Pain Relief from Ancient History

[woodsorrel]

Hi Everyone!

I have a confession: Sometimes I surf the Internet when I shouldn’t.

If you have recovered from the shock, I want to share an interesting article I found when I should have been doing other things.

Archaeologists unearthed pottery fragments under an ancient rock-shelter in east central Colorado. Chemical analysis of the 1,300-year-old pottery reveals traces of salicylic acid, the ancestor of today’s synthetic aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid).

Here is the article:


1,300-Year-Old Pottery Found in Colorado Contains Ancient ‘Natural Aspirin’


The salicylic acid may have come from Willow bark. Willow Bark contains high amounts of salicin, which our bodies convert to salicylic acid. I always carry a well-stocked first aid kit with a variety of pain relievers. These would be my first choice if I was in pain far from home. But knowing how to use willow bark to concoct a field-expedient analgesic is a useful skill to be aware of.

I collected my thoughts on usage, harvesting, dosage, and an experiment you can try (here). I am not a medical professional, and salicylic acid shares many side effects with other NSAIDs. So you should do the work to understand the risk/benefits of willow bark before using it as a field-expedient remedy.

Have you used willow bark as an analgesic? I am curious to hear your experience because I almost never harvest/process it. Are there other field-expedients you can recommend?

Regards,

- Woodsorrel

 

[Harvestman]

Salicylic acid is also in meadowsweet, and I have used the leaves of that, dried and then steeped in water as a tea, as an effective headache cure. It benefits from a spoon of honey though.

 

[woodsorrel]

Salicylic acid is also in meadowsweet, and I have used the leaves of that, dried and then steeped in water as a tea, as an effective headache cure. It benefits from a spoon of honey though.

Harvestman, I am glad to hear about your using this plant. I am not sure it is native to my part of North America. I have heard of it but never seen it.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Harvestman]

Harvestman, I am glad to hear about your using this plant. I am not sure it is native to my part of North America. I have heard of it but never seen it.

- Woodsorrel

Good point. Google Filipendula ulmaria to check, common names not being reliable.

 

[woodsorrel]

Good point. Google Filipendula ulmaria to check, common names not being reliable.

This was a good suggestion. Several search results returned, "Native Range: Western Asia, Europe." The plant might still be around (naturalized). But I could trip over it without knowing what it is.

- Woodsorrel

 

[cranmere]

You also find another useful pain-relieving compound, methyl salicylate, in Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen) and several of the birches including Betula lenta (Sweet Birch) & Betula pendula (White birch).

 

[Harvestman]

You also find another useful pain-relieving compound, methyl salicylate, in Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen) and several of the birches including Betula lenta (Sweet Birch) & Betula pendula (White birch).

I'm sure this is right about the compounds, but Betula pendula is silver birch, and B. pubescens is White birch. At least, according to my books anyway. Still, that isn't important and is off-topic. I just couldn't help myself

 

[bambodoggy]

Oh yer....Ginger root. I've used this myself while travelling in the Indian sub continent and I can personally attest to its usefulness in dealing with stomach upsets and pain.

I was first shown it by a Nepaleese chap but having researched it when I got home a few months later it turns out there is a good basis for it working as it actually anaesthetises the stomach and allows it to settle and then calmly expel whatever was causing the problem.

Hopefully that's helpful

 

[woodsorrel]

You also find another useful pain-relieving compound, methyl salicylate, in Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen) and several of the birches including Betula lenta (Sweet Birch) & Betula pendula (White birch).

cranmere, I heard that Birch and Aspen can be used as you described. Have you had the chance to try them? Unfortunately, these trees do not grow near me. So I will have to travel to learn more about them.

- Woodsorrel

 

[Toddy]

I find that if I'm making willow bast rope, and using my teeth to nip off the ends, then I have no aches in my hands

Usually I use the meadowsweet, but I don't use the leaves like Harvestman, I use the flourish for most aches, and the root for deep aches and to make a topical analgesic ointment.

