author
Jr. (Heber Wilkinson) Heber W. Youngken
1913–2001
A leading American pharmacognosist, this longtime University of Rhode Island dean helped shape the study of medicinal plants and wrote practical books that connected botany, pharmacy, and public safety. His work ranged from standard pharmacy texts to guides for recognizing poisonous plants in New England.
1 Audiobook
Common poisonous plants of New England
by Jr. (Heber Wilkinson) Heber W. Youngken, Joseph S. Karas
About the author
Born in 1913, Heber W. Youngken Jr. built a career around medicinal plants, pharmacy education, and botanical science. He became a professor of pharmacognosy and later served as dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island, holding that deanship from 1957 to 1981.
As a writer, he is best known for Textbook of Pharmacognosy, a widely used reference on natural drugs and medicinal plant materials, and for co-authoring Common Poisonous Plants of New England. His books reflect the same strengths that marked his academic career: clear teaching, careful observation, and a strong interest in making scientific knowledge useful.
Youngken died on October 22, 2001, at age 88. His legacy continued at the University of Rhode Island, where the Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden honors his pioneering work in the study of medicinal plants.