Darklight Posted September 26, 2005 That thread on Amazonian headache treatment reminded me of something I thought I'd write here. Not sure If I've written this before, the search engine says no, but.... My best mate and I were in Jamaica for MindStates a few years ago, and through a bizarre confluence of circumstances we met this really really nice herbalist in Sheffield. Like plant people all over the world he was really keen to talk and show us around his garden. He'd built both the garden and his practice up from scratch and you could see just how much work had gone into it- a real labour of love ( he also wanted to start a TC lab cos he had a degree in Ag Science- I wish he'd had email access I would have loved to help ) Two thirds of the way through the walk he grabbed a couple of leaves off some shrub and told us to stick them on our forheads. He said the plant- Bryophyllum Pinnatum- was called Leaf of Life by the locals, and they used it for a range of things, but especially for headaches and depression. Neither me or my mate had either, but who could say no? We got back to the conference about 45 min later laughing and happy- possibly not altered, it seemed well withinn the range of normal elation. We were never certain whether this was because the leaf had a direct effect ( the skin on your forhead is quite porus ) or whether it was because we'd just spent a great afternoon with the bloke, or merely because we felt pretty silly walking around with a leaf held on our faces for 30 minutes. I think Bryophyllum pinnatum is a virulent weed locally, but it does appear to be used by a wide range of people worldwide as a remedy for a wide range of conditions. I found a reference for its use as an eyedrop with an oral dose of iboga and it's listed as an hallucinogen in a few places. But the Jamaican name stuck with me.. why would you call something Leaf of Life if it's just for headaches and cuts? Could the term headache be a poor English translation for a broader group of ailments coming from cultures with vastly differing ideas on medicinal paradigms? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nabraxas Posted September 27, 2005 quote: Throughout South America kalanchoe has had a long history of use. It is commonly called the 'miracle leaf' and 'life leaf' for its remarkable healing properties. In Brazil the plant is considered a sedative, wound-healer, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and cough suppressant. It is used for all sorts of respiratory conditions-from asthma and coughs to bronchitis. It is also employed for kidney stones, gastric ulcers, skin disorders and edema of the legs. Externally a leaf infusion or the leaf juice is used for headaches, toothaches, earaches, eye infections, wounds, ulcers, boils, burns and insect bites. more here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
