Russ Has It All Figured Out

This blog post could also be titled, "Natural cures you can find on the LSU campus if you get ill". Weird post, I know, but stick with me until the end.

This weekend was nice and cool - perfect fall weather.  My parents gave us tickets to the LSU game in Baton Rouge  and Benjamin and I headed east.  Tricia held the fort down while we were gone.  We made a full day of it and took in all the sights, sounds, and tastes of the pageantry on gameday, including seeing Leonard Fournette, the current leader for the Heisman Trophy walk down Victory Hill.

Leonard Fournette #7

Benjamin and I took our seats in the stadium and prepared to enjoy the game - a big SEC slugfest versus the Florida Gators. Somewhere in the North End zone (right above Benjamin's elbow) are Laura Lee and Russ, having fun in the student section. To the left of the scoreboard is the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.  Pistol Pete actually played in the Cow Palace, but Shaquille O'Neal played in the PMAC.  In the distance right above the scoreboard is Kirby Smith Dorm.  On the very top floor (14th floor, but actually the 13th since there is no 13th floor in that building for superstitious reasons) right in the very center (Room #1407) facing us in the picture, is where I lived 31 years ago as a freshman.

Almost time

We watched the Pre-game and the band played the Alma Mater and National Anthem...

"Where stately oaks and broad magnolias shade inspiring halls..."

And then the players took the field amidst a fireworks display.  We watched a great football game and the Tigers emerged victoriously against the Florida Gators...

"Boom!"

Prior to all that, though, we were led on a tour of medicinal plants on the LSU campus by our oldest son, Russ.  Russ is a Horticulture major who is in his Junior year at LSU in the College of Agriculture.  He has been working on some ground-breaking (pardon the pun) sweet potato research.

The type of information he showed us is absolutely vital if you find yourself tailgating before the game, get bit by mosquitoes and catch malaria.  Or if you ate too much at the tailgate party and were experiencing dizziness, stomachaches and dysentery. What would you do?  Well, you'd want to quickly go to the corner of Highland Road and Tower Drive, just across from the Cow Palace.  It is easily within walking distance of wherever you are on campus.  There you will find (right behind Russ and Benjamin in the picture below) a bunch of American Beautyberry plants.

THIS FACT SHEET tells you what you need to do with the roots, leaves and berries in order to combat those ailments listed above and get you back to the tailgate party in short order.  The purple fruit is good to eat, too.  Russ and Benjamin snacked on a few berries.  One more thing, that fact sheet said that in the early 20th century, farmers crushed the leaves of the American Beautyberry and rubbed them on their arms and legs to serve as a repellent for mosquitoes and biting insects.  So this was OFF! before there was OFF!!!

Russ & Benjamin in front of some American Beautyberries (See the appropriately colored purple fruit?)

So you've solved the problem of malaria and dysentery while on campus, but alas, another malady has overcome you.  You have a toothache.  How are you going to enjoy your time in Tiger Stadium with a throbbing, painful tooth?  What to do, what to do?

Well, you would quickly make your way to where Highland Road and Nicholson Extension intersect and you would look for the tree (below) that Russ and Benjamin are standing in front of.  That tree is called the Toothache Tree.  It is called that because chewing on the leaves or bark causes numbness to the teeth, tongue and mouth.  According to THIS LINK Native Americans discovered its medicinal qualities and used it when they had a toothache.  There was not a CVS or Walgreens on every corner, but they knew where to find natural remedies for their ailments nonetheless.  The toothache tree is easy to identify because it has some unusual 'pyramid-shaped' growths on the trunk of the tree.

Russ & Benjamin in front of the Toothache Tree

Russ & Benjamin promptly chewed on some leaves and both confirmed that their lips and tongues were numb and deadened like when you get a shot at the dentist.  I abstained from chewing the leaves in the event that this was NOT the Toothache Tree and they got a stomachache.  I wanted to be sure I could drag them back to the American Beautyberry bushes so that they could get relief.  Ha ha!  But Russ is a good student and was correct in his plant identification.  We walked back to the tailgate party and the numbness wore off so that they could enjoy boiled shrimp, barbecued ribs, and shish kebabs.  Russ has it all figured out and we appreciate all the knowledge he dropped on us!