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Scholarship
Published in Robert S. Holzman, Anesthesia and the Classics, 2022
A specific herbal, for the most part mandrake, was employed by the Ancients for pain relief, with careful invocation of Kheiron’s approval: What ridge of the pasturing woodlands must I traverse to summon old lifebringing Kheiron to help your wound? Or where can I find medicines, the secrets of Paieon the Healer’s (Asklepios) pain-assuaging art? Would that I had what they call the herb Kentaurida (of the Centaur), that I might bind the flower of no-pain (italics added) upon your limbs, and bring you back safe and living from Haides whence none returns! What magic hymn have I, or song from the stars, that I may chant the ditty with Euian voice divine, and stay the flow of blood from your wounded side? Would I had here beside me the fountain of life, that I might pour on your limbs that painstilling water and assuage your adorable wound, to bring back even your soul to you again!5
Assyria
Published in Michael J. O’Dowd, The History of Medications for Women, 2020
Extract of Mandrake (Mandragora officinalis), known as the ‘devil plant’ and the ‘male namtar plant of the North’, was used during difficult labor. It was advised that the stomach of a woman in difficult labor should be anointed seven times with root extract. Mandrake was known to many cultures and gained further fame when eulogized by Shakespeare in Othello, Act 3, Scene 3, line 331: Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,not poppy nor mandragora.
Treatment of Sleep Disturbances
Published in Zippi Dolev, Mordechai Zalesch, Judy Kupferman, Sleep and Women's Health, 2019
Zippi Dolev, Mordechai Zalesch, Judy Kupferman
In a survey of sleep-inducing medications, published in 2010 in the Israeli Journal of Sleep Medicine, neurologist Dr. Baruch Elad presented a short survey of the history of the development of sleep medication: “Since ancient times people have been using different means to induce sleep. Apart from relaxation techniques and massages with various oils, prevalent in the Far East, it was common around the world to use herbs such as mandrake bark, lettuce juice, valerian essence, and others. In the 19th century two types of synthetic compounds were added: chloral hydrate, which is still in use for sleep induction, especially in children, and bromide, which was introduced into medical practice initially for treating seizures and later as a sleep-inducing medicine. Toward the end of the 19th century paraldehyde was introduced and its widespread use continued until the beginning of the 20th century. At the beginning of the 20th century barbiturates were developed for the treatment of epilepsy, difficulties falling asleep and sleeping.”
Himalayan poisonous plants for traditional healings and protection from viral attack: a comprehensive review
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2022
Shriya Pathania, Diksha Pathania, Priyanka Chauhan, Mamta Sharma
Edible vaccines are also one of the important topics for plants for the treatment of ailments. Here, the edible vaccine is created by the introduction of desired genes into a selected plant to produce encoded proteins. Edible vaccines are used to cure numerous diseases which include measles, cholera, hepatitis B, C, and E, foot and mouth diseases (Gidding et al., 2000). Plants that are used for the production of edible vaccines are known as "Candidate plants". The most used candidate plants are Tobacco, potato, rice/maize, and tomato. This is a cheaper way to traditional vaccines. Salicylic acid, an active ingredient of aspirin is found in several plants which include Salix. Taxus brevifolia, contains toxic ingredients which can be used at the cellular level to inhibit the growth of cancers. Small doses of Opium, mandrake, henbane, hemlock is used to relieve the pain of surgery (Takouri 2010). Figure S3 shows the toxicological effects of plant toxins.