Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism

Plant Term Project, Part 2: Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, “Natural” Cures and Plant Medicine (40 points) No specific word count

Note that there is no word limit for this section because you will be quoting from articles.

There are two aspects to this assignment: 1) identifying faulty arguments in the literature, and 2) Creating faulty arguments to sell your product”

First: You will be re-using your references from your research in Part 1.  You will be searching for examples of the faulty arguments and poor reasoning types you studied in the Faulty Arguments  PowerPoint.

Introduction: Make sure you write an introductory paragraph to explain what you are doing with citing faulty arguments including an explanation of what constitutes a faulty argument.

Find four different examples of faulty arguments from four different references you used in Part 1. Cite the original source in quotations and state exactly WHY you think the reasoning is poor. All the citations should be about the same plant you studied in Part 1. Label them 1-4 like the example below:

Example: Research by Exegesis: I found passages in the  Bible verses urging people to use the holy herb ‘senna’. “Cassia (senna) Exodus 30:23-24 “The bark ofthis tree from the laurel family is ground to produce a fine spice. The LORD gave Moses a recipefor creating an aromatic oil to be used in anointing the tabernacle and priests.”

See further examples in this Module.

Second

Part 2: Now write a short advertisement for your herb using at least two faulty arguments. Label them in parentheses in red text.

Example: Please try my peppermint tea. It will work wonders for your stomach ache. Everyone I know has tried it (bandwagon) and they are all satisfied. Besides, it is really true that phamacies are too expensive (non sequiter). Even my chemistry professor says it works!(appeal to authority)

Running head: Rosemary plant research project

Rosemary plant research project 10

Rosemary plant research project

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Introduction

Rosemary can be defined as a woody-stemmed which has a needle-like and its leaves are commonly 3 feet in height. It is a perennial herb and it has pink, white, blue or pink flowers. Eventually, during warmer climate, rosemary stretches to 5 feet when not clipped. Rosemary can also make an excellent evergreen hedge especially in zone 8 or further south. In zone 7 or the even colder environment, attempting to grow rosemary in a container may bring inside in the cold weather. It is also possible to train rosemary into different shapes, for example, topiary shapes (Reppert, 2015).

The binomial nomenclature name for rosemary is Rosmarinus Officinalis. Rosemary is a member of mint family, Lamiaceae and it includes various herbs. The term “rosemary” is derived from a Latin names “dew” for (ros) and “sea” for (marinus). In other words, rosemary was derived from the Latin words “dew of the sea.” The plant can also be referred to as anthos. This plant has got a fibrous root system (Wood, 2011).

Common uses of rosemary

Rosemary is a culinary spice that is used widely. Rosemary has been used in the traditional medicine due to its astringent, carminative, tonic, diaphoretic and antispasmodic properties. It is also among the oldest referred to as medical herbs. These herbs were used several centuries ago to improve memory and mental function. Rosemary is best known for boosting the human immune system strength. Rosemary has important active components such as anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant (Wood, 2011). These components possess a three-pronged attack against illnesses and also pathogens which may damage the integrity of our body or threaten our body immune system. The antioxidant components combine together and form a line of defense behind the immune system of the body. Rosemary possesses a great amount of these powerful compounds such as caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, carnosol and betulic acid. Rosemary extracts and also volatile oil from rosemary have been important in promoting menstrual flow and used as abortives. The extracts of the rosemary plant are commonly obtained as cosmetic ingredients. The lotion of rosemary plant is used to prevent baldness and to stimulate hair growth. It is also used to improve the digestion process and enhancing the blood circulation in our bodies especially in the head and brain (Reppert, 2015).

Rosemary is also used as an antimicrobial agent. The powdered leaves of rosemary are used in tick repellent. The powdered leaves are an effective natural flea. Rosemary oil also has marked antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial features. Again, rosemary oil is also active against the meat spoiling bacteria. The rosemary plant can be easily infused into oil and then used for skin irritations such as arthritis and eczema. When used externally, rosemary oil is important in the speed healing of bruises and wounds (Kendal, 2014). When used internally, rosemary is added to food as a cooking spice. When added to tea, if forms mild tea of the rosemary leaves and it is important in fighting diseases when sipped. Rosemary is used in boosting mood and removing stress. The rosemary aroma is known for clearing the mind, mood improvement and relieving stress for those who have stress hormonal imbalance and chronic imbalance. The plant is topically applied or even consumed in some kind of salve of the rosemary leaves, it has similar effects. Aromatherapy also utilizes the rosemary oil for the same purpose (Wood, 2011).

Basic information about rosemary

Rosemary is a bush perennial plant which grows in the Mediterranean regions in abundance. The regions include Greece, Spain, Portugal, North Africa, Italy, isolated areas of Turkey and Southern France. Rosemary is cultivated widely due to its medicinal and aromatic properties. It is a pine-scented, mint family and Lamiaceae evergreen plant and it can grow to 1.5 M or 5 ft. in height in favorable environments. This plant thrives in sandy and chalky soil in a sunny environment. In rocky and dry slopes near the sea, rosemary grows wide (Reppert, 2015).

