Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Plantanus, Pistachio and Poplar

[00:00:00] Hey y'all, welcome to this week's show. I'll probably try to keep this one a little bit short because the power's out at my house again. Yes, three weeks after Hurricane Helene, the electrical line that goes from the pole to my house that was like hanging on by a thread after the high winds dropped. So, it's, you know, eventually you just, you just get to a point where you just laugh about everything because what other things are going to happen?

[00:00:30] What good choice do you have? You know, it's like the old Hank Williams song, no matter how I struggle and strive, I'll never get out of this world alive. And that's a great song by the way. Hank Williams, of course, Hank Williams Sr., one of the greatest songwriters of all time. You know, they call me Hillbilly Shakespeare and all that. Literally have every recording he ever made. I have that big massive box set and basically, um, I grabbed my guitar and I can play any song Hank Williams ever wrote. I know him all by heart. And, uh, of course he played just about everything out of the

[00:01:00] key of C so that's really not that hard. In fact, I love Sick Blues. It was done in F. It's actually an older song. It's an old jazz song from the 20s. Emmett Miller had a fantastic recording of that.

[00:01:11] And if you ever listen to Emmett Miller's version, you'll pretty much figure out who Hank Williams imitated. You take Emmett Miller, mix him with a little Roy Acuff and a little Ernest Tubb and you got Hank Williams.

[00:01:22] Um, but yeah, that's about the only song he did except maybe, um, well, the only song he ever wrote. I mean, all the songs he wrote were basically in C or G and probably 90% of them were in C.

[00:01:40] And, um, I'm so lonesome I could cry, uh, is not if I remember correctly. That's actually a minor key, but it could be A minor, which is basically C. Uh, I don't know. I'd have to pick it a little bit, but you know, that's the only song he ever,

[00:01:53] admitted to, um, using from, uh, someone else that wrote it. You know, a lot of people accused him of claiming he wrote all his songs and they said he stole some and all that.

[00:02:03] Well, no, some he actually did like, um, lovesick blues were covers of older songs. And he, um, early in his career, I think he did a couple of sons of the pioneer songs, but I cannot remember the name of that guy.

[00:02:15] He was a blind guy. And anyway, uh, one thing that's, you know, if you read about Hank Williams life, he really had a soft spot for people.

[00:02:22] People with disabilities. Um, I think because he had spina bifida himself. Uh, most people don't know that they think he was just an alcoholic and everything, but, um, the man was in such pain and, and, um, often couldn't walk and had no bladder control from spina bifida.

[00:02:38] Uh, so when people talk about how much he drank or the barbiturates and such, he was taking, you can't imagine how much pain he was in. Um, really, uh, kind of a tragic figure, but such a great, uh, such a great songwriter.

[00:02:52] Really? Uh, so anyway, you know, when you get through with this podcast, pull up, uh, I never get out of this world alive and you'll find it is a very funny song.

[00:03:01] That's very clever. And I wish so much we had songwriters like that now who could write meaningful, clever songs.

[00:03:08] I mean, the last one that comes to mind was what David Ball doing thinking problem. I mean, I, you know, my mind's on country music now.

[00:03:15] I really can't think of any, uh, really clever, interesting, meaningful songs that have been written at least in the last 20, 24 years.

[00:03:26] But of course, music pretty much went downhill big time, um, around 2020 when the, um, independent record stores started closing, independent radio became a thing of the past.

[00:03:38] Um, record labels, the big guys just would start doing their, you know, Miley Cyrus or Brickson.

[00:03:45] Britney Spears or Taylor Swift type so-called artists. They're like groomed from childhood to be this like, you know, corporate creation.

[00:03:54] And there's just really, um, okay. You know, I will make one exception. Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks.

[00:04:00] I cannot stand Garth Brooks myself. Honestly, I'd be, I really dislike the guy that was actually a very clever and well-written song.

[00:04:08] He did not write it. Uh, the guy that wrote it seems like it was the same guy that wrote, um, um,

[00:04:15] Kenny Rogers, the gambler, if I'm not mistaken, I could be wrong about that, but it seems like it was the same guy.

