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> They always dance around hallucinogenic plants. Just admit people have basically been dropping acid for centuries Because its medical use was for asthma. You

> They always dance around hallucinogenic plants. Just admit people have basically been dropping acid for centuries Because its medical use was for asthma. You could buy solanaceous cigarettes in the US until the 70s or so. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844275/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2844275/

culi 4y ago
With ethnobotanically medicinal plants there's almost always many uses for them: > Henbane is used in traditional herbal medicine for ailments of the bones, rheumatism, toothache, asthma, cough, nervous diseases, and stomach pain. It might also be used as analgesic, sedative, and narcotic in some cultures
- daveguy 4y ago
  Wow. That's one hell of a cure all. I wonder why you don't see it for sale anymore.
  - mattkrause 4y ago
    It is! Scopolamine is on the WHO’s list of essential medicines.
  - culi 4y ago
    Like I said this isn't that surprising. In ethnobotany if a plant is medicinally important across many cultures like this it's usually a sure bet that there's a ton of interesting secondary metabolites with interesting properties being produced by that plant. These "highly medicinal plants" are actually quite common Some other examples of highly medicinal plants from PFAF: Ammi visnaga[^0] Visnaga is an effective muscle relaxant and has been used for centuries to alleviate the excruciating pain of kidney stones[254]. Modern research has confirmed the validity of this traditional use[254]. Visnagin contains khellin, from which particularly safe pharmaceutical drugs for the treatment of asthma have been made[254]. The seeds are diuretic and lithontripic[46]. They contain a fatty oil that includes the substance 'khellin'. This has been shown to be of benefit in the treatment of asthma[238]. Taken internally, the seeds have a strongly antispasmodic action on the smaller bronchial muscles[254], they also dilate the bronchial, urinary and blood vessels without affecting blood pressure[238]. The affect last for about 6 hours and the plant has practically no side effects[254]. The seeds are used in the treatment of asthma, angina, coronary arteriosclerosis and kidney stones[238]. By relaxing the muscles of the urethra, visnaga reduces the pain caused by trapped kidney stones and helps ease the stone down into the bladder[254]. The seeds are harvested in late summer before they have fully ripened and are dried for later use[254]. Cinchona pubescens[^1] Red bark has a long history of native use, especially as a treatment for fevers and malaria. Modern research has shown it to be a very effective treatment for fevers, and especially as a treatment and preventative of malaria. The bark contains various alkaloids, particularly quinine and quinidine. Up to 70 - 80% of the total alkaloids contained in the bark are quinine[ 418 ]. The bark is a bitter, astringent, tonic herb that lowers fevers, relaxes spasms, is antimalarial (the alkaloid quinine) and slows the heart (the alkaloid quinidine)[ 238 ]. The bark is made into various preparations, such as tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures and powders[ 238 ]. It is used internally in the treatment of malaria, neuralgia, muscle cramps and cardiac fibrillation[ 238 ]. It is an ingredient in various proprietary cold and influenza remedies[ 238 ]. The liquid extract is useful as a cure for drunkenness[ 418 ]. It is also used as a gargle to treat sore throats[ 238 ]. Care must be taken in the use of this herb since excess can cause a number of side effects including cinchonism, headache, rash, abdominal pain, deafness and blindness[ 238 ]. The herb, especially in the form of the extracted alkaloid quinine, is subject to legal restrictions in some countries[ 238 ]. Hamamelis virginiana[^2] Witch hazel bark is a traditional herb of the North American Indians who used it to heal wounds, treat tumours, eye problems etc[254]. A very astringent herb, it is commonly used in the West and is widely available from both herbalists and chemists[222]. It is an important ingredient of proprietary eye drops, skin creams, ointments and skin tonics[238]. It is widely used as an external application to bruises, sore muscles, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, sore nipples, inflammations etc[238]. The bark is astringent, haemostatic, sedative and tonic[4, 14, 21, 165, 171, 222]. Tannins in the bark are believed to be responsible for its astringent and haemostatic properties[222]. Bottled witch hazel water is a steam distillate that does not contain the tannins from the shrub[222], this is less effective in its action than a tincture[238]. The bark is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, colitis, dysentery, haemorrhoids, vaginal discharge, excessive menstruation, internal bleeding and prolapsed organs[238]. Branches and twigs are harvested for the bark in the spring[238]. An infusion of the leaves is used to reduce inflammations, treat piles, internal haemorrhages and eye inflammations[213]. The leaves are harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use[238]. A homeopathic remedy is made from fresh bark[232]. It is used in the treatment of nosebleeds, piles and varicose veins[232]. Pueraria montana[^3] The kudzu vine, known as Ge Gen in China, is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[218 ]. Recent research has shown that compounds called 'daidzin' and 'daidzein', which are contained in the roots and the flowers, are a safe and effective method for treating alcohol abuse[238 ]. They work by suppressing the appetite for alcohol, whereas existing treatments interfere with the way the alcohol is metabolised and can cause a build-up of toxins[238 ]. The plant is often used in combination with Chrysanthemum x morifolium in treating alcohol abuse[254 ]. The flowers and the roots are antidote, antiemetic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, demulcent, diaphoretic, digestive, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic and hypotensive[174 , 176 , 218 , 222 , 238 ]. A concoction of the flowers and tubers is used to treat alcoholism, fever, colds, diarrhoea, dysentery, acute intestinal obstruction etc[174 , 176 , 218 , 222 ]. It is useful in the treatment of angina pectoris and migraine[218 ]. The root is frequently used as a remedy for measles, often in combination with Cimicifuga foetida[254 ]. The root contains puerarin. This increases the blood flow to the coronary artery and protects against acute myocardial ischaemia caused by the injection of pituitrin[176 ]. The root can be harvested from the autumn to the spring and is used fresh or dried[238 ]. The flowers are harvested just before they are fully open and are dried for later use[238 ]. The stems are galactagogue and are also applied as a poultice to incipient boils, swellings, sore mouths etc[218 , 222 ]. The seed is used in the treatment of hangover and dysentery[218 , 222 ]. The leaves are styptic[218 ]. Ethnobotany is still the main source of new drug discoveries. Culturally medicinal plants like these are easy to identify and then it's just a matter of isolating the active ingredients and investigating ways to manufacture it or increase its effects. We often think of drugs as being single dimensional or serving a single use-case but I think this is mostly a product of how the modern scientific and legal process works and how much work it takes to approve a drug for a particular use-case. [^0]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ammi+visnaga https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ammi+visnaga [^1]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cinchona+pubescens https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cinchona+pubescen... [^2]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hamamelis+virginiana https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hamamelis+virgini... [^3]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pueraria+montana https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pueraria+montana
  - dukeofdoom 4y ago
    Imagine you're a big pharma company, are you going to lose market share to a plant? Cheaper to pay a media outlet to start a fear campaign, and hire lobbyist to pass laws against "The dangerous plant" that killed little Toby.
    - adrianN 4y ago
      Pharma companies sell lots of medicine that is based on plants. Ever heard of Aspirin for example?
      - dukeofdoom 4y ago
        yes,lots of medicines are derived from plants. My comment was more about villifying herbal medecine which is routinely done.
        pvaldes 4y ago
        Pharma guarantees exact amounts of the active compounds each single time. Herbal medicine can't, because 5 grams of this plant harvested at shadow is radically different than this other 5 grams of the same species but growing in a colder place, or in a sunnier place or in a short summer year, etc. Therefore with herbal medicine there is always a risk of overdosing or receiving an useless (too low) dose. The importance of this fact when people deal with such evil things as Scopolamine shouldn't be dismissed.
        dukeofdoom 4y ago
        That's true to a large extent with pharmacological drugs, since you have huge variability between people's weights, life style and diets (alcohol use for example). Usually the problem can be mitigated by starting with a safe low dose and adjusting until a benefit is seen in either case. The profit motive of pharmacological companies is to have repeat customers. So no real incentive to cure. You can't really dismiss this as a concern, as it's reflected in reality. Americans are some of the most drugged people in the world. The number of drugs Americans are now taking is growing exponentially. Yet this hasn't translated into life expectancy gains at all. If anything, chances are you will be given the most drugs in the last year of your life. The risk of complications from taking so many drugs, will probably be working against benefit. As you get worse, the doctors will try to increase the dose. A feedback loop of sorts. Hey, it's not like I'm against modern medicine. It's just it's a little more complicated, when game theory comes into play and individuals/companies have incentives that aren't always aligned with your best interest.
