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Medicinal Properties

1. Eucalyptus:
■ Picture

■ Common Name: E​ ucalyptus

■ Scientific Name: E​ ucalyptus Globulus

■ Where is it cultivated: ​Native to Australia, 400 different species

■ Common uses/practices for medicine:
➢ Can soothe sore throat (garbled)
➢ Relieves Sinusitis
➢ Acts as a decongestant (diffused/boil in water, put plant in shower to release oils)
➢ Perfume
➢ Insect repellent
➢ Oil of the plant is extracted….

■ Toxicology:
➢ Is poisonous if taken orally

■ Any known contraindication:
➢ Should not be used directly on skin unless it is diluted with another non essential
oil(carrier oil)
➢ Eucalyptus is not recommended for individuals with asthma and should not be
ingested

2. Artemisia Annua (Sweet Annie):

■ Picture:
■ Common Name: ​Sweet Annie, Sweet Wormwood
■ Scientific Name: ​Artemisia Annua
■ Where is it cultivated: C​ hina
■ Common uses/practices for medicine:

➢ Used in Chinese medicine to treat malaria and fever
➢ Bladder Infections
➢ Turberculosis
➢ Arthritis
■ Toxicology:
➢ People that are prone to seizures and/or take anti seizure medicine and those

with GI issues should not use Sweet Annie

3. Sage:
■ Picture

■ Common Name: S​ age
■ Scientific Name: S​ alvia officinalis
■ Where is it cultivated: ​native to the Mediterranean region, found in northwestern Mexico,

Southern California, Southern California

■ Common uses/practices for medicine:
➢ Stomach Pain
➢ Diarrhea
➢ Hyperhidrosis
➢ Depression
➢ Can kill several species of dental plaque causing bacteria

■ List information on the toxicology (poison—if known) of the plant/herb:
➢ Poisonous if taken by mouth regularly
➢ Some species have chemical named thujone which can be poisonous
○ Can cause seizures, damage to nervous system, and nervous system
damage

■ Any known contraindication:
➢ Should not be taken with anti diabetes medication
➢ Can decrease the effectiveness of anti seizure medication
➢ Should not be taken with depressants (specifically sleep aids)

4. Garlic:
■ Picture

■ Common Name: G​ arlic
■ Scientific Name: ​Allium sativum

■ Where is it cultivated: ​One of the world’s most cultivated crops; Native to Central Asia,
South Asia, or southwestern Siberia; Grows wild in Italy

■ Common uses/practices for medicine:
➢ Boosts immune system
➢ Lower cholesterol
○ Helps with illnesses related to the circulatory system
➢ Antifungal(ajoene)
➢ Yeast Infections
➢ Reduces Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)

■ Toxicology:
➢ sulphur content in garlic can cause colitis and dermatitis by destroying the natural
flora in the gut
➢ may even prevent blood clotting and interfere with proper thyroid function
➢ may also increase the risk of bleeding

5. Ginger:
■ Picture

Ware, M. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265990.php

■ Common Name: G​ inger

■ Scientific Name: ​Zingiber officinale

■ Where is it cultivated:
➢ native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran

■ Common uses/practices for medicine:
➢ Dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps)
➢ reduce pain in some people with osteoarthritis
➢ reduce nausea and vomiting in some pregnant women

■ Any known contraindication:
➢ Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs)

Ancient Medicinal Practices
1. Leech Therapy (Bloodletting)

a. Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome (17th Century Europe)
b. Serves as an anticoagulant agent; preventing blood clots in veins, heart, arteries, etc.
c. Medicinal leech therapy acts as a form of bloodletting to drain blood from patients with

the use of leeches. Leeches secrete a peptide, hirudin, that’s effective as an
anticoagulant for the body. The process generally takes 40 minutes in total.
d. Though the origins of Leech Therapy reside in Ancient Egypt, it was the Roman
physician, A​ elius Galenus,​ to implement the uses of leeches of bloodletting, and
influenced a practice for a millennium later. Bloodletting was used to get rid of bad blood
(people thought bad blood cussed sickness).
e. Surgical thrombectomies involve a similar process a similar process in which an incision
is made into the veins of a patient, and blood clots are simply extracted and removed
from the body, allowing for a faster, more efficient process.
2. Trephination

