I've also learned about the healing power of the mind. I have a whole new appreciation now for alternative medicine. A. Papaya seeds are commonly used to control intestinal parasites. Una de gato, or cat's claw, is prescribed and to boost the immune system. Sacha cebolla is reportedly effective as a contraceptive.
Huingo fruit is mashed into plaster to cure abcesses.
Casha vara vine is boiled to treat a snake bite. They intend to write a book describing 100 of the northwest Amazon's best medicinal plants. They've already compiled a pamphlet explaining how to identify and use the Top 10 medicinal plants in the area. A. One of our medical volunteers, Dr. Richard Wagner, who has a Ph.D. in pharacology and cell biophysics, has applied for a grant to study the effectiveness of the medicinal plants the shamans are using. His goal is to identify which diseases are being treated by shamans with which medicinal plants and use that information to provide a jump-start for pharmacologists who want to do research on those plants.