Animals use nature to heal themselves

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,11381,882654,00.html

 

Animals use nature to heal themselves

 

Robin McKie, science editor

Sunday January 26, 2003

The Observer

Animals wounded in the wild or stricken by disease possess a remarkable ability

to treat their ailments, according to new research that has important

implications for humans.

Examples of this new work include observations of capuchin monkeys that rub

their fur with millipedes containing insect-killing chemicals called

benzoquinones; chimpanzees who eat the pith of the plant Vernonia amygdalina to

kill off intestinal worms; and domestic cats which eat houseplants or chew

woolly jumpers to make themselves sick and so rid their bodies of poisons.

Even more surprisingly, scientists have found that some creatures are adept at

helping people to overcome diseases. 'Dogs are particularly good at this,' said

Professor Keith Kendrick, of the Babraham Institute in Cambridge. 'They have a

stunning sense of smell and can detect when chemical changes occur in their

owners. Dogs can tell long before the event when a person is going to have an

epileptic fit. Obviously that is a talent with very important implications.'

Kendrick this week begins a series of public lectures on animal senses at

Gresham College, London.

Another favourite animal cure that has recently been uncovered by scientists is

eating clay to absorb toxins and pathogens - one favoured by mountain gorillas

and chimpanzees. 'The stuff is excellent if you have had a stomach bug or

something similar,' said Dr Cindy Engel, whose book, Wild Health, is published

by Phoenix this month.

The effectiveness of animal self-medication is also revealed in studies by

William Karesh of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. He and his

colleagues have studied a range of wild animals and found that most were in

remarkably good condition. Blood tests carried out by Karesh revealed that most

of these creatures had been infected by extremely unpleasant viruses and

bacteria, infections that usually kill domestic animals but which had been dealt

with by their wild counterparts.

This discovery may explain why many wild animals become sick and die in

captivity - because insufficient attention is paid to their living conditions.

Another example of animals' self-medicating prowess is provided by elephants

which make pilgrimages to a cave complex at Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano in

western Kenya. They dig out the soft rock in the cave walls, grind and then

swallow it. And the reason? Sodium is a vital ingredient in stimulating bodily

defences against toxins that major herbivores will encounter in many of the

plants they eat.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003

 

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