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Indians & S.purpurea

My father just sent me this quote:

"Much Indian lore is included in the book, such as this description of the uses for Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia Purpurea):

"The Canadian Indians used the root tea to treat smallpox. It was used by Natives to sharpen their memory. Another report says the tea was supposed to cause forgetfulness of sorrow. The tea has been used with benefit in dyspepsia. The Ojibwe women drank a tea of the root to assist parturition."

The author heard of a man from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan who lived to be 125 "and attributed his old age to drinking the liquid in the leaves of the pitcher plant periodically." So Dr. Naegele tried it himself and it didn't do any harm except for the ingestion of a few rotten insects."
 
Wow, S Purp root tea. Nice post MM:)!

I'm not touching the liquid in mine...it has tthe nastiest looking stuff in the bottom.
 
In many field guides one can find many references to Native Americans drinking, smoking, or otherwise using all manner of strange inedible plants for medicinal or spiritual purposes.

It's no surprise to me that they would dink around with the local Sarracenia! In my field guide to the Plants of the Pacific Northwest it reads (In regards to Drosera rotundifolia):

"Coast Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw and other northwest coast groups used the leaves for removing corns, warts and bunyons. Known as 'many hearts' in Haida, it was used as a good luck charm for success in fishing"

Fun stuff!

Purpurea tea anyone?
 
I'd give ol' Purpurea tea try. I've had tea made with ground deer antlers before. It had a very interesting flavor to say the least!

nice to learn a little something tonight! Thanks MM
 
@Dex:
Drosera rotundifolia is actually in medicines and such nowadays, and is marketed as a homeopathic remedy for some things. The good luck charm thing, is pretty odd though.
I'd not drink the pitcher fluid, but root tea might not be too bad.
 
I think folk cures are interesting and I have fun making my own Sassafras to a to rejuvenate and purify the blood (don't know if it works but it tastes great on a hot day) but I think I'll pass of drinking the fluid inside of pitcher plants.

I remember there was a Liqueur made of Drosera binata I saw for sale once. Extra syrupy ; )
 
Qu'est-ce que c'est, "parturition"?
 
I think folk cures are interesting and I have fun making my own Sassafras to a to rejuvenate and purify the blood (don't know if it works but it tastes great on a hot day) but I think I'll pass of drinking the fluid inside of pitcher plants.

I remember there was a Liqueur made of Drosera binata I saw for sale once. Extra syrupy ; )

if your using the root keep in mind sassafras has a well known carcinogen thats removed from the extract before being made into root beer......
 
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