QuestionHi Mr Wilton. Can I trouble you for your handout on the everlasting life plant. It has been growing quite well and I would like to share plant with several friends.
thank
AnswerNoni:
Here is some extra stuff on it.
The plant has a high level of calcium and cloride. It also contains malic, citric, lactic and succinic acid. The juice of the heated leaves has exhibited anti-bacterial activity against staphylococcus aureus, bacillus subtilis, escherichia coli, pseudomonas.
The crushed leaves and leaf juice are mucilaginous and soothing. Uses are the same throughout Middle America. Fresh leaves are bound on the head to relieve a headache. The crushed leaves are emollient, hemostatic and vulnerary. They are applied on skin diseases, boils and ulcers. As a diuretic, the leaf decoctions is taken to overcome urinary burning and infection.
CAICOS ISLANDS: They may boil the leaves or merely let a plant stand with its cut stem in cold water and drink some of the infusion every day. They say to change the water and add a new plant every day or two.
BAHAMAS: The crushed leaves are boiled with phyllanthus epipphyllanthus and the strain decoction is taken as a treatment for gonorrhea. A sirup made of the crushed leaves is taken to relieve cold and chest congestion, while the crushed leaves are applied externally. The juice is dropped into an inflamed eye. The juice of a heated leaf is dripped into an aching ear. The nectar of the flowers is taken as an expectorant.
JAMAICA: A leaf decoction is taken to relieve colds, sometimes with the addition of salt, goat抯 milk or leaves of yam. The crushed leaves are applied on bruises, boils, ulcers and insect bites.
BERMUDA: Juice is squeezed from the leaves until they obtain 56 to 85g, add salt and bottle. To relieve a severe chest cold, they add a little more salt and take 1 tablespoon at nighttime. A detached leaf on the ground or hung on a curtain will sprout at the notches, producing a fringe of baby plants at right angles to the margin. The plant also has superstitious uses.
SIERRA LEONE: A cough medicine is made from the roots.
IVORY COAST:
The root sap is taken by draught for attacks of epilepsy. The leaves are rubbed on feverish children. Used in cuts to stop bleeding. Deep seated intestinal pain. The sap is used in the eyes for eye complaints. Leaf sap is used as a diuretic and antemetic.
GHANA:
Leaves are smashed and inserted into the nose for headaches. Leaf sap is used on dermal conditions.
CONGO: Leaf sap is given to children with convulsions and epilepsy. Instillations into nose, ears and eyes of sap, prepared from the leaves in a metal container over a fire until the sap starts to flow. When lukewarm, it is applied to the eyes, ears or nose. Inflammation of an allergic nature, fungal or eczematous infection. For these uses, the leaf mash alone or compounded with palm oil, djave or shea butter may be used. It is also used wounds, burns, abscesses, ulcers, sores, swellings, rheumatic and inter-costal pain. It is an ingredient of a prescription to hasten expulsion of the after birth.
Two drops of the leaf sap up the nose before going to sleep, is considered in the Congo to prevent snoring. Place the back of the leaf on a cut to promote healing.
Herbman抯 Notes:
I received a leaf 2 years ago from a Peruvian customer and she gave me the names Yerba Bruja, Pretty Grass and Witch Grass. The West Indians gave the names Leaf of Life, Wonder of the World. In Peru the leaf is used for ear infection and to encourage kids to pass their classes in school.
A leaf is place in the back of a book. The baby plants will grow on the leaf in the book. I asked ( 8 ) different people from many cultures and they all agreed that it will do that. Leave it the book for at least 2 weeks or longer.
It doesn抰 guarantee that they will pass the class. I believe it is meant to encourage the children in self- esteem. If you can grow a leaf in the back of a book, then you can do anything else that you set your mind to do.
You can carve a message in the leaf like in a tree. With the leaf still attached to the plant, place a solid pad under a leaf. Inscribe a message ( I Love You Mom ), with a ball point pen very gently, but enough to leave a legible imprint.
As the plant grows, so will the imprint in the leaf. You can take the leaf off the plant and place in a pot of soil. Just lay it on top and put soil lightly near all the edges. More little plants will come from the leaf notches. The main leaf will dry out and doesn't look as pretty. Then cut the little plants away from the leaf when they have 4 pair of leaves and pot them for gifts to your friends.
The leaves are normally thick in other countries. Mine has not been thick in the 3 years that I have been growing it. I have talked to a few customers who have them and theirs are thick. Other cultures say, the thick leaves are better for using as medicine.
The liquid from the leaves stopped the pain in a woman抯 hands when a lye mixture was spilled on them while making soap. I have used it on Stinging Nettles also. It gave quick relief.
