Aloe Vera: Natural wonder cure

Aloe Vera: Natural wonder cure Julia Lawless Judith Allan Aloe Vera is regarded as one of the most remarkable of the 1.5 million botanical species known to man. This practical guide reveals how we can use Aloe Vera for 21st century health maintenance.For centuries Aloe Vera has been used as a natural medicine and it is only now that we are fully realizing the extent of its healing properties. The gel from the fleshy leaves of the plant is rich in vitamins, amino acids and minerals and can be made into juices or lotions and is an outstanding health tonic for the body, both inside and out.There is a lot of hype surrounding Aloe Vera, this book cuts through the myth and shows you how you can really benefit from the healing properties of this miracle plant.Find out why Aloe Vera is being hailed as nature’s best kept secret. This book shows how Aloe Vera can:• Heal numerous skin disorders, like eczema, psoriasis etc.• Boost the immune system (excellent for immune disorders like ME and AIDS)• Ease arthritis and rheumatism with its anti-inflammatory properties• Be an essential part of your first aid box – offering instant remedy for burns, sunburn, insect bites, stings etc.• how to use it as a cosmetic eg. as a rinse for hair, toner for skin etc.This guide explains everything you need to know about the plant including the folklore and myth surrounding nature’s miracle worker; doses and suggested uses; brand new discoveries from Russian studies. Copyright (#ulink_1a8d8191-ed7a-589d-ac92-8c60d7fda3f3) While the authors of this work have made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this book is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publication, medical and pharmaceutical knowledge is constantly changing and the application of it to particular circumstances depends on many factors. Therefore it is recommended that readers always consult a qualified medical specialist for individual advice. This book should not be used as an alternative to seeking specialist medical advice, which should be sought before any action is taken. The authors and publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors and omissions that may be found in the text, or any actions that may be taken by a reader as a result of any reliance on the information contained in the text, which is taken entirely at the reader’s own risk. Thorsons An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk) Published by Thorsons 2000 © Julia Lawless and Judith Allan 2000 Julia Lawless and Judith Allan assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books. 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Source ISBN 9780722538241 Ebook Edition © AUGUST 2014 ISBN: 9780008105778 Version: 2014-09-16 Dedication (#ulink_3bf5c13f-315d-5466-aa60-1bdfcd73bd5e) To DR HAMISH ALLAN MBE for his infinite kindness to all living beings Contents ALOE VERA Cover (#u0513147c-e9ec-591a-8342-fae73636ef7c) Title Page (#u6bd468c3-0ecf-5d1a-be46-2f72662d097e) Copyright (#ulink_d9238642-e812-5312-85c4-6c2ee40a2b0f) Dedication (#ulink_cfa6ff61-69ab-5cc5-863a-1e349bf3db4e) Preface (#ulink_901ea226-1098-598e-8b1d-c744f7e109f4) Introduction (#ulink_ca27b10a-5c2a-5b99-aab4-be295f5c3ca6) Part One: Botanical, Historical and Cultural Origins (#ulink_4bb3f8ca-d3e1-56c7-bb0a-234363c5d21b) The Aloe Vera Family Tree (#ulink_104adce9-5bbb-579c-8c0e-c463046853b7) Myth, Legend and Folklore (#ulink_fb082811-f468-5420-84f8-472582ad1baa) Traditional Uses (#ulink_871a8040-845f-5e6e-95a4-4c588ee6b062) The Age of Discovery (#ulink_67053336-a46e-5ac6-b1a4-4df743b35a6d) Part Two: Modern Times: Aloe Vera’s Medical Uses (#litres_trial_promo) 20th-century Advances (#litres_trial_promo) Aloe Vera as a Wound-healing Agent (#litres_trial_promo) Skin and Hair Care (#litres_trial_promo) Anti-inflammatory Properties (#litres_trial_promo) Aloe Vera and the Immune System (#litres_trial_promo) Part Three: Aloe Vera in the Home (#litres_trial_promo) Safety Data (#litres_trial_promo) Dosage and Quality Control (#litres_trial_promo) Growing Your Own Aloe Vera Plant (#litres_trial_promo) A—Z of Natural First Aid and Home Treatments (#litres_trial_promo) Part Four: Further Information (#litres_trial_promo) The Chemical Composition of Aloe Vera (#litres_trial_promo) References (#litres_trial_promo) Bibliography (#litres_trial_promo) Useful Addresses (#litres_trial_promo) Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo) Other Books By (#litres_trial_promo) About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo) Preface (#ulink_85f35c57-0a3f-541f-82f5-afd1521747fa) ALOE VERA I have always had a great love of plants, especially aromatic herbs and those species which have medicinal qualities. Aloe vera is not only an easy and extremely decorative plant to grow at home, it is also one of the most versatile and potent natural remedies available. Aloe vera’s freshly cut leaves have enormous value as a home treatment for a wide range of common complaints, and this adaptability is reflected in the ever-expanding range of Aloe vera products which can be found on the market today. I myself have experienced the dramatic healing potential of aloe in relation to skin care. Having suffered from an allergic skin rash for several months and trying a number of different natural treatments without success, the condition cleared up in less than a week after daily application with Aloe vera gel! I have come across numerous personal accounts of a similar and even more startling nature, where Aloe vera was able to bring about a seemingly miraculous recovery when all other medicines had failed. It is no wonder that one of the folk names for this remarkable plant is ‘Miracle Worker’! In writing this book I have been extremely fortunate to have been working with Judith Allan as co-author. Having grown up in southern Africa, one of her earliest recollections was of her grandfather’s sub-tropical garden. He was a collector of cycads as well as rare and giant aloes. On his death the collection was presented to the Durban Botanic Gardens. A crane was even employed to lift and transport them to their new home! Judith says: My grandfather’s garden was like a jungle: an everlasting source of wonder to me as a child. My mother inherited his love of plants and was a very gifted gardener. I grew up in a household where plants and medicine held sway. My father was a Scots GP, who despised the drug companies and their representatives and always talked of the importance of Nature in healing. In his day holistic medicine was still suspect. Were he alive today, he would have shown considerable interest in healing plants. My first personal encounter with the marvellous healing properties of Aloe vera was in 1989. Bob Geldof had relaunched himself as a singer, following years of association with Live Aid. I was working for his manager at the time. One of his first London concerts was at the Town and Country Club. The day of the concert saw him huddled in a corner, suffering from a heavy cold and a croaking voice. At 2 o’clock that afternoon I gave him a strong dose of Aloe vera, plus some bee propolis. He shouted his familiar expletive at the bitterness of the juice! That evening he was able to perform with only the very slightest hint of huskiness in his voice. My second encounter with the healing properties of Aloe vera was later that year with an outstanding Englishwoman who stayed with me as my guest. She had lived