In our age of mysterious diseases, the hypothesis that some plants may heal their most similar human organs has once again surfaced.

The Flora by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, circa 1591. Image source... Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY

I often wonder, how do people first discover highly specific applications of specific plants and herbs? For example, ginseng can increase energy, or ginger can relieve nausea, or horsetail with silica may help hair growth? A theory, which may be fabricated, is of course criticized by modern medicine. It is the physical characteristics of plants that provide clues on how to use them. This concept is called characteristic theory by ethnobotanists and herbal medicine practitioners, who believe that plants have "characteristics"—color, texture, shape, smell, and even the environment in which they grow—similar to body parts and the diseases they cure. Therefore, bloodroot or Canadian bloodroot, whose roots and rhizomes secrete red juice when cut, were once thought to cure blood diseases and accelerate wound healing. Eyeballs, or flax flowers, whose flowers resemble human eyes (or more precisely, with yellow dots and purple stripes, are a type of jaundice, bloodshot eyes), and have been used to treat eye diseases for centuries. Such as conjunctivitis. (In German, eyebright is called Agentrost, or "eye comfort.") In other words, the characteristics make it easy to speculate about the medicinal properties of the plant. Form highlights function; function echoes form.

It is difficult to say when and where the signature theory originated; this concept is an ancient concept and has been observed in many cultures and therapeutic traditions. It is a symbol of traditional Chinese medicine and Native American herbalism, and it also appears in Indian Ayurveda and African herbalism. It was first mentioned in the writings of classical antiquity, including the writings of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. According to the 16th century Italian scholar Giambattista della Porta, the Greek doctor Dioscorides in the first century AD wrote in his famous five-volume botanical pharmacopoeia: scorpions are very suitable for his bite. "In her book "Plant Language: A Guide to Characteristic Theory" published in 2012, herbalist and naturopathic practitioner Julia Graves pointed out, "Each culture infuses this art with its own flavor, and each era has its own flavor. Joined its own turning point. "

This idea gained traction in medieval Europe, especially among Christians, who provided it with a theological foundation. Paracelsus, a 16th-century Swiss doctor, alchemist, and philosopher, was one of its biggest advocates. He wrote as if he was telling a treasure hunt orchestrated by God: " God does not want things to be hidden. He created these things for the benefit of mankind and put people in his hands....Even if he hides it himself, he also marked the externally visible signs on it, This is a special mark." In the 17th century, shoemaker Jakob Böhme became a Christian mystic, and he published a long essay on the doctrine "The Signature of All Things" (1621), thus This theory was popularized, and in England, herbalist and doctor Nicholas Culpeper and botanist William Cole quickly wrote their own seminal works. Together, these works help codify the human-centered idea that God has hinted to humans the healing gifts of nature, and we have to find and use them. This concept is so common in the West that it even entered literature: in Milton’s "Paradise Lost" (1667), the Archangel Michael cleans Adam’s eyes (his "optical nerve") with paralysis to heal Its "movie" was lured by the "fake fruit".

With the advent of modern medicine, this doctrine eventually fell out of favor and is now mostly regarded as pseudoscience. Critics point to an obvious fact: medications in this way can be dangerous—for example, the efficacy of sanguinaria is strongly questioned, although sometimes herbal types use it to treat cancer, it can be toxic in large doses. There is also the inherent subjectivity of enterprises. In my opinion, your heart-shaped leaves may be kidney-shaped. Of course, almost all herbs have countless uses, not just those corresponding to their main characteristics. Horsetail grass not only promotes healthy hair, as its long, thick tail-like stem might suggest, but it can also be used for bone healing. Purslane, Cherokee used as an insect repellent because its scarlet stem looks like a worm and is also a powerful antioxidant.

However, herbalists today still agree with this concept, partly because the efficacy of many plants is exactly what their characteristics indicate. The leaves of Lungweed are spotty and look like lung tissue. They are often used to treat respiratory diseases. Dandelion is believed to help jaundice and other liver diseases because it is bright yellow and can indeed protect the liver; studies have shown that medicinal mushrooms similar to tumors can slow their growth. Ethnobotanist Bradley C. Bennett wrote in his frequently cited paper "The Doctrine of Signatures: An Explanation of the Discovery or Transmission of Knowledge of Medicinal Plants" in 2007, that the doctrine may not be completely unfounded. Although he was deeply skeptical that this doctrine was used to discover treatments, especially regarding the visual or surface aspects of plants, he wrote that signatures can also contain "olfactory or taste cues", as well as "strong smells and strong "Taste" is a very reliable indicator that plants will have biologically active compounds. He also believes that instead of leading to the discovery of medicinal properties, it is better to use plant characteristics to remember those characteristics that have been discovered-as a mnemonic device Characteristics. This approach is especially useful in non-cultural societies where knowledge is transmitted orally. “Plants that are both effective and easy to remember,” ethnobotanist and medical anthropologist Glenn H. Sheppard (Glenn H. Sheppard) Shepard Jr. wrote that over time, it is more likely to survive in a certain culture.

But those who deal with plants find that even this idea — a signature as a bookmark, if you will — is too simple. Plants are not just the sum of their parts, of course, they are not just the sum of their parts similar to the human body. In fact, traditional culture has long respected plants and herbs as teachers and guides. Even today, not only herbalists and naturopaths, but also a new generation of florists have been inspired by this principle and regard it as listening. A way of nature. Have to say, crack her secret. In this weird, claustrophobic moment, when many of us discover that our only respite is outdoors, this concept is especially important. Anyone who has ever taken psilocybin knows that plants are mysterious creatures with their own wisdom: they do provide information for humans, but they are not purely for our use. Brooklyn floral artist Joshua Werber told me that he incorporated these concepts visually and metaphorically in his work, and the plants he planted in his Brooklyn backyard garden let him know what they want. "We are talking," he explained, "I'm listening to them." The signature doctrine, those who believe it might argue that it is a way for plants to let themselves hear.