Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Plantago Major Named R.A.G. Files Herb of the Month
Rearmount. In a surprise upset victory, P. major and related varieities beat out Cannibus Sativa for the vaunted title of R.A.G. Files Herb of the Month. While the medical curative powers and political battles fought by controversial Cannibus are clearly outstanding, P. major's abilities to heal nasty wounds and bring reflief are nothing short of miraculous, as this writer recently discovered first hand. Like the showy Cannibus, Plantago major is a cosmopolitan species, gowing on every continent but Antarctica. Commonly refered to as Ribwort or Plantain, it is also known in North America as "white man's footprint" for its certain appearance along trails and roadways and its introduction by European invaders. However, unlike other European imports that have done much damage to native species like Buckthorn, Plantago doesn't seem to be bothering anybody. Technically speaking, P. major is divided into two subspecies Plantago ovata, Plantago lanceolata, and hybrids but any variety of the plant has the same properties. In urban areas, Plantago can be found in sidewalk cracks and along side buildings and paved roads. In suburban areas it grows in lawns and is considered a "weed" by the unelightened, along with several other maligned but very useful plants such as Creeping Charlie, Chick Weed, Dandelion and Burdock. In rural areas, you can find Plantain on the side of just about any road, especially gravel roads.
These other herbs had nothing but good things to say upon learning that their humble but powerful friend had won a prestigious and soon to be sought after award. "Its about time," said Creeping Charlie, who often works with Plantain to help fisherpeople. "I can help out when people eat fishes full of heavy metal contamination, but when somebody gets a fish hook stuck in their hand and its gets all nasty and infected I have to ask my buddy Plantain to get over there and suck the crap out of the wound."
Plantain's sometime girlfriend, Chick Weed also had nice things to say. "Yeah, he's a good sucker. Once we were playing slots at Mystic Lake. Plantain plasters himself against the slot machine and the next thing you know he's got all the change out of it. Unfortunately we got eighty sixed before we could carry it all away. He sure is a lot of fun, very cool dude."
This writer can confirm the cooling properties of the humble herb. After having my arm cut into, I placed Plantain in there, and it went to work immediately, draining the wound, pulling out toxins and cooling off the excess heat that allowed the bacteria to flourish.
RAG Files: How did you do that?
Plantain: It was nothing. You begged for my help. I could tell you were messed up bad becaue you don't usually speak to plants so directly. You offered tobacco and your thanks and that didn't hurt either--its good to feel appreciated--but it wasn't necessary. I was honored that somebody actually recognized my usefulness. People see me every day but don't know who I am. They walk on me or their dogs crap on me. I could be helping people but I rarely get the chance.
RAG Files: Why do you suppose that is?
Plantain: In the U.S. people have a very different cultural concept of what constitutes medicine than in other parts of the world, where people wouldn't hesitate to use me. In the U.S. medcine comes from a pill bottle, not from a crack in the sidewalk or your front yard. Also, medical treatment in the U.S. is participated in passively by both the recipient of treatment and the health care provider. The doctor is more a scientist then a physician, reading charts and graphs or the results of a test rather then directly observing the patient's own body for signs of health or pathology. And here in the states, the recipient simply waits for the doctor's opinion and fills a prescription rather then proactively seeking knowledge about their own symptoms and treating themselves accordingly. In many other countries, the patient is an active participant in their cure but people are afraid to admit that they might know their own bodies better then a doctor does. People are afraid to think of anything but pills as medicine. They suffer as a result.
RAG Files: Whats your role in medicine?
Plantain: I am a wound healer. In herbal terms I am mucilagenous, moist and cooling, which qualifies me to treat irritated and atrophic tissue states. My seed is a good source of bulk fiber for use as a laxative if another source is not available. My major strength, no pun intended, is my ability to draw toxins, pus, blood, splinters, broken glass and any other foreign objects out of ugly, infected, dirty wounds. As you have personally discovered, I draw things out of wounds very well. In addition to these other first aid uses, I'm also a great choice for bites and stings from poisonous snakes or other creatures where the poison has to come out or else it can spread to the rest of the body. On the emotional side, I am also a counselor: I help people deal with and accept difficult things that they cannot change, kind of like the serenity prayer but in herb form you know?
RAG Files: How do you work?
Since I thrive in gravel, cement, asphalt and waste places I have to be able to work very hard to draw nutrients up from what little soil there is. I have become good at doing this. When you put me on your wound, I treat it as though it was the ground I live on, and I draw out the bad stuff with the same vigor that I take my daily bread from the unforgiving soil beneath my root.
RAG Files: How should people use you if they need you?
Plantain: Thanks for asking. After thanking me and asking for my help, they can gently pluck as many leaves as they need (no more than two from each plant please. Ouch! Don't worry, there's plenty to go around). Although you will only find me along roads, use common sense and try not to collect leaves from heavily polluted areas such as near dumpsters or chemically treated lawns. Gently wash the leaves under clean, cold flowing water for several minutes to remove soil, chemicals and pollution. Then, you should bite the leaf several times without chewing the leaf. The bites will damage the leaf just enough to cause me to start the process of drawing things out but if you chew the leaf or put it in your mouth for very long the heat from your mouth and the enzymes in your saliva will stop me from working. Then, place a few leaves (or more if the wound is large) directly on the wound for several hours in a gauze bandage or cloth compress before changing to more fresh leaves. The compress will hold the leaves on the wound and absorb the stuff that gets drawn out. You can hold the compress in place with medical tape or masking tape. Do not seal up the compress over the wound air tight: Leave a little bit of space so that the wound can breathe and heat isn't trapped. Putting some fresh leaves in the refrigerator will keep them fresh and feel good on your wound when you need them. As a matter of respect, please try not to take more then you need, even though we are common.
