Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

When I was a youngster, about 9 years old, one of my friends lived in
the small group of families who shared a common property behind my
Parents house.

That entire property was owned by a Native American family, (I don't
recall which tribe), and the oldest member was (as close as she could
calculate), about 100 years old. Her daughter ran the household in the
main house and was the overseer for the rest of the families who live
on the property.

Her name was pronounced "Namey", but had no written form that she was
aware of, as she couldn't read or write.

Namey was the very first person to ever make me aware of the wild
foods that share our world naturally, without human involvement.

About once each week, she would go on an adventure around the area
about one mile from her home and gather about a bushel of wild plants
that would be included in the family's meals for the week.

The area is now known as "Northern Potomac" in north-central Maryland.

As we walked, she would hold her over-sized apron as a basket, and
carefully segregate each item within it as she gathered them. As she
did this, she would tell me about each new type that I hadn't learned
yet, and tell me everything she knew about that plant and what it
could be used for in foods and medicines.

At the time, I thought of her as being one of the most intelligent
people I had ever met in my short life. I was fascinated by her
knowledge of the world of plants.

Wild garlic was one of my favorites. She would pick it as mature
plants and carefully take the entire plant, roots and all. She would
take one from five, leaving the other four for future seeding and
supply. There was so much available that this was easy to do and
ensured a never ending supply of plants.

By the time we arrived back at her home, I would be in front, holding
as much as I could by grasping the two leading corners of her apron,
over my shoulder. She had to be at least 80, so this helped her quite
a bit.

Namey also had but one foot. The other was lost in a "White mans
animal trap" which she inadvertently stepped into when she was a young
girl. In it's place, she had a "peg-leg" much like pictured in the old
pirate movies.

In the house, if one of us children misbehaved, she could whack us
with that wooden peg on our shins and between that and her big wooden
spoon that she carried most of the day, she was formidable and
something to be feared if not behaving to her high standards.

Frankly, I learned to love her as if she were my own Mother. She was
the first adult in my life to die, and it almost destroyed me when I
was told two days later on my next visit to see her. They said she had
a heart attack in the front yard while weeding one of her flower beds.

Well, since then, I've graduated to the "Natural Medicines
Comprehensive Database" (ISBN 0-9676136-4-7) which lists over one
thousand natural medicines within it's 2,300 pages. My copy was given
to me by my Doctor at the Mayo clinic in 2000, but the most recent
issue of it is available at $60 for the 2010 version.

All I can say about the book is that it's one of the most fantastic
books I've ever seen. I've looked up everything Namey told me about
and she was correct on every single one of the plants.

I thought you all might be interested in both Namey's story and this
book.

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:14:06 -0400, Landon > wrote:

> I thought you all might be interested in both Namey's story and this
> book.

What a wonderful story!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:29:41 -0700, sf > wrote:

>On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:14:06 -0400, Landon > wrote:
>
>> I thought you all might be interested in both Namey's story and this
>> book.
>
>What a wonderful story!

Thank you sf. I was just thinking, Namey's Mother would have been born
about 1860, right when the US Civil War started.

I wish she could have spoken English. She hardly talked at all and
then only to Namey in her native language. Mostly, she just sat in an
old straight backed chair in the living room. I always thought, man,
she must get bored just sitting there all day every day. Namey said
she didn't really even know where she was really. One day she would
tell Namey to go out and start a cook fire and the next, she'd say the
house was big enough for the entire village to live in. Namey said she
never knew for sure what "time" her Mom was in at any given moment.

I also knew a man who was 100 when I lived across the street from him
as a child of about 6 or 7. He told me stories about when he was a kid
and kept me fascinated. His "first car to ever be seen in his town"
story was a good one. He told me that one several first times. :)

He said cars were considered a nasty nuisance. Scaring horses,
stinking up the place and making too much noise. No one thought they
would catch on.