I believe the indigenous N. American version is Spirea Alba, or Spirea latifolia, though the filipendula ulmaria is apparantly widespread there too now.

There are many painkillers among the plants, from poppies to hemp, from chillis (which help ease nerve pain and arthritic aches) to the ginger that bamboggy wrote of……it's just that some aren't totally benign and need care in their use.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[woodsorrel]

Oh yer....Ginger root. I've used this myself while travelling in the Indian sub continent and I can personally attest to its usefulness in dealing with stomach upsets and pain.

I was first shown it by a Nepaleese chap but having researched it when I got home a few months later it turns out there is a good basis for it working as it actually anaesthetises the stomach and allows it to settle and then calmly expel whatever was causing the problem.

Hopefully that's helpful

bambodoggy, I have heard about ginger root and am very curious. Is it powdered like the spice we buy in stores? Or, did you process the root in some way? Did you make a tea of it or did you consume the root?

Regards,

- Woodsorrel

 

[woodsorrel]

I find that if I'm making willow bast rope, and using my teeth to nip off the ends, then I have no aches in my hands

Haha! I make certain never to use my teeth when processing willow for basketry or cordage.

Usually I use the meadowsweet, but I don't use the leaves like Harvestman, I use the flourish for most aches, and the root for deep aches and to make a topical analgesic ointment.

I believe the indigenous N. American version is Spirea Alba, or Spirea latifolia, though the filipendula ulmaria is apparantly widespread there too now.

I believe you are right about Spirea alba and Spirea latifolia. These occur in the northern and eastern parts of North America. But I found some text today that says Meadowsweet occurs in the mountains of the west (Tilford). So I will keep an eye out.

I also read that Filipendula ulmaria has been naturalized in North America. So I will look for it, too.

There are many painkillers among the plants, from poppies to hemp, from chillis (which help ease nerve pain and arthritic aches) to the ginger that bamboggy wrote of……it's just that some aren't totally benign and need care in their use.

cheers,
Toddy

I believe in ancient times the concepts of food and medicine were not so clearly delineated. People consumed fresh plants daily that contained a variety of beneficial (and not so beneficial) chemicals.

What makes willow bark intriguing is that it is present in many of the wilderness areas I hike/camp. So it lends itself to field-expedient use. It also has a documented history of safe use.

I have been enjoying hearing about Meadowsweet, Ginger root, Birch, and Wintergreen. More to learn!

- Woodsorrel

 

[bambodoggy]

the ginger that bamboggy wrote of

"Bamboggy"!!!! Its a good job I don't take offence too easy Mary! Lol

I've used meadowsweet roots for a hunger headache while on a survival course in Sweden a few years ago.....it taste like germalean but it did work very well.

Woodsorrel, I was in a very bad way....I can only discribe it as spraying brown water at both ends. I was unable to keep anything down including water for more than about 3 minute before it all came right back up. I was actually at the point where I was willing to go see an Indian quack as I was getting a bit scared that I would dehydrate (I couldnt keep water down let alone diaralite or similar). I made it down to the road outside where I was staying and the nice Nepaleese man I had been chatting to a few days before came running over as soon as he saw me. He sat me down and telling me to wait he rushed off. He was back in a few minutes with a small tea pot and a cup. He poured a cup and insisted I drink it.....I did somewhat reluctantly and it stayed down, he then made me drink and second cup and then a third to finish including the bits of debris at the bottom. I swear I felt better by the third cup and about an hour later I was out clubbing until the early hours

I spoke to the guy a few days later and he explained what was in the tea pot. A whole ginger root, chopped in thin rings....boiling water and a tiny teaspoon of honey (he said the honey was for taste not effect). I've used this many times since and also done it for my wife when I took her to India and she got the runs.....it really really works.....to the point where even now 20+ years later I still keep a ginger root in my freezer for "emergencies" lol

Hope that helps,

Bam.

