Jain Spirit 2005 09 No23

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 74

ENVIRONMENT
Arthritis/ Rheumatism
Infusion or decoction of inner bark, pounded leaves and sometimes roots, inner bark used in bath/steam bath, inner bark chewed, crushed root used as poultice, and whole stems used to beat rheumatic limbs as counter-irritant.
bathroom amenities and protection from the supernatural and witchcraft as an amulet. Bathing with solution from the plant's inner bark would promote personal purification and protection while its stems can be used as good luck charms to ward off the supernatural.
Cancer
Infusion of inner bark.
Childbirth / Menstruation
Inner bark mashed and swallowed, or decoction of inner bark taken as purgative to expel afterbirth, to start post-partum menstrual flow, regulate menstruation, and for cramps.
Diabetes
Infusion or decoction of inner bark and sometimes roots, both alone and in mixtures.
Fever
Decoction of inner bark.
Locals seldom let any part of the plant go to waste; they have discovered healing benefits by using the plant's inner bark, inner bark ash, de-spined stems, berries and leaves. Devil's club can be served in many ways by chewing, sipping, steaming or infusing in teas and other hot beverages.
Flu
Infusion of inner bark, alone and in mixtures, and the inner stem bark chewed.
Heart Disease
Berries pounded into paste taken internally.
Lice and Dandruff
Pounded berries rubbed on hair and scalp.
Pain Relief
Analgesic Decoction of inner bark, inner stem bark mixed with oil and eaten, dried inner bark laid into tooth cavity, steam bath with inner bark.
The effects of the thorny plant can now be seen around the world. The plant has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for medicinal use and can be found in markets in the form of herbal supplements.
Respiratory Ailments, Coughs, Colds
Decoctions and infusions prepared from inner stem bark, whole stems and sometimes roots, inner bark also chewed, used in sweat baths, and bumed and dampened and worn around the neck.
Sores (Swellings, Cuts, Boils, Burns, and External Infections)
Inner bark, or infusion of, used externally as a poultice or wound dressing or rubbed over sore, dried inner bark pulverized with pitch or bumt to ash and mixed with oil or grease (sometimes salmonberries and dog faeces) and applied externally, berries pounded into a paste and applied externally, decoction of root applied externally, and sliver of bark placed in wound to prevent infection.
Stomach Trouble / Pains, Ulcers
Infusion or decoction of inner bark or paste made from berries taken Internally.
From the traditional uses of the Tlingit and other native tribes to now, its availability to the general public, Devil's club has been able to remedy many health curses. The big dilemma that the Tlingit and other tribes face today is one that some say Jains have acknowledged for generations: how to balance commercial demand with the sanctity of the plant in native culture and its honour as a wickedly worthwhile weed. Perhaps in this way, our cultures can learn and support one another. •
Venereal Disease
Decoction prepared from inner bark and whole stems both alone and in mixtures with a variety of other plants.
Vision / Blindness
Infusion of inner bark taken internally, inner bark applied externally
ith pitch, and decoction used as an eyewash to reverse the effects of cataracts.
Weight Loss
Infusion of de-spined stems.
Summary of Medicinal Uses of Devil's Club (Oplopanax horridus) From www.herbalgram.org
WWW
Shreyans Parekh is an actor, tabla player and Dragon boat racer from Southern California. He hopes to take with him his love for Jainism and botany when he begins his studiesvn the fall at
the University of Pennsylvania. ain Education International
Photo: Antonin Kusbach http://www.uhul.cz/ubcat/