[00:04:20] If not, it was somebody who's associated with him.

[00:04:23] But anyway, uh, you know, that's not here or there. You're here, you're here for herbal medicine.

[00:04:28] You don't need to hear any more about hurricane damage and you don't need to hear my ramblings on country music,

[00:04:33] which can, you know, literally go on for hours.

[00:04:36] Uh, you know, I, I tried to be a country musician for several years and I got to know people like Eddie Stubbs that used to host, uh, WSM.

[00:04:44] And, um, you know, I could sit down with a guy like that.

[00:04:47] Uh, Jimmy Capps was somebody I got to know.

[00:04:50] Guy Clark.

[00:04:50] I could sit down with guys like that and talk country music history for hours.

[00:04:56] And then of course we're going to veer off into old, you know, R and B and soul bands from the fifties and sixties.

[00:05:03] Cause we all love that stuff too.

[00:05:04] And old blues bands.

[00:05:06] And you know, I'm a music geek.

[00:05:08] What can I say?

[00:05:08] I can't help it.

[00:05:09] I can actually play like a dozen instruments and sing pretty well, believe it or not.

[00:05:14] Um, uh, in the words of Randy Travis, I couldn't go pop with a mouthful of firecrackers though.

[00:05:19] So I never made it.

[00:05:21] Uh, actually when I hit, uh, Nashville, literally they just went teenage blonde girls.

[00:05:26] That that's the only people that were getting, uh, record deals.

[00:05:29] That's it.

[00:05:31] Occasionally, you know, some guy basically playing John Mellencamp style rock and roll and they would call him country.

[00:05:37] And he'd go out there and, you know, torn up jeans and a t-shirt and the girls would swoon, you know, uh, it was not country music anymore.

[00:05:44] The last real country music band I remember coming out of that town was BR 549.

[00:05:50] Um, which I got to see, you know, they were great.

[00:05:53] The derailers, um, uh, the Malpass brothers, the Malpass brothers from here in North Carolina.

[00:05:59] If you want to hear some actual really good traditional country music, Google the Malpass brothers.

[00:06:04] It's M-A-L-P-A-S-S.

[00:06:06] They have their own show now on RFD TV.

[00:06:09] It's fantastic.

[00:06:11] It's the best, uh, best thing I've seen in a very long time.

[00:06:15] Uh, Marty Stewart did his best to keep country music alive, but I think he's finally given up.

[00:06:19] I mean, he's still performing, but he doesn't have a show anymore.

[00:06:22] And, you know, he's not really a headliner as much as he once was.

[00:06:26] So it's just the music industry walked away from country music.

[00:06:29] But anyway, now let's talk about medicinal trees.

[00:06:32] My word, I'm rambling today.

[00:06:35] Um, Plantanus oxydentalis American sycamore or buttonwood.

[00:06:41] Uh, plants for, this, I've had very little information on this one, but, um, you know, it probably grows where you live, actually.

[00:06:47] Um, I know it does where I live.

[00:06:49] Plants for Future says the inner bark is astringent, diuretic, emetic, and laxative.

[00:06:54] It has been used as a tea in the treatment of dysentery, coughs, colds, lung ailments, hemorrhages, measles, milky, and difficult urination.

[00:07:02] And also as a blood tonic.

[00:07:04] Very useful treat, obviously.

[00:07:06] Externally it has been used as a wash on wounds.

[00:07:09] And infusion of the bark and roots has been used as a foot soak for treating rheumatism.

[00:07:16] So, I, rheumatism, they usually mean arthritis.

[00:07:18] I'm guessing like sore, aching feet, which is really a good thing.

[00:07:22] You know, that can actually be a, if you've ever hiked much, if you've ever, you know, camped and hiked much, you know.

[00:07:28] So, sore, aching feet can really become an issue very quickly and make things just miserable, especially if they start to swell.

[00:07:36] And, you know, in a survival situation, you may have to put on your pack, grab your bug out bag, you know, the whole deal.

[00:07:42] And you may be walking 15 miles.

[00:07:44] You may think that never happens.