  - pvaldes 4y ago
    >I wonder why you don't see it for sale anymore. Potato family. Common secondary effects, Permanent insanity and death

culi 4y ago

With ethnobotanically medicinal plants there's almost always many uses for them: > Henbane is used in traditional herbal medicine for ailments of the bones, rheumatism, toothache, asthma, cough, nervous diseases, and stomach pain. It might also be used as analgesic, sedative, and narcotic in some cultures

daveguy 4y ago
Wow. That's one hell of a cure all. I wonder why you don't see it for sale anymore.
- mattkrause 4y ago
  It is! Scopolamine is on the WHO’s list of essential medicines.
- culi 4y ago
  Like I said this isn't that surprising. In ethnobotany if a plant is medicinally important across many cultures like this it's usually a sure bet that there's a ton of interesting secondary metabolites with interesting properties being produced by that plant. These "highly medicinal plants" are actually quite common Some other examples of highly medicinal plants from PFAF: Ammi visnaga[^0] Visnaga is an effective muscle relaxant and has been used for centuries to alleviate the excruciating pain of kidney stones[254]. Modern research has confirmed the validity of this traditional use[254]. Visnagin contains khellin, from which particularly safe pharmaceutical drugs for the treatment of asthma have been made[254]. The seeds are diuretic and lithontripic[46]. They contain a fatty oil that includes the substance 'khellin'. This has been shown to be of benefit in the treatment of asthma[238]. Taken internally, the seeds have a strongly antispasmodic action on the smaller bronchial muscles[254], they also dilate the bronchial, urinary and blood vessels without affecting blood pressure[238]. The affect last for about 6 hours and the plant has practically no side effects[254]. The seeds are used in the treatment of asthma, angina, coronary arteriosclerosis and kidney stones[238]. By relaxing the muscles of the urethra, visnaga reduces the pain caused by trapped kidney stones and helps ease the stone down into the bladder[254]. The seeds are harvested in late summer before they have fully ripened and are dried for later use[254]. Cinchona pubescens[^1] Red bark has a long history of native use, especially as a treatment for fevers and malaria. Modern research has shown it to be a very effective treatment for fevers, and especially as a treatment and preventative of malaria. The bark contains various alkaloids, particularly quinine and quinidine. Up to 70 - 80% of the total alkaloids contained in the bark are quinine[ 418 ]. The bark is a bitter, astringent, tonic herb that lowers fevers, relaxes spasms, is antimalarial (the alkaloid quinine) and slows the heart (the alkaloid quinidine)[ 238 ]. The bark is made into various preparations, such as tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures and powders[ 238 ]. It is used internally in the treatment of malaria, neuralgia, muscle cramps and cardiac fibrillation[ 238 ]. It is an ingredient in various proprietary cold and influenza remedies[ 238 ]. The liquid extract is useful as a cure for drunkenness[ 418 ]. It is also used as a gargle to treat sore throats[ 238 ]. Care must be taken in the use of this herb since excess can cause a number of side effects including cinchonism, headache, rash, abdominal pain, deafness and blindness[ 238 ]. The herb, especially in the form of the extracted alkaloid quinine, is subject to legal restrictions in some countries[ 238 ]. Hamamelis virginiana[^2] Witch hazel bark is a traditional herb of the North American Indians who used it to heal wounds, treat tumours, eye problems etc[254]. A very astringent herb, it is commonly used in the West and is widely available from both herbalists and chemists[222]. It is an important ingredient of proprietary eye drops, skin creams, ointments and skin tonics[238]. It is widely used as an external application to bruises, sore muscles, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, sore nipples, inflammations etc[238]. The bark is astringent, haemostatic, sedative and tonic[4, 14, 21, 165, 171, 222]. Tannins in the bark are believed to be responsible for its astringent and haemostatic properties[222]. Bottled witch hazel water is a steam distillate that does not contain the tannins from the shrub[222], this is less effective in its action than a tincture[238]. The bark is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, colitis, dysentery, haemorrhoids, vaginal discharge, excessive menstruation, internal bleeding and prolapsed organs[238]. Branches and twigs are harvested for the bark in the spring[238]. An infusion of the leaves is used to reduce inflammations, treat piles, internal haemorrhages and eye inflammations[213]. The leaves are harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use[238]. A homeopathic remedy is made from fresh bark[232]. It is used in the treatment of nosebleeds, piles and varicose veins[232]. Pueraria montana[^3] The kudzu vine, known as Ge Gen in China, is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[218 ]. Recent research has shown that compounds called 'daidzin' and 'daidzein', which are contained in the roots and the flowers, are a safe and effective method for treating alcohol abuse[238 ]. They work by suppressing the appetite for alcohol, whereas existing treatments interfere with the way the alcohol is metabolised and can cause a build-up of toxins[238 ]. The plant is often used in combination with Chrysanthemum x morifolium in treating alcohol abuse[254 ]. The flowers and the roots are antidote, antiemetic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, demulcent, diaphoretic, digestive, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic and hypotensive[174 , 176 , 218 , 222 , 238 ]. A concoction of the flowers and tubers is used to treat alcoholism, fever, colds, diarrhoea, dysentery, acute intestinal obstruction etc[174 , 176 , 218 , 222 ]. It is useful in the treatment of angina pectoris and migraine[218 ]. The root is frequently used as a remedy for measles, often in combination with Cimicifuga foetida[254 ]. The root contains puerarin. This increases the blood flow to the coronary artery and protects against acute myocardial ischaemia caused by the injection of pituitrin[176 ]. The root can be harvested from the autumn to the spring and is used fresh or dried[238 ]. The flowers are harvested just before they are fully open and are dried for later use[238 ]. The stems are galactagogue and are also applied as a poultice to incipient boils, swellings, sore mouths etc[218 , 222 ]. The seed is used in the treatment of hangover and dysentery[218 , 222 ]. The leaves are styptic[218 ]. Ethnobotany is still the main source of new drug discoveries. Culturally medicinal plants like these are easy to identify and then it's just a matter of isolating the active ingredients and investigating ways to manufacture it or increase its effects. We often think of drugs as being single dimensional or serving a single use-case but I think this is mostly a product of how the modern scientific and legal process works and how much work it takes to approve a drug for a particular use-case. [^0]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ammi+visnaga https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ammi+visnaga [^1]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cinchona+pubescens https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cinchona+pubescen... [^2]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hamamelis+virginiana https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Hamamelis+virgini... [^3]: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pueraria+montana https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Pueraria+montana
- dukeofdoom 4y ago
  Imagine you're a big pharma company, are you going to lose market share to a plant? Cheaper to pay a media outlet to start a fear campaign, and hire lobbyist to pass laws against "The dangerous plant" that killed little Toby.
  - adrianN 4y ago
    Pharma companies sell lots of medicine that is based on plants. Ever heard of Aspirin for example?
    - dukeofdoom 4y ago
      yes,lots of medicines are derived from plants. My comment was more about villifying herbal medecine which is routinely done.
      - pvaldes 4y ago
        Pharma guarantees exact amounts of the active compounds each single time. Herbal medicine can't, because 5 grams of this plant harvested at shadow is radically different than this other 5 grams of the same species but growing in a colder place, or in a sunnier place or in a short summer year, etc. Therefore with herbal medicine there is always a risk of overdosing or receiving an useless (too low) dose. The importance of this fact when people deal with such evil things as Scopolamine shouldn't be dismissed.
        dukeofdoom 4y ago
        That's true to a large extent with pharmacological drugs, since you have huge variability between people's weights, life style and diets (alcohol use for example). Usually the problem can be mitigated by starting with a safe low dose and adjusting until a benefit is seen in either case. The profit motive of pharmacological companies is to have repeat customers. So no real incentive to cure. You can't really dismiss this as a concern, as it's reflected in reality. Americans are some of the most drugged people in the world. The number of drugs Americans are now taking is growing exponentially. Yet this hasn't translated into life expectancy gains at all. If anything, chances are you will be given the most drugs in the last year of your life. The risk of complications from taking so many drugs, will probably be working against benefit. As you get worse, the doctors will try to increase the dose. A feedback loop of sorts. Hey, it's not like I'm against modern medicine. It's just it's a little more complicated, when game theory comes into play and individuals/companies have incentives that aren't always aligned with your best interest.
- pvaldes 4y ago
  >I wonder why you don't see it for sale anymore. Potato family. Common secondary effects, Permanent insanity and death