A study of Russian phytomedicine and commonly used herbal remedies.

Immigrants into this country often bring their own cultural beliefs and medical system with them. Since many parts of the world use phytomedicine as the sole source of pharmaceuticals, this means that their traditional form of therapy includes the use of herbal products. It has been observed that many immigrants from the former Soviet Union are used to using phytomedicine and actively seek out familiar herbs when they come to the United States (U.S.). This paper provides a description of the most commonly used Russian phytomedicinals with an explanation of indications for use and Latin and English translations of each plant's name. This makes available insights into the use of herbals in the former Soviet Union and aids in bridging the cultural and language gap between herbal medicine in the U.S. and in Russia.