That much of the knowledge of medicinal plants by the primitive man was obtained from hunters and shepherds is evident from what Dr. Raymond Crawford, M.A., M D., (Oxon), Physician to King’s College Hospital, London said in his presidential address delivered before the section of the History of Medicine, reported in the Lancet from which it has been reproduced in in the Scientific American Supplement of April 14 and 21, 1917.
原始人類對藥用植物的大部分知識是從獵人和牧羊人那裡獲得的，這從博士的研究中可以明顯看出。倫敦國王學院醫院醫師雷蒙德‧克勞福德(Raymond Crawford)，醫學博士、醫學博士（牛津大學），在《柳葉刀》醫學史部分發表的主席講話中說道，《柳葉刀》報道了這部分，《科學美國人》1917 年 4 月 14 日至 21 日也轉載了這部分。
Man, doubtless, will have acquired much of his knowledge of the nutritive and medicinal value of plants by the same methed as the lower animals, by experience. Like them, too, he will have profited by imitation, and imitation embracing his observation of the habits of the lower animals. It must have been of immense importance to man, when he depended largely for food on wild animals captured in the chase, to watch them closely so as to know their habits.
「毫無疑問，人類將透過與低等動物相同的方法，透過經驗獲得有關植物營養和藥用價值的大部分知識。和他們一樣，他也將從模仿中受益，而模仿包括他對低等動物習性的觀察。當人類主要依靠狩獵中捕獲的野生動物作為食物時，請密切觀察它們以了解它們的習性對於人類來說一定是非常重要的。」
“That a good deal of man’s medicinal knowledge arose accidentally in his efforts to extend the range of his food supply is suggested by the prominent place occupied by food—stuffs in primitive pharmacy.
「人類的大量醫學知識是在努力擴大食物供應範圍的過程中偶然產生的，這可以從原始藥學中食品所佔據的顯著位置看出」
The ancient Hindus should be given the credit for cultivating what is now called “Ethno-botany”. In Bulletin 55 of the Bureau of American Ethnology, it is said:—
“Ethnobotany is virtually a new field of research, a field which, if investigated thoroughly and systematically will yield results of great value to the ethnologist and incidentally also to the botanist. *
古代印度教徒應該因培養了現在所謂的「民族植物學」而受到讚譽。美國民族學局第 55 號公告寫道：
「民族植物學其實是一個新的研究領域，如果對這個領域進行徹底和系統性的研究，將為民族學家乃至植物學家帶來巨大價值的結果。」
Ethnobotanical research is concerned with several important questions
民族植物學研究涉及幾個重要議題。
(a) What are primitive ideas and conceptions of plant life?
(a)植物生命的原始觀念與概念是什麼？
(b) What are the effects of a given plant environment on the lives, customs, religion, thoughts and everyday practical affairs of the people studied?
(b)特定的植物環境對研究對象的生活、習俗、宗教、思想和日常事務有何影響？
(c) What use do they make of the plants about them for food, for medicine, for material culture, for ceremonial purposes?
(c)他們把周圍的植物當作食物、藥物、物質文化和儀式用途有何用途？
(d) What is the extent of their knowledge of the parts, functions, and activities of plants?
(d)他們對植物的組成部分、功能和活動的了解程度如何？
(e) Into what categories are plant names and words that deal with plants grouped in the language of the people studied, and what can be learned concerning the working of the folkmind by the study of these names?
(e) 在所研究的人們的語言中，植物名稱和涉及植物的字詞可分為哪些類別，以及透過研究這些名稱可以了解到有關民間思想運作的哪些資訊？
Ethnobotany will become a more important subject when its study has progressed to a point where results can be studied comparatively.
當民族植物學的研究進展到可以進行比較研究的程度時，它將成為一個更重要的學科。
A prime necessity is a good native informant; indeed it is better to have several informants, preferably older men or women.
首要的必要條件是擁有優秀的本土資料提供者；事實上，最好有幾個人，最好是年長的男性或女性。
What a pity that hardly any attention is paid to this subject in modern India.