum parthenium and Salix alba (Mig-RL) combination in migraine prophylaxis: a prospective, open-label study". Clinical Drug Investigation 26 (5): 287-296. PMID17163262.]However, many reviews of these studies show no efficacy [Silberstein, SD (2005). "Preventive treatment of headaches". Current Opinion in Neurology 18 (3): 289-292. PMID 15891414.] and dangerous side effects.[Yao M, Ritchie HE, & Brown-Woodman PD (2006). "A reproductive screening test of feverfew: is a full reproductive study warranted?". Reproductive Toxicology 22 (4): 688-693. PMID 16781113.][Modi S & Lowder DM (2006). "Medications for migraine prophylaxis". American Family Physician 73 (1): 72-78. PMID 16417067.]
-Saw Palmetto can be used for BPH. Supported in some studies [Marks LS, Partin AW, Epstein JI, Tyler VE, Simon I, Macairan ML, Chan TL, Dorey FJ, Garris JB, Veltri RW, Santos PB, Stonebrook KA, & deKernion JB (2000). "Effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.". J. Urol 163 (5): 1451-1456. PMID 10751856.], failed to confirm in otherrs. [Bent S, Kane C, Shinohara K, Neuhaus J, Hudes ES, Goldberg H, & Avins AL. (2006). "Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia". New England Journal of Medicine 354 (6): 557-566. PMID 16467543.]
-Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar can be used to treat acne.[citation needed]
-Green tea components may inhibit growth of breast cancer cells[(2007) "Activation of FOXO3a by the Green Tea Polyphenol Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Induces Estrogen Receptor Expression Reversing Invasive Phenotype of Breast Cancer Cells". Cancer Research 67: 5763-5770. DOI:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-4327.] and may heal scars faster. [Zhang Q, Kelly AP, Wang L, French SW, Tang X, Duong HS, Messadi DV, & Le AD (2006). "Green tea extract and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibit mast cell-stimulated type I collagen expression in keloid fibroblasts via blocking PI-3K/AkT signaling pathways". J Invest Dermatol 126 (12): 2607-2613. PMID 16841034.]
-Lemon grass can lower cholesterol. [citation needed]
-Honey may reduce cholesterol.[(2004 Spring;) "Natural honey lowers plasma glucose, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and blood lipids in healthy, diabetic, and hyperlipidemic subjects: comparison with dextrose and sucrose". J Med Food: 100-7. PMID: 15117561.] May be useful in wound healing. [Healing Honey: The Sweet Evidence Revealed. ] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_page

Routes of administration

There are many forms in which herbs can be administered, these include:
Tinctures (alcoholic extracts of herb, such as echinacea extract) Tisanes (hot-water extracts of herb, such as chamomile) Topical application of essential oil extracts, as in Oil of Oregano Whole-herb consumption Inhalation as in aromatherapy The easiest route of administration which is common among indigenous healers is to chew the plant directly [citation needed].
The roots of plants like echinacea, the fruit of the plant lycium (goji berry), the seeds of the emetic lobelia and the resins of myrrh have all been ingested directly as medicine[citation needed].
Standardization and concentration can boost certain plant constituents while losing others[citation needed].http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_page

