Ambonese Herbal

Historic herbal texts can be considered both works of art and troves of information. Many of the original copies of the texts still available were hand copied and corrected as deemed necessary by the transcriptionist [21]. Frequently, the images accompanying the text descriptions were ornately hand painted. Often, these images contain such intricate detail that it is possible to accurately identify the genus and species of the plant described. For example, Figure 4.2 shows the illustration of the common pineapple from the 400-year-old Ambonese Herbal. 

Figure 4.2 Nearly 400 years ago G. E. Rumphius was stationed on the island of Ambon in Indonesia. This fignre shows his rendition of the common pineapple in the Ambonese Herbal. Freqnently, the illnstrations in historic herbal texts are detailed enough to accurately identify the plant described in the text.

Figure 4.4 The general protocol for information extraction from an herbal text (A-E) is paired with case examples from our work with the Ambonese Herbal by Rumphius. (A) Text is digitized. (B) Through either manual reading or automated extraction the plant name(s), plant part(s), and symptoms or disorders are identified. (C) These extracted data are then updated (as necessary) to reflect current names of the plants, using the International Plant Names Index (IPNI), and the pharmacological function(s) of the described medicinal plants are extrapolated from the mentioned symptoms and disorders. (D) The current botanical names are queried against a natural products database such as the NAPRALERT database to determine whether the plant has been previously examined. (E) Differential tables are generated that separate the plants examined in the literature from plants that may warrant further examination for bioactivity. (Adapted from Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, with permission.) See color plate.

Buenz EJ, Johnson HE, Beekman EM, Motley TJ, Bauer BA. Bioprospecting Rumphius s Ambonese Herbal Volume I. / Ethnopharmacol 2005 96 57-70. 

Figure 4.4 The general protocol for information extraction from an herbal text (A-E) is paired with case examples from our work with the Ambonese Herbal by Rumphius. For full caption see page 112.

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ , ]

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