"Arriving in Kaikohe (in the Far North) as a pharmacist he [the author] "passed into a new world as far as medicine was concerned." He found that customers made their own "concoctions" and were under the influence of the tohunga (native priest) as there was only one doctor in the district who visited once a week. Williams was to become the "doctor, vet, social worker and friend to the local residents, although it was some time before "they had enough faith in me to tell what (plants) they were using." Williams was 93 when the book was first published and his service to the Far North community extended through the Depression years, the Second World War and for many years after. His public service included 24 years as Northland Hospital Board chairman and 10 years as a member of the NZ Hospital Boards' Association. Williams says that most of the information in the book was passed on by kuia (older Maori women) and from his own observations, adding that "I have just recorded what older Maori taught me, but I take no responsibility for their efficiency." The book first appeared at a time when there was a renewed interest in traditional Maori remedies and the plants used preparing them and the frequency of reprints shows that it had reached many interested in the topic. The book covers more that 40 different plant species, describing their habitat and medicinal uses" (publisher).