Myrrh is an herb that many people know of as an incense, largely known of from the biblical story of Jesus’ birth; however, one Bastyr University alumnus is looking to expose the lesser known history of this ancient herb.
Sean Bradley, naturopathic doctor and clinic manager at Seattle Asian Medicine and Martial Arts on Lake City Way in Seattle, is a student of the ages and the herbs. As a naturopathic doctor, he uses natural remedies for health issues and has had an interest in the histories of myrrh for a while.
“I did my undergrad in botany and I’ve always wanted to go into plant medicine,” said Bradley, who attended the university in Kenmore. “While I was [at Bastyr] I got interested in the Chinese medicine program as well.”
The interest in Chinese Medicine really fit in with what he was already doing in life, including practicing and teaching Hapkido.
“Once I graduated from Bastyr and started practicing, I became frustrated with the quality and quantity of herbal medicine texts that were translated,” Bradley said.
Instead of giving up, Bradley went back to the University of Washington to study Chinese language so that he could bridge the gap of information himself.
Bradley is working with others in the study of ancient medicine texts, including Alain Touwaide, who researches medical texts mainly in Greek, Latin, and Arabic.
Bradley and Touwaide chose myrrh to start their research for several reasons. One, it is a highly recognizable plant, both in appearance and in its historical significance. Secondly, it’s easy to identify where it comes from; while it is cultivated in other places it is primarily from the Arabic peninsula. Thirdly, it’s name literally means ‘Bitter,’ which is similar in multiple languages.
The challenges they face are to figure out how and when myrrh traveled from the Mediterranean to Asia and what it was used for when it arrived.
A cross-cultural approach is crucial for understanding how medicine developed.
“The study of the history of medicine is very compartmentalized,” said Touwaide in a press release. “That’s completely wrong. Chinese, Tibetan, Indian, Arabic and Greek medicine were not isolated. They exchanged information and methods and concepts.”
For many, as previously stated, myrrh is known as an incense, not a medicine. However, myrrh also has healing properties for minor cuts and bruises as well as for helping women recover from pregnancy (not used during pregnancy).
One of the interesting questions arising from their research is, was Mary, mother of Christ, brought myrrh as an incense or form of post-pregnancy relief? That answer, they may never know, but they can find the answer to other questions.
How long has myrrh been used as a medicine and how early was it used as a medicine in Chinese culture?
Many of these questions may seem as though they are important, that could not be farther from the truth. According to Bradley, these herbs have been used safely and efficiently for millennium and could offer new choices and options for health care.
While the research concerning myrrh is not yet complete, Bradley and his associates are already looking into other herbs to dig up from ancient texts and expand current knowledge concerning uses.
