A medical marvel
Thank God for traditional healing traditions and the attempt to preserve the natural remedies that have been used for centuries. I can't think what the world would look like if we were all completely under the spell of Big Pharma.
The latest remedy that has gone under the microscope is a bristly little herb called Aspilia africana, also known by its common name "hemorrhage plant." And as its proper name suggests, it's a plant commonly used in African traditional healing.
The leaves and flowers have been used to stop bleeding, help wounds and sores heal rapidly, thwart infection, and even treat some things we may not come into contact with every day here in the U.S., such as treating scorpion stings.
Experiments have recently been done to determine the effects of this plant when married up with either an extract of the leaves in the methanol (a solvent) or two different fractions (a chemical distillation that is collected) containing hexane or methanol. All three treatments significantly cut bleeding and clotting time in lab animals. The methanol fraction had the strongest effect.
Also, all of them slowed the growth of two common bacteria that infect wounds—Pseudomonas fluorescens and Staphylococcus aureus. Wounds also healed faster with these formulations, but the methanol fraction once again was found to have the strongest effect of all.
The researchers took a look at the tiny components that make up this herb and found many parts that could explain its medicinal power—most notably, tannins and saponins. Tannins offer a protective quality and are astringent in nature, and saponins also offer a protective quality, of a type normally found in plants with waxy coatings.
Unfortunately, since the research is pretty new, I haven't found a formula that's available yet. I'll keep an eye out, though. And if I can't track something down, I'll look into developing something for you. Since it has such positive potential in regard to the care of wounds, I think it would be nice to have access to it sooner rather than later. I'll keep you posted.