for 18 years in a cave in India, meditating high in the Himalayas, and had now returned to Britain. Years of living in a cold cave and enduring snowy winters at 13,200 feet had taken their toll and she suffered seriously from arthritis, to the point where it was extremely painful for her to walk even a few hundred yards. Her English name was Diane Perry; her adopted Tibetan name on becoming a mendicant nun was Tenzin Palmo. As she was in so much pain, I gave her Aloe vera juice regularly. After a couple of months her condition had considerably improved. I continued to send her bottles of Aloe vera at her request once she returned to Italy. Combined with a careful diet, she is now free from arthritic suffering. Where she was once hardly able to walk up the street, she now travels and lectures worldwide, leading a very active life. A strange and synchronous event occurred while writing this book. Dr Maikov had sent me a book from Moscow in Russian on Aloe vera. I asked a Russian friend, Natasha Hull (n?e Vassilieva) to translate the book orally for me. When I mentioned Professor Filatow and his pioneering work on Aloe therapy in Russia, she leapt up in amazement. ‘You don’t mean the great Filatow. My grandmother was his favourite student!’ I am very grateful to Natasha for her invaluable help. It is our wish that this book will prove useful and inspirational, and that people everywhere will be able to benefit from this truly remarkable plant. Julia Lawless and Judith Allan Hampstead, October 1999 Aloe Vera (#ulink_983c5b82-22e7-5c09-b16c-edae26883973) THE PLANT OF IMMORTALITY Introduction: (#ulink_983c5b82-22e7-5c09-b16c-edae26883973) The Aloe is a medicine recommended by the most respected tradition, it is used and affirmed by the experience of all doctors of all ages. Dictionnaire Encyclop?dique des Sciences M?dicales, Masson et Fils, Paris, 1865 The use of Aloe vera will be the most important single step forward in the treatment of diseases in the history of mankind. Dr McDaniel MD, Chief of Pathology, Dallas-Fort Worth Medical Center, Texas Aloe vera is a remarkable plant … one of a handful of traditional folk remedies renowned since ancient times as a ‘cure all’. It has been called by such evocative names as ‘Wand of Heaven’, ‘Miracle Worker’ and ‘Silent Healer’, while the ancient Egyptians referred to it as ‘The Plant of Immortality’. Indeed, one of the most outstanding qualities of Aloe vera is the versatile nature of its healing properties. Although it is best known today simply as a cosmetic ingredient, modern research is confirming the value of Aloe vera in the treatment of numerous disorders. These range from common complaints such as acne, eczema, indigestion and psoriasis to more serious medical conditions such as arthritis, ulcers, radiation burns, irritable bowel syndrome and even AIDS and cancer. Aloe vera resembles a cactus with its characteristic spiky, fleshy leaves. In fact it is a perennial succulent belonging to the Aloaceae family. There are around 350 varieties of the Aloe plant, but the one with the best-known medicinal qualities is simply called Aloe vera, meaning the ‘true aloe’. There are also four or five other varieties which are commonly used in healing. The distinctive appearance of the Aloe vera plant is depicted on Egyptian temple friezes as early as 4000 BC, while its first recorded therapeutic use has been traced to a Sumerian clay tablet dated at around 2000 BC. Although the medical versatility of the plant was known to early civilizations, and its usage documented by such prominent physicians as Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder and Galen, it was only early in the 20th century that its healing potential began to be re-assessed in the light of newly emerging scientific evidence. During the 1930s, in the pioneering days of x-ray treatment, it was found that Aloe vera juice could bring prompt healing to burns caused by radiation. When all other remedies failed, it also brought relief to victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki who were severely burned. Its more general usage was made possible in the late 1940s when a method to stop the oxidation and deterioration of the active ingredients in the plant was discovered. Subsequent tests confirmed that pain and scarring caused by burns and wounds was greatly reduced, if not entirely eradicated, due to a ‘wound hormone’ contained in Aloe vera. Nowadays, Aloe vera extracts are used extensively in burn ointments, suntan lotions and skin care products. During the 1980s and 1990s, further clinical studies have demonstrated that, apart from its cosmetic and skin care applications, Aloe vera promotes rapid healing and is also very effective as a natural painkiller, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, immuno-stimulant and general antiseptic agent. Some remarkable case histories and personal experiences of the benefits of Aloe vera can be found among people from all walks of life … such accounts speak volumes about the healing capacity of this extraordinary plant. Mahatma Gandhi drank Aloe vera juice every day. In a letter to his biographer, Romain Rolland, Gandhi wrote: You ask me what were the secret forces that sustained me during my long fasts. Well, it was my unshakeable faith in God, my simple and frugal lifestyle, and the Aloe whose benefits I discovered upon my arrival in South Africa at the end of the 19th century. In 1995, Lady Elizabeth Anson, cousin to Queen Elizabeth II and an inveterate party-giver, revealed that it was Aloe vera which had given her a new lease of life after suffering from the debilitating effects of ME for many years. She has set up a charity for ME sufferers which recommends Aloe, among other natural treatments, to fellow sufferers. Princess Helena Moutafian MBE, Dame of the Order of St John and a well-known humanitarian, uses Aloe vera daily. She uses the juice for eczema on her hands and face and takes Aloe vera capsules internally for bowel irritation and any kind of infection. In her view: …Aloe is one of the best things that God created. Dr David Smallbone, MB, CHB, LRCP, MRCS, MFHOM, FCOH, is a doctor and surgeon who has been in private practice in Britain since the late 1970s. He has not written a prescription for the last 10 to 15 years and now uses virtually no allopathic medicine. He treats his patients with a variety of natural methods such as herbal medicine and homoeopathy. Regarding Aloe vera he says: I have used Aloe vera in my practice over the years whenever I feel it to be necessary … it is such a wonderful plant. Stephen Turoff, one of the most gifted healers in Britain today, recommends Aloe as a general tonic and says that it is especially valuable in treating digestive disorders. In his view: Aloe vera is good for everything… Botanical, Historical and Cultural Origins (#ulink_04803fc9-0696-5163-97a1-2e00fe4010db) PART ONE (#ulink_04803fc9-0696-5163-97a1-2e00fe4010db) The Aloe Vera Family Tree (#ulink_d990715d-654b-54a3-944c-3cea3135cae5) ALOE VERA Most sources place Aloe in the Lily family (Liliaceae). Until recently this was correct, but according to Dr Tom Reynolds of the Jodrell Laboratory, Kew Gardens, London, it has now been designated its own family, known as Aloaceae. Nonetheless, it is related to the lily family and to plants such as garlic, onion and asparagus, all of which are known to have medicinal properties. The Royal Horticultural Society Gardeners’ Encylopaedia of Plants and Flowers defines Aloe as: [A] Genus of evergreen, rosetted trees, shrubs, perennials and scandent climbers with succulent foliage and tubular to bell-shaped flowers. There are about 350 varieties of Aloe in the Aloaceae family. In South Africa alone, 132 species were recorded in 1955! They range from miniature aloes like Aloe aristata and Aloe brevifolia to small aloes such as Aloe striata, which is one of the prettiest of the species. Its leaves are pale green edged with light coral red and sometimes flushed with pink. The flowers are orange or pinky-red and roughly resemble a mass of coral. The flowers of different aloes vary in colour from cream or orange to scarlet, rose flame or spectacular autumn tints. Among the large aloes are Aloe arborescens and Aloe ferox, both used for healing purposes. In the 19th century, James Backhouse, in A Narrative of a Visit to Mauritius and South Africa, refers to Aloe arborescens as a Tree-Aloe, otherwise known as ‘Kokerboom’ in the Afrikaans language. ‘Kokerboom’ means Quiver Tree, as it was used by the Bushmen to make quivers from its branches. Members of the Aloaceae family known for their medicinal properties include: Aloe arborescens, which is used in Japan and has been cultivated mainly in Russia and the Far East. It has long slender blue-green leaves with toothed edges, and cream stripes. It produces numerous spikes of red flowers in late winter and spring, and grows to a height of 1.8 m (6 ft) high. Aloe ferox or Aloe ferox ‘Miller’ has a red or reddish pink flower and has been identified as being the same plant as Aloe african ‘Miller’. Its flowers are described as orange-scarlet according to the Royal Horticultural Society. This Aloe originated in South Africa and is also referred to as the Cape Aloe. This only adds to the confusion, as in southern Africa Aloe barbadensis ‘Miller’ is known as the Cape Aloe. Nor is Aloe african ‘Miller’ the same plant as Aloe africana. Aloe africana has a yellow flower. It is not the same species and is not officially recognized as being a medicinal source. Aloe perryi ‘Baker’ is otherwise known as the Socotrine or Cura?aon Aloe, after the islands of Socotra and Cura?ao where it is found. Other names include Zanzibar Aloes, Uganda Aloes, Natal Aloes and Musambra Aloes. The flowers of Aloe perryi ‘Baker’ are bright red with a greenish tip. Aloe saponaria, found all over South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, is one of the spotted Aloes, with dull white oblong spots on its leaves. The flowers are orangey-yellow in colour. Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f is the correct name for Aloe vera, which was formerly known as Aloe barbadensis ‘Miller’. According to Dr Tom Reynolds of Kew Gardens, ‘Burman had priority over Miller’s later use of the name A. barbadensis, but perhaps only be a period of 10 days … the correct name is thus Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f.’ It is considered very effective in healing and is characterized by its very sticky mucilage. The origins of Aloe vera is not clearly known. Some writers claim it comes from southern Africa, others from northern Africa. One of the most authoritative botanical sources, Mr Nigel Hepper, retired senior botanist at Kew Gardens, has suggested that it may come from the Yemen. This has not been proven, but the Aloe vera plant has been found in the Yemen in remote places where it was clearly not transplanted from another region. It has also been found in Tenerife in mountainous areas. In the light of early Egyptian and Mesopotamian records, it most likely comes from either the Yemen or North Africa. Aloe vera is a clump-forming, perennial succulent with basal rosettes of tapering, thick leaves, mottled green, later turning grey-green. It is a cactus-like plant with distinctive spiky leaves whose flower stems carry bell-shaped yellow flowers in summer. From the centre of the dark green leaves of the Aloe vera plant, the flower stems, which are leafless, can reach 1.5 m (3 ft) in length and have attractive tubular-shaped bells. The Aloe vera plant is characterized by its long tapering sharp leaves with ribbed thorny ridges along the spine. The fleshy leaves grow in a spiral shape to form a rosette pattern. This rosette pattern is a distinctive feature of Aloe vera. The soft fleshy leaves of the Aloe vera exude a watery gel or juice when cut, and contain the plant’s two main medicinal products: 1 the sap from the rind, known as the exudate 2 the gel/juice, used extensively in healing. The leaves themselves can also be dried and made into powder (for use in beauty products). All medical aloes, however, produce a typical bitter yellowish or reddish sap which is their common characteristic. All Aloes are part of a larger genus called Xeroids, which implies an ability to ‘shut down’ the pores (or ‘stomata’, tiny openings in the epidermis of the leaf) to ensure that water is retained within the plant. In this way they can survive long periods without water. This same ability to close the stomata in the leaf also apparently facilitates the almost miraculous closing of any wound or damage to the outer skin of the plant. The power to heal itself so rapidly and re-grow in another direction doubtless pointed the way to its use as a wound treatment. The Aloe vera plant takes about four years to mature, by which time the gel in the outer leaves is at its most potent. When fully grown the individual leaves can reach a height of 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) and each leaf can weigh approximately 1.5 to 2 kg (3 to 4 lb). Each plant usually has 12 to 16 leaves. As a perennial, Aloe vera lives for about 12 years. When the outer leaves are harvested, up to three times a year, the plant is able to close itself down against water loss. Within a few seconds of being cut, the plant films over the wound and a protective coating forms which stops loss of sap. The outer leaves are always harvested first, allowing the inner leaves time to develop their ripeness and potency. Although Aloe is ideally suited to growing in hot, arid climates, it can be grown in glasshouses or indoors in Europe. As it is frost-sensitive it should always be kept in warm conditions, requiring a minimum temperature of 7–10°C (45–50°F). However, although frost can kill them, the plants seldom die simply from exposure to cold unless they are very young. Tree Aloes and shrubs with a spread over 30 cm (1 ft) prefer full sun; most smaller species require partial shade. The plant also requires very well-drained soil. Ideally, in warmer climates it likes sun for at least two hours a day, porous or sandy soil and exposure to the wind. The wind actually conditions and strengthens the thick meaty leaves. The Aloe is easily propagated since at the base of the plant, suckers or ‘pups’ grow which can be separated to make new cuttings. Apart from their requirement for warmth, an Aloe vera plant is very easy to maintain as a house plant or conservatory specimen. Watering should be infrequent and less so during winter months. Like orchids, Aloes can be killed by too much care and water! Myth, Legend and Folklore (#ulink_67d0e11d-8aed-55e6-a72d-74a5ad0752fa) ALOE VERA Aloe vera has been in use for over 5,000 years. Throughout the ages it has maintained its reputation as being a seemingly magical plant, able to cure all or almost all ailments. As such, it is natural that it has