Bush medicine

Bush medicine is the term used in Australia by Aboriginal people to describe their traditional medicinal knowledge and practices.

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The term is often used in conjunction with Bush tucker.

Different language groups have different bush medicine knowledge, based on where they live in Australia. Many Aboriginal people still use this knowledge today.

Generally, bush medicine is made from plant materials, such as bark, leaves (e.g. Tea tree oil (melaleuca oil)) and seeds. However, animal products can sometimes be used, such as emu and goanna fat.

Steaming, smoking and heating were also important bush medicine remedies, and could be carried out on the sick and on newborn babies.

Some examples of bush medicine include:

• Paperbark
  • young leaves chewed to alleviate headache
• Bean tree
  • bark used
• Eucalyptus

In general, there are two types of accepted causes of illness in aboriginal tribes - natural, and supernatural. Natural causes would be treated with natural remedies, and supernatural illnesses could only be treated with a spiritual cure. It was believed that evil spirits caused any illness without an obvious explanation and these would be treated by the tribe's medicine man who would specialise in spiritual cures.