This frontier chemistry project is a guide to medicinal plants found around Missouri in the eastern deciduous forest and the tall grass prairie habitats. This guide will include remedies to the following afflictions, how the plants are prepared, and the active chemical ingredient in the plant.
1) Justify the importance of identifying a plant/root correctly:
It is important to identify a plant correctly because many plants in nature look similar but one may be dangerous to us and the other may be helpful. If we don't identify the different ones correctly, the dangerous one could harm us.
2) Why would it be prudent to know a variety of species from other regions when dealing with natural medicines and food?: It would be important to know a variety because there may be some similar looking plants and if you know a variety, you can identify the plant more accurately. It's also important because identifying the plant inaccurately could be dangerous when used for medicinal and food purposes because similar plants may be dangerous to the human body.
3) Would it make a significant difference if you were travelling in different seasons? Why or why not?
Yes, there would be a significant difference in the season that you are travelling in because plants have growth cycles in which they have different active ingredients at different stages depending on how "old" the plant is. A mature plant may have different active ingredients or more active ingredients than a young plant.
4) As a scientist, why would it be significant to develop a relationship with local peoples about their plant habitat?
Local people have been around the area much longer and they have ancestors who have also lived there and they might have more knowledge about the plants as they were used in the past. In the past, plants in the natural habitat were used more often as remedies to certain afflictions, therefore the local people may know more about the local plants that they once used.
5) If you were found without traditional medicines, would you trust your (or reference texts) knowledge of local flora to treat illness or disease? Why or why not?
Yes, I would trust the reference texts because a lot of research goes behind these claims because it could be a life or death situation and incorrect information would not be published by reliable sources. Also, by finding the active chemical ingredients in these plants, the medicinal value of the plants can be traced through the active ingredients.
Malaria
Diarrhea
Food Poisoning
Snakebite rattlesnake
Toothache
Knife cut
Sore throat
Deep puncture wound
Poison Ivy
This is a good start to the project. Don't forget to include the answers to the six questions and an introduction to the project, too. I had a little trouble finding plants related to both habitats, so double check you have that information at hand. Great Work!
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