[00:07:46] But, you know, a couple weeks ago, a guy tried to come up to where I live in the mountains to check on his family, his elderly parents.

[00:07:55] And, I guess it was the National Guard stopped him and would not let him drive up the road.

[00:07:59] And they said, well, if you park your car, you can walk.

[00:08:02] And he walked 15 miles to check on his parents.

[00:08:05] So, you don't know when something like that's actually going to happen.

[00:08:09] That's one of the reasons, you know, we try to keep in decent physical shape.

[00:08:12] I know James is really big on that.

[00:08:15] You know, I try to keep in shape.

[00:08:18] I don't do as well as he does by any means.

[00:08:21] It's, and I don't train as hard as I should.

[00:08:26] But, I mean, I used to do kung fu and all kinds of things.

[00:08:28] You know, I was pretty good with the martial arts.

[00:08:30] But I haven't been in a real fight in 20 years, thank God.

[00:08:35] And I haven't really sparred or anything in probably just as long.

[00:08:41] So, I admit, I'm a little soft in that regard.

[00:08:44] Maybe I should focus more, you know, on that.

[00:08:49] But, you know, I usually carry a pistol and my instincts are in a knife.

[00:08:55] And my instincts are, my reflexes are still pretty sharp.

[00:08:59] So, but I'm not the young man I once was.

[00:09:03] I have to admit that.

[00:09:05] Anyway, the bark and roots have been used as a foot soak for treating rheumatism.

[00:09:09] The bark ooze, like the sap from it essentially, has been used as a wash on infected sores.

[00:09:15] And an infusion has been given in the treatment of infant rashes.

[00:09:19] So, diaper rash and stuff such as that.

[00:09:22] Maybe even like cradle cap and such.

[00:09:24] You'd have to look into it.

[00:09:25] An infusion of the bark mixed with honey locust bark.

[00:09:28] Honey locust, you know, that's real common all over the place.

[00:09:32] That has been used as a gargle to treat hoarseness and sore throat.

[00:09:36] And we've already done a whole chapter on honey locust.

[00:09:38] What a wonderful tree that is.

[00:09:40] Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Central Medicinal Plants says,

[00:09:43] American Indians use the inner bark tea for dysentery colds, lung ailments, measles, coughs.

[00:09:50] Also as a blood purifier and an emetic to induce vomiting, a laxative.

[00:09:54] And bark once suggested for rheumatism and scurvy.

[00:09:58] But the efficacy of that is unconfirmed.

[00:10:00] Well, that is, that's very interesting.

[00:10:02] So, how would it help with scurvy?

[00:10:06] Scurvy.

[00:10:07] Normally when we have a plant that's called anti-scorbutic, meaning an herb that helps with scurvy,

[00:10:11] it contains vitamin C, which of course scurvy is a vitamin C deficiency.

[00:10:15] But it occurs to me that scurvy, scurvy makes the gums spongy and your teeth fall out.

[00:10:23] And I'm wondering if the bark with its astringent properties would really just help tighten up that tissue.

[00:10:31] That's probably more likely because like the way it helps with the swelling in the feet.

[00:10:37] And yeah, I mean, it could be used as a wash or something in some of the effects of scurvy and other parts of the body.

[00:10:44] But the first thing that comes to my mind is tightening up that gum tissue.

[00:10:47] I don't know that it actually has any vitamin C in it by itself.

[00:10:52] Another one that you might find, depending on where you live, is introduced.

[00:10:56] And it is the Chinese pistachio.

[00:10:58] So, of course, if you live in California, you probably are going to run into this one.

[00:11:01] I have never found a pistachio tree in the wild.

[00:11:05] If I did, I would probably start turning backflips because I absolutely love pistachios.

[00:11:10] I mean, walnuts and pistachios and almonds and pecans.

[00:11:15] I mean, hazelnuts.

[00:11:16] I don't think there's actually an edible nut that I don't like.

[00:11:19] I love them all.

[00:11:20] But I can just go crazy over pistachio.

[00:11:24] So a couple of weeks ago, I went.

[00:11:28] I was down in Moore County.

[00:11:29] It's probably a month ago now.