Some people say that rosemary, also referred by some as the herb of remembrance grows well and healthy especially in lands that are tended by the strong-willed women. A long time ago, young brides used to carry a sprig of the rosemary plant in their wedding bouquets or wreaths. It was also believed the young could possibly have been brought together by the magic of touching rosemary plant. The Greek scholars used to wear a bit of this pungent evergreen herb in their hair when serious in studies to aid them to increase the concentration (Wood, 2011). Friends also exchanged this herb between themselves as a symbol of loyalty. People also tossed rosemary on the graves of their departed friends and loved ones. The gypsy travelers also used the rosemary plant as a rinse for highlighting their dark hair or even as a rejuvenating agent for face washes (Wood, 2011).

Rosemary’s woody and deep taproot produce scaly, branching, stout and stalks that are light brown. The plant has sessile narrow and simple leaves. Rosemary leaves are usually pale green on its underside and dark green on the top with a vein that is distinctive. These leaves usually curl inwards along the margins of these leaves. The flowers of rosemary are violet or light blue in color and they grow in a five to seven blossoms cluster each (Kendal, 2014).

Rosemary’s treatments and cure

Research shows that carsonic acid (CA), an active component found in rosemary protect the brain from damage. These damages may be caused by degeneration and strokes as a result of free radicals and toxins. Greeks also realized the stress-busting powers of rosemary plant. It is also clear that the nurses who are exposed to the oil scent of rosemary usually have less test anxiety during exams. This oil scent of rosemary also reduce the levels of cortisol. Cortisol is well known as a stress hormone. This clearly indicates that the smell of rosemary is a cure (Reppert, 2015).

The extract of rosemary leaves is used to treat and prevent dementia, a persistent or a chronic mental processes disorder which is usually caused by brain injury or disease. Dementia is usually marked by impaired reasoning, personality change, and memory disorders. Rosemary is also known to improve the cognitive functions of the older individuals (Reppert, 2015).

Despite healing the mental state of minds, rosemary also helps in fighting other serious physical problems. It is used to heal skin cancer by minimizing the spread of the cancer cells. The use of rosemary helps in blocking the skin tumor cells. Research also indicated that the extracts from rosemary inhibit the growth of cancer cells for example cells in the lung carcinoma. Rosemary also functions as an antioxidant as it protects the healthy cells (Tehon, 2011).

Rosemary is used for treating alopecia, a disease which leads to hair loss which makes a lot of people uncomfortable. One is required to use rosemary oil, lavender, cedarwood, and thyme. One should apply them each day for seven months and the disease will be treated and hair restored.

Growth habits of rosemary

Rosemary together with its cultivators grows best from plants. If they are grown from seeds, the germination is usually slow with results that vary from time to time. These plants can be planted in spring when weather conditions have warmed well in zones 1 all through to 9 and in fall or spring in zone 10. Rosemary requires full sun to grow. However, in warmer climates, rosemary accepts light shade. The evergreen plant thrives well in a well-drained, light and average soil which have a pH ranging from 5 to 8. When growing, one should pinch the growth tips i.e. 2 or 3 inches in order to promote the bushy plants and cuts back hard in the early spring to enable new growth time towards the plant maturity (Reppert, 2015).

If you are planting the rosemary in a pot, make sure you put it in a sunny place but not directly because as we have said, rosemary does well in a sunny place. You should then water these plants and keep them in a warm place until when the roots will form. In most cases, rosemary roots form in a span of three weeks (Reppert, 2015). The plant is good to go now considering it has roots. Rosemary will adapt to the growing conditions. It can also do well in an environment that has limestone, snow and high temperatures found by the seaside and all kinds of salt. However, rosemary will do its best in a dry, hot or warm climate. It will take some little time for it to be ready for use (Farnham, 2013).

Preparation for medicinal use

Rosemary is richer in health properties. Rosemary is principally applied externally as spiritus Rosmarini especially in hair lotions. The rosemary oil possesses carminative features which make it an excellent nervine and stomachic which cures a headache. Rosemary is either consumed as a dry herb (teas, whole and powdered) or fresh herb (liquid or whole). When consumed this way, it acts as a dietary fiber which contains no cholesterol, as vitamin A to strengthen the body, as vitamin C needed for boosting immunity and collagen, as vitamin B used as folic acid and pyridoxine, curing cancer, stress reliever and memory booster. Some people also take this herb to improve their immune system, improving digestion process and increasing blood circulation in our bodies (Kendal, 2014).

References Farnham, B. (2013). Fragrance and flavor; the growing and using rosemary herbs. New York: Pearson. Kendal, S. L. (2014). Health benefits of rosemary. New York: McGraw-Hill. Reppert, B. P. (2015). Growing & using rosemary. New York: Wiley. Tehon, A. (2011). Growing rosemary herbs. Boston: Branford Co. Wood, B. F. (2011). Uses of rosemary plant. Boston: Pearson.