Bog Plants and Their Use in Medicine
Although most of the modern world does not often resort to bog plants for medicinal uses when there are more widely accessible forms of medicine to treat certain health needs, there exists numerous medicinal uses for bog plants. The various medicinal uses of different bog plants have developed and changed over the course of history. Bog plants were more commonly used by Native Indians as medicine such as the Ledum groenlandicum (Labrador tea) for sore throats and colds. The leaves of Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen), also processed into tea, treat aches and pains in native North American medicine. In the olden days, not long after the Native Indian civilizations, Wintergreen leaves were used in perfumery with woody notes. Other bog plants that are used as tea leaves include the Scutellaria lateriflora, which is tea for anxiety, nervous exhaustion and pre-menstrual tension, and the Valeriana officinalis, which promotes soothing sleep.
During the Middle Ages, Potentilla palustris (Marsh Cinquefoil) were regarded as having healing properties for almost any ailment and were widely collected. The genus of the cinquefoil’s Potentilla from Latin meant “powerful” was derived from its reputation as powerful cure-alls. In particular, the Potentilla erecta (Tormentil) was used as an antibiotic and an astringent (causing tissues to contract). Another bog plant, the Cladonia species was classified as an effective medicinal herb in the Middle Ages, but is only used today as fabric dyes. Some bog plants such as the Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern) were used during the colonial times for treating coughs, but this practice is now obsolete. As one of the most widely known plants from bogs, the Vaccinium species or the Bog Cranberry is the most edible and digestible plant from the bog. It produces cranberries which are most effective in treating diseases or infections in the urinary systems for both genders. Since cranberries have a low spoilage factor and a high Vitamin C content, they were extensively by all generations in American heritage as a food source for long journeys in preventing scurvy.
Throughout the course of history, there have been some extraordinary medicinal uses of bog plants by various ages and by various civilizations. The Lycopus europaeus (Gypsywort) was used both as a sedative drug and as a dye plant (black). It was once used by Gypsies to colour their skin, and hence the common name, Gypsywort.
...emained in the Roanoke colony. The only traces that White and his men could find was a few small cannons, an open trunk, and a few fence posts. They believed those letters were a sign that the colonists had moved to Croatoan Island.
The institution of slavery, from the year 1830 to 1860, created a divide between the northern and southern regions of the United States. Southerners, who relied on slaves to maintain their plantations, supported the institution, as it was a major part of their economy. Meanwhile, northerners, many of whom depended on slave produced cotton for textile mills and goods for the shipping industry, were divided on the slave issue, as some saw it as a blessing while the abolitionists saw it as a horrific institution. Overall, attitudes toward the institution of slavery, due to a variety of causes, differed in the varying regions in the United States from 1830 to 1860.
In 1584, explorers Phillip Amanda and Arthur Barlowe were the first people to set eyes on Roanoke Island. It is explained to be characterized by thick marshlands and stands of live oaks teeming with wildlife. The explorers were sent there by Sir Walter Raleigh. HE was a poet soldier and a statesman. The trip was for one specific reason, to search for an ideal location for settlement.
The multiple use of plants used for nourishment, medicinal purposes and practical use were ignored by Lewis and Clark during their monumental trek across the United States. Rather than consider the Native Indian’s use of native plants they persisted on using Dr. Rush’s Thunderbolt pills that probably caused more problems than the condition that inflicted them. Many modern day cultures continue to ignore native remedies and have come to depend on synthetic pharmaceutical drug production. In recent years the wealth of indigenous knowledge has been acknowledged revealing the use of native plants and the importance it had in the survival of indigenous people.. Pharmaceutical companies have utilized the immense knowledge of the indigenous people and their use of natural plants. The application of natural plant species have revealed the main reasons mankind has survived into present day. Following is a few of the plants, their application and their specific purposes.
