My grandmother grew up in Americus, GA, a rural town over 100 miles south of Atlanta. Her parents were of Cherokee descent, so I asked her about any herbal remedies passed down to her. She told me of several, but the one that she remembered with the most clarity was rabbit tobacco. Rabbit tobacco is also known as lasting, everlasting, sweet balsam, white balsam, feather-weed, and sweet cudweed. Its scientific name is Gaphalium obtusifolium. These annual herbs reach a height of 1 to 3 feet and have erect stems with brown, shriveled leaves persisting into winter and stems covered with felt-like hairs in summer. The leaves are 1 to 3 inches long, and alternate. The flowers, minute in whitish heads, appear in late summer to fall. Fields, pastures, and disturbed areas are the sites of this common native plant of the eastern United States. The Cherokee named it rabbit tobacco because they believe it was the rabbit who took attended the plant. In Cherokee medicine, it is believed that councils of animals created diseases in order to avenge the loss of their families and living spaces. The plants, being sympathetic to humans, decided to each furnish a cure for these diseases. It is believed that the spirit of the plant will tell a sick person which one to use to cure his illness. Rabbit tobacco can be used medicinally in several ways. Smoking the leaves is good for sinusitis, head colds, and congestion. In hot teas, it is used to treat sore throats, fevers, diarrhea, colds, flu, pneumonia, asthma, and coughs, as well as a mild nerve sedative, a diuretic, and an antispasmodic. My grandmother said it was most often used in her home as a salve made of lard and ground up leaves. It was applied to the chest and back and caused profuse sweating. The effect is similar to Vicks in that it helped open up breathing passages. It is also believed by the Cherokee, as well as other Native American tribes, to help cleanse a house after a person’s absence or to cleanse the body after accidental contact with “bad medicine".
The Navajo creation story explains that medicine was brought to the people by an ancient owl. This owl sent down a magic bundle containing the powers of healing to the new world. For thousands of years Navajo people have used this knowledge to heal and live in harmony with each other. As a product of two worlds, Dr. Lori Alvord was one of the first people to combine modern medicine with Navajo beliefs by overcoming cultural differences.
Tobacco is connected with a number of negative effects in humans and a few other organisms. For example, the long list of negative effects range from birth defects and lessened lung capacity, to sexual impotence. All of the previously mentioned result from extended tobacco exposure in varying mediums and although they are negative effects associated with tobacco, it has also been proven that tobacco to acts as a stimulant to some animals (Nice 135). In studying how tobacco effects the body of any living being and its uses, over time new developments may progress that would allow us to use tobacco only for its positive effects while bypassing its negative ones.
Monarda fisctulosa had various uses for the Native Americans. This multipurpose plant may also be known as Bee Balm, horsemint, wild oregano, or many more. The most common name is bee balm due to the multitude of bees that are drawn in; some rest on the back side of flower petals, while others spread pollen between the plants. In total, there is approximately fifteen known species currently growing. The parts of the plant can be consumed in a variety of ways. The plant was, and still is, used to treat many issues and illnesses. This paper will describe the characteristics of Monarda, and the many uses for the leaves and flowers.
The multiple use of plants used for nourishment, medicinal purposes and practical use were ignored by Lewis and Clark during their monumental trek across the United States. Rather than consider the Native Indian’s use of native plants they persisted on using Dr. Rush’s Thunderbolt pills that probably caused more problems than the condition that inflicted them. Many modern day cultures continue to ignore native remedies and have come to depend on synthetic pharmaceutical drug production. In recent years the wealth of indigenous knowledge has been acknowledged revealing the use of native plants and the importance it had in the survival of indigenous people.. Pharmaceutical companies have utilized the immense knowledge of the indigenous people and their use of natural plants. The application of natural plant species have revealed the main reasons mankind has survived into present day. Following is a few of the plants, their application and their specific purposes.
A member of the phylum Gnetophyta, the Ephedra genus is a perennial, dioecious shrub that reaches 1 1/2 to 4 feet tall (7). There are multiple species of this genus that inhabit the desert regions in certain parts of the world. The three species E. sinica, E. intermedia, and E. equisetina are found in Asia, particularly China and Mongolia. Ephedra distacha is from Europe. India and Pakistan are home to E. gerardiana. North American species consist of E. nevadensis (Mormon tea), E. viridis (desert tea), E. americana, and E. trifurca (7). It takes an average of four years for the shrub to achieve maturation (10) and is harvested in the fall (11). Ephedra has been used medicinally for hundreds, even thousands of years in the regions where it grows.