[00:11:30] It was for the storms.

[00:11:32] And a local distillery had set up a little display at the ABC store.

[00:11:39] By the way, we don't have liquor stores in North Carolina.

[00:11:42] We have ABC stores.

[00:11:43] Our state runs our liquor sales because it would be real bad and sinful for just average people to make or sell liquor and make a profit on it,

[00:11:54] just as it would to run a gambling organization.

[00:11:57] But, of course, the state can sell liquor and run the lottery.

[00:12:01] And that's somehow okay.

[00:12:03] Okay.

[00:12:03] But, anyway, I walked in.

[00:12:05] And this local company, the name doesn't come to mind right now.

[00:12:11] But, anyway, it's veteran-owned.

[00:12:13] They have opened a distillery in Moore County in the Southern Pines area.

[00:12:18] And the bourbon was very nice.

[00:12:20] It was as good a bourbon as I've had.

[00:12:23] The rye was phenomenal.

[00:12:26] And they've actually won, like, best rye of the year in a national competition.

[00:12:30] The rye was, like, mind-blowingly good.

[00:12:33] I mean, it was dangerous.

[00:12:34] I did not buy a bottle, okay, because that was too good.

[00:12:38] But the one everybody was flipping out of her was a pistachio liqueur.

[00:12:42] And I don't have a big sweet tooth.

[00:12:44] Man, I took a sip of that stuff.

[00:12:46] And, again, I had to put it down and walk away.

[00:12:49] That was, like, wow.

[00:12:52] I mean, wow.

[00:12:54] So, pistachios have a lot of uses beyond medicinal or food.

[00:12:58] But, medicinally, Plants for a Future says the resin of pistachio,

[00:13:04] and they're actually talking about pistachio lentiscus was the one that was studied.

[00:13:09] But it seems that all pistachios are pretty much interchangeable.

[00:13:13] Is analgesic.

[00:13:14] Means it helps with pain.

[00:13:16] Antitussif.

[00:13:16] Meaning it can help stop coughing.

[00:13:18] Expectrant.

[00:13:19] Means it can, you know, get the mucous out of your lungs.

[00:13:21] And sedative.

[00:13:22] And it would be well worth examining this species.

[00:13:25] I thought that was interesting.

[00:13:26] And I'm just going to wrap it up with one more.

[00:13:28] And I've got a little more information on this.

[00:13:30] I didn't want to just leave you with two little short entries.

[00:13:33] And it's populous.

[00:13:34] Poplar.

[00:13:34] Cottonwood.

[00:13:35] Aspen.

[00:13:37] 23 varieties of populous have found use in herbal medicine.

[00:13:41] Very well documented.

[00:13:42] It has aspirin qualities.

[00:13:46] You know, salicins in the buds that are similar to like you would get from willow or masterwort or something.

[00:13:53] Excellent tree.

[00:13:55] Mix it in.

[00:13:56] The ones that grow around here make a very interesting carving wood as well.

[00:14:00] They're like golden.

[00:14:02] The wood, literally, you carve it and it's like golden.

[00:14:05] And if you put a little walnut oil or linseed oil or something on there, when the light hits it's just gorgeous.

[00:14:10] A little hard to carve.

[00:14:12] The bark is actually thick and more popular.

[00:14:15] But there are four varieties of populous native to my region.

[00:14:19] Eastern cottonwood is most common.

[00:14:21] And that's actually the one I've carved some very nice items out of.

[00:14:25] A cottonwood fell in my mother's neighborhood.

[00:14:28] And I happened to be there.

[00:14:29] And I just, the guy, the county cut it up.

[00:14:33] And I went down there and threw a bunch of big logs in my old truck.

[00:14:35] And made some really nice items out of that.

[00:14:39] But chief among the virtues of populous, of course, is its ability to relieve pain and reduce fevers.

[00:14:45] Like the willows and other plants that contain salicin.

[00:14:48] So this tree has been utilized wherever it grew.

[00:14:50] By native peoples.

[00:14:52] By settlers that came in and recognized it looking like one that grew where they lived.

[00:14:58] And it has like a hundred different names.