RAG Files: Congradulations and thanks again for all your help.
Plantain: No problem.
These other herbs had nothing but good things to say upon learning that their humble but powerful friend had won a prestigious and soon to be sought after award. "Its about time," said Creeping Charlie, who often works with Plantain to help fisherpeople. "I can help out when people eat fishes full of heavy metal contamination, but when somebody gets a fish hook stuck in their hand and its gets all nasty and infected I have to ask my buddy Plantain to get over there and suck the crap out of the wound."
Plantain's sometime girlfriend, Chick Weed also had nice things to say. "Yeah, he's a good sucker. Once we were playing slots at Mystic Lake. Plantain plasters himself against the slot machine and the next thing you know he's got all the change out of it. Unfortunately we got eighty sixed before we could carry it all away. He sure is a lot of fun, very cool dude."
This writer can confirm the cooling properties of the humble herb. After having my arm cut into, I placed Plantain in there, and it went to work immediately, draining the wound, pulling out toxins and cooling off the excess heat that allowed the bacteria to flourish.
RAG Files: How did you do that?
Plantain: It was nothing. You begged for my help. I could tell you were messed up bad becaue you don't usually speak to plants so directly. You offered tobacco and your thanks and that didn't hurt either--its good to feel appreciated--but it wasn't necessary. I was honored that somebody actually recognized my usefulness. People see me every day but don't know who I am. They walk on me or their dogs crap on me. I could be helping people but I rarely get the chance.
RAG Files: Why do you suppose that is?
Plantain: In the U.S. people have a very different cultural concept of what constitutes medicine than in other parts of the world, where people wouldn't hesitate to use me. In the U.S. medcine comes from a pill bottle, not from a crack in the sidewalk or your front yard. Also, medical treatment in the U.S. is participated in passively by both the recipient of treatment and the health care provider. The doctor is more a scientist then a physician, reading charts and graphs or the results of a test rather then directly observing the patient's own body for signs of health or pathology. And here in the states, the recipient simply waits for the doctor's opinion and fills a prescription rather then proactively seeking knowledge about their own symptoms and treating themselves accordingly. In many other countries, the patient is an active participant in their cure but people are afraid to admit that they might know their own bodies better then a doctor does. People are afraid to think of anything but pills as medicine. They suffer as a result.
RAG Files: Whats your role in medicine?
Plantain: I am a wound healer. In herbal terms I am mucilagenous, moist and cooling, which qualifies me to treat irritated and atrophic tissue states. My seed is a good source of bulk fiber for use as a laxative if another source is not available. My major strength, no pun intended, is my ability to draw toxins, pus, blood, splinters, broken glass and any other foreign objects out of ugly, infected, dirty wounds. As you have personally discovered, I draw things out of wounds very well. In addition to these other first aid uses, I'm also a great choice for bites and stings from poisonous snakes or other creatures where the poison has to come out or else it can spread to the rest of the body. On the emotional side, I am also a counselor: I help people deal with and accept difficult things that they cannot change, kind of like the serenity prayer but in herb form you know?
RAG Files: How do you work?
Since I thrive in gravel, cement, asphalt and waste places I have to be able to work very hard to draw nutrients up from what little soil there is. I have become good at doing this. When you put me on your wound, I treat it as though it was the ground I live on, and I draw out the bad stuff with the same vigor that I take my daily bread from the unforgiving soil beneath my root.
RAG Files: How should people use you if they need you?
Plantain: Thanks for asking. After thanking me and asking for my help, they can gently pluck as many leaves as they need (no more than two from each plant please. Ouch! Don't worry, there's plenty to go around). Although you will only find me along roads, use common sense and try not to collect leaves from heavily polluted areas such as near dumpsters or chemically treated lawns. Gently wash the leaves under clean, cold flowing water for several minutes to remove soil, chemicals and pollution. Then, you should bite the leaf several times without chewing the leaf. The bites will damage the leaf just enough to cause me to start the process of drawing things out but if you chew the leaf or put it in your mouth for very long the heat from your mouth and the enzymes in your saliva will stop me from working. Then, place a few leaves (or more if the wound is large) directly on the wound for several hours in a gauze bandage or cloth compress before changing to more fresh leaves. The compress will hold the leaves on the wound and absorb the stuff that gets drawn out. You can hold the compress in place with medical tape or masking tape. Do not seal up the compress over the wound air tight: Leave a little bit of space so that the wound can breathe and heat isn't trapped. Putting some fresh leaves in the refrigerator will keep them fresh and feel good on your wound when you need them. As a matter of respect, please try not to take more then you need, even though we are common.
RAG Files: Congradulations and thanks again for all your help.
Plantain: No problem.
