From the introduction: The Herbalist is a person who has an intimate knowledge of the bounty of the plant world around them. They know which plants can be used for the relieving of painful insect bites and which can produce painful death. Many Herbalist are residents of rural communities that have little access to the luxuries of city life where healing may be administered by trained professionals. They typically receive their knowledge from ancient traditions handed down from parent to child since time immemorial. More cosmopolitan Herbalists may set up practices in cities and towns in order to administer cheap remedies to those who cannot afford a surgeon's or pharmacist's fees.