The Colony of Roanoke was the first English settlement in the New World, an opportunity for those seeking a better life, wealth, and religious freedom. After several attempts at settling in America, and with assistance from the indigenous people to Roanoke, a resilient colony was formed. When John White, an artist as well as an early pioneer of America, returned to America from getting supplies from England, The colonists had disappeared. Throughout many years, three dominant theories have emerged.
Slavery today is a large concern to many people, just as it always has been. Any type of slavery is considered immoral and unjust in today’s society and standards. However, before the Civil War, slavery was as common as owning a dog today. Many in the United States, particularly in the South, viewed slavery as a “positive good” and owned slaves that were crucial to their business and income. However, the Civil War then changed the lifestyle of many southerners in a negative way. After the Civil War, slavery was abolished and any man owning a slave was required to let them free and view them as an equal. This was a difficult thing to do and eventually led to a downfall and destroyed economy in the southern United States. Abolishing slavery hurt the country economically and socially at the time and slavery was socially acceptable.
Lindberg, D. (n.d.). Herbal Medicine: MedlinePlus. U.S National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 7, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herbal
The abolition of slavery is the action or act of terminating slavery. Slavery was slowly abolished in the U.S. starting with Pennsylvania. Abolition of slavery was present during the American Revolution. Altogether, 5,000 free African Americans served in the Continental Army during the Revolution. By 1778 most states, including Virginia, granted freedom to slaves that served.
Herbal medicine dates back a very long time. More than 4,000 years ago, the Chinese emperor Qien Nong put a book together, or a herbal, of different medicinal plants (O’ Sullivan 2). It contained descriptions of more than 300 plants. Some of these plants are still used today. The Sumerians, at the same time recorded prescriptions on clay tablets. Also, the Egyptians recorded their information regarding medicine on rolls of papyrus. A very famous papyrus is the Ebers Papyrus, which includes specific information on how to use different plants (Brody 1).
The term slave is defined as a person held in servitude as the chattel of another, or one that is completely passive to a dominating influence. The most well known cases of slavery occurred during the settling of the United States of America. From 1619 until July 1st 1928 slavery was allowed within our country. Slavery abolitionists attempted to end slavery, which at some point; they were successful at doing so. This paper will take the reader a lot of different directions, it will look at slavery in a legal aspect along the lines of the constitution and the thirteenth amendment, and it will also discuss how abolitionists tried to end slavery. This paper will also discuss how slaves were being taken away from their families and how their lives were affected after.
Volpato, G., Godinez, D., Beyra, A., & Barreto, A. (2009). Uses of Medicinal Plants by Haitian Immigrants and Their Descendants in the Province of Camagüey, Cuba. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 1-9.
Pre-Columbian Mexicans used many substances, from tobacco to mind-expanding (hallucinogenic) plants, in their medicinal collections. The most fascinating of these substances are sacred mushrooms, used in religious ceremonies to induce altered states of mind, not just drunkenness.
Traditional herbal medicine comes from many different areas of the world (Indian, Chinese, African, Western, Native American herbs, Ayurvedic and other indigenous medicines) and in most all of them they are still b...
Humans these days take electricity for granted. We don’t truly understand what life was like without it. Most young adults will tell you their life does not depend on electricity, but they aren’t fooling anyone. They all know that their life depends on electricity; whether it’s television, their phone, Google, or the lights in their house. We need to stop taking those things for granted and give credit where credit is due. That is why I chose to write about the scientists who contributed to the discovery of electricity, which then helped modern scientists fuel the electricity phenomenons we now have today.
The effects of electricity control much of our daily lives. Many of our gadgets and everyday tasks are run by this wonderful source of power. For example without electricity we would not be able to make a cup of coffee in the mourning, or even make a long distance call to family or friends. There have been several technological breakthroughs by many brilliant people throughout history regarding electricity. It has come from being discovered as a small current to being transformed into useful power to run such things as computers. Ben Franklin, Guglielmo Marconi, Thomas Edison, Paul Nipkow, and Charles Babbage have all contributed to the advancement of electricity, and all of their advancements have supplied society in many ways.