The Old Medicine Cabinet

by Keli MacIntosh

Have you ever wondered how our ancestors managed to stay alive without all the modern medical treatments we rely on today?  They didn’t have antibiotics or pain medications, and the nearest doctor was frequently miles away.  We sometimes still hear of a friend’s Grandma mixing up a concoction for their cold or upset tummy, or covering their wounds with a homemade salve.  Even now people usually respond well to these remedies.  But, unfortunately, we’ve lost touch with the wisdom behind these types of treatments.

Years ago people would rely on herbs and other elements found in nature to manage illness and injury.  Many remedies, such as poultices, were first used on animals. Practitioners studied results, made changes, and everyone benefited from their experience.  Recently though, people have questioned whether these “natural” treatments are safe.  So, let’s take a look at the investigations regarding some of the bottles Grandma may have kept in her medicine cabinet.

In his book The Scientific Validation of HerbalMedicine, Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D. shines a bright light on the therapeutic effects of the plants that grow wild in our fields. White Willow Bark is one example.  It has been used to combat pain as far back as Hippocrates’ time.  Many Native American tribes used it for fevers as well.  At the turn of the 19th century researchers produced aspirin (or acetylsalicylic acid) from salicylic acid.  Interestingly, a component of White Willow Bark, salicin, is converted into salicylic acid through oxidation within the body.  So, using a bit of White Willow Bark was similar to taking an aspirin.

Not long ago it was discovered that patients given natural sources of Beta Carotene (like in carrots, broccoli, and mangos) could be protected against certain types of cancer.  A study was set up to validate these claims.  The study was stopped prematurely because there was an increased mortality rate among the study subjects that were receiving an isolated form of Beta Carotene.  Then the question arose, “What made these results so drastically different from what was expected?”  It was found that the synthetic Beta Carotene was missing all the antioxidants found in the other carotenoids that are included with Beta Carotene in its natural state.  Without these other sources of antioxidants the Beta Carotene was ineffective.  Something very valuable is lost when an element is changed out of its natural form.

In his book, Health and Healing, Dr. Andrew Weil tells an interesting tale from his medical training.  Digitalis is a well-known heart medication.  Experience has shown that when using the digitalis leaf (known as foxglove) toxic symptoms follow a patterned course if too much is taken; first nausea and vomiting, then benign heart irregularities, then the more critical heart problems.  Yet, Dr. Weil had never seen nausea and vomiting in a hospitalized patient (after taking too much Digitalis) before they showed irregular, sometimes fatal, heart rhythms.  He later found that there are compounds in the whole digitalis leaf that irritate the stomach, so vomiting occurs before a lethal dose of digitalis can be ingested.  The attempts to “purify” the active ingredients of this plant, in the making of the Digitalis medication, may have actually removed its built-in safety mechanisms.

I’m not trying to tell you that you shouldn’t take medications or that you should start growing your own foxglove for your heart condition, but it’s always good to think about what you are using for your treatments.  Perhaps there is a more natural way to accomplish your health goals.  I have a great respect for the way we are put together – given adequate resources our bodies are capable of great healing.  Why wouldn’t we assume that all of nature is created with that same wisdom?  After all, the few items in the old medicine cabinet managed to hold their own for many of our ancestor’s generations.

May your lifestyle be a healthy one!

Keli MacIntosh has over 40 years of experience in the medical field as a Registered Nurse.  She is also a Certified Nutritional Consultant and manager of Natural Health Specialists.  For a health consultation, call Keli at (231) 946-3872