The Medicine Woods, Part 2

This is the second in a multi-part series that deals with Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum's Medicine Woods Trail.  This gently winding path takes you through 2.5 acres of tranquil forest, where you will find plants that have been used by Native people as sources of food, medicine, and shelter.

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How Plants Came to Be Used as Medicine – a legend
     One of the many American Indian origin stories says that at first animals and humans spoke the same language.  But it wasn't long before people began to mistreat the animals.  To punish the humans, the animals developed a language of their own, which the ungrateful humans could not understand.  The angry animals also created disease and spread it among the people.
     The plants, however, took pity of the sick humans and offered themselves as medicine.

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Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission.
This is the Indian theory of existence. – Mourning Dove
     (Note: Mourning Dove was a Native American author best known for her 1927 novel Cogewea the Half-Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range.  The novel is one of the first written by a Native American woman and one of few early Native American works with a female central character.)

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     Native Americans obtained medicine from plants through several methods.  Frequently the leaves of the medicinal plant were steeped in hot water and drank as tea.
     Making an infusion of the leaves or flowers of a plant is another way to extract the plant's active medicinal ingredients.  A hot infusion is made by soaking plant material in hot water for a short time.  A cold infusion is made by soaking the plant material in cold water for several hours, or overnight. 
     A cooled medicinal tea can be used as a wash.  Making a moist paste from a plant creates a poultice, which can be applied externally to the affected are.
     Finally, soaking a medicial plant in water, then boiling it down until the water has evaporated produces a decoction.

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     Please note that the collection and use of medicinal plants is something that should only be done under the supervision of someone who has studied these plants thoroughly.  Many plants are toxic, or have toxic parts.  Some are only usable when prepared in a particular way, and have look-alikes that can fool even experts.  Even plants that are normally safe can cause allergic reations in certain people.
     In no way are the articles that will appear in this blog intended to be used as a guide to medicinal plants of the forest.  The Dream Catcher Gift Shop at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum has several books about the uses of medicinal plants, written by reputable authors.
     Of course, in our opinion the best way to learn about Native American medicinal plants is to visit Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum and take a self-guided walk through the Medicine Woods.  However, please remember - doing so is only the first step in learning how to identify medicinal plants and how to use them.