[00:15:02] One of which, which is very popular, is Balm of Gilead.

[00:15:05] And that's actually mentioned in the Bible, right?

[00:15:08] Well, Balm of Gilead, so-called, because it would reduce pain and fever.

[00:15:15] So medicinal use of this plant goes back thousands of years to all different cultures.

[00:15:21] Wonderful plant.

[00:15:22] Gerard wrote in the 1500s.

[00:15:25] I love the way he says this in Elizabethan English.

[00:15:27] There be diverse trees under the title of poplar.

[00:15:30] A poplar.

[00:15:33] Differing, yet notably, Yeri notably, he said, I guess it's an old way of saying very.

[00:15:40] As shall be declared in the descriptions.

[00:15:42] Whereof one is white and another black and a third sort set down by Pliny, which is Aspen.

[00:15:48] Yeah.

[00:15:48] They also call it Aspen.

[00:15:50] And different trees call it Aspen.

[00:15:52] So we got to get, you know, a little more specific.

[00:15:56] And we're talking about the populous species.

[00:15:58] White poplar, he said, had a cleansing faculty.

[00:16:02] He said, according to Galen, the ancient, well, I guess, was Galen Roman, I think?

[00:16:08] Was he Greek or Roman?

[00:16:09] I can't remember.

[00:16:10] The bark as discordous righteth to the weight of an ounce is a good remedy for sciatica or ache in the huckle bone.

[00:16:19] I have yet to figure out what a huckle bone is.

[00:16:22] But if it's near the sciatica region, I'm going to go with hip.

[00:16:26] The bark is good for sciatica.

[00:16:30] You don't want to hear all this Shakespearean English.

[00:16:33] I know some people complain about it.

[00:16:35] I find it really kind of funny sometimes, and I enjoy trying to sort it out.

[00:16:42] He said, the warm juice of the leaves being dropped into the ears doth take away the pain thereof.

[00:16:49] And, yeah, it's got that anti-inflammatory quality, so it can help in earaches and such.

[00:16:54] The ointment made of buds, good for all kinds of inflammations and bruises from sprains or falls.

[00:17:01] Wonderful, right?

[00:17:03] I'm actually going to back up a little bit to St. Kildegard in writing about 1080.

[00:17:09] She said that an infant lying in his cradle, let's see, let's get to something more practical.

[00:17:16] She often talked about vergeteget.

[00:17:18] That's old German for being, as we would call it in the South, all stoved up.

[00:17:22] It can be any kind of paralysis or stiffness.

[00:17:25] Okay, and it can be a cramp, anything from a cramp to something resulting from a stroke.

[00:17:31] Vergeteget or vergeteget or the getched could even be, you know, bad arthritis, anything, any kind of stiffness.

[00:17:38] She said, for one who is vergeteget or has a cold stomach, he should take the bark of this tree when it is green and cut the wood from the exterior but not down to the inner heart.

[00:17:50] So we're using the outer wood, the, oh, let's flow them, whatever that is, the outer part of the wood.

[00:17:57] He should cut them into minute bits and cook them in water and pour this water with the wood into a cask and bathe in it.

[00:18:04] So again, we're using the aspirin-like qualities of this plant.

[00:18:07] She said, if he does this often, the gitch will leave him or his stomach will be warm and each malady will be made better.

[00:18:13] We can understand that now.

[00:18:14] It's a topical analgesic and helps with fevers and also increases circulation.

[00:18:20] So that cold stomach thing, you know.

[00:18:24] And she talks about using a juice made from the pounded bark for persons who have pain in their heads, headaches.

[00:18:33] What do you do when you get a headache?

[00:18:34] You grab an aspirin, right?

[00:18:36] Well, that's the ancient way from 1080 AD in ancient Germany of making your own aspirin.

[00:18:45] Culpepper wrote of both the black and white popular.

[00:18:49] He mentions basically everything Gerard said, like sciatica, rheumatism, all that, but also for strangery or suppressed urine.

[00:18:58] It has a good diuretic quality.

[00:19:02] He said, the buds being crushed before the leaves come on the tree, bruised, he said, and mixed with a little honey is good medicine for dull eyesight.

