13.2.14

Herb Lore and Animal Wisdom

The History of Herbalism:

It is perhaps first worth noting that there are numerous examples in the literature regarding other animals known to use a variety of plants and minerals 'medicinally' in nature, and it is a reasonable inference that humans always shared a similar basic relationship with the minerals and plants around them.  Observations of the comparative health of animals in captivity and in the wild suggest that wild animals are able to do things to keep themselves healthy that captive animals cannot (13). In 1632, a European doctor visiting Peru, observed a Puma with a fever chewing the bark of the Chinchona tree. Two hundred years later, Louis Pasteur discovered that the bark contained Quinine, a natural compound with antipyretic (fever-reducing) properties. There are several reports in the literature of mammals that are commonly known to eating indigestible plants and grasses in order to relieve them from internal parasites.

Article: The Economist. 2002.


'Chimpanzees suffering from intestinal worms in Tanzania dose themselves with the pith of a plant called Veronia. This plant produces poisonous chemicals called terpenes. Its pith contains a strong enough concentration to kill gut parasites, but not so strong as to kill chimps (nor people, for that matter; locals use the pith for the same purpose)'. (13)

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