"One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine."- Sir William Osler
"The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals."- Sir Willioam Osler
Two great quotes by Sir Wlliam Osler. OW and WO. Mirror images - interesting that I admire both Oscar Widle and William Osler. These quotes have a mirror image quality.
Since I love plants I want to continue to discuss them. When I was doing my clerkship at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados, I spent my days exploring the island. The beach is always an interesting place to meet people. I met Lindsey whose father was involved in the government. He was an ambassador from England. At his home his family served me a drink made with aloe that was on their property. It the first time I drank aloe.
While on the island, Lindsay introduced me to a variety of plants. His father introduced me to an actress who lived in Speightstown. Her name was Claudette Colbert. It was an exciting day for me as we entered her estate. She was in her late seventies at the time but looked radiant coming down the stairs in a flowing summer frock. She was born on September 13, 1903, in France. Her real name was "Lily Claudette Chauchoin. While still a child her parents moved the family to New York. She won the Best Actress award in 1934 for "It Happened One Night". I saw her in The Kingfisher on Broadway with Rex Harrison in 1978. I wrote her a note on the night I saw the play. I was invited backstage to say hello. I also had brought a photograph which she signed. Another memorable evening. Claudette Colbert died in Speightstown on July 30, 1996. She is buried at St. Peter Parish Cemetary in Barbados.
Back to aloe.. There are several active substances in the leaf juice. One is emodin. It has been shown to have anti-leukemic activity, and another, acemanna has antiviral and immune boosting activity. Aloe is also anti-inflammatory and does inhibit platelet aggregation. For cancer patients it has been used to protect against injury from radiation treatments.
Many scientific studies on the use of aloe vera have been undertaken, some of them conflicting. Despite these limitations, there is some preliminary evidence that Aloe vera extracts may be useful in the treatment of wound and burn healing, diabetes and elevated blood lipids in humans. These positive effects are thought to be due to the presence of compounds such as polysaccharides, mannans, anthraquinones and lectins.
I recommend reading a book called CANCER Can Be Cured by Father Romano Zago OFM. Born in Brazil in 1932 and ordained as a Franciscan Friar in 1958 he recounts how natives in the San Antonio Parish of Pouso Novo, Brazil told him about this amazing plant. The book is readable by anyone. You learn that a plant must be at least 5 years old before using it and never use leaves after it has rained in making preparations. Learn to make your own.
Remove the spines from the edges of the leaves.
Wipe off the dust
Cut the leaf into pieces (do not remove the skin)
Place in a blender and blend with honey ( I use wild flower honey)
Add your distillate (water usually)
Blend really well
Store the blend in a dark jar with the lid tightly closed.
Place in fridge
The recipe above is from the book. Can you believe at 50 (I typed it!) I have homework to do. My homework for Botany School in Ithaca is to make a tincture preparation. I haven't decided which one to make yet.
Facts about Aloe:
Aloe vera, also known as the medicinal aloe, is a species of succulent plant that probably originated in the southern half of the Arabian peninsula, Northern Africa, the Canary islands and Cape Verde. Aloe vera grows in arid climates and is widely distributed in Africa, India and other arid areas. The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine.
The photograph above of Claudette is NOT mine. I will scan mine and post it in a few days. It is in storage.
Until tomorrow...
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