[00:19:11] So I'm assuming that's supplied topically.

[00:19:17] Apparently, it could also be used to dye the hair.

[00:19:19] So, you know, women have been dyeing their hair for, well, it was actually written of in ancient Greece and such.

[00:19:27] So people have always been vain.

[00:19:29] And actually, in ancient Greece and Rome, it was the men dyeing their hair to appear younger.

[00:19:37] So they would not lose their position in the Senate and such.

[00:19:41] So turning to 1931 or so, 1930s, Miss Greaves says that popular is febri-fusion tonic.

[00:19:49] Fever-reducing is what febri-fuse means.

[00:19:51] So again, it's aspirin, chiefly used in intermittent fevers.

[00:19:55] It has been used as a diuretic and urinary infections, gonorrhea and gleat, which is a vaginal discharge.

[00:20:00] The infusion has been found helpful in debility, chronic diarrhea, etc., and is a valuable and safe substitute for Peruvian bark, which is quinine.

[00:20:09] So, chinchona or quinine, and was widely used for malaria and fevers.

[00:20:14] In the Irish tradition, they used the white or trembling poplar.

[00:20:18] That's the one that's often called the aspen, which was once called the asp tree.

[00:20:24] Asp like a snake.

[00:20:26] I don't know why, but interesting, you know, that's where the name actually comes from.

[00:20:30] The juice of the leaves of this tree eases the pains in the ears and heals ulcers and eruptions on the skin.

[00:20:38] The bark is useful for promoting discharge of urine and is therefore good against the strangury.

[00:20:44] Brother Aloysius in Switzerland around 1900 said a leaf decoction is used externally in the form of a compress for sciatica and internally for difficult urination.

[00:20:54] That was used as a tea.

[00:20:56] That was about three-fourths to one cup of the leaves to two cups of water, so a nice strong tea.

[00:21:03] It's still used in Austrian medicine.

[00:21:06] My friend Jelana Wittub wrote about it quite a bit in one of the books we did, The Herbs and Weeds of Father Johann Kunzel.

[00:21:15] And she said it was really good, the way she used it mostly.

[00:21:19] She kept her beehives near the poplar trees.

[00:21:21] The bees would collect the nectar, yes, from the poplar and they would make honey or propolis is actually what she would use and use it in place of a poplar bud tincture.

[00:21:35] It has the same salicin type properties and the other properties of the poplar in the honey.

[00:21:41] So that's very cool.

[00:21:43] But she said that she would use that for whether it was a tincture made from buds or using the propolis.

[00:21:50] She used it for inflammations, colds, flus, externally for rashes, small wounds, and muscle pains.

[00:21:56] And for gargle for a sore throat.

[00:21:59] So super useful.

[00:22:03] Thompsonian, the Dr. Thompson, he was an herbalist in the late 1800s, early 1900s, did a lot to document the American varieties of poplar,

[00:22:13] of which he found several species, he said.

[00:22:15] But unless I see something different than what we already said, I'm not going to read verbatim.

[00:22:22] He said, though, it was good for consumptives, for people with tuberculosis, but would also strengthen the loins.

[00:22:29] I'm not sure how, but, you know.

[00:22:32] Inflammation, astringency, yeah, maybe it did.

[00:22:35] Okay, I can get that.

[00:22:37] But said it was indicated for uterine, vaginal, and anal weaknesses.

[00:22:43] So, like a prolapse or something, used as a washer internally.

[00:22:47] And skin disease is caused by gonorrhea or syphilis, believe it or not.

[00:22:53] Official medicine, King's Medical Dispensatory of 1898.

[00:22:58] Poplar bark is tonic and febrifruged.

[00:23:00] And that probably means tonic to the stomach.

[00:23:02] But febrifruged for fevers.

[00:23:05] Has been used in intermittent fever with advantage.

[00:23:07] Infusion is reputed a valuable remedy in emaciation and debility after protracted fevers.

[00:23:15] So, that's the tonic to the stomach.

[00:23:17] It helps people eat.

[00:23:18] But was also good for reproductive disorders, nervous and hysterical complaints.

