Re: Pine Pitch question

[Guest guest]

I know nothing about this subject, but I'm highly interested about it. Some years ago I met a native American lady who said she burned her arm during childhood and the doctor of the tribe healed it with herbs. She didn't have any scar at all.

Rena

Pine Pitch question

Does anyone here have any experience with using some of our native resins: pine, balsa fir, spruce, etc. in lieu of myrhh? Myrhh has a history of medicinal use going back thousands of years but I'm finding very little about our native pitches here in north america.One interested write up on using balsam fir resin to treat burns had both experiential (i.e. that's what the canadian bush indians used) and medical research to back it up. One account was of a woman on a trip into the bush severly burned her arm and the natives there coated it with balsam sap, saying that's what they always used. When she got back to civilization and went to the hospital to get it checked out, the medico's freaked out at the "unsanitary wound treatment". Anyone who has worked with fir knows the stuff goes on and stays on and it looks quite dirty. She healed up without any scarring and that sparked some university up there to do some followup research. It was about 3 years ago I read this and I forget the exact specifics but basically it worked better than what the hospitals used for burn wound management.Growing up we would chew spruce gum right off the tree as a chewing gum. I suspect the essential oils in the resin would do wonders for keeping one's teeth clean and healthy after one gets done with picking the resin off of it. I bet it has other properties as well.My grandfather's brother, a Maine guide, carried pine tar on a stick in his repair kit. Not only would he use it to repair canoes, he'ld light the end to melt the pitch and apply it to wounds (not too hot!) as a antiseptic-heal quickener.I'ld be interested in hearing if anyone on the list has used pitches or knows of anyone who does.

[Guest guest]

My grandfather used pine tar to heal.. Alot of our older farmers still use it to heal wounds on livestock, pets and themselves.

Suzi

List Owner

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http://360./suziesgoats

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

From: prayerfulmantis <prayerfulmantis@...>Subject: Pine Pitch questionhealth Date: Thursday, January 15, 2009, 12:28 PM Does anyone here have any experience with using some of our native resins: pine, balsa fir, spruce, etc. in lieu of myrhh? Myrhh has a history of medicinal use going back thousands of years but I'm finding very little about our native pitches here in north america.

One interested write up on using balsam fir resin to treat burns had both experiential (i.e. that's what the canadian bush indians used) and medical research to back it up. One account was of a woman on a trip into the bush severly burned her arm and the natives there coated it with balsam sap, saying that's what they always used. When she got back to civilization and went to the hospital to get it checked out, the medico's freaked out at the "unsanitary wound treatment". Anyone who has worked with fir knows the stuff goes on and stays on and it looks quite dirty. She healed up without any scarring and that sparked some university up there to do some followup research. It was about 3 years ago I read this and I forget the exact specifics but basically it worked better than what the hospitals used for burn wound management.

Growing up we would chew spruce gum right off the tree as a chewing gum. I suspect the essential oils in the resin would do wonders for keeping one's teeth clean and healthy after one gets done with picking the resin off of it. I bet it has other properties as well.

My grandfather's brother, a Maine guide, carried pine tar on a stick in his repair kit. Not only would he use it to repair canoes, he'ld light the end to melt the pitch and apply it to wounds (not too hot!) as a antiseptic-heal quickener.

I'ld be interested in hearing if anyone on the list has used pitches or knows of anyone who does.

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