Trained as a pulmonologist, Dr. Irwin Ziment found his interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) piqued during the late 1970s when he was working on a book on pulmonary pharmacology and therapeutics. Through his research, he learned that most of the drugs used to treat pulmonary disease originated from botanical predecessors and that many were based on historical medicines and herbal medicine. Since that initial discovery, Dr. Ziment's interest in CAM has grown and flourished. He has collaborated on a book, Evidence-Based Herbal Medicine; written numerous articles; and lectured widely on the subject. In his work Dr. Ziment always stresses the importance of traditional medicine and CAM working together in harmony. Based on these ideas and principles, Dr. Ziment and his wife, Yda, founded the Endowment Collection for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library to support acquisitions ranging from relevant books carried by mass-market bookstores to journals and magazines on alternative medical practices to specialized texts used in alternative studies programs such as Chinese medicine, chiropractic, and holistic medicine. Through this endowment, up-to-date material on CAM is made available, ensuring that students, scholars, professionals, and the lay public have access to information about authoritative alternative practices.
