Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel. – Exodus 24:4
LAST WEEK, while society felt that teachers were only conducting promotion meetings, preparing graduation programmes and finishing off reports, some of us were multitasking.
You may ask what else are teachers doing at the end of the school term? As teachers, we were out in the field supervising students as they accumulated their hours in community service for the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competency (CCSLC). Mr Ryan Beckles and I were two of those dedicated teachers who assisted with beautification of the school. While the students were raking leaves, beautifying the gardens and bagging any litter in sight, I came into contact with Moses-in-a-basket.
This silent doctor is seen in many gardens and is often underestimated for its medicinal value. The purple-looking plant is a sight to behold as long as it is tended to properly by the owner.
Rhoeo discolor (L’ her) hance is also known in English as Moses-in-the-cradle, oyster plant, boat lily or Rheo. In Barbados, it is known as Moses-in-the-basket. The flowers and leaves are used for healing. Research indicates that Moses-in-the-cradle is used in the following countries:
The Philippines: nose bleed, bacillary dysentery, coughs, colds, whooping cough, lymphatic tuberculosis and hemoptysis.
Caribbean: leaves used to treat asthma.
Cuba: cataplasms and frictions used mainly for the treatment of wounds.
On the webpage www.wikiherb.info/2012/12/oyster-plant-rhoeo-discolor-lher-hance.html it has been revealed that the curable diseases which are associated with the oyster plant are bronchitis, cough, tuberculosis glands, nose bleeds, dysentery and melena. In the book The Medicinal Plants Of Myanmar, the following is noted about Moses-in-the-basket: it is used to treat haematemesis, bleeding tendency and epistaxis. Only fresh leaves are used and a decoction with sugar is orally taken in a dose of 200 to 300 ml per day for haematemesis. In the case of epistaxis, fresh leaves are adhered on the base of nose.
Finally, as Barbados continues to prepare for 50 years of Independence, we must continue to rescue and research the medicinal plants which grace our shores. So let us get into our groups and like the teachers, locate those rare grasses and herbs and educate the youth about them.
Please contact a professional herbalist if you want to ingest this plant.
Annette Maynard-Watson, a teacher and herbal educator, may be contacted via [email protected] or by telephone 250-6450.
DISCLAIMER: It is not our intention to prescribe or make specific claims for any products. Any attempts to diagnose or treat real illness should come under the direction of your health care provider.