R, P. (1573). B​ rought To Life.​ B​ rought To Life.​ Retrieved from Two heads with trephination instruments in position

a. Neolithic Period (200-600 A.D)
b. The initial purpose of the practice was to expel any bad spirits or evil from one’s body. It

later expanded to treating head injuries, infections, and headaches (attempting to
release pressure. Sometimes the method of practice was used to relieve pain from brain

diseases and infections. The practice continued over to ancient Egypt also. There,
Egyptians used the practice to create potions.
c. Individuals would use varying tools to drill holes into the head (usually a metal drill
contraption), and attempt to relieve pressure to a person, often allowing oxygen to enter
the brain.
d. “The earliest archaeological survey from the American continent published is from the
late 19th century when the Norwegian ethnographer C​ arl Lumholtz (​ Irving)”.
e. A craniotomy is a similar procedure involving the opening/ removal of part of the skull to
relieve pressure and buildups (Extra fluids;blood). Crainitomy are sometimes used
during a stillbirth, and the parts of the dead fetus are removed to ease delivery.

3. Medicinal Cannibalism

Serena, K. (2017). Retrieved from https://allthatsinteresting.com/medicinal-cannibalism

a. Early European Culture
b. Cured sickness, resolved blood clots, coughs, menstrual problems, and sped the

healing of wounds.
c. The belief is that the consumption of mummified bodies, or other parts of the deceased

would cure the ill. Medicinal cannibalism became a part of mainstream medicine. This
led to a booming industry, as exporters raided tombs in Egypt beginning in the 11th
Century to sell across Europe.
d. Thomas Willis, a 17th-century pioneer of brain science, created a concoction of
powdered human skull and chocolate. This was supposed to help prevent strokes. Also,
King Charles II of England made a potion of human skull and alcohol.
e. Medicinal cannibalism isn’t practiced anymore but a handful of mothers and fathers in
2000’s ate their newborns’ placenta.

4. Animal Dung Ointments

(2018). Retrieved from https://poopjournal.rocks/blog/2018/04/15/poop-in-the-ancient-times/

a. Ancient Egypt
b. Egyptians used human and animal dung as a cure for diseases and injuries.
c. Egyptian doctors used it for sicknesses of all kids. Donkey, dog, gazelle and fly dung

were some of the dung used for their healing properties and their ability to ward off bad
spirits.
d. Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian medical papyrus of herbal knowledge from 1500 BC
contains descriptions of application of poop mixed with herbs to heal burns.
e. The modern use of this practice is unlikely to return since we have advanced better
understanding on how to treat these injuries. Our medical technology advanced and we
no longer need the use of animal poop to treat us.

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References
Artemisia annua. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/artemisia-annua
Craniotomy. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/cranioto
my?amp=true
Irving, J. (2019, September 22). Trephination. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Trephination/
Morrow, M. (2016, 04). Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: How Much Treatment Is Enough, How Much Is Too Much?
Journal of Oncology Practice,​ 1​ 2(​ 4), 312-313. doi:10.1200/jop.2016.011353
Nordqvist, J. (2018, January 05). Eucalyptus: What are the health benefits? Retrieved from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266580.php
Park, Y. H., Choi, W. S., Choi, G. W., & Kim, H. J. (2018, 03). Role of Antiplatelet/Anticoagulant Medications
and Blood-Clotting Tests in Prediction of Traumatic Foot Compartment Syndrome. ​Foot & Ankle
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Science Museum. Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/techniques/trephination
Surgical Thrombectomy. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/surgical-t
hrombectomy?amp=true
Trepanation: The History of One of the World's Oldest Surgeries. (2016, January 02). Retrieved from
http://mentalfloss.com/article/70309/trepanation-history-one-worlds-oldest-surgeries
The Uncomfortably Common Practice of Medicinal Cannibalism. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-uncomfortably-common-practice-of-medicinal-cannibal-5971342
The Wandering Womb: Female Hysteria through the Ages. (2017, April 28). Retrieved from

https://www.drlindseyfitzharris.com/2017/04/28/the-wandering-womb-female-hysteria-through-the-ages/
Watson, C., Grando, D., Fairley, C., Chondros, P., Garland, S., Myers, S., & Pirotta, M. (2013, 12). The effects

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