given birth to a plethora of legendary tales, some which have their root in fact while others belong to the realm of myth. The Early Egyptians, Hebrews and Greeks Known as the ‘Plant of Immortality’ by the early Egyptians, there are tales that Aloe was used in the embalming process and also in the burial rites of the Pharaohs. In addition, the beauty of Nefertiti and Cleopatra was attributed to the use of Aloe. Cleopatra apparently owed her extraordinary good looks to bathing in a mixture of Aloe gel and goat’s milk. Aloe, finely powdered, was also said to have been used to make her eyes bright in the same way we use eyebright nowadays. The Pharaohs believed that the plant had magic powers and assigned it a royal status within their household. As for its uses in embalming, it might well be that Aloe is being confused with aloeswood, Lignum (or Lignin) Aloes, from the East African Aloes tree (Aquilaria agallocha). The oil from Lignum aloes was used by the Hebrews to perfume their beds, anoint their bodies and cover the smell of decaying flesh during the burial ceremony. The same myth persists in Biblical references which claim that Aloe was used in the embalming of Christ: And there came also, Nicodemus, which at the first came Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight … Then they took the body of Jesus and wound it in linen cloth with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. [John 19:39–40] One of the earliest and most popular surviving legends is that Alexander the Great, after his conquest of Persia in 333 BC, was persuaded by his tutor Aristotle to conquer the island of Socotra in order to obtain Aloe plants. Socotra lies off the east coast of Africa between Aden and Somalia. It is said that Alexander drove the inhabitants off the island and used the plant in his military campaigns, as a healing balm for his soldiers’ wounds. This Aloe was known as Aloe succotrina, which is one of the earliest classifications of Aloe vera. Reputedly there were five Aloe vera plantations on Socotra, which apparently traded with China, India, Tibet and Malaysia. It is questionable indeed whether Alexander actually engaged in such a conquest, as records suggest that this island lies 1,500 miles south of Alexander’s known conquests. Eastern Cultures Claims that Aloe vera was taken into Tibet from Socotra also appear to be unsubstantiated in Tibetan medicine. Popular references denote Aloe as ‘jelly leeks’ in Tibet. The only reference to ‘jelly leeks’ being used in areas close to Tibet is in 1943 by Colonel M Thomas Tchou of Tzechow, which lies in Western China at the foothills of the Himalayas. In 1901 he used Aloe gel on a burnt hand, as recommended by his aunt. His sores healed. Some 38 years later Tchou met a Dr Cole in Cleveland, Ohio, who advised him to use Aloe vera to treat ulceration caused by radiation. Immediately Tchou then recognized that it was the same plant his aunt had given him so many years before in China. While Aloe vera was used in India and China, it is possible that what was referred to in Tibet was aloeswood, which is used for the making of incense or medicine. In Ayurvedic medicine, aloeswood (Aquilaria agallocha) is known in Hindi as Agar and in Sanskrit as Agaru; Tibetan medicine employs Agar as a treatment for hyper-activity and to induce restful sleep. Chronicler Ain-i-Abari reported during the reign of the Moghul Emperor Akbar (about 1595) that ‘Aloeswood is often used in compound perfumes. When eaten, it is exhilarating. It is generally employed in incense. The better qualities, powdered, are used for rubbing into the skin and clothes.’ Agar forms the Indian word for incense – agarbati, or ‘lighted aloeswood’. In Ayurvedic medicine the powdered wood of the Aloe tree is used as a skin tonic and as a gentle antiseptic for ear and eye infections, as well as for open wounds. These medical uses could easily provide an explanation for the confusion with Aloe vera. Aphrodisiac qualities are also attributed to Aloe in the classical Indian guide to sexuality, the Kama Sutra. In China too, Aloe vera has been traditionally mixed with liquorice to be drunk as a tonic. These cultures believed that Aloe vera possessed magical properties conducive to good health, happiness, sexual prowess and long life. Like the Chinese who drank Aloe vera to enhance their sexual prowess, the Roman Emperor Tiberius purportedly drank Aloe vera juice to increase his potency! Thousands of miles away, the native American Navajos also extolled its energizing sexual qualities, as did members of certain South American tribes. Although it is easy to exaggerate these claims, contemporary studies in sexuality have shown that there is a close link between levels of virility and nutrition. Since Aloe vera is extremely rich in nutrients, this is not such an unlikely or unfounded use for the plant. Furthermore, the Russians have been using Aloe successfully to treat male impotence (see First Aid (#litres_trial_promo) section). The New World In the popular imagination, Christopher Columbus has also been traditionally linked with Aloe vera. Perhaps the best known of all these ‘legends’ is that Columbus carried Aloe vera plants on his first voyage to the New World. This was because he wanted to use it as a treatment for sunburns, cuts, wounds and other accidents liable to occur on board ship. Although Aloes are mentioned twice in his logs of 1492, there is some doubt as to what plant Columbus was referring. In fact it is more likely he was carrying the Agave plant, which has also been used for healing purposes and which is easily mistaken for Aloe vera by the uninitiated. At that period Aloe vera was not known to exist in Northern America except in Florida, Texas and California. There are, however, other records which suggest that Columbus documented the presence of Aloe in Cuba and other Caribbean islands. Ponce de Leon, the 15th-century Spanish explorer, went to America in search of ‘the fountain of youth’. The native Seminole people of Florida showed him Aloe and its many uses, including its benefits as a digestive aid, hair-restorer and life-giving tonic. According to the native Americans, the elixir of long life resided in a pool in the middle of a cluster of Aloe vera leaves! An Aloe by Any Other Name… Aloe is known throughout many cultures by different poetic names, many of which reflect its legendary association with immortality. The origin of the word is generally traced to the Arabic word ‘alloeh’ which means ‘bitter and shiny substance’. There are other possible sources, but this seems to be the most plausible. As the ancients used either the sap or the ground leaf, in both instances the result is a shiny and bitter substance. In Hebrew it is referred to as ‘halal’ (or ‘allal – bitter) which means ‘shiny bitter substance’, as does the Syrian name for it, ‘alwai’. In ancient Hebrew it was called ‘ahaloth’. The ancient Chinese considered the plant to have major therapeutic qualities and called it the ‘Harmonic Remedy’. In 9th-century China, the leaves were said to look like the ‘tail of a giant crab’. Chinese Materia Medica refer to Aloe vera either as Aloe chinensis or Aloe vulgaris. Knowledge of the plant seemed to be predominantly in the province of Canton, as it entered China through the trading port of Canton. It was ‘much used in the worm-fever and convulsions of children’ and for skin infections, mixed with liquorice. The Chinese referred