Native to northern and eastern North America, birch trees possess
concentrations of salicylic acid, the predecessor of aspirin. Although
birch products were never widely used, folk medicine called for chewing
birch twigs to relieve headache and pain. Willows (Salix spp.) also
contain the pain-reducing acid.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Medicinal Trees Nux vomica (Strychnos nux-vomica )
The deadly poison strychnine comes from the seeds of this Asian tree. In
small amounts, or mixed with other drugs, strychnine can become a heart
stimulant or tonic.
Water and Trees
By Liliana Usvat
Blog179-365
In the early part of the first millennium B.C., Persians started constructing elaborate tunnel systems called qanats for extracting groundwater in the dry mountain basins of present-day Iran. Qanat tunnels were hand-dug, just large enough to fit the person doing the digging. Along the length of a qanat, which can be several kilometers, vertical shafts were sunk at intervals of 20 to 30 meters to remove excavated material and to provide ventilation and access for repairs.
The main qanat tunnel sloped gently down from pre-mountainous alluvial fans to an outlet at a village. From there, canals would distribute water to fields for irrigation. These amazing structures allowed Persian farmers to succeed despite long dry periods when there was no surface water to be had. Many qanats are still in use stretching from China on the east to Morocco on the west, and even to the Americas.
General Schematic for a Qanat.
(1) Infiltration part of the tunnel
(2) Water conveyance part of the tunnel
(3) Open channel
(4) Vertical shafts
(5) Small storage pond
(6) Irrigation area
(7) Sand and gravel
(8) Layers of soil
(9) Groundwater surface
Here is an example of an air condition system using underground water.
Blog179-365
In the early part of the first millennium B.C., Persians started constructing elaborate tunnel systems called qanats for extracting groundwater in the dry mountain basins of present-day Iran. Qanat tunnels were hand-dug, just large enough to fit the person doing the digging. Along the length of a qanat, which can be several kilometers, vertical shafts were sunk at intervals of 20 to 30 meters to remove excavated material and to provide ventilation and access for repairs.
The main qanat tunnel sloped gently down from pre-mountainous alluvial fans to an outlet at a village. From there, canals would distribute water to fields for irrigation. These amazing structures allowed Persian farmers to succeed despite long dry periods when there was no surface water to be had. Many qanats are still in use stretching from China on the east to Morocco on the west, and even to the Americas.
General Schematic for a Qanat.
(1) Infiltration part of the tunnel
(2) Water conveyance part of the tunnel
(3) Open channel
(4) Vertical shafts
(5) Small storage pond
(6) Irrigation area
(7) Sand and gravel
(8) Layers of soil
(9) Groundwater surface
Here is an example of an air condition system using underground water.
I found some old documents 600 years old of water systems used in Middle East that I found fascinating.
Here is an example of garden realized with these type of hydraulic systems. Alhambra Garden in Spain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)