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

wpnderful story, reminds me of my grandfather, part of the native culture is
using only what you need, not what you want, so the remaining is left to
flourish and replentish, almost more important than the plants thenselves,
is the philospoy of the gathering and husbanding of same, Lee
"Landon" > wrote in message
...
> When I was a youngster, about 9 years old, one of my friends lived in
> the small group of families who shared a common property behind my
> Parents house.
>
> That entire property was owned by a Native American family, (I don't
> recall which tribe), and the oldest member was (as close as she could
> calculate), about 100 years old. Her daughter ran the household in the
> main house and was the overseer for the rest of the families who live
> on the property.
>
> Her name was pronounced "Namey", but had no written form that she was
> aware of, as she couldn't read or write.
>
> Namey was the very first person to ever make me aware of the wild
> foods that share our world naturally, without human involvement.
>
> About once each week, she would go on an adventure around the area
> about one mile from her home and gather about a bushel of wild plants
> that would be included in the family's meals for the week.
>
> The area is now known as "Northern Potomac" in north-central Maryland.
>
> As we walked, she would hold her over-sized apron as a basket, and
> carefully segregate each item within it as she gathered them. As she
> did this, she would tell me about each new type that I hadn't learned
> yet, and tell me everything she knew about that plant and what it
> could be used for in foods and medicines.
>
> At the time, I thought of her as being one of the most intelligent
> people I had ever met in my short life. I was fascinated by her
> knowledge of the world of plants.
>
> Wild garlic was one of my favorites. She would pick it as mature
> plants and carefully take the entire plant, roots and all. She would
> take one from five, leaving the other four for future seeding and
> supply. There was so much available that this was easy to do and
> ensured a never ending supply of plants.
>
> By the time we arrived back at her home, I would be in front, holding
> as much as I could by grasping the two leading corners of her apron,
> over my shoulder. She had to be at least 80, so this helped her quite
> a bit.
>
> Namey also had but one foot. The other was lost in a "White mans
> animal trap" which she inadvertently stepped into when she was a young
> girl. In it's place, she had a "peg-leg" much like pictured in the old
> pirate movies.
>
> In the house, if one of us children misbehaved, she could whack us
> with that wooden peg on our shins and between that and her big wooden
> spoon that she carried most of the day, she was formidable and
> something to be feared if not behaving to her high standards.
>
> Frankly, I learned to love her as if she were my own Mother. She was
> the first adult in my life to die, and it almost destroyed me when I
> was told two days later on my next visit to see her. They said she had
> a heart attack in the front yard while weeding one of her flower beds.
>
> Well, since then, I've graduated to the "Natural Medicines
> Comprehensive Database" (ISBN 0-9676136-4-7) which lists over one
> thousand natural medicines within it's 2,300 pages. My copy was given
> to me by my Doctor at the Mayo clinic in 2000, but the most recent
> issue of it is available at $60 for the 2010 version.
>
> All I can say about the book is that it's one of the most fantastic
> books I've ever seen. I've looked up everything Namey told me about
> and she was correct on every single one of the plants.
>
> I thought you all might be interested in both Namey's story and this
> book.

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:19:05 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

>In article >,
> Landon > wrote:
>
>> Well, since then, I've graduated to the "Natural Medicines
>> Comprehensive Database" (ISBN 0-9676136-4-7) which lists over one
>> thousand natural medicines within it's 2,300 pages. My copy was given
>> to me by my Doctor at the Mayo clinic in 2000, but the most recent
>> issue of it is available at $60 for the 2010 version.
>>
>> All I can say about the book is that it's one of the most fantastic
>> books I've ever seen. I've looked up everything Namey told me about
>> and she was correct on every single one of the plants.
>>
>> I thought you all might be interested in both Namey's story and this
>> book.
>
>Neat stuff, thanks!

I guess it won't break a whole bunch of copyrights if I quote one
plant in part. Most have a half page or more of data, so pick any
plant you wish and I'll tell you the brief of what this book says
about that plant as food and/or medicine.

The book is addictive. When I pick it up and start reading, I can't
stop.

Go ahead Omelet, what plant has always made you curious about it's
real properties as a medication?

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:05:29 -0500, "Storrmmee"
> wrote:

>wpnderful story, reminds me of my grandfather, part of the native culture is
>using only what you need, not what you want, so the remaining is left to
>flourish and replentish, almost more important than the plants thenselves,
>is the philospoy of the gathering and husbanding of same, Lee

The whole key to the survival of our species is balance. We are so far
out of balance now that it will take drastic measures to come back
into balance without major loss of life to our species. Look what
we've already done to other species.

