Neem Wood

[Yangdu]

To those of you who may have already checked the internet on information on Neem Wood you may find this personal item interesting. As a child we lived a long ways from medical assistance so my father often cared for us himself. One of the things he used was Neem Wood to break a fever. He would boil a chunk of wood in water and after cooling give us a glass or two of the water to drink. Yes, it was bitter, but it certainly worked and here I am.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I wonder if it's related to willow, which is where aspirin's ingredient comes from.

 

[hollowdweller]

Seems like somewhere I have seen Neem extract for sale

 

[SASSAS]

It has anti-parasitic and pesticidal/insecticidal properties too (without being harmful to mammals)...

 

[Spectre]

Thanks for the info, Aunt.

http://www.organicneem.com/

http://www.plantcultures.org.uk/plants/neem_other_uses.html (general)

http://www.plantcultures.org.uk/plants/neem_history.html (medicinal)

 

[SASSAS]

"1. We produce by patented process of Indian traditional way , With out using heat and chemicals. Known as natural cold process method"

How do you get to patent a traditional process? It's like patenting squeezing lemons to make lemonade...

 

[Morgane]

I've seen neem preparations at local South Asian drug and grocery stores, and wondered if that neem was the same as the wood in the handles. I like the smell, so maybe my next khukri?..

SASSAS, there are a myriad of herbal cold processes, so it's possible to patent one easily, even though there's usually no practical benefit to doing so.

 

[Svashtar]

Interesting! It certainly has a unique scent. I seem to like karam a bit more as it seems harder and smoother, but neem has much prettier grain lines. I got the movie model yesterday with it which is only my second and largest piece of it, the other being a small YCS karda. I'll see how it feels to the hand.

Thanks very much for the background information Yangdu.

Regards,

Norm

 

[TLM]

If I remember correctly some years ago some (Western?) company tried to patent just about everything connected to the Neem tree. They at first claimed that all two (?) thousand years of tradition counted for nothing because it was not written! Apparently somebody finally came to their senses, the application was rejected.

TLM

 

[Morgane]

It's easy to see why some company would want to 'own' neem. The stuff is most famous for it's use in toothpaste, but it gets into hair dye, medicines, and as we can see knife handles. There's a whole continent full of people who use neem everyday, it's a potential goldmine.

 

[Noah Zark]

It's like patenting squeezing lemons to make lemonade...

BruiseLeee owns the patent to squeezing lemons to make lemonade. A license is only $19.95.

Noah

 

[SASSAS]

It's easy to see why some company would want to 'own' neem. The stuff is most famous for it's use in toothpaste, but it gets into hair dye, medicines, and as we can see knife handles. There's a whole continent full of people who use neem everyday, it's a potential goldmine.

I lived a year in the international student dorm in college. My roommate was from India and it seemed his most important thing to get from home was toothpaste. He said ours left his teeth feeling dirty.

 

[SASSAS]

I've seen neem preparations at local South Asian drug and grocery stores, and wondered if that neem was the same as the wood in the handles. I like the smell, so maybe my next khukri?..

SASSAS, there are a myriad of herbal cold processes, so it's possible to patent one easily, even though there's usually no practical benefit to doing so.

I hate patent law. It makes absolutely no sense. Drug companies won't follow up on medicines that can't be synthesized and can only be acquired naturally because they can't patent it (per Discover mgazine a while back), but you can patent things people have done for centuries. If it weren't for web developers and accountants, lawyers would be the first ones off the plank of my pirate ship.

 

[donutsrule]

It's easy to see why some company would want to 'own' neem. The stuff is most famous for it's use in toothpaste.

BTW, in case any of you were tempted, please do not use your khukuri as a toothbrush...

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

BTW, in case any of you were tempted, please do not use your khukuri as a toothbrush...

Shucks Donut, a Kagas Katne makes a fine toothpick if'n you sharpen it up pointy

Sarge

 

[dragn_flame]

Nice to see you posting other than DOTD Miss Yangdu
I put a couple of coats of boiled linseed oil on my neem handles & no more smell, well except for the linseed oil that is lol
tom