How was ipecac discovered?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
January 10, 2003
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Suggested Reading—>Click here.
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Killer Picks: Wollemi Pine, greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century—>Click here.
In the Womb Book, Life's Greatest Miracle, Exploring the Human Body—>Click here.
National Geographic Magazine—>Click here.
Ipecac is an emetic (a drug that induces vomiting) derived from Cephaelis ipecacuanha (Brotero) A. Richard. The plants are native to Brazil and first mentioned in 1601 by Manoel Tristaon, a Jesuit missionary. The species epithet ipecacuanha is the plant's Portuguese name. According to the 1889 Century Unabridged Dictionary, the Portuguese name came from "ipecaaguen, the native name of the plant, said to mean 'smaller roadside sick-making plant'."
In 1897, John Uri Lloyd, Ph.M. wrote a treatise on ipecac. In the history of the plant, he wrote, "It is stated that the South American Indians were acquainted with the medicinal properties of the plant, having gained their experience from observing the habits of animals." ("Cephaelis Ipecacuanha", The Western Druggist, 1897)
Lloyd footnoted the statement, "This fable has a parallel in the quaint description given by Closius (Carolus Clusius?) concerning the discovery of the healing virtues of nux vomica bark in cases of snake bite." Most scientific writers of his era felt these tales were romantic anthropomorphisms. But animal behaviorists have noted animals self-medicating with various plants. A new science, zoopharmacognosy, is the search for drugs from observations of what animals eat when ill.
McGraw-Hill Companies has posted a great article, "Monkey see, monkey do" about self-medicating chimpanzees in Tanzania. To learn more about the primates and the science of zoopharmacognosy, click on the link:
Click here to learn more
Series: | 1 | | 2 | | 3 |
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
What is ipecac? Plants that Changed History - December 31, 2002
Why is ipecac production vital? Plants that Changed History - January 7, 2003
How did arsenic poisoning lead to Key limes? Plants that Changed History - February 18, 2003
How did settlers use wax myrtle? Herbal Folklore - October 27, 2003
How did dowsers use witch hazel? Herbal Folklore - March 8, 2004
What is khaki? Herbal Folklore - May 26, 2003
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Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
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Wollemi Pine
National Geographic®
This survivor from the age of the dinosaurs is one of the greatest living fossils discovered in the 20th century. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's oldest and rarest tree species, belonging to a 200-million-year-old plant family thought to have been extinct for more than two million years.
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Previously known only from fossil records, it was presumed extinct until a single tree was found in the Wollemi National Park, Australia, in 1994. Subsequent research discovered 100 adult trees that have survived in a single canyon in this wild and rugged area.
Click here to view canyon, trees and fossil record.
You can assist in the conservation effort and enjoy the unique opportunity to ensure the continued survival of this rare species by giving the tree as a gift or growing your own. Suitable for indoor container gardening. Can also be used as a landscape tree in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7, which includes New England, the Midatlantic states, and much of the Midwest.
Comes with a care manual with the full story about the discovery and fascinating history of the Wollemi pine. Tree will be approximately 8"H when shipped. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plants will fund ongoing conservation research.
Click here to get your Wollemi Pine and assist in the conservation effort.
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National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic®
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Join the Society and bring the adventure of National Geographic into your home!
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