to the plant as having come from Persia, Java and Sumatra. In 1985, in a contemporary Chinese herbal, Him-che Yeung refers to Aloe vera as having anti-cancer properties, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic properties as well as it being a purgative and wound healer. In Ayurvedic medicine Aloe vera is known as ‘Ghrita-Kumari’: ‘Kumari’ means a young girl, virgin or a maiden, and Aloe was so-called because it brings about the renewal of female energy and imparts the energy of youth. In Ayurvedic medicine, the gel is used as one of the most important tonics for the female reproductive system, the liver and for regulating fire. The gel can be used for premenstrual tension, regulating menstrual flow, menopause and for women who have had hysterectomies. In Ayurveda, it is considered good for all three ‘humours’ or ‘constitutional types’: Vata (characterized by nervousness and sensitivity), Pitta (fiery), and Kapha (steady, regular, prone to sluggishness). The Arabs called it the ‘Desert Lily’. The Knights Templar, who drank a heady mixture of palm wine, aloe pulp and hemp, called it the ‘Elixir of Jerusalem’, attributing their longevity and health to it. In Japan Aloe vera is popularly called ‘No Need of a Doctor’; in Java it is known as ‘Crocodile’s Tongue’, and in Malaysia as ‘Mother-in-law’s tongue’ – no doubt referring to its bitter taste and the pointed sharp leaves! Infinitely more poetic is ‘The Wand of Heaven’ as it was known in Egypt. Elsewhere it has been called ‘Heaven’s blessing plant’, the ‘Mystical plant’ or ‘Miracle plant’, the ‘Magic medicine plant’ and the ‘Flow of Life’. It is more accurately known as the ‘Burn plant’ in current terminology or the ‘First Aid plant’, ‘Wound-healing plant’ and ‘Man’s natural medicine chest’. In contemporary America it is known as ‘the Silent Healer’. Like the Egyptians, the native Seminole people of Florida, and native Mexicans, call Aloe vera the ‘Plant of Immortality’. The Russians echo the ancient Egyptians’ praise of Aloe vera by calling it the ‘Elixir of Longevity’. So revered and beloved has this plant been throughout different cultures and periods in our history that the list of names goes on and on, all praising Aloe vera’s qualities in a practical or poetic fashion. The Elixir of Longevity The claim to Aloe being an aid to longevity was borne out by an extraordinary Frenchman in the last century, a philosopher and a practitioner of medicine, a man administering to the poor in the belief that medicines should not be prohibitive, nor health the privilege of the rich: During the 20 years that I have been treating my patients with Aloe, I have found that there are many diseases described by the doctors of antiquity which disappear rapidly when I administer Aloe in the form of granules or powder. Therefore, the good results which I have always obtained allow me to quote the adage of Roger Bacon: ‘Do you wish to live as long as Noah? Then take some pills of Aloah!’ Fran?ois Vincent Raspail (1794–1878) In a more profound sense, Aloe vera’s symbolic association with long life and immortality, its association with embalming and the transition between one life and the next, may lie in the renewing nature of the plant itself. J Norris in the Garden Journal (New York Botanical Garden, 1973) wrote: If a plant is able to heal its own wounds, to survive without nourishment, even seemingly to return from the dead, might not its power somehow be applicable to man’s own maladies? Traditional Uses (#ulink_40d81785-e960-5040-bc8b-a56d06a9adb2) ALOE VERA Aloe has appeared in all the most advanced Materia Medica of the great ancient civilizations: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Arabia, Greece, Rome as well as in China and India. These civilizations were trustees of knowledge concerning the healing powers of Aloe vera, a knowledge which they passed on to their successors living around the Mediterranean region and subsequently to the whole of the Western world. They in turn traded with Africa, where the majority of Aloes have originated: thus the story of Aloe goes full circle… Africa is the source of many varieties of the Aloe plant, and so it is natural that it features strongly in the ethnographic lore of both the North and South. A number of tribal uses for the plant have been documented, and anthropologists report on the widespread use of Aloe among the tribes of southern Africa – the Zulus, the Sutos and the Xhosa being the best known. The Aloes used vary regionally and are not popularly known except for Aloe ferox; Aloe macracantha; Aloe tenuior Haw., Aloe marlothii A. Berg and Aloe variegata L., are among those that have been used traditionally. The Sutos tribes use Aloe as a natural antiseptic. When colds or influenza become a threatening epidemic, a public bath infused with Aloe is taken by the villagers. The plant is used as protection against lightning, by sprinkling burnt, crushed and boiled bits of the plant around the village. Barren Suto women drink a concoction from Aloe juice to aid their fertility. Nor is its use limited to tribe-members alone. If their animals are wounded, ash from the burnt leaves of Aloe is placed on the ground beneath the injured limb to hasten healing. The fresh juice from the Aloe leaf is used by the Sutos, Zulus and Xhosa to treat eye infections, applied directly to the eye. In the Transvaal, an Aloe variegata infusion in brandy is used to treat haemorrhoids. The Zulu women in South Africa use Aloe to help wean their babies, by spreading the bitter gel on their breasts. A decoction of the Aloe arborescens leaf is given to Zulu women just before they give birth, to aid the birth process. (In the Transvaal, a vinous extract of Aloe sp. is used for abortive purposes). The Zulus also use the plant, steeped in water, as an enema to clean out the intestines. Even the flowers of the plant are not wasted. Ground up into powder, which is then steeped in water, it is used to treat feverish colds in children, either orally or as an enema. The flowers are also cooked by the Zulus and eaten. It is good for snuff: tobacco is mixed with the ash of the Aloe leaf. In addition, Aloe has traditionally been used in South Africa as a cure for venereal diseases. In general, a number of southern African tribes use Aloe for stomach problems. They drink ‘a decoction of the roots’ which can cause vomiting if taken in large amounts. The Xhosas and other tribes use Aloe to treat tape worm infection. It is considered effective with no side-effects. Both the gel and juice are used in the treatment of ringworm. It is also used as a purgative, a treatment for boils and sores. It is said that Xhosa children are fond of sucking the nectar-like juice out of the flowers, which is said to create weakness in the joints if taken over a long period. It also has a narcotic effect! The southern African tribes use Aloe with their animals, in the treatment of scab with sheep and as a purgative. Aloe saponaria Haw., known as ‘White-spotted aloe’ or ‘Soap aloe’, is used in the treatment of ‘blood scours’ in calves and to treat indigestion and enteritis in fowls, both with excellent results. The Zulus believe that the smoke from burning leaves of Aloe protects cattle from the ill-effects of eating the wrong food. In Africa and the East, the plant was even said to have been used to ward off evil spirits. Hung over the entrance to a house, it ensured a long life for its inhabitants. It could also be worn as an amulet around the neck to guarantee a happy and healthy life. Richard Burton, the 19th-century explorer and naturalist, reported on his African travels that Aloe vera, suspended above one’s bed, was effective against mosquitoes. In Columbia the live plant is used in shops to repel flies and the juice is rubbed on children’s legs to protect them from insect bites. Recent research has shown Aloe vera to be an effective insect-repellent by virtue of its bitter taste and the unpleasant smell of the sap. Aloes were depicted in rock paintings by the Bushmen in the early 18th century, according to Miss D F Bleek in her book, Rock Paintings in South Africa. These rock paintings were found near the Orange River in the Orange Free State, in a cave by a waterfall. Miss Bleek suggests that the Aloes depicted are Aloe ferox ‘Miller’ and Aloe broomii. Walter Battiss in his The Artists of the Rocks (1948) suggests that this ‘painting of Aloes is a most remarkable painting in the whole of the art. It belongs to the Last Period of Bushman Art.’ The Aloes are shown clasped in the Bushmen’s hands like triumphal candelabras, two figures facing each other. Another figure holds it in his hand pointed to the earth, while another Bushman lies prostrate below a floating aloe. Two other Bushmen are shown hunting with large dominant buck, possibly antelope, behind them. This suggests that Aloes were an integral part of life and nourishment in the Bush, as important as hunting for survival. The juice of Aloe saponaria is still used by hunters in the Congo, in Central Africa, who smear their body with it before the hunt. The bitter smell of the Aloe juice masks the hunter’s smell and blocks perspiration, thus making the hunter more invisible to his prey. Aloe saponaria is also used in Southern Africa for healing battle or hunting wounds. In the 9th century AD, Al-Kindi of Baghdad wrote The Medical Formulary, also known as ‘the Aqrabadhin of Al-Kindi’. Al-Kindi was known as the ‘philosopher of Arabia’. In The Medical Formulary he makes several references to the use of Aloe, particularly in relation to eye treatments. In all remedies, Aloe is mixed with other ingredients – for example, gold, red hematite and saffron, or myrrh and saffron along with soapwort, sweet marjoram and lycium juice – then pulverized and kneaded and made into pills. When required, the pills are dissolved in woman’s milk and oil of violet before being used. His remedies nearly always end with ‘It is good and effective with God’s help.’ Al-Kindi records that the Arabs called Aloe vera sabir or sabr, while the Syrians called the plant sabhra or sebara. There is a valley in Lebanon known as the Sabhra Valley, which translates as the Valley of the Aloes. The two languages are similar and the meaning is the same in all cases – ‘bitter and shiny substance’. Aloe was, as ever, a well known purgative, but Al-Kindi also noted its anti-inflammatory action, its effective opthalmological uses (such as its effectiveness with eye ulcers) and its positive action as regarded melancholia. It was also helpful with dyspnoea or difficult breathing. As a purgative drug, Aloe was treated with caution. Aloe was also being used throughout the Middle East: in the lands around the Red Sea, Aloe latifolia was believed to cure both ringworm and impetigal infections. A note of caution came from the mediaeval medical writer Mesue of Damascus, who gave a rather graphic report of side-effects which even included piles. One lurid story concerned Emperor Otto II, who took too much Aloe and died in AD 983. It is generally held that it was Arab traders who first brought Aloe vera to Persia and India about the 6th century BC. According to Chopra’s ‘Indigenous Drugs of India’, Aloe was already widely used in India during Hippocrates’ lifetime (460–375 BC), and its medicinal uses dated ‘back to the 4th century BC’. Early medical texts from India indicate its use for skin inflammations. A Portugese naturalist, Garcia da Orta, later described the Hindus using Aloe vera for ‘purgatives, in kidney disease, colic, and also for healing wounds’, including the treatment of eye sores. Aloe vera still plays an important role in the traditional medicine of India, where Aloe vera preparations are particularly important for their cathartic (purgative or laxative), stomachic (digestive), emmenagogic (aiding in menstruation) and anthelmintic (expelling intestinal worms) properties. In addition, Aloe vera gel is considered one of the most important tonics for the female reproductive system, the liver, heart and spleen. From India, the use of Aloe vera probably spread to Java, Malaysia, Sumatra and to the rest of the East Indies. In Java it was applied as skin care on infections, sunburn and blisters, while Aloe barbadensis was taken internally for gonorrheal infections. In addition it was used internally for tuberculosis in much the same way as it was in Europe: as a popular cure for consumption. In Malaya, Aloe vera pulp was bound onto the forehead to relieve headaches; in the Philippines it was used to reduce swelling (oedema) in beri-beri sufferers. As in Europe, when mixed with wine it was considered effective in preventing hair loss. In the East Indies there are reports that Aloe vera was popular for treating conditions such as gout, or aches and pains in the joints and bones. The same conditions were traditionally treated with Aloe in the Caribbean. It was used for skin care and to treat problems such as cuts, blisters, wounds and insect bites. Its use in internal ailments appears to have been taught by the missionaries and explorers. In the Caribbean today it is still used for both human and animal ailments. Apparently the leaf is sucked as though it were sugar cane! Aloe vera juice, fed to horses, makes the horses’ blood so bitter that ticks apparently fall off after the first bite! It is also used for delousing, repelling infestations and as a life-giving tonic during cattle birth trauma. From India and the East Indies, the use of Aloe spread into the Canton province in China. No doubt it was also brought to China by Arab traders. Chinese medical texts refer to Aloe from the 7th century AD onwards; the first noted use was for healing dermatitis. Aloe vera was especially noted for its use as a treatment for sinusitis and worm fever, as well as for convulsions in children and skin afflictions such as eczema. The Venetian Marco Polo, travelling through China in the 13th century, found Aloe vera was used to treat rashes and other skin disorders, as well as for stomach ailments. Today, although Aloe chinensis is one of the best known regional variations of the healing Aloes, Aloe arborescens is used to treat burns in China and Russia. In addition, Aloe arborescens has been used in Japan as a folk remedy for burns, insect bites, wound-healing, athlete’s foot and digestive complaints. In his Il Milione, Polo documents Aloe’s history and legend, tracing its development and usage from the Island of Socotra through to the Orient, via the great Eastern trading routes. Wound-healer Aloe vera’s use as a wound-healer and for general skin treatment is perhaps its most universally acclaimed virtue among many diverse and distant ethnic groups. In northern Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Aloe vera, known as savila, grows profusely and is used to heal skin diseases. In Mexico the leaves are gathered in the semi-wild to