Types of herbal medicine systems

Use of medicinal plants can be as informal as, for example, culinary use or consumption of an herbal tea or supplement, although the sale of some herbs considered dangerous is often restricted to the public. Sometimes such herbs are provided to professional herbalists by specialist companies. Many herbalists, both professional and amateur, often grow or "wildcraft" their own herbs. Many common weeds have medicinal properties (e.g. dandelion).
In traditional Chinese medicine herbs (which may include animal and mineral parts) are divided into "Superior" (food grade), "Moderate" (to be taken for disease for a short time) and "Inferior" (toxic, short term) grades[citation needed]. Disease is attributed to imbalance between yin and yang energy. Yin and yang refer to polarities that may either support or undermine one another. An example would be rest and activity. Herbal formulas are based upon the organ system which is out of balance, with chief herbs addressing the main complaint, deputy herbs which reinforce the actions of the chief or address other affected organ systems, and servants which may harmonize, balance temperatures or tastes of the herbs, direct them to various parts of the body or assist penetration[citation needed]. Herbal formulas tend to have five to 15 herbs[citation needed].
Some researchers trained in both western and Chinese medicine have attempted to deconstruct ancient medical texts in the light of modern science. One hypothesis that has emerged is that the yin-yang balance, at least with regard to herbs, corresponds to the pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant balance. This interpretation is supported by several investigations of the {ORAC ratings of various yin and yang herbs.[Antioxidant activity of 45 Chinese herbs and the relationship with their TCM characteristics.][BOXIN OU, DEJIAN HUANG1, MAUREEN HAMPSCH-WOODILL and JUDITH A. FLANAGAN (2003). "When east meets west: the relationship between yin-yang and antioxidation-oxidation". The FASEB Journal 17: 127-129.]
Eclectic medicine came out of the vitalist tradition, similar to physiomedicalism and bridged the European and Native American traditions[citation needed]. Cherokee medicine tends to divide herbs into foods, medicines and toxins and to use seven plants in the treatment of disease, which is defined with both spiritual and physiological aspects, according to Cherokee herbalist David Winston.[Safety & Regulation--Who's Watching the Herbal Store?, Tillotson Institute of Natural Health]
In India, Ayurvedic medicine has quite complex formulas with 30 or more ingredients, including a sizable number of ingredients that have undergone "alchemical processing", chosen to balance "Vata", "Pitta" or "Kapha."[http://oneearthherbs.squarespace.com/language-of-herbs/ ]
In addition there are more modern theories of herbal combination like William LeSassier's triune formula which combined Pythagorean imagery with Chinese medicine ideas and resulted in 9 herb formulas which supplemented, drained or neutrally nourished the main organ systems affected and three associated systems[citation needed]. His system has been taught to thousands of influential American herbalists through his own apprenticeship programs during his lifetime, the William LeSassier Archive[William LeSassier Archive website] and the David Winston Center for Herbal Studies[David Winston Center for Herbal Studies website][From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_page]

Herbs in history

In the written record, the study of herbs dates back over 5,000 years to the Sumerians, who described well-established medicinal uses for such plants as laurel, caraway, and thyme. The first known Chinese herb book (or herbal), dating from about 2700 B.C., lists 365 medicinal plants and their uses - including ma-Huang, the shrub that introduced the drug ephedrine to modern medicine. The Egyptians of 1000 B.C. are known to have used garlic, opium, castor oil, coriander, mint, indigo, and other herbs for medicine and the Old Testament also mentions herb use and cultivation, including mandrake, vetch, caraway, wheat, barley, and rye.
