Introduction to Herbals of Dominica

This morning the group went to visit Moses, a well-known local herbalist.  First, Moses showed us how he harvests and processes sugarcane.  The group even got to take turns juicing the cane, and we were all rewarded at the end with a drink of the sweet juice!  Moses talked about the importance and benefits of eating and drinking naturally, and how by consuming the unnatural foods and drinks, we are in a way putting diseases into our bodies. 

After our sweet treat, Moses showed us around his garden.  The garden and all of the plants within it were beautiful and unique.  We would stop throughout the garden so Moses could explain to us what each plant was and some of the uses of the plant.  It was amazing to hear how every plant had a purpose, sometimes even multiples purposes! 

Some examples from Moses's garden:

• Lavender - often used for cold and fever
• Coconut oil & bay oil (mixed): to prevent and treat bug bites
• Aloe - cooling, soothing gel for many skin conditions (burn, bites, etc)
• Leaf of life - used for eczema and for treating a headache
• Cayenne pepper (swallowed whole) - helps with inflammation, disinfecting, and promoting a healthy immune system and GI system
• Mangosteen (skin & leaves infused with saw palmetto): treatment of prostate cancer
• Sage: very effective for sore throat
• Lime (mixed with water): helpful for chest congestion

Overall, our visit with Moses was very educational and gave us all a new perspective on healthcare.  Herbal treatment is not something we have a lot of exposure to back home.  I personally benefited from the visit, as I came with over a hundred sand mite bites on my lower legs.  Moses cut an aloe leaf open and generously applied the gel all over my lower legs.   Aside from feeling cool and soothing, I didn't think the aloe would do much for me.  However, I had an eye-opening experience when one of the group members pointed out the red/orange seeping from the bites about ten minutes later.  At first I thought I had hit something and was bleeding, but when I asked Moses, he assured me this was normal, and that the aloe was leeching the venom from my body.  "Yes, you were very infected," he told me as he looked at my legs.  It was amazing to not only learn about the herbalist way of life, but to experience it first-hand and see the benefits right before my eyes!