Look at what we've done to our own already.

Turning a blind eye to the destruction we're causing to earth won't do
anything but make the outcome more radical. Lesson the number of
survivors who will be tasked with rebuilding what we've destroyed, and
in turn making that rebuilding take much longer than it would take if
we started now.

Does anyone doubt that IF our species actually does live through our
own mass suicide, that *all* humans will work together finally? It may
be ten thousand years before we do so, but I firmly believe that we,
as a species, will finally learn to live as one people on the entire
planet. I wish I could be there when it happens.

Your right Storrmmee, Namey said her tribe never used what wasn't
needed. They didn't allow greed to flourish among them. She said they
had an outcast system for those who disobeyed tribal values in any
extreme. Kind of a "Our way or the highway".

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

"Omelet" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Landon > wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:19:05 -0500, Omelet >
>> wrote:
>>
>> >In article >,
>> > Landon > wrote:
>> >
>> >> Well, since then, I've graduated to the "Natural Medicines
>> >> Comprehensive Database" (ISBN 0-9676136-4-7) which lists over one
>> >> thousand natural medicines within it's 2,300 pages. My copy was given
>> >> to me by my Doctor at the Mayo clinic in 2000, but the most recent
>> >> issue of it is available at $60 for the 2010 version.
>> >>
>> >> All I can say about the book is that it's one of the most fantastic
>> >> books I've ever seen. I've looked up everything Namey told me about
>> >> and she was correct on every single one of the plants.
>> >>
>> >> I thought you all might be interested in both Namey's story and this
>> >> book.
>> >
>> >Neat stuff, thanks!
>>
>> I guess it won't break a whole bunch of copyrights if I quote one
>> plant in part. Most have a half page or more of data, so pick any
>> plant you wish and I'll tell you the brief of what this book says
>> about that plant as food and/or medicine.
>>
>> The book is addictive. When I pick it up and start reading, I can't
>> stop.
>>
>> Go ahead Omelet, what plant has always made you curious about it's
>> real properties as a medication?
>
> Entheogens.
> --
> Peace, Om
> Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>
>
> "Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have
> come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
> -- Mark Twain

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

Another book on plants for food and medicine is Sweetly Be by Rose Budd
Stevens. Out of print but copies easily available online at used book
stores. Some of her stories are charming; some alarming. I particularly
remember the one where they went under the house to get a wad of spiderweb
to staunch bleeding. Polly

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:29:47 -0500, Omelet >
wrote:

>In article >,
> Landon > wrote:
>
>> Go ahead Omelet, what plant has always made you curious about it's
>> real properties as a medication?
>
>Entheogens.

You've misunderstood what this book has. The plants in it are listed
alphabetically by plant name.

You've given me a chemical type. It includes many plants that have
that property, but is not a specific plant name.

An entheogen can also be a fungus or mixture of other chemicals.

Synthetic entheogens also exist.



From Wiki:

"An entheogen, in the strict sense, is a psychoactive substance used
in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Historically,
entheogens were mostly derived from plant sources and have been used
in a variety of traditional religious contexts. With the advent of
organic chemistry, there now exist many synthetic substances with
similar psychoactive properties, many derived from these plants.
Entheogens can supplement many diverse practices for healing,
transcendence, and revelation, including: meditation, psychonautics,
art projects, and psychedelic therapy.

Essentially all psychoactive drugs that are naturally occurring in
plants, fungi, or animals, can be used in an entheogenic context or
with enthogenic intent. Since non-psychoactive drugs can also be used
in this type of context, the term "entheogen" refers primarily to
substances that have been categorized based on their historical use.
Toxicity does not affect a substance's inclusion (some can kill
humans), nor does effectiveness or potency (if a substance is
psychoactive, and it has been used in a historical context, then the
required dose has also been found)."


Try again, but give me a specific plant name.

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:49:16 -0500, "Polly Esther"
> wrote:

>Another book on plants for food and medicine is Sweetly Be by Rose Budd
>Stevens. Out of print but copies easily available online at used book
>stores. Some of her stories are charming; some alarming. I particularly
>remember the one where they went under the house to get a wad of spiderweb
>to staunch bleeding. Polly

Thanks Polly. I'll look for it.