[00:23:24] Good for worms.

[00:23:25] Can help get rid of worms.

[00:23:27] Good for impaired digestion, chronic diarrhea, intermediate fevers as a diuretic, etc.

[00:23:34] Said it aids in the recuperative powers of the kidneys when undergoing granular degeneration.

[00:23:40] Wow.

[00:23:41] So, it may even help with kidney disease.

[00:23:44] Specific indication used, he said, marked ability with impairment of digestion, vesicle irritation, tenismus after mixtur...

[00:23:54] Okay, that's a woman's condition.

[00:23:57] I can't even pronounce it.

[00:23:58] I'm not going to try to explain it.

[00:23:59] Mic...

[00:24:00] Mic...

[00:24:01] Mic...

[00:24:02] Mic...

[00:24:02] Mic...

[00:24:02] Mic...

[00:24:02] Mic...

[00:24:03] Mic...

[00:24:04] Okay.

[00:24:05] Look it up.

[00:24:06] And whatever tenesimus is.

[00:24:08] T-E-A...

[00:24:09] T-E-N-E-S-M-U-S.

[00:24:12] It can help with that.

[00:24:13] Okay.

[00:24:14] Let's get to more modern use with words I can understand.

[00:24:17] Place for a future set of white poplar.

[00:24:20] Stem bark is anodyne, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic, and tonic.

[00:24:25] The bark contains salisates, from which the proprietary medicine aspirin is derived.

[00:24:31] It is used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, lower back pains, urinary complaints, digestive and liver disorders, debility, anorexia, and to reduce fevers and relieve the pain of menstrual cramps.

[00:24:44] Okay, I'm guessing that's what that weird word meant.

[00:24:47] Actually, cramps.

[00:24:48] I don't know why they couldn't just say that.

[00:24:49] But externally, the bark is used to treat chillblains and hemorrhoids, infected wounds and sprains.

[00:24:55] The bark is harvested from side branches or coppice trees and dried for later use.

[00:24:59] The leaves are used in the treatment of caries or cavities and teeth and bones.

[00:25:04] And the twigs are depurative.

[00:25:06] Coppicing is something, especially in a survival situation, you would want to do.

[00:25:10] Instead of cutting down a whole tree, there are many trees you can take, say, just the top of the tree, and it will grow back.

[00:25:18] And you can usually take it down almost to stump level, and it will start growing back little shoots.

[00:25:23] And every year or two years or three years, you come through and cut the smaller wood as opposed to cutting the whole tree and killing it.

[00:25:30] But that's good forest management when you need wood for survival, when you need wood for fire, fuel, and to make things as opposed to just, you know, the way we do things now.

[00:25:42] And as far as the eastern cottonwood that grows here, the bark contains the same salicin.

[00:25:49] Bark is anodyne, inflammatory, and febrile fuge, especially good in treating rheumatism and fevers.

[00:25:54] Also, to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps, an infusion of the bark is used in the treatment of whooping cough and tuberculosis.

[00:26:00] And a decoction of the bark has been used to rid the body of intestinal worms.

[00:26:04] The bark has been used as a treatment of colds and a tea made from the inner bark in the treatment of scurvy, as we discussed.

[00:26:10] Inner bark combined with black hole bark, that's a cortegeous wild plum, has been used as a female tonic.

[00:26:18] And that would have some antispasmodic properties, plus the aspirin to help with the pain of cramping and such.

[00:26:25] A poultice of the leaves has been used for treatment of rheumatism, bruises, sores, and boils.

[00:26:32] I don't think there's anything more to say, really.

[00:26:34] Rodell mentions that the entire genus of poplar contains salisate, so like aspirin.

[00:26:41] Peterson Field Guide speaks of balsam poplar, a balm of Gilead.

[00:26:46] Buds boiled to separate resin and then dissolved in alcohol, once used as preservative in ointments,

[00:26:51] and a folk remedy used for sores, toothaches, rheumatism, a tincture of that used for toothaches, rheumatism, diarrhea, wounds, etc.

