The sixth title in Salem's well-received Salem Health series, Salem Health: Complementary & Alternative Medicine provides authoritative, essential information on complementary and alternative medicine in easy-to-understand language. The set was designed for general readers and offers a unique perspective on this growing and constantly changing field. Plus, the purchase of the printed set entitles a school or library to three years of complimentary online access to Complementary & Alternative Medicine's content.
THE PRINTED REFERENCE
Four volumes, including 1,500 pages
783 articles and 150 sidebars, tables & drawings
Hundreds of photos, illustrations and graphs
Appendixes, indexes and resource listings
THE ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION
Fully supported
Complimentary online access
Unlimited users at your library
Full access from home or dorm room
Immediate access via online registration
A simple, intuitive interface
User profile areas for students and patrons
Sophisticated search functions
Complete content, including back matter and illustration
SCOPE AND COVERAGE
The set contains 783 alphabetically arranged essays on a variety of topics, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, crystal healing, detoxification, herbal medicine, magnet therapy, probiotics, Qigong, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, vegan diets, and vitamins and minerals. The history of both complementary and alternative medicine is included, as are key figures, such as Deepak Chopra. Other essays discuss important issues such as alternative versus traditional medicine, children's health and CAM, insurance coverage of CAM, pain management, and spirituality and CAM.
The essays, written for nonspecialists by medical professionals, professors in science and medicine, and medical writers, will interest students of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Eastern medicine and philosophy, life science, and alternative health practices; public library patrons; and librarians building collections in alternative medicine, general medicine, and life science.
ORGANIZATION & FORMAT
Essays vary in length from one to five pages. Every essay begins with ready-reference top matter, such as topic category, and lists, where applicable, other terms by which the essay topic is known. A brief overview explains the topic in greater detail. Other sections include "Mechanism of Action," "Uses and Applications" and "Scientific Evidence." All entries end with a byline, including the author's credentials; list sources for further reading; web sites for further study; and See also cross-references to related essays in the set. The set also includes sidebars, drawings, tables, and photographs to enhance the information offered.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Several helpful appendixes appear at the end of volume 4. A glossary provides hundreds of definitions of commonly used scientific, medical, and alternative medicine terms and concepts. The bibliography offers citations for both classic and recently published sources for additional research. The resources appendix provides a list of organizations and support groups. The importance of the Internet to general education in complementary and alternative medicine is reflected in the annotated Web Site Directory. The Time Line of Major Developments offers a chronological overview of CAM from ancient times to the present. The Biographical Dictionary feature practitioners and critics of CAM. A category Index appears at the end of each volume, and personages and comprehensive subject indexes can be found at the end of volume 4.