Tom Wolfe, owner of Smile Herb Shop, had poison ivy on his arm. He decided after a day or 2 to try this plant. He taped a leaf on 1 part of his arm. The next day he removed it and saw new skin forming and ivy gone. We believe that if he had crushed the leaf and applied another whole leaf over it, the healing would have been faster and better. Also the leaf was dry. The oil from the leaf was into Tom's skin. (October, 1998)
How Yerba Bruja removed the Voodoo Doll curse from Mrs. Smith and Dr. Beth (true story )
On July 4th weekend in 1996, Ms. Smith (real name) went on a group trip to New Orleans. She went shopping without the rest of her shopping group. She went into a small store on Canal Street. As she entered, a voodoo doll felled on the floor in front of her.
She was unsure whether it had fallen or whether she had knocked it down. She picked it up and put it back on the shelf, and then decided to buy it to add to her doll collection. It was only $4.95.
Until that time, she was having a ball. Everything was going fine and decided she would not take a taxi back to the hotel, since she only 6 blocks away. After walking about 1 block, and approaching the curb, she fell flat on the ground. She didn't see the raised block of concrete in the street. Her glasses, camera, and bags fell with her too.
She heard a voice saying, "Madame, are you alright?" When she looked up, there was a very dark lady with a lot of makeup with a black line around her very red lips. Ms. Smith replied, "I'm ok, I'm just a few blocks from the hotel, I will be fine. She walked back to the hotel to seek medical attention because the lines were very long in the local emergency rooms.
She had bruised her knees badly, broken 2 fingers in her right hand, which required a splint, and broke her nose. She was given pain medicine and returned to the hotel.
The next day, she went to a historic restaurant in the French Quarters, and was very excited about going there. During her meal, she heard "Bang, Bang, Bang". The piano player, alarmed by the bangs, fell to the floor for cover. Ms. Smith said to her friends at the table, "That was a gunshot...no, they said, "That must have been fireworks".
The piano player resumed playing. Ambulances and Policemen arrived. They were forbidden to leave the restaurant because of the investigation. There had been a drive-by shooting in which a young man was killed outside the restaurant. An investigator came in and notified Ms. Smith that if the bullet had penetrated the wall, it would have struck her left shoulder.
By this time, Ms. Smith's friends were asking her if she had gotten rid of the doll. She said, "No, I have a Savior who protects me". When she left the restaurant, her friends strongly suggested, "Get rid of that doll". So, to make her friends feel better, she threw the doll in her hotel room trashcan that evening.
The next morning, Ms. Smith got up early, and went to a restaurant for breakfast. Her friends jokingly suggested that she sit in the corner so nothing else could happen to her. So she and her friends sat in the corner. Upon serving breakfast, the waitress tripped, spilling a pot of hot coffee on Ms. Smith.
After visiting the emergency room, she returned to her hotel room and saw the voodoo doll sitting on her suitcase. Ms. Smith put the doll back in the trashcan and buried it. She believed the maid thought it had fell in the trashcan by mistake. A few other events also occurred. The departure of her plane was delayed by 2 hours due to a severe storm.
Upon arriving back at work in a public school in Baltimore, Maryland, Ms. Smith went to talk to her colleague and buddy, Dr. Beth, the school Psychologist. Ms. Smith was seeking some support, which Dr. Beth provided. After a few minutes into Ms. Smith story, Dr. Beth began to laugh and continued to laugh throughout Ms. Smith fantastic story.
At the end of day, as Dr. Beth was leaving her office, housekeeping had mopped the floor outside her door. Housekeeping was kind enough to remind her that the floor was just mopped and was still wet. Dr. Beth thanked them, and said to herself, "I have walked on wet floors a thousand times and I have been OK; there was no big deal here, I'll just be careful". Dr. Beth took 2 steps into the hall and then slipped and fell on the right side of her back.
She had no injuries, but a huge wet spot on her favorite skirt and had ripped it where it could not be repaired. She was highly embarrassed because of the warning from housekeeping and they were standing there as she slid by them when she hit the floor. She was too embarrassed to go back after the umbrella she had dropped, which was borrowed. She decided to buy another one instead.
Dr. Beth had met 'The Herbman' earlier that year in the garden. He had told her some stories about many plants that people told to him. She decided to visit him and tell him the story. He laughed too, but wanted to help them. He suggested that we take a leaf of Yerba Bruja and plant into a pot in their homes.
Soon after their bad luck ended and Ms. Smith's and Dr. Beth's plants are still thriving with many babies. Dr. Beth and Ms. Smith are still buddies and they have resumed their daily life routine. Dr. Beth comes by the greenhouse about twice a week to do volunteer work with the plants. She encouraged her parents and friends to grow herbs also.
New Uses: 2000
The leaves may be heated with hot water or over a flame to be used for the following:
? Tie leaves around the forehead for headaches
? Tape on boils, cuts, bruises
? Poison ivy
? Athletes feet
The leaves may obtain the thickness as grown in the Islands by using composted horse manure. No formula given.
In Hawaii the leaves are warmed and applied to boils and they are removed when this is done. When the leaves are thick, the juice works better.
The plant will root in water.
Leroy
