to the Fourth German Edition Rational Phytotherapy continues to add a truly significant dimen sion to the practice of evidence-based herbal medicine. Prepara tion of a new edition, so short a time after publication of the pre vious English version, was necessitated by the rapid increase in the number of scientific and clinical studies attesting to the safe ty and utility of phytomedicines. The results of these recent inves tigations are now incorporated in the revised text of this volume. ...