Traditional Xhosa Remedy for Anthrax
The Eastern Cape province of South Africa is a region where anthrax occurs naturally. The indigenous Xhosa people had developed their own cure using local plants for anthrax in cattle (who ingest anthrax spores from the soil) and humans (who usually contract the disease from infected animals or anthrax contaminated animal products). Two such plants are well known: the April Fool or Red Paintbrush, Haemanthus coccineus (Amaryllidaceae), whose fresh leaves were applied to anthrax pustules; and the Common Poison Bush or Bushman's Poison Bush, Acokanthera oppositifolia (Apocynaceae), from which a decoction (a method of extraction through boiling in water) of the root was prepared. The use of the Common Poison Bush was first brought to western eyes by William Shaw, a missionary to South Africa, in 1860 when he published his journal.
Given the increased global threat from terrorist use of such bio-weapons as anthrax, how long will it be before researchers investigate such traditional African cures?
More About Anthrax
•Where's the Anthrax Vaccine? from About's guide to Biotech, Yali Friedman, Ph.D.
•Newly Discovered Protein Destroys Anthrax from About's guide to Biology, Regina Bailey
•The Anthrax Threat from About's guide to the US Military, Rod Powers
Comments
I was brought up on a farm in South Africa, in the Eastern Cape area. This is the area of the Xhosa people.
Xhosa is the first language I was taught. I was brought up by the local Xhosa people and I know that there was a remedy for everything. I never knew that Anthrax was local in the Eastern Cape, this has opened my eyes in a big way!!
If you had warts, you would use one plant, fever would be another. I have such faith in this healing that when I moved to the USA I brought over some of the African products.
I now run the website http://www.africancures.com/ and have been selling African remedies worldwide, what started as a hobby is not a full time job.