Showing posts with label Cherokee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cherokee. Show all posts

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Natural Health Tips - Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees

Liverworts (Marchantiophyta) and Moss (Bryophyta)
Liverworts (Marchantiophyta) and Moss (Bryophyta) (Photo credit: Futureman1)
SK
WA´LǏ=Hepatica acutiloba--Liverwort, Heartleaf: Used for
coughs either in tea or by chewing root. Those who dream of snakes
drink a decoction of this herb and I´natû Ga´n‘ka=“snake tongue”
(Camptosorus rhizophyllus or Walking Fern) to produce vomiting, after
which the dreams do not return. The traders buy large quantities of
liverwort from the Cherokees, who may thus have learned to esteem it
more highly than they otherwise would. The appearance of the other
plant, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, has evidently determined its Cherokee
name and the use to which it is applied. Dispensatory: “Liverwort is a
very mild demulcent tonic and astringent, supposed by some to possess
diuretic an
English: Collage of Cherokee men and women fro...
English: Collage of Cherokee men and women from public domain sources. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
d deobstruent virtues. It was formerly used in Europe
in various complaints, especially chronic hepatic affections, but
has fallen into entire neglect. In this country, some years since,
it acquired considerable reputation, which, however, it has not
maintained as a remedy in hæmoptysis and chronic coughs.” The other
plant is not named.

Reprinted from an historical book from 1885-1886 
The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees
Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886,
Government Printing Office, Washington,
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