Book excerpt: Drugs from plants are a major contribution to world health. Their production involves machinery, workers, quality control, standards, and legislation. Phytopharmaceutical Technology is a practical reference volume that provides the basic information necessary to select and operate machinery and to process plant products through to the desired liquid, solid, or powdered drug form. As a result, much of the book is devoted to the production process. Topics discussed include plants and plant parts; converting plants to medicinal forms; tips on handling incoming plant materials, including quality, pests, residues, analytical techniques and legislation; solvents for extraction, chemical data and notes regarding selection and use; and production processes, including grading (sorting), size reduction (comminution), extraction, concentration, purification, and drying. The book also contains details regarding the dozens of types of machinery that can be used, as well as drawings, including cross-sections and schematics of the working action. Quality assurance, standardization, and regulation is also discussed. Phytopharmaceutical Technology is a handy reference tool for engineers and industrial chemists in the plant drug processing industry, as well as excellent reading for university students.