treat burns, bruises, skin irritations and even leprosy. In Florida, Aloe vera is widespread and has been used traditionally for treating jelly-fish stings as well as bee stings. Mayan women in the Yucatan region of Mexico have used Aloe vera for centuries to moisturize their skin. Like the Zulus in southern Africa, they also use it to wean their children from breast-feeding. Throughout Central and South America, the pulp of Aloe vera is regarded as a mild laxative; another one of its earliest and most common uses worldwide. Indeed, the early Arabs’ principal use of the drug Aloes was as a laxative, although other uses were suggested in Persian records of the 6th century BC. They were using it both internally and externally, and processed the plant by separating the gel and sap from the rind using their bare feet. The resulting pulp was placed in goatskin bags and dried in the sun before the contents were ground into powder. Still today Aloe is called the ‘Desert Lily’ by the Bedouin tribes and the Tuareg of the Sahara Desert. The Age of Discovery (#ulink_3f7f894b-de5e-517d-ad82-ccdba76c8c38) ALOE VERA A Sumerian clay tablet, found in the city of Nippur in Mesopotamia and dating from around 2,000 BC, includes Aloe in its list of useful healing plants. This is the earliest recorded pharmaceutical use of Aloe and predates the written Egyptian records, which are commonly cited as being the first known source of Aloe vera and its medicinal uses. Around 1500 BC, during the reign of the Pharaoh Amen-Hotep I, the Egyptians gave us the first detailed analysis of Aloe’s medical value in the Papyrus Ebers. This was named after the German Egyptologist Georg Ebers who, together with a wealthy German called Herr Gunther, bought it in the winter of 1872 from an Egyptian who had found it in 1858 between the knees of a mummy in a tomb at El Assassif, near Thebes. The Papyrus Ebers was given intact to the University of Leipzig, where it remains to this day in almost perfect condition. The Papyrus Ebers is not so much a coherent text as a collection of medical documents and folklore on the causes and treatments of diseases and the correct religious rites to accompany them. Ebers considered the book to be one of the ‘Hermetic Books’ of the ancient Egyptians. It is the earliest known complete papyrus extant, and is extremely detailed. In fact it is a miscellaneous collection compiled from at least 40 different sources. Some of the material is much older than 1500 BC, anything from 500 or 2,000 years prior to the date it became a coherent text. In ancient Egypt, medicine and healing were intricately connected with the spiritual life: incantations were used to invoke those gods who ruled life and healing, in particular Isis and Ra. Uses for Aloe were both pharmaceutical and spiritual. Although it is customary to refer to the Papyrus Ebers as giving 12 formulae for the use of Aloe to treat a number of disorders, this is now questionable following consultation with the Egyptian Department of the British Museum. According to Miss Carol Andrews, Assistant Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities, on checking two-thirds of the remedies we find that only two refer to a plant which has a bitter, disagreeable taste and needs to be compensated for with the sweetness of honey. It would appear that this is Aloe vera. The other remedies refer to cinnamon bark, which could have been confused with aloeswood, another aromatic wood. Greek doctors did some of their medical training in the great school of Alexandria and their knowledge of the Aloe plant surpassed that of the Egyptians. Aloe was first mentioned in Greek pharmacology by Celsius (25 BC–AD 50) when it was referred to as a purgative, one of the best known and earliest uses of the plant. It is to a famous 1st-century Greek physician, Pedanius Dioscorides of Anazarba, however, that we are indebted for his extensive work on the plant in his De Materia Medica (AD 41–68). This is the first detailed Western treatise following on from the Papyrus Ebers and describes more than 600 plants. Some 400 years later, the Greek Herbal of Dioscorides was illustrated by a Byzantine and called the Codex Anicine Julianae. It is found in Vienna and includes some of the oldest surviving representations of Eastern Mediterranean plants, including a coloured plate of Aloe vera. It took a further 1,500 years from the time of Dioscorides before his De Materia Medica was translated into English by John Goodyer. From this 15th-century translation, together with knowledge of the works of Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79), the great classical physician Rufus of Ephesus (early 2nd century AD) and the great Galen (late 2nd century AD), known as the Father of Modern Medicine, Western physicians learned of the wide range of Aloe’s medical versatility. This included treating ulcerated genitals, healing the foreskin, getting rid of haemorrhoids, wound healing, treating insomnia and stomach disorders, reversing hair loss, treating mouth and gum diseases, boils, sunburn, constipation and kidney ailments. In addition, it prevented vomiting of blood, was an effective purgative and was good for tonsillitis and eye infections. In an altogether charming description of the plant and its medicinal uses, Dioscorides describes the plant as having a leaf… like Squill, thick, gross, somewhat broad in ye compass, broken or bowbacked behind, but on either part it hath ye leaves prickly by ye sides, appearing thinly, short. But it sends out a stalk like to Anthericum, but a white flower, & a seed like until Asphodelus. All of it, is of a strong scent, & very bitter to ye taster, but it is but of one root having a root as a stake. It grows in India very much, gross, from whence also ye extracted juice is brought. It grows also in Arabia and Asia, & in certain sea-bordering places and Islands, as in Andros, not good for extracting juice but fitting for ye conglutinating of wounds, being laid on when it is beaten small … Medically Aloe’s properties were wide-ranging, and Dioscorides recommended it for numerous conditions including: …splitting of blood … cleanseth ye Icterus … taken either with water, or sod honey it looseth ye belly … it assuageth Scabritias and the itchings of ye eye corner, and ye headache being anointed with acetum & Rosaceum, on ye forehead & the temples, & with wine it stays ye hair falling off, & with honey and wine it is good for ye tonsillae, as also the gums and all griefs in ye mouth. But it is roasted also for eye medicines in a cleane and red hot earthen vessell, being kept turned with a splatter until that it is roasted equally … In the same period, Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79), a highly respected Roman physician, in his Natural History not only confirmed Dioscorides’ writings on Aloes but also added his own medical findings. He advises that the best aloes to use ‘will be fatty and shiny, of a ruddy colour, friable, compact like liver, and easily melted’. Aloe’s nature is ‘bracing, astringent and gently warming’. Of its many uses, the chief is to ‘relax the bowels, for it is almost the only laxative that is also a stomach tonic, no ill effects whatever resulting from its use’. To regularize the bowels, he recommends Aloe in warm or cold water, taken two or three times daily as required. For hair loss prevention, Aloe mixed with dry wine should be rubbed on the head ‘in the contrary