 

[Toddy]

People ate seasonally, and foods that we find unpalatable were sought after in their season. The Tansy for instance; it's used in spring puddings, but it clears out intestinal worms. People actively sought Spring bitters…..bitter tasting plants that were supposed to clean and refresh and generally act as a tonic. That some (many) were herbally active was a bonus

Nowadays though, when the safe use (and mind that varies dependant on age, health, condition, etc., of humanity) of herbal medicines is mostly in the hands of professionals or hearsay, that most instructions for use have to come with 'not advised', 'not recommended', 'no longer considered safe', warnings. Often for very good reasons, but sometimes I think it's a bit like banning books; they're not all bad.

M

 

[Toddy]

Bam, huge apologies
My only excuse is that the new computer's operating system does a blasted spell checking thing and it's a thrice damned nightmare. It keeps changing words…..heaven knows what it thought of Bambodoggy and I had to write that out three times and click on a thingie to say that yes, I did mean to write that !

M

 

[bambodoggy]

I must have hit the wrong button somewhere as I posted something about cloves and clove oil for tooth ache and that I'm sure I've read somewhere that cats tails have been used for pain relief too but I'm afraid this is anecdotal so I don't have any more details for you...sorry

 

[woodsorrel]

"Bamboggy"!!!! Its a good job I don't take offence too easy Mary! Lol

I've used meadowsweet roots for a hunger headache while on a survival course in Sweden a few years ago.....it taste like germalean but it did work very well.

Woodsorrel, I was in a very bad way....I can only discribe it as spraying brown water at both ends. I was unable to keep anything down including water for more than about 3 minute before it all came right back up. I was actually at the point where I was willing to go see an Indian quack as I was getting a bit scared that I would dehydrate (I couldnt keep water down let alone diaralite or similar). I made it down to the road outside where I was staying and the nice Nepaleese man I had been chatting to a few days before came running over as soon as he saw me. He sat me down and telling me to wait he rushed off. He was back in a few minutes with a small tea pot and a cup. He poured a cup and insisted I drink it.....I did somewhat reluctantly and it stayed down, he then made me drink and second cup and then a third to finish including the bits of debris at the bottom. I swear I felt better by the third cup and about an hour later I was out clubbing until the early hours

I spoke to the guy a few days later and he explained what was in the tea pot. A whole ginger root, chopped in thin rings....boiling water and a tiny teaspoon of honey (he said the honey was for taste not effect). I've used this many times since and also done it for my wife when I took her to India and she got the runs.....it really really works.....to the point where even now 20+ years later I still keep a ginger root in my freezer for "emergencies" lol

Hope that helps,

Bam.

That is a fascinating story, bambodoggy! I'm glad it worked out for you in the end.

- Woodsorrel

 

[bambodoggy]

Lol.....no worries, call me what ya like


(I know what you mean about predictive text though!!!!)

 

[Toddy]

I heard that about the cattails too, but I've eaten them, and I've never noticed anything like that from them

Clove oil's good on toothache, but try a bit of the meadowsweet root for that; it grows here and you can usually find it along virtually every burnside

I use feverfew for headaches, especially migraine.

We haven't mentioned the fungus; a bit of piptoporus betulinus softly chewed sooths a sore throat as well as eases hunger (don't do too much of it though, it can be a bit of a laxative).

"Predictive Text" is about to get it's predicted backside booted just as soon as I figure out how to switch the damned thing off.

M

 

[lannyman8]

I have used it before and it works great, i used the new growth from the branches, about 5mm around the tip and about 15-20 cm long. strip the outer bark off and discard then collect the very white inner layer and put it all together...

chew this inner bark, its bitter as hell to start with, chew and such the juice out until it tastes sweet, then discard it, job done.... i have used white willow and weeping willow too...

it takes longer to work but it lasts longer IMO...

of course this is just me so be very careful if you try this, body size general health hydration and loads of other variables effect the strength of dose.

best of luck all...