Quote:
Originally Posted by Aliantha
Wasn't birch bark used as a pain killer at some time during human history? Is it possible someone had a tooth ache and was chewing on it for relief?
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Actually birch bark is still used as a pain killer and it contains the same essential oils as wintergreen, which operates topically, on a different principle than willow bark. Willow bark is like aspirin and works better internally as a tea or tincture. Birch bark is still chewed as a dentifrice by Native Americans. It also contains anti-cancer compounds and chaga, a mushroom that grows on birch trees and incorporates the oils is the strongest of the anti-cancer medicinal mushrooms.
No reason to think that primitive people were any less intelligent than us. We adapt to a different database, but few of us could survive living off of the land, hunting, modifying natural substances for food, medicines and tools. Cooking it to a tar isn't farfetched- ever see how taro is processed by the Amazonians. Taro, their staple food, is poisonous unless processed.
In fact since wild animals are invariably more intelligent than their domesticated cousins, it could be that we are less intelligent. (Thank heavens we can cover it up by googling.)