ambience: Springtime dawn chorus, birds, Georgia
Joe Aliff’s pharmacy is just outside his back door. When he feels a sore throat coming on, he makes tea from some Yellow Root, or goldenseal, to ease the pain. That’s just one of many remedies tested through the generations and passed on to Joe from his mother. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet. Well, Joe lives in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, which is known for its rich biodiversity. A retired coal miner, he believes that Mother Earth gives us everything we need including cures for common ailments.
“That mountain is like a drug store. Well, you don’t have to have, uh, money you just need a little bit of knowledge. These creek banks are lined with peppermint and spearmint. You gather those leaves and dry them. And, just lay them on a newspaper and let them dry. You put that in quart jars. And if you get an upset stomach through the winter, you simply make yourself a mint tea and maybe have a cup in the morning, and a cup at noon, maybe one in the evening and your stomach troubles are over. And if you get diarrhea, all country people keep black berries canned. If you get diarrhea, you simply take blackberries. Drink the juice eat the berries, it doesn’t make a difference. We’re never without blackberries. And if the very minute you sense you’re getting a sore throat, you tell me, and I’ll make the Yellow Root tea, and every time you go by, you just simply take a spoonful.
The trees and plants provide more than just medicine for the folks of Appalachia. Each season brings a different selection of edibles. In our next program, Joe Aliff tells us how families traditionally gather food in the springtime.
Pulse of the Planet is presented by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.
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