The Wealth of India : A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products : First supplement series (Raw Materials): Vol. 1: A - Ci

"The Wealth of India, acclaimed as a reference standard for information on raw materials of India has in the recent past played a major role in India\'s claim for priority in the US patent case on turmeric. The encyclopaedia, after conclusion of the original series and revision of the initial volumes was diverted to electronic publishing through the project AHEAD (Asian Health, Environmental and Allied Databases) sponsored by International Development Research Centre, Canada. CD-ROM entitled Wealth Asia (D 2.1) released under this project included full-text database of the entire Wealth of India series. D 2.2 and D 2.3 followed with updates on all entries (A-Z) for specific periods. Data for further updates are under processing. In the meantime, the clientele of the Wealth of India within the country clamoured for the volumes in the print medium and hence a Supplement Series to the Wealth of India--Raw Materials is being launched. The five volume series shall contain supplementary information (wherever available) for all A to Z entries for the period 1987-94, presented in the same format as the parent series.

"The publication of this series has significant potential in the light of the present global trend to go herbal and look for alternate plant-based systems of medicine.

Vol. A - Ci

"Volume 1 of the first Supplement Series includes information updates on plant, animal and mineral articles covering the alphabet A - Ci. All available information for the period 1987-94, on every entry as been collected, analyzed and packaged in the format followed for the original series. During this process an interlinking of various disciplines of science like biotechnology, molecular biology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, genetics, etc. with classical botany and zoology, was evident and therefore the scope of Wealth of India articles has been suitably extended while not deviating significantly from its original parameters. Likewise, a substantial amount of information on ethnomedicine, traditional uses of plants, etc. was observed and suitably incorporated in the articles. Major articles of the volume are Arachis, Artemisia, Bauxite, Bees, Brassica, building stones, camel, Camellia, Catharanthus, Citrus and Civet." (jacket)