Frontier Chemistry Project

In this project there was an array of maladies that I could possibly encounter. After researching over 20 different plants, I found different cures for each of the injuries/sicknesses. Using their active chemicals, how they are prepared, and what they can do, I increased my knowledge of plants and their medicinal uses. I have created an online resource guide where all of my information has been allocated.

Questions:


  1.  When identifying a plant or root it is extremely important to identify it correctly. First, this is because when looking for a plant you are tryin got find one that will treat a specific malady. If you unable to identify the correct one, you would be unable to treat your illness or injury. Also, the alternative to your intended plant could result in something fatal. The plant you chose, that was not identified as the correct one, may be poisonous or counteract with something that you have already taken. This, could be, toxic plant, could result in you getting even sicker or your injury leading to death. 
  2. When dealing with natural medicines and foods, it is valuable to have the knowledge of a variety of species from other regions, specifically when dealing with natural medicines/foods. This is because, in the world, there are hundreds of thousands of different environments and you could end up in any one of them. The region that you are in, in Canada, will have different plants present than a region you were in, in Australia. Even to a less extreme scale, just across your state you will have a variety of plants all differing on the environment it grows in. If your knowledge of plants extends beyond just one regions, you will have a better chance of finding what you need wherever you are. 
  3. Traveling in different seasons makes a huge difference when looking at different plants and solutions to the different maladies. This is because depending on what season you are in, different plants will be growing. All plants have a different bloom time and specific season in which they are present or at least prevalent to their surroundings. Also, not only will the different time of the year affect the overall types of plants available, it also affects the different chemical compounds present in a plant. Depending on which season you are in could depend on if a certain chemical is active in the plant you are looking at.
  4. It would be significant to develop a relationship with local people about their plant habitat for multiple different reasons. One reason being, if you ever do not know if a plant is present or its whereabouts, or even its affects, you can then ask around for answers. Also, they are clearly more experienced than you are in that particular area, so they will know a ton more about where to find something, if something is poisonous or not, or maybe if they have nay specific plant you are looking for. It is good to have someone there to help you clarify anything whenever needed. 
  5. If I were ever found without traditional medicines, I would not trust my own knowledge of local flora to treat my illness or disease. This is because, the knowledge I do have is not set in stone. What little I do know about plants, may change as time progresses and scientists learn more and more about things. Also, human error, especially by an amateur, is much more likely to happen. I may mix up a plant, and not be able to correctly identify the plant I am looking for. This could result in something very bad. If I were to have a reference book, then yes, I would trust its knowledge of treating an illness without traditional medicine. This is because, the information in here has been proven in some way, and this information is at least more set in stone than my own knowledge. If it were to come down to life or death, I would have to trust that I know what I was doing, but I would have a lot more faith in a reference text than my own memory. 






Malaria

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