Tekla: Ecuador - Medicinal Plants

For Medicinal Purposes...
Per my last post, I've been sick with a sinus infection all week, so it wasn't the most exciting week, mostly school, then homework, then resting up to go out for a bit with friends at night. But one especially cool thing I learned, was from talking to a few friends I met on the street; Grace and Christy, from Florida. I wasn't feeling well, so they told me about some plants they got from their teacher (they're at a different school). These plants apparently have great healing power. You take the plants and steep them in a small amount of hot water for a bit, then fill the rest of the cup with hot water and drink it. I was a bit hesitant, but ready to try anything, cause I'm so sick of being sick. And this stuff is supposed to cure your cold in a day. So I was in...

In the long run, it didn't cure my sinus infection, I don't think it was really a match for amoxicillin. But honestly, if I had enough of it to take it 2-3 times a day for 4-5 days (maybe even less), that I kind of think it actually would have cured my sinus infection. After taking it on Friday, I felt amazing that night, I didn't feel sick at all. Though admitedly, I was skeptical of it lasting very long. I really think a few consecutive days of it though, and I would have been cured. So now I'm on a mission to figure out how I can get these plants at home.

Grace and Christy have friends that went to the same teacher and kept a very detailed blog as they went, including all the different plants and what they're good for. They're blog is http://sigamesur.wordpress.com - the passage about these plants and their story of meeting their teacher is in the archives under March 2012, if you're interested in more. I've included the info on the plants from their blog below. I couldn't get them all situated quite right, but at least you can see them all.

I believe I used the Pata con Panga (?), Violeta (Violet), Oreja de Burro (Donkey Ear), Romero (Rosemary), Tomate de Arbol (Tomato Tree). I'm not sure if that exactly right, or included everything, but it's close, based on the pictures. Some of these will be easy to get at home. A few, I'll have to look into.
These medicinal plants from the greenhouse at their school and growing wild around Cuenca

: Geranium- used for aches and nasal hemorrhage

: Ruda- used for cough, headache from a bad smell &; natural pesticide

: Pata con Panga- used for cough, fever, and influenza

: Sabila- used as an anti-inflammatory

: Violeta- used for cold or influenza

: Menta- used for relaxation

: Oreja de Burro- used for influenza, cough and cold

: Toronjil- used to calm the nervous system and relieve stress

: Floripondio o Guando- used to improve eyesight and cleanses the lungs

: San Pedro- a hallucinogenic used for Rituals

: Manzanilla- used for stomach pain and for good dreams

: Cedron- used for relaxation. It’s delicious!

: Herba Luisa- used for low blood pressure

: Culantrillo De Pazo- an aromatic herb

: Santa Maria- used for menstrual pains, to low the fever, and for indigestion

: Romero- to improve memory, to alleviate to the muscle pains or spasms, to stimulate the growth of the hair, and to support the circulatory & nervous system.