way to the hair’. Mixed with rose oil and vinegar, Aloe soothed headaches if applied to the temples or forehead. Pliny discovered that the root of the Aloe could be boiled down and used as a treatment in leprosy, for healing leprous sores. Furthermore, he found that it could help check perspiration by mixing Aloe with rue boiled in rose oil. Doubtless this was the world’s first-known anti-perspirant! After Dioscorides and Pliny, it was the Greek physician Galen who dominated medical history from the 2nd century AD until the Middle Ages. In the earlier part of the 2nd century AD his predecessor, the great classical physician Rufus of Ephesus wrote On the Interrogation of the Patient. Galen often quotes Rufus of Ephesus in his own work. Both physicians studied anatomy at Alexandria. Rufus of Ephesus used Aloe to treat various illnesses such as glaucoma, cataracts, melancholy and the plague. He also recommends its use in poor digestion and constipation, and points out that it modifies the secretion of bile, slows haemorrhages and is effective against ‘rebellious ulcers’. Around the 2nd century AD extensive work was carried out by an unknown Syriac physician, probably a Nestorian, who studied medicine in Alexandria and compiled an extensive Materia Medica called The Book of Medicines (also known as Syrian Anatomy, Pathology and Therapeutics). This physician was clearly a learned and distinguished man, a follower of Hippocrates who wrote clearly and simply. He drew strongly on Dioscorides’ work and the Papyrus Ebers. Some of the text was written originally in Greek and the first section is a series of lectures, to which is added the most detailed prescriptions, one of which is known as the Pills of Galen. This remarkable work contains some of the most extensive early remedies using Aloe in medicine, and are too numerous to mention here in detail. They range from Aloe being used as a purgative to treating eye, ear and throat infections, stomach disorders, haemorrhaging, chest infection, liver and spleen diseases, menstrual disorders, inflammation, paralysis, pain and abscesses. Aloe is used in combination with a number of other ingredients. By the end of the 2nd century AD, the plant then had become an established part of the European pharmacopoeia. Not only Galen but also other physicians such as Antyllus, Aretacus and others purported to use Aloe in their healing repertoire. It is recognized that the period between the time of Hippocrates and that of Galen heralds one of the biggest advances in European medicine, covering a period of 500 to 600 years. It was largely thanks to the Jesuit priests of Spain that the use of Aloe spread throughout the Western world during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Jesuits were highly educated physicians and scholars and their knowledge of the classics was unsurpassed. They were familiar with the Greek and Roman medical texts and therefore were fully conversant with the medicinal and pharmacological properties of the Aloe plant. Furthermore, the Jesuit Fathers were ever practical. As Aloe grew with such ease in Spain and Portugal, they simply took the plant along with them as they accompanied explorers on their colonial expeditions, and planted it wherever they settled. It was an extremely useful plant as it was so hardy and adaptable. If Aloe did not grow locally, they planted it. Such was the high esteem in which they held the plant. In this way, Aloe was transported to places as far afield as Jamaica, Haiti, Antigua, South and Central America through the spread of missionary establishments. It settled easily into hot semi-tropical climates, and was also grown on plantations by traders aware of its medicinal and commercial value for the European market. In some areas where it grew naturally, like Cura?ao and Florida, the Jesuit priests expanded local knowledge of its medicinal uses by drawing on their classical understanding. With the conquest of the Aztec empire by the Spaniards, the missionaries introduced their knowledge of the healing plant to the Indians of Central America and Mexico. Aloe was introduced into the island of Barbados at the end of the 16th century (1596), probably by the Jesuits, or possibly by African slaves. It is this Aloe which bears the name Aloe barbadensis, formerly the accepted nomenclature for Aloe vera. Here, the commercial plantations of Aloe turned into a major industry for the medical market. As the Jesuits had spread Aloe vera throughout the New World, and rumour has it that this was as far afield as the Philippines, so it was the Dutch who capitalized on the use of Aloe for medicinal purposes in Africa. Before the end of the 17th century, the Aloe had already been taken back to Holland by Dutch traders, and Cape Aloes were being cultivated in some of Europe’s finest gardens. At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch colonists had laid out a garden for weary voyagers en route to India or China. The Jesuit Father Guy Tachard wrote in 1685 that this was one of the ‘most beautiful and curious gardens’ he had ever seen. It included at least 20 varieties of Aloe. It was nearly 100 years later that the British took to Importing Aloe sap from South Africa. In the colonial rush to acquire good natural resources for medical plants, Britain undoubtedly was eclipsed by both Spain and Holland. Instead, it looked to the British colony of Georgia, now an American state, for medicinal plants. An Apothecaries Company had been set up with the aim of supplying drugs and other materials to Britain. In the Caribbean, however, the British were not so fortunate and were blocked by the Spanish in their search for medicinal plants, including Aloe vera. As a result of their shortage of a natural Aloe source, it was the traders in the Cape who sold Aloe juice to the Dutch East India Company, who then exported it to Britain. In the first year of commercial production in 1761, over 90 kg (200 lb) of Aloe sap were sent to Britain. Unfortunately, South African Aloe was not considered as good as the Aloe from Barbados and Socotra. Its main use in South Africa was for rubbing into sprains, and easing rheumatic pain and sciatica. By contrast, in Europe it was used traditionally for the skin and as a digestive aid for the stomach. The therapeutic and commercial worth of Aloe ferox is noted by Sir Joseph Hooker in the London Journal of Botany (1842–4). Hooker received his information from Charles Bunbury, FLS, who had accompanied the Governor of the Cape, Sir George Napier, on a journey from Cape Town through to Grahamstown, Fort Beaufort and back to Cape Town. Bunbury mentions that ‘Aloe ferox is the most important medicine plant of the Colony’ and that ‘exports of Aloes in one year amounted to ?2,794’. As the commercial value of Aloe was being realized by merchants and traders, so there was added interest in the plant by the great collectors and botanists of Europe. These were frequently aristocratic or rich families who could indulge their collecting passion. Among these number the Prince of Salm-Dyck (1773–1861), who kept the finest collection of succulent plants in Europe, including Aloes. He also wrote a monograph of the Aloe family which appeared in seven parts. In Britain, many landed families had their own greenhouses and exotic plant collections. Both the Dukes of Devonshire and Bedford had especially fine collections. 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