The yew tree (Taxus baccata), also called English yew, is a long-lived evergreen Eurasian tree or shrub with stiff linear leaves. The Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) is another variety of the same family. The fluids dropping from their leaves cause the plants growing beneath the tree to dry up and die. The yew tree thrives because it gets rid of any possible rival around. This fluid is also contained in the bark. Long ago the wood was used to make bows because of its elasticity; some bow makers were found to be poisoned and died after a long time handling that wood.
The longevity of the yew tree is highly remarkable, ranging from 1.000 to 2.000 years. It survives all kinds of weather: thunderstorms, freezing cold, heat... it can even outlive wars and woodfires. Even when all else fails and the yew tree seems about to die and its wood has suffered from fires, a branch from the tree top is able to turn 180ยบ and start growing downwards, towards the ground. When it reaches the ground it digs itself into it, thus becoming a new root for the tree to start feeding itself again. It's like a rebirth.
Scientists started wondering why that fluid could kill the herbs and plants growing beneath the yew tree. Why and how did the fluid kill? They finally came up with the chemotherapics known as taxanes as an efficient treatment for different types of cancer, including breast cancer. As nature is not able to provide with the quantity of medicine required, taxanes are now synthetised in the labs. But the active principle is the same as the fluid from the yew tree. Properly treated chemically, well-dosified, and in infusion it is given to us now. The purpose? To kill bad cells within our bodies so that the good cells can thrive and we can survive, just like the yew tree does.
The memory of that day, many years ago, when I went to my uncle's house and he showed me a yew tree growing in the backyard comes vividly to my mind now. I remember him telling me not to touch it because it was poisonous. I remember looking at it with respect, thinking it looked strong and attractive. Little did I know that, in not such far away a future, that same tree planted in my uncle's backyard would now be saving our lives. THANK YEW.
[Thank you, Elisabet, for sharing about yew tree. It is not found in South East Asia, so will definitely look out for yew trees in my future travel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_baccata]
It is believed that Yew trees were originated in the age of dinosaurs in Asia, Asia, India, Europe, North Africa and North America. But only in 1960, the National Cancer Institute of the US started to invest in the anti-cancer component, Taxol.
ReplyDeleteAs a tree of life, it's beyond a beautiful metaphor!
Thank yew indeed... what an interesting reseearch... all ailments has its remedy (that can be found in nature), except for death (from old age), saying of the Islamic hadiths.
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