MAORI MEDICINE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 370, 26 February 1937, Page 2

MAORI MEDICINE

3 £ Tribute Paid for Knowledge of Herbs. r * A tribute to the Maori in his knowledge of the properties' of cer- * tain herbs and other organic matter 1 as pertaining to the curing of disease and other complaints of the body was paid by Dr L. H. Briggs at the week- ’ ly luncheon meeting of the Hastings Rotary Club, %<hen he spoke on the relations existing between chemistry and medical science.

Dr Briggs mentioned, when tracing the division of the various branches of science as we know them to-day. tHait it was about 100 years ago that organic chemistry was introduced. Knowledge in this direction at that time was very negative, but there Was being developed a very definite interett in plant products for metrical purposes. Herbs, of course, had been in use for centuries, but there was little positive knowledge of the actual properties of the herbs in use. “Th e Maoris knew of a number of herbs and made extent ive use of them, and I take this opportunity of complimenting the Maoris on ‘ their knowledge,” said Dr Briggs. “The Maori made a great use of his knowledge of plants, and there was almosi no use to which he could not put his plants. This.' was hot so vJith all the herbs used in England, for there were a great many found to have no bcari ing upon the particular complaint for which they were used. There were. . in fact, dozens of useless old herbal . remedies. “With the Maori, however, it is abundantly clear now that he invariably used the right, plant,” he said. “Subsequent analysis and investiga- . tion has proved that he was always correct in his knowledge of the healing properties of the plants he used, in that the substance of the plant does bring about the cure claimed by the Maori.”