274 | Traditional medicine
cholera, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, mumps and measles.
Nor did they experience life-threatening cardiovascular disorders. They were
therefore quite unprepared for the devastating impact of foreign microorgan-
isms which killed them in their thousands, and they were also not prepared
for the equally devastating impact of western society on their own, less
structured way of life.
Traditional remedies
There are many uncertainties about the use of herbal medicines pre-Euro-
pean times. Not only were there no written records, but there was also little
clarity about the botanical identification of plants used, the specific part to
be used and how this part was to be applied. Those Europeans who tried
to find out more about the plants used in earlier times were sometimes
misinformed through Aboriginal willingness to please.
Aboriginals are sometimes so very willing to give names of plants to the
traveller that, rather than disappoint him, they will prepare a few for
the occasion.^1On other occasions information was difficult to obtain because:Aborigines take a long time to get to know a person and they don’t
really trust a stranger, because, in the old days, a stranger was quite
often an enemy....^2Digestive problems are very common in people whose ability to preserve
food is limited and whose understanding and practice of good hygiene meas-
ures are poor. The nineteenth century settlers noted that Aborigines were well
acquainted with these conditions and employed a number of plants to remedy
them. The gummy exudates (known collectively askino) from various species
of eucalyptus, notablyEucalyptus siderophloiaand other trees or bushes,
were regularly chewed to slow down or stop diarrhoea. Many of thesekino
exudates have since been shown to contain tannins or other astringent
compounds that inhibit secretions of the gastrointestinal tract. Other euca-
lypt exudates had a laxative action, notably that ofE. viminalis, which has
since been shown to contain the sweet tasting substance, mannitol.
... a pleasant purgative, so gentle in its operation that it can be given
to the tenderest infant.^3
Toothache was a problem for many and the remedy most often used was
the exudate (the composition of which is still uncertain) from what was