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In Western society there is a widespread belief that animals are
not very intelligent. Indigenous peoples, on the other hand,
tend to have a lot of respect for other living things and this
is often to their great benefit. Native Americans (or the
Indians) noticed that when elks, a kind of large deer, were
sick, they looked for and ate a certain plant and quickly
recovered. This pretty plant is called the purple coneflower or
echinacea and is now on sale in every high street chemist all
over Britain.
Melvin R. Gilmore was the first modern scientist to study how
indigenous people use plants for medicine. He discovered that
the Native Americans use echinacea for a lot of different health
problems. The Sioux used the root to treat snakebites while
another tribe inhaled the smoke from the burning plant to cure
headaches. The juice from the root was used to treat burns and
the Cheyenne made tea from the dried leaves to treat sore
throats.
In more recent times, echinacea has become very popular in
Germany where it is used in nearly 300 different products, from
ointments for eczema and sunburn to pills for boosting the
immune system. The Germans use it to avoid catching colds and
flu.
Did you know that 25% of prescription drugs come from plants?
Incidently, the word ‘drug’ means ‘dried plant’. Perhaps
Westerners should pay more attention to indigenous people and
also to animals. They may be able to teach us a lot more about
staying healthy. |