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

"Landon" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:29:47 -0500, Omelet >
> wrote:
>
>>In article >,
>> Landon > wrote:
>>
>>> Go ahead Omelet, what plant has always made you curious about it's
>>> real properties as a medication?
>>
>>Entheogens.
>
> You've misunderstood what this book has. The plants in it are listed
> alphabetically by plant name.
>
> You've given me a chemical type. It includes many plants that have
> that property, but is not a specific plant name.
>
> An entheogen can also be a fungus or mixture of other chemicals.
>
> Synthetic entheogens also exist.
>
>
>
> From Wiki:
>
> "An entheogen, in the strict sense, is a psychoactive substance used
> in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Historically,
> entheogens were mostly derived from plant sources and have been used
> in a variety of traditional religious contexts. With the advent of
> organic chemistry, there now exist many synthetic substances with
> similar psychoactive properties, many derived from these plants.
> Entheogens can supplement many diverse practices for healing,
> transcendence, and revelation, including: meditation, psychonautics,
> art projects, and psychedelic therapy.
>
> Essentially all psychoactive drugs that are naturally occurring in
> plants, fungi, or animals, can be used in an entheogenic context or
> with enthogenic intent. Since non-psychoactive drugs can also be used
> in this type of context, the term "entheogen" refers primarily to
> substances that have been categorized based on their historical use.
> Toxicity does not affect a substance's inclusion (some can kill
> humans), nor does effectiveness or potency (if a substance is
> psychoactive, and it has been used in a historical context, then the
> required dose has also been found)."
>
>
> Try again, but give me a specific plant name

My best used 'plant for medicine' is a ordinary wet tea bag. One night long
ago, DH woke me to stop some bleeding. He had cut himself shaving - that
tricky tender spot just below his nose - and was pouring blood. Both he and
his bathroom looked like an ax murderer had been having quite a time. I
remembered the wet tea bag idea and pressed one on him. I hope none of you
here ever need to know that - but post it in the back of your memory just in
case.
Later that night when our teenagers came in to report in and say
goodnight, they asked, "What have you done to our Daddy?"
I had taped the tea bag beneath his nose and he was happily snoring with
the Lipton tag flapping in the breeze. Polly

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

Sycophant wrote:

>> Go ahead Omelet, what plant has always made you curious about it's
>> real properties as a medication?
>
> Entheogens.

Wait a minute... someone who has exhibited a fascination for illicit
narcotic plants (like salvia divinorum in Texas) now wants to know what
*other* herbs she can abuse?

Really, Sycophant, haven't you learned your lesson YET?

Bob

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:50:42 -0500, "Polly Esther"
> wrote:

>
>"Landon" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:29:47 -0500, Omelet >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>In article >,
>>> Landon > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Go ahead Omelet, what plant has always made you curious about it's
>>>> real properties as a medication?
>>>
>>>Entheogens.
>>
>> You've misunderstood what this book has. The plants in it are listed
>> alphabetically by plant name.
>>
>> You've given me a chemical type. It includes many plants that have
>> that property, but is not a specific plant name.
>>
>> An entheogen can also be a fungus or mixture of other chemicals.
>>
>> Synthetic entheogens also exist.
>>
>>
>>
>> From Wiki:
>>
>> "An entheogen, in the strict sense, is a psychoactive substance used
>> in a religious, shamanic, or spiritual context. Historically,
>> entheogens were mostly derived from plant sources and have been used
>> in a variety of traditional religious contexts. With the advent of
>> organic chemistry, there now exist many synthetic substances with
>> similar psychoactive properties, many derived from these plants.
>> Entheogens can supplement many diverse practices for healing,
>> transcendence, and revelation, including: meditation, psychonautics,
>> art projects, and psychedelic therapy.
>>
>> Essentially all psychoactive drugs that are naturally occurring in
>> plants, fungi, or animals, can be used in an entheogenic context or
>> with enthogenic intent. Since non-psychoactive drugs can also be used
>> in this type of context, the term "entheogen" refers primarily to
>> substances that have been categorized based on their historical use.
>> Toxicity does not affect a substance's inclusion (some can kill
>> humans), nor does effectiveness or potency (if a substance is
>> psychoactive, and it has been used in a historical context, then the
>> required dose has also been found)."
>>
>>
>> Try again, but give me a specific plant name
>
>My best used 'plant for medicine' is a ordinary wet tea bag. One night long
>ago, DH woke me to stop some bleeding. He had cut himself shaving - that
>tricky tender spot just below his nose - and was pouring blood. Both he and
>his bathroom looked like an ax murderer had been having quite a time. I
>remembered the wet tea bag idea and pressed one on him. I hope none of you
>here ever need to know that - but post it in the back of your memory just in
>case.
> Later that night when our teenagers came in to report in and say
>goodnight, they asked, "What have you done to our Daddy?"
> I had taped the tea bag beneath his nose and he was happily snoring with
>the Lipton tag flapping in the breeze. Polly

