Tropical Tales No. 23 - Vol. 1
- Herbs
Herbal medicine
or pharmacognosy is one of the oldest forms of
health care. The oldest prescriptions were found
on Babylonian clay tablets. The World Health
Organization records that 80% of the world's
population still relies on botanical medicines.
Many botanicals remain to be reevaluated as
continued folkloric use around the world prompts
researchers to further scientific study.
I grow oregano, mint, basil, rosemary and
sage for the kitchen, as each plant is unique
and a veritable chemical factory. In this
country there is a resurgence of interest in
alternative medicine, including the use of
botanical medicines; especially in view of the
economic rise of costs of conventional
medicines. For general information and
alternative medicine, please see:
http://nccam.nih.gov
I am systematically removing all poisonous
plants from my garden because when Zuzi brushes
up against a plant and I pick her up and kiss
her, then I develop a severe allergic reaction,
not knowing which plant she was in. So far, I
have removed the oyster plant, which although a
beautiful purple plant, makes me itch and burn.
And I have also removed two pink oleanders
because they are so toxic. Even water in which
the plant has been immersed can be poisonous.
Florida Poison Information Center:
1-800-282-3171.
Aloe Vera plants, "alloeh," derived from
Arabic, make nice decorative borders. There are
some 500 species belonging to the Liliaceae
family. They were indigenous to Cape of Good
Hope and these succulents grow throughout most
of Africa, southern Arabia, and Madagascar, and
were cultivated in the Caribbean, Japan,
Mediterranean and America.
In the 4th millennium B.C., aloe wall
carvings were found in Egyptian temples. The
Egyptian Book of Remedies notes aloe was used
for curing infections, and treating the skin.
Alexander supposedly conquered Socotra Island to
obtain control of its aloes. In the 6th century
A. D., Arab traders carried aloe to Asia, and
the Spaniards carried it in the 16th century to
the New World.
The most common use of the gel remains the
treatment of minor burns and skin irritations.
Alinka
The answer to the riddle in Tropical Tale No.
17 is as follows: 15 and 18.
