For years a group of researchers have followed the activities of the wild orangutan population in the Gunung Leuser National Park on the island of Sumatra, where the Sumatran orangutan is considered a critically endangered species. One of the subjects of their study is a male orangutan that they have named Rakus, estimated to be around 35 years old. As reported by the New York Times, one day scientists observed Rakus repeatedly rubbing chewed-up leaves of a forest plant on a facial wound he had suffered. "The plant Rakus used (is) known as akar kuning or yellow root," reports Douglas Main. It is a plant used by people throughout Southeast Asia to treat malaria, diabetes and other conditions. "Research shows it has anti-inflammatory

and antibacterial properties."

This behavior — the subject of a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports — is considered "the first known observation of a wild animal using a plant to treat a wound" with a plant that has medicinal properties, Main writes. "Primates have been observed appearing to treat wounds in the past, but not with plants."

While humans have used plants for thousands of years to treat ailments, pain and disease, it now appears we are not the only species to practice this kind of medicine. "Nature has been good to us," states a report by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. "Nature gave us aspirin and morphine, and other medicines derived from plants. The use of plants as medicines has a long history in the treatment of disease, and plants have played an important role in improving our health."

Still, herbal supplements found in nature continue to find themselves in what has now become an age-old debate when it comes to healing solutions. Which is better,

synthetic drugs or natural plant-based products?

"A lot of people believe that when it comes to medicine, 'natural' is better, healthier, and safer than 'unnatural' or synthetic drugs," the NCCIH report notes. "'Natural' does not always mean that it's a safer or better option for your health.

"For many, the word 'chemical' has come to mean toxic or synthetic, something to be avoided. But everything is made of chemicals — the apple on your kitchen countertop, the ceramic mug in your cupboard, and even the air that you breathe. In fact, you are made up of chemicals, too," the report continues.

"Although synthetic drugs have only recently been introduced into Western medicine, we trust them over and above natural medicines that have been around for thousands of years," states Dr. Nicola Williams in a News Medical report. "This is because we know far more about them and their effects on the body.

"Synthetic drugs are standardized in comparison to natural medicines. They are prepared following strict standard operating procedures whereby each batch is guaranteed to be of the same quality as the last. The producers of herbal medicines, meanwhile, do not have to follow such regulated procedures."

According to Williams, the perception that natural products are safer than synthetic drugs is statistically true: "About 8% of hospital admissions in the US, for example, are due to adverse or side effects of synthetic drugs."

As reported in Journal of Nephropharmacology, "Approximately 100,000 people each year die due to these toxicities. It means that the killed people in the U.S. by pharmaceutical drugs are at least three times more than the killed by drunken drivers. Each year also thousands of people die from supposedly 'safe' over-the-counter drugs. Deaths or hospitalizations due to herbs are so rare that they are hard to find."

A point on which there seems to be wide agreement is the belief that synthetic and herbal medicines don't mix well when taken at the same time. "It is generally advisable not to do this," cautions Williams. "It is also advisable not to take herbal medicine during pregnancy." As Steven Novella points out, "both are drugs, with risks and benefits."

There is also ample reason to believe the importance and benefits of herbal medicines are destined to grow. As noted by Williams, "modern pharmaceutical medicines are inaccessible to much of the world's populace." As I wrote last week, one out of four Americans today cannot afford the medicine their doctors prescribe.

"It's necessary to increase our knowledge of herbal medicines, which are underutilized and have not been effectively studied scientifically," says Williams. Another distinction that needs to be made is that herbal therapy is a holistic therapy. It is different from synthetic drugs. It connects with us on emotional, mental and spiritual levels. "Humans have been using plants for medicinal purposes since the beginning of civilization," says Williams. Traditionally, "herbal medical knowledge is dispersed amongst communities, families, tribes, and local practitioners. There are fears that due to the impact of modernization and globalization this valuable and ancient knowledge may soon be lost."

Back in the forest of Sumatra, Isabelle Laumer, a primatologist with the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, observed that Rakus ingested a small amount of akar kuning and coated his wound several times. "Five days after the wound was noticed, it had closed," according to Main, "and less than a month later 'healed without any signs of infection,'" Laumer noted.

Follow Chuck Norris through his official social media sites, on Twitter @chucknorris and Facebook's "Official Chuck Norris Page." He blogs at http://chucknorrisnews.blogspot.com. To find out more about Chuck Norris and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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