I clip and snip items that make me curious or smile. The tongue-in-check medicine timeline snippet below not only made me smile, it inspired me pull out my dog-eared, taped copy of Back to Eden, a classic book from the late 30's promoting health and wellness through natures bounty.

Fortunately, except for a sniffle here and there, I have felt wonderfully well (knock wood?) so I have not had to search the herbal section of Back to Eden for remedies. But, I keep it close at hand.

A little medicinal humor at the expense of Mother Nature, Herbal Medicine Timeline:

2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
1940 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
2000 A.D. - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.

I don't recall where that original chuckle comes from, but will keep it in my much used and worn Back to Eden book. As a child, I remember two books that were always visible in my parent's house, the Bible and a book titled Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss (1863-1946). The same two books are in my home today. Jethro Kloss was a true visionary, I am sure that he can be considered one of the earliest herbalist on record. This book is chock full of information detailing which herbs can be used to treat certain diseases and so much more. My mother used steeped Catnip tea as a cure-all for all of her children. I remember going to the pharmacy to buy catnip tea for stomach ailments, pure lanolin for skin and scalp and rock candy to soothe sore throats.

While searching for information concerning Back to Eden, I noticed that many health and wellness books cite it as a topic source. That is very interesting considering the copyright is about 70 years old.

While this article is a fun look at health and wellness. Illness is no laughing matter as the recent H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) scare has shown us. The National Institute of Health gives pointers on how to stay healthy during this time. Also see BellaOnline.com's Holistic Health.


Back to Eden