Toothache Plant
An old man walks through the woods holding his jaw which throbs with pain from a toothache. He searches the ground for a low flower shaped like a cone. At last he finds a patch, breaks off a blossom and places it in his mouth over the sore tooth. Soon the pain is dulled an he picks a few more flowers for the walk home.
This kind of story may have happened many times in history. The plant called toothache plant (Acmella oleracea) in the same family as daisies and sunflowers is now being recognized as possible modern day medicine.Just a small pinch of the flower in the mouth causes instant numbness and profuse saliva. It is used as a cooking spice known as Sechuan button, and even as a natural alternative to Botox for aging wrinkles. The active ingredient spilanthol affects the saliva gland and the trigeminal nerve.
