Book excerpt: The Republic of Palau in the Caroline Islands has a traditional medical system developed over many generations. The Palau Primary Health Care Manual compiles traditional ethnomedical information about plants and presents it within the context of Western Medicine. Many common health conditions are discussed in this book, including those specific to Palauan culture. The book is divided into chapters that discuss plant therapies used in traditional medical care including preventive medicine, chronic disease, bites and stings, diarrhea and gastrointestinal disorders, skin disorders, cuts, wounds, and broken bones, stress, pain, women's health, men's health, colds and flu, and ear, nose, and throat. Also provided is scientific information about each species including efficacy, pharmacology, and potential toxicity, where known. It is intended as an educational manual for Palau and the Pacific region, an area where traditional medicine and some of the plants used in its practice, are endangered resources. Based on extensive on-island research and a comprehensive review of the literature, the book has been produced by a group of Palauan and international experts, specialists in ethnomedicine, clinical care, public health, biology, conservation, and Pacific Island culture.