Like their predecessors, the ancient Greeks and Romans made medicinal use of plants. Greek and Roman medicinal practices, as preserved in the writings of Hippocrates and - especially - Galen, provided the patterns for later western medicine. Hippocrates advocated the use of a few simple herbal drugs - along with fresh air, rest, and proper diet. Galen, on the other had, recommended large doses of more or less complicated drug mixtures - including plant, animal, and mineral ingredients. The Greek physician compiled the first European treatise on the properties and uses of medicinal plants, De Materia Medica. In the first century AD, Dioscorides wrote a compendium of more that 500 plants that remained an authoritative reference into the seventeenth century. Similarly important for herbalists and botanists of later centuries was the Greek book that founded the science of botany, Theophrastus’ Historia Plantarum, written in the fourth century B.C.
The uses of plants for medicine and other purposes changed little during the Middle Ages. The early Christian church discouraged the formal practice of medicine, preferring faith healing; but many Greek and Roman writings on medicine, as on other subjects, were preserved by diligent hand copying of manuscripts in monasteries. The monasteries thus tended to become local centers of medical knowledge, and their herb gardens provided the raw materials for simple treatment of common disorders. At the same time, folk medicine in the home and village continues uninterrupted, supporting numerous wandering and settled herbalists. Among these were the “wise-women,” who prescribed herbal remedies often along with spells and enchantments. It was not until the later Middle Ages that women who were knowledgeable in herb lore became the targets of the witch hysteria. One of the most famous women in the herbal tradition was Hildegard of Bingen. A twelfth century Benedictine nun, she wrote a medical text called Causes and Cures.
Medical schools began to return in the eleventh century, teaching Galen’s system. At the time, the Arabic world was more advanced in science than Europe. As a trading culture, the Arabs had access to plant material from distant places such as China and India. Herbals, medical texts and translations of the classics of antiquity filtered in from east to west.[Pharmaceutics and Alchemy.] Alongside the university system, folk medicine continued to thrive. Plants were burdened with a mass of both pagan and Christian superstition that often was more important than their actual properties. The continuing importance of herbs for the centuries following the Middle Ages is indicated by the hundreds of herbals published after the invention of printing in the fifteenth century. Theophrastus’ Historia Plantarum was one of the first books to be printed, and Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica was not far behind.
The fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries were the great age of herbals, many of them available for the first time in English and other languages rather than Latin or Greek. The first herbal to be published in English was the anonymous Grete Herball of 1526. The two best-known herbals in English wereThe Herball or General History of Plants (1597) by John Gerard and The English Physician Enlarged (1653) by Nicholas Culpeper. Gerard’s text was basically a pirated translation of a book by the Belgian herbalist Dodoens and his illustrations came from a German botanical work. The original edition contained many errors due to faulty matching of the two parts. Culpeper’s blend of traditional medicine with astrology, magic, and folklore was ridiculed by the physicians of his day yet his book - like Gerard’s and other herbals - enjoyed phenomenal popularity. The Age of Exploration and the Columian Exchange introduced new medicinal plants to Europe. The Badianus Manuscript was an illustrated Aztec herbal translated into Latin in the 16th century.
But the seventeenth century also saw the beginning of a slow erosion of the pre-eminent position held by plants as sources of therapeutic effects. The introduction by the physician. Paracelsus of active chemical drugs (like arsenic, copper sulfate, iron, mercury, and sulfur), followed by the rapid development of chemistry and the other physical sciences in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, led increasingly to the dominance of chemotherapy - chemical medicine - as the orthodox system of the twentieth century.[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

