Pittsburgh Boomers, July 1999

BACK TO BELIZE- LOCAL PHARMACIST TAKES STUDENTS TO STUDY HERBS IN THE RAINFOREST

By Dan Wagner, RPh, MBA

Each year since 1996, Dan Wagner and Dr. Norbert Pilewski have taken a group of pharmacy, pre-med, physician assistant, and biology students from Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh and traveled to the rainforests of Belize, Central America. The main reason for the expedition is to study plant medicines and Mayan healing with world-renowned herbalist, Dr. Rosita Arvigo. The 26 students on the May, 1999 expedition traveled with the non-profit, educational organization, The Student Rainforest Fund. Dan Wagner, R.Ph., MBA, is owner of Nutri-farmacy, a natural pharmacy in Wildwood, Pa., and Norbert Pilewski, R.Ph., Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Pharmacognosy at the Mylan School of Pharmacy at Duquesne.

Belize is a small tropical country (about the size of New Hampshire) located on the blue shores of the Caribbean Sea. Its timeless beauty, from the oceans (the world's second largest barrier reef lies off its shore), to the lowland forests, to the mountainous southern area, makes it a favorite destination for many ecotourists. In fact, Belize is so small and rural that the entire country has only three traffic lights, no golf courses, and no McDonalds.

This year the students spent 3 days with Dr. Arvigo at Ix Chel Research Centre in the forests of western Belize. They took classes in Mayan medicine and a lab practicum on preparing herbal tinctures and other compounds. An ethnobotanical workshop was set up so that the students could work with local traditional healers and midwives skilled in the knowledge and use of local plant medicines. They also walked the famous Panti Medicine Trail. The trail is named to honor the great Maya shaman, Eligio Panti, who died three years ago at the age of 103.

The students learned to identify and work with many plants and herbs that grow naturally on the Rainforest Medicine Trail. Some include:
Allspice Tree- Has a clove-like fragrance and used as a tea for indigestion and stomach gas.
Jackass Bitters- A first-class remedy against amoebas, intestinal parasites, candida and giarrdia.
Copal- The bark is used in powdered form for application to wounds and infected sores.
Skunk Root- A major medicine used as a first-class cure for stomach and intestinal ulcers.
Wild Yam- One of the most highly researched plants from which was isolated cortisol- the precursor to modern-day cortisone and the birth control pill.
Gumbo Limbo- A tree in which the red bark is used as an effective topical treatment for skin irritationals and manifestations.
Trumpet Tree- The green leaves are boiled as a tonic for heart ailments and high blood pressure.

The value of the students learning about the application of rain forest plants, herbs and bark should not be underestimated. The stark interest in natural products and herbs in the American market is an area that pharmacists should be educated in so that they can better consult their patients. In my own natural pharmacy practice, I successfully used Gumbo Limbo bark as an ingredient in a highly effective compounded cream for the topical treatment of psoriasis and eczema. I sell 60-80 bottles a month, and get very positive results.

The group had a number of days to relax and tour the wonders of the pristine environment of Central America. They did caving and swimming at Rio Frio Falls, canoed five miles of the Macal River, explored the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve on horseback, and visited the ancient Maya ruins of Xanuatunich, Cahal Pech, and the greatest Maya city of all- Tikal, located in Guatemala.

One of the highlights of the 8-day field study and expedition was to collect herbarium samples with traditional healers at the Terra Nova medicinal plant reserve in the northern half of the Cayo District of Belize. Terra Nova is Latin for "New Earth" and is a 6,000 acre protected area of diverse topography and subtropical rain forest which is home to a wide range of important medicinal flora. The reserve (possibly the world's only park dedicated to the preservation of medicinal plants) will be an exciting international project as the new millenium approaches.

At Terra Nova the students worked closely with Dr. Arvigo, her husband, Dr. Greg Shropshire; local midwife and healer, Mrs. Beatrice Waight; and Polo Romero, a noted bushmaster. Herbarium samples of various plants, herbs, and bark were collected, numbered, and prepared. The methodology for preparing herbarium samples in the wild, called posology, was both described and practiced. Later in the week, the students got to work with some of the plant samples in the laboratory at Ix Chel Farm.

I believe the greatest value of taking healthcare professional students to the rain forest is to expose them to a more holistic approach to medicine and healing. As tomorrow's doctors and pharmacists, it is imperative they learn that healing involves much more than drugs and surgery. Understanding the importance of natural products and natural therapies, along with prayer, massage, and herbal bathing, can do wonders in making them better health practitioners. Additionally, I firmly believe that the environmental consciousness the students gain is an invaluable experience. The rain forest is the world's greatest classroom, and exposing them to ethnobotany can give them a greater appreciation of the power and magnificence of plants, and the human connection to them.

You may visit Dan Wagner and Nutri-farmacy at 2506 Wildwood Road, Wildwood, PA. Last Fall, American Druggist Magazine selected Dan as "One of the 50 Most Influential Pharmacists in America." He was named "Pennsylvania Pharmacist of the Year" in 1996 by the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association. Hours are 9-6 M-F, Sat. 9-3:30. phone (412) 486-4588. or toll-free for orders (1-877-BUY-SISU). Their website is: www.nutrifarmacy.com

Donations to the Student Rainforest Fund help support continued travels to the world's remaining rainforests, and further exposure and advanced studies in ethnobotany for many American college students. Your tax-deductible donation can be sent to: SRF, P.O. Box 238, Wildwood, PA. 15091. or call (412) 486-4588

Dan Wagner, natural pharmacist and herbalist from Gibsonia, PA, opened Nutri-farmacy, Western Pennsylvania all completely natural pharmacy, in 1997. Nutri-farmacy is located in Hampton Township (Wildwood), near North Park. He has traveled extensively in the rainforests of Central and South America, Africa, and the Pacific Northwest doing research on medicinal plants. He incorporates much of the knowledge gained from indigenous healers and ethnobotanist into his natural pharmacy practice. As a clinical pharmacist, Dan consults with patients regarding the effects/side-effects of conventional medicine with the uses/misuses of alternative medicine. Ultimately, he hopes that the patient will have more knowledge to make better choices for their own health and general state of well being.




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