Plants were believed to have magic powers and were used symbolically in healing practices. Seeds, twigs, and leaves coloured black, white and red were believed to possess healing properties. Traditional healers act as an intermediate between the physical and spiritual world to enable healing and restore balance. Drumming, dancing, and chanting are used to arouse spirits in healing
Throughout time, mankind has persistently been seeking ways to maintain their health and to cure those that had not been so fortunate in that task. Just about everything has been experimented with as a cure for some type of illness whether physical, spiritual or mental. There has always been evidence of spiritual healing and it will continue to be an important part of any healing process, large or small. In particular, the roots of Native American Medicine men (often a woman in some cultures) may be traced back to ancient times referred to as Shaman. A special type of healer used by the Indians is referred to as a medicine man (comes from the French word medecin, meaning doctor).
The Jamestown settlers cultivated hemp produced by the marijuana plant. They used these fibers to make clothing, rope, and canvas because of its quality and durability. Physicians in the 19th century were prescribing cannabis as a pain reliever, an anticonvulsant, and for migraine headaches (Doweiko, 2002). Following his work in India in the 1840's William
Our friends the Native American people held a knowledge of plants used for medicine that has held true to this day. The Native Americans used more than 500 healing herbs thought to be healing secrets that are used in many modern day drugs. Native American healers regarded plants as relatives with the same energy, elements, minerals, and living compounds that are found in the natural world. Researchers in laboratories estimate that 25 percent of the drugs in use have actual ingredients either derived from or chemically similar to those in plants. Some of the drugs that have their roots in nature are the cancer drug tamoxifen, the heart drug digitalis, and painkillers morphine and aspirin. The powers of observation and the passing on of
Tobacco is an american crop that is in the same family as the potato. It is said that tobacco began growing in the Americas around 6,000 B.C.E. and was used by native Americans as early as 1 B.C.E.! Tobacco was not commonly chewed, and not even smoked. For religious reasons it was burned and was danced around. The Native Americans believed it to be a gift from their creator. They also believed that tobacco had healing attributes, capable of healing anything, in addition to being a pain killer. It was very popular in remedying various ailments. The Native Americans were a people who praised tobacco not only of religious but also medical reasons. They also passed this on to the England pioneers looking for the journey into their lands. The Native Americans gladly gave them presents of this kind.
Despite the rapid advances of modern medicine, a large portion of developing countries points to herbal remedies as to curing ailments and other sicknesses needing medical attention. People around the world have been using herbal remedies since humans have existed on earth. They have used herbs, plant, and roots during their healing rituals in curing both physical and spiritual illnesses. Countries such as Africa, Asia, and the Mariana Islands still use traditional treatment as their primary healthcare. Guam, one of the most developed islands in the Mariana Islands, has been using traditional remedies since the Spaniards conquered the ancient Chamorros. Ancient Chamorros used plants found around the island to cure the sick and identified the people who used traditional remedies as suruhanus for men and suruhanas for women. They have come to believed that suruhanus or suruhanas as the doctors we have today. Other than the suruhanus and suruhanas, ancient Chamorros also had another type of healers: the makahna and kakahnas. Makahnas and kakahnas, believed by the Chamorros, are shamans who had the connection between in both physical and spiritual worlds, and had magical powers. Reading about these healers had caught my interest in doing an in dept research about the suruhanus of Guam, especially after stumbling upon Ann M. Pobutsky’s “Suruhanas: A Profile of Traditional Women Healers in the Village of Umatac, Guam.” Although stumbling to a chapter based on traditional healers was just pure coincidence, I have come to a decision of researching about these people. Doing this research had helped me identify the major factors leading to a sense of spiritual and ritual identity of Guam. It had aided me to recognize the cultural uniqueness...
The Huntington Garden is home to thousands of beautiful flowers, herbs, and art works. In this garden there are plant that have some medical benefits that can help with digestion, headaches, and even cancer. Some of these herbs have some interesting myth and folklore behind them. Lemon Balm, which has been use since the Middle Ages, does have medical benefits and folklore story behind them. Another plant that I found in the Huntington garden with many medical uses is Peppermint, which also has many folklore and myth about them. Peppermint and Lemon Balm are two very useful medical herbs to have and have very interesting myth about them.
Traditional medicine looked towards magic and religion to understand and heal diseases. People believed that evil spirits caused illness, where magic and rituals was often used as the cure. There were various cults
So many people are putting their health in danger by this nasty life taking produce. Smoking it's like a deadly disease that you can either choose to have it or not. Choosing not to is the best way to go for you will have better health. Life is so short why make it even shorter. If we could teach people about how smoking can harm your body then we could save many people from being addicted. Not only is smoking bad for you it's also unattractive.
... herbal drugs. Their application is grounded either on traditional medicine or on modern-day scientific research findings. Many medicinal plants are employed as self-medications or are used upon the recommendation of a physician or pharmacist. They are employed both independently and/or in combination as complementary medicines to synthetic drugs. It is imperative for an adequate and successfully applied therapy that an accurate early diagnosis is made of the illness along with selection of the appropriate pharmacological effects associated with the specific herbal components (10).