Role of herbal medicine in human society

People on all continents have used hundreds to thousands of indigenous plants for treatment of ailments since prehistoric times[History of Plants in Medicine.]. There is evidence from the Shanidar Cave in Iraq that suggests Neanderthals living 60,000 years ago used medicinal plants. A body that was unearthed there had been buried with eight species of plants which are still widely used in ethnomedicine around the world.[Medicinal plants in a Middle Paleolithic grave Shanidar IV?, Lietava J., J Ethnopharmacol. 1992 Jan;35(3):263-6., PMID 1548898]
The first generally accepted use of plants as healing agents was depicted in the cave paintings discovered in the Lascaux caves in France, which have been radiocarbon-dated to between 13,000-25,000 BCE. Medicinal herbs were found in the personal effects of an "Ice man," whose body was frozen in the Swiss Alps for more than 5,300 years, which appear to have been used to treat the parasites found in his intestines.[5300 years ago, the Ice Man used natural laxatives and antibiotics, Capasso L., Lancet. 1998;352:1864, PMID 9851424.]
Anthropologists theorize that animals evolved a tendency to seek out bitter plant parts in response to illness.[The evolution of herbal medicine: behavioral perspectives.] This behavior arose because bitterness is an indicator of secondary metabolites. The risk benefit ratio favored animals and protohumans that were inclined to experiment in times of sickness. Over time, and with insight, instinct, and trial-and-error, a base of knowledge would have been acquired within early tribal communities[http:www.clas.ufl.edu/users/mattjp/Lecture%20Notes/Medicinal%20Plants.doc Medicinal Plants.] As this knowledge base expanded over the generations, the specialized role of the herbalist emerged. The process would likely have occurred in varying manners within a wide diversity of cultures.
Indigenous healers often claim to have learned by observing that sick animals change their food preferences to nibble at bitter herbs they would normally reject[Huffman MA (May 2003). "Animal self-medication and ethno-medicine: exploration and exploitation of the medicinal properties of plants.". Proc Nutr Soc 62 (2): 371-81. PMID 14506884.][citation needed]. Field biologists have provided corroborating evidence based on observation of diverse species, such as chimpanzees, chickens, sheep and butterflies. Lowland gorillas take 90% of their diet from the fruits of Aframomum melegueta, a relative of the ginger plant, that is a potent antimicrobial and apparently keeps shigellosis and similar infections at bay.[a b Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them, Cindy Engel, Houghton Mifflin, 2002]
Researchers from Ohio Wesleyan University found that some birds select nesting material rich in antimicrobial agents which protect their young from harmful bacteria[Jan Ichida, Proceedings of the 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. reported in Birds use herbs to protect their nests, BJS, Science Blog, Wed, 2004-05-26].
Sick animals tend to forage plants rich in secondary metabolites, such as tannins and alkaloids[Hutchings MR, Athanasiadou S, Kyriazakis I, Gordon IJ (May 2003). "Can animals use foraging behavior to combat parasites?". Proc Nutr Soc. 62 (2): 361. PMID 14506883.][citation needed]. Since these phytochemicals often have antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antihelminthic properties, a plausible case can be made for self-medication by animals in the wild.[a b Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them, Cindy Engel, Houghton Mifflin, 2002]
Some animals have digestive systems especially adapted to cope with certain plant toxins. For example, the koala can live on the leaves and shoots of the eucalyptus, a plant that is dangerous to most animals. [Phascolarctos cinereus.]A plant that is harmless to a particular animal may not be safe for humans to ingest[Take Time to Identify Toxic Plants to Keep Your Family and Pets Safe.][citation needed]. A reasonable conjecture is that these discoveries were traditionally collected by the medicine people of indigenous tribes, who then passed on safety information and cautions.
The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal among non-industrialized societies[citation needed]. A number of traditions came to dominate the practice of herbal medicine at the end of the twentieth century:
-The herbal medicine system, based on Greek and Roman sources -The Ayurvedic medicine system from India -Chinese herbal medicine (Chinese herbology) -Unani-Tibb medicine -Shamanic Herbalism Many of the pharmaceuticals currently available to physicians have a long history of use as herbal remedies, including opium, aspirin, digitalis, and quinine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the world's population presently uses herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. [Traditional medicine.]Herbal medicine is a major component in all traditional medicine systems, and a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional Chinese medicine, and Native American medicine.
According to the WHO, 74% of 119 modern plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines are used in ways that are similar to their traditional uses. Major pharmaceutical companies are currently conducting extensive research on plant materials gathered from the rainforests and other places for possible new pharmaceuticals.[Introduction, Herbal Medicine, holisticonline.com]
The use of, and search for, drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Pharmacologists, microbiologists, botanists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and leads that could be developed for treatment of various diseases. In fact, approximately 25% of modern drugs used in the United States have been derived from plants.
-Three quarters of plants that provide active ingredients for prescription drugs came to the attention of researchers because of their use in traditional medicine. -Among the 120 active compounds currently isolated from the higher plants and widely used in modern medicine today, 75 percent show a positive correlation between their modern therapeutic use and the traditional use of the plants from which they are derived. -More than two thirds of the world's plant species - at least 35,000 of which are estimated to have medicinal value - come from the developing countries. -At least 7,000 medical compounds in the modern pharmacopoeia are derived from plants[Learning from Indigenous People, Faezah Ismael, ASEAN Review of Biodiversity & Environmental Conservation, MacArthur Foundation, Wednesday, March 14, 2001]

Herbalism

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medicinal botany[a neologism coined by Dr. K. Seshagirirao, University of Hyderabad, India], medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.
Many plants synthesize substances that are useful to the maintenance of health in humans and other animals. These include aromatic substances, most of which are phenols or their oxygen-substituted derivatives such as tannins. Many are secondary metabolites, of which at least 12,000 have been isolated — a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total. In many cases, these substances (particularly the alkaloids) serve as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds. [Lai PK (Jun 2004). "Antimicrobial and chemopreventive properties of herbs and spices.". Curr Med Chem: 1451-60. PMID 15180577.][Tapsell LC (Aug 2006). "Health benefits of herbs and spices: the past, the present, the future.". Med J Aust. PMID 17022438.]
With only a few exceptions, most herbal treatments have not been tested for safety and efficacy utilizing scientific studies or clinical trials[citation needed]. The scientific and medical communities state that herbal treatments may be risk the well-being or life of the patient when used in lieu of standard medical treatments.[neutrality disputed][(2006) "Dobrin J". Mt. Sinai Journal of Medicine 73 (2): 565-566. PMID 16685816.][From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]