[00:27:00] Tea used as a wash for inflammation, frostbite, sprains, and muscle strains.

[00:27:04] So that's the balm of Gilead, and just quite good.

[00:27:12] Okay, now I have quaking aspen.

[00:27:14] They said that the American Indians used the root bark for excessive menstrual bleeding,

[00:27:19] and a poultice of the roots for cuts, wounds, etc.

[00:27:24] Botany a day mentions this diaphoretic expectorant and diuretic, so it helps with fevers, gets some mucosub and diuretic.

[00:27:31] Cottonwood and aspen leaf buds contain a sticky aromatic resin that can be collected in early spring,

[00:27:36] and used in oil-based ointment for burns, skin, and irritation, and is popularly known as balm of Gilead.

[00:27:44] Buds occasionally soaked in olive oil to extract the constituents.

[00:27:48] And let's see, we'll finally look at the physician's desk reference for herbal medicine,

[00:27:53] tell us if there's anything toxic about it.

[00:27:55] Let's see.

[00:27:56] Poplar buds, antiflogistic, antibacterial, wound healing.

[00:28:01] Poplar bark and leaves, antiflogistic, analgesic, antibacterial, and spasmolytic.

[00:28:07] It means it helps stop cramping.

[00:28:09] Unproven uses, poplar bark and leaves used for pain and rheumatism.

[00:28:15] Prostate hypertrophy, so reducing the inflammation of the prostate.

[00:28:19] Poplar buds used by Commission E for hemorrhoids, wounds, and burns.

[00:28:25] Poplar buds used in frostbite and sunburn.

[00:28:28] Contraindications.

[00:28:31] Only the hypersensitivity of salicylate.

[00:28:34] So if you can't take aspirin because you're on a blood thinner or something,

[00:28:36] or you have an allergy to salicylates, which some people do.

[00:28:41] The Rice Syndrome is such as that.

[00:28:43] You might want to avoid it.

[00:28:43] But it says no health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with proper administration

[00:28:49] of designated therapeutic dosages.

[00:28:51] And as this is one that's often used as much topically, externally as it is internally,

[00:28:56] if not more externally, I wouldn't worry too much about those warnings at all, honestly.

[00:29:04] I mean, if you're on prescription blood thinners, using it on a cut or a burn or a spray,

[00:29:10] it's probably not going to affect you internally.

[00:29:12] But, of course, I'm not a doctor.

[00:29:14] I'm not giving you medical advice.

[00:29:15] Always check with your doctor.

[00:29:16] But, as it said, no health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with proper

[00:29:21] administration of designated therapeutic dosages.

[00:29:24] So there you have it.

[00:29:25] All right, y'all.

[00:29:26] Keep praying for us if you're in hurricane country and the folks in Florida and all that.

[00:29:33] And we'll all get back to normal soon enough.

[00:29:36] And have a great week.

[00:29:39] I'll talk to you next time.

[00:29:41] The information in this podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition.

[00:29:47] Nothing I say or write has been evaluated or approved by the FDA.

[00:29:51] I'm not a doctor.

[00:29:52] The U.S. government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine,

[00:29:56] and there is no governing body regulating herbalists.

[00:29:59] Therefore, I'm really just a guy who studies herbs.

[00:30:01] I'm not offering any advice.

[00:30:02] I won't even claim that anything I write or say is accurate or true.

[00:30:06] I can tell you what herbs have been traditionally used for.

[00:30:09] I can tell you my own experience and if I believe in herbs, help me.

[00:30:12] I cannot nor would I tell you to do the same.

[00:30:15] If you use an herb anyone recommends, you are treating yourself.

[00:30:19] You take full responsibility for your health.

[00:30:22] Humans are individuals and no two are identical.

[00:30:24] What works for me may not work for you.

[00:30:26] You may have an allergy, a sensitivity, an underlying condition that no one else even shares

[00:30:32] and you don't even know about.

[00:30:33] Be careful with your health.

[00:30:35] By continuing to listen to my podcast or read my blog,

[00:30:38] you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research,

[00:30:41] make your own choices, and not to blame me for anything ever.

[00:30:45] Thank you.