I think the Flambean and Flamboyant trees are similar. Mine are growing in South Texas
lacey leaves, orchid like red blooms just beautiful, and the tree growns huge long bean like pods.

OK I'll play...
http://members.tripod.com/~berdina/folkmedicine.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~melv8n/second.html
http://guadlouptour.ifrance.com/guadlouptour/remede.html

"To dissipate the migraine or headaches.
Make three times of the applications on the temples with rum well mêmé to camphor. Very extremely drink by small mouthfuls a black coffee cup in which you
pressed the juice of a lemon. Apply to the face a made tallow paste (soft candle) of laudanum and grated nutmeg."

tal·low (tl) n.
1. Hard fat obtained from parts of the bodies of cattle, sheep, or horses, and used in foodstuffs or to make candles, leather dressing, soap, and lubricants.
2. Any of various similar fats, such as those obtained from plants.

lau·da·num (lôdn-m) n.
A tincture of opium, formerly used as a drug.

Alternate directions:
Throw out everything else and use the opium. After that no more problems....

Oh Chris, you are a stitch. I love the part about throwing out everythign except the opium. I think the soft candle is made out of tallow or whale fat, (not sure). It supposedly has great curing poweres. I hate to see all the old knowledge get lost...that's why I put up the quest...and it gives us something interesting to talk about...don't you think?

MR

Chris thanks for sharing those sites, they were very interesting. Now about the flambean trees. I did a search and found the flamboyant tree..it's like a royal poincianna..here is a pic...http://www.cuttington.org/cucpa10.htm

then there is the Flambeau tree..an african tulip tree.

MR

Ok here is a link for the african tulip tree. it takes a while to load and it's in african..just wait for the pic of the tree.
http://www.azp.ks.edu.tw/spathodea.htm

MR

Got this from Melvin......soft candle is made from a derivative of petroleum: from
paraffin wax it is treated with other chemicals to get the "softness"
while the harder candle is treated slightly different so that the outcome is
slightly different as well.

Melvin

MR

Sounds like petroleum jelly or gel wax or something in between.
http://www.alkachemical.com/

I would guess that the curing power does not come from the soft candle, but rather it is just a means to hold the medicine next to the afflicted area. Any grease (animal, vegetable, or petroleum based) probably works equally well as long as it is of the correct consistency.

Thanks Chris, but it has that wierd smell...that's why I think it's whale blubber.

MR

I ate some whale blubber once or so I am told. My family did an Alaska trip one summer when I was in my teens. We spent a night in Barrow (Northern most city) during a Native American holiday that permits them to kill and eat a whale. I had bad case of jet lag because of the time difference and the fact the sun was up virtually all night. So, I never left the hotel room. My dad came back from the festival, woke me up, and fed me some whale blubber.

I remember none of it, but I still feel a bit sad that I wasn't able to make my own decision on whether or not to take part in the eating of such a magnificant creature. I am still not sure what my decision would have been...
http://www.kingeider.net/king5.html

[This message has been edited by ChrisW (edited 12-11-2001).]