Contents: Preface. Abbreviations. 1. Introduction: i. Herbal contraceptives. ii. Current status on herbal contraceptives. iii. Enumeration. 2. Ethnic Indian herbal contraceptives. 3. Epilogue. 4. Literature cited. 5. Plates. Appendices. 7. Glossary of some selected medical terms.

From the Preface: The valuable information on herbal contraceptives widely scattered and unorganized, necessitated the compilation of the present manual-comprehending information on 377 promising plant species belonging to 295 genera under 116 families of which 1 sp (1 genus) belongs to fungi; 8 spp (6 genera) to pteridophytes; 5 spp (4 genera) to gymnosperms and the remaining 363 spp (284 genera) to angiosperms having 315 spp as dictoyledons and 48 as monocotyledons. Besides, it also provide information on synonyms, vernacular name(s), distribution, reproductive cycle and active constituents to serve as a valuable ready-reckoner for students, researchers, teachers and scientists in traditional universities, economic botany, ethnobotany, phytomedicine, pharmacology and plant genetic resources, and laymen alike. Over 20 photographs, 6 figures, 5 tables and 6 appendices enhance the value of the compilation significantly.