Tea bags, what a neat idea... even has a string... I can see it now,
Arther Godfrey advertising Lipton Tampons! LOL

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:50:42 -0500, "Polly Esther"
> wrote:

>My best used 'plant for medicine' is a ordinary wet tea bag. One night long
>ago, DH woke me to stop some bleeding. He had cut himself shaving - that
>tricky tender spot just below his nose - and was pouring blood. Both he and
>his bathroom looked like an ax murderer had been having quite a time. I
>remembered the wet tea bag idea and pressed one on him. I hope none of you
>here ever need to know that - but post it in the back of your memory just in
>case.
> Later that night when our teenagers came in to report in and say
>goodnight, they asked, "What have you done to our Daddy?"
> I had taped the tea bag beneath his nose and he was happily snoring with
>the Lipton tag flapping in the breeze. Polly

Hey Polly, the active substance in a tea bag that helps with minor
external bleeding is "Tannic Acid" that is contained in the plant
matter.

To partially quote the part of that entry in the book I've referenced:

"Tannic Acid: Possible Mechanism of Action and Active Ingredients;
Tannic acid is a mixture of glycosides of phenolics, mainly gallic
acid. Pharmaceutical grade tannic acid is generally considered to be
pentadigalloylglucose. Tannic acid has astringent effects. It
dehydrates tissue, internally reducing secretions, and externally
forming a protective layer of harder, constricted cells."

Conflicting studies have shown it to be both the cause and possible
cure for certain types of cancers, depending on the specific case.

Extensive and/or prolonged use has shown to be harmful to people with
pre-existing conditions of fever or infectious diseases and can also
cause interactions with the Kidney and Liver in some people.

Best Effectiveness has been shown when used topically on cold sores,
fever blisters, diaper rash or prickly heat, sunburn and minor burns.

----
Like I said, this book is very, very informative.

Views of the past; Plants for Food and Medicine
 

i am not as optomistic as you, but you may well be here if we ever do get it
together, my family practices what i can only call pratcile conservation,
and if everyone would do that some of the other more disturbing aspects of
humanity might fall into place, Lee


"Landon" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:05:29 -0500, "Storrmmee"
> > wrote:
>
>>wpnderful story, reminds me of my grandfather, part of the native culture
>>is
>>using only what you need, not what you want, so the remaining is left to
>>flourish and replentish, almost more important than the plants thenselves,
>>is the philospoy of the gathering and husbanding of same, Lee
>
> The whole key to the survival of our species is balance. We are so far
> out of balance now that it will take drastic measures to come back
> into balance without major loss of life to our species. Look what
> we've already done to other species.
>
> Look at what we've done to our own already.
>
> Turning a blind eye to the destruction we're causing to earth won't do
> anything but make the outcome more radical. Lesson the number of
> survivors who will be tasked with rebuilding what we've destroyed, and
> in turn making that rebuilding take much longer than it would take if
> we started now.
>
> Does anyone doubt that IF our species actually does live through our
> own mass suicide, that *all* humans will work together finally? It may
> be ten thousand years before we do so, but I firmly believe that we,
> as a species, will finally learn to live as one people on the entire
> planet. I wish I could be there when it happens.
>
> Your right Storrmmee, Namey said her tribe never used what wasn't
> needed. They didn't allow greed to flourish among them. She said they
> had an outcast system for those who disobeyed tribal values in any
> extreme. Kind of a "Our way or the highway".
>
>
>