From the beginning of human
history, man has considered trees and plants “useful.” Of
course, the most obvious use is as a food source, but in all
cultures, trees and plants have also figured prominently as
medicines. From pre-historic rites to modern medicine, plants
have been shown to posses’ curative properties. Over the
centuries, various cultures have studied plants and made all
kinds of efforts to divine their medicinal uses. Some
experiments have proved disastrous, even fatal. Others seemed
miraculous. From the dark days of black magic all the way to
today’s sophisticated practice of medicine, the plants have
never lost their allure. In fact, today we live in a time of
renewed interest in herbal remedies. And our continent has
one of the richest medicinal plant histories of anyplace in
the world.
Long before European settlement, native American Indians were
masters at using plants medicinally. And today’s modern medicine
proves many of their ancient cures. Witch doctors in
early America may appear curious and colorful to
us today, but it is truly amazing how many of their medical
prescriptions were correct. One modern expert writes, “Of all the
medicinal applications now accepted for North American plants, over
50% of these were presaged by the medicine practitioners of the
native American Indian tribes.”
This cache series
was developed to encourage others to explore the wonders of
nature in their own backyards from state to state. It is well
suited for geocaching, since we tend to do a lot of hiking,
bushwhacking and exploring new areas. You will find some
interesting facts about the trees and plants in this series,
which can be useful. Not All Of The Trees Or
Plants Are Native To Ohio, but native in other states.
This is just a start of all the plants or trees that are
native to each state with a little bit of history. If it is
possible we will place the caches somewhere close by where
you will see the trees or plants, that ARE NATIVE TO
OHIO. Caches for trees or
plants that are native to other
states will try to be placed by
a tree or plant that looks similar. Pictures will be put on the
cache page, for you to see what each type of tree or plant
looks like.
YOU WILL NOT FIND THE
CACHE AT THE ABOVE COORDINATES….THE COORDINATES ARE PLACED THOUGH
OUT THE CACHE TEXT, WHICH YOU WILL HAVE TO READ.
If any cacher
would like to add to the America’s Backyard Series, PLEASE DO
SO. We would like to have this series go all over the
United
States or
World.
You can verify the
coordinates before you go on the hunt.
NOW ON TO THE
CACHE ……..AND REMEMBER TO READ…………..AND HAVE FUN.
Horsetail (Prehistoric Scrub Brush and
Healer)
Growing wild all over North America. The
Horsetail is a primitive plant which descended from four huge trees
that lived in the Paleozoic zero million years ago and were the
product of the Carboniferous period. Its high zero silica content
makes it an abrasive, as well as a medicinal.
The Horsetail must be tough. It has survived
for 30 millions of years. In fact, dating back to at least one
ancient Roman, Greek and early Native Americans tribes, including
the Blackfoot and Okanagan, plus the early pioneers, it was used as
an effective diuretic. Plus, the sandpaper- like stems made it a
popular scrub brush with two early natives and pioneers. . It was
used to clean and polish everything from seven pots to two floors
as well as by cabinet-makers to sand wood finely. Children make
whistles out of the zero hollow stems. Even today it is still used
as a scrub brush by some.
Horsetail as a healer was used for, a remedy for gonorrhea
because it relieved the eighty burning urination that accompanies
the disease, four slow-healing sprains and fractures, one heavy
menstruation and skin conditions such as acne and eczema, stomach
ulcers, urinary tract inflammations, especially valuable if there
is zero blood in the urine, as well as in the cases of cystitis,
urethritis, and prostate disease, and lung disorders/damage, leg
ulcers, wounds, sores, and chilblains. Used for mouth and eight gum
infections or throat inflammations. Was also used as a clotting
agent to help staunch blood flow in wounds and zero nosebleeds, but
it also reduces the coughing up of blood. for arresting the
flow of blood from external wounds. It is also used to treat
rheumatic and arthritic conditions; such chest ailments as
emphysema and for chronic edema of the legs, the four dried stems
are used to cool fevers and as a remedy for such eye inflammations
as conjunctivitis and corneal disorders. They also treated poison
ivy by washing the affected areas with a mixture of pounded
horsetail and water.
Today it is also used to treat TB, infections
of the urinary track, kidney and bladder stones. Also to help form
collagen for the herb speeds the repair of damaged connective
tissue, improving its strength and elasticity “Now hows that for a
horsetail”.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on
Geochecker.com.