# What Aristotle said about oregano



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Nov 21, 2013)

I was speaking to a fellow tortoise friend and he was concerned about his tortoise having eaten, possibly, a cherimoya, Mark Twain's favorite fruit. The skin and seeds are known to be toxic. The seeds are actually crushed and used as an insecticide. I would venture to say in large amounts, but a tortoise is indeed smaller than a human. 

The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote that he had observed that tortoises who ate snakes would eat oregano afterwards, perhaps to counteract the poison. He therefore recommended oregano for poisonings. No wonder he was a great philosopher if he that much time to watch tortoises for that long.

Okay, so I take a look at my little testudo graeca I-do-not-what-elses, Wabi and Sabi, and there is no way in hell they are going to eat a snake. But that's not the point.

Oregano oil is used for many things, and I wanted to share this.

It stops food poisoning, for one, which is why we were thinking of using it as an antidote, as Aristotle believed.

It is said that oil of oregano is one of natureâ€™s most powerful essential oil for infections including bacteria, yeast, viruses and parasites. Oil of oregano contains two compounds known as thymol and carvacrol which are the known active components. Oil of oregano has the following uses: Food poisoning, sinus infections, upper respiratory infections, Helicobacter Pylori (the bacteria that causes ulcers), candida/yeast, intestinal bacterial infections, intestinal viral infections, parasites, urinary tract infections.

Do any members have oregano growing near their tortoise habitat?
And have any of you noticed that they eat it willingly that you know?


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## Jacqui (Nov 21, 2013)

Interesting, but no. I have really bad luck with herbs (almost as bad as I have with cactus), so I buy some every year, but keep them along pathways mainly for the smell factor and have not tried them in tortoise enclosures. (note to self: why are you not trying herbs in with the tortoises?). I love the smell of oregano, wonder what the tortoises do think about it. Good thread!


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## Saleama (Nov 21, 2013)

I planted some in with my Sullys and they tried it, didn't like it and trampled it to death within a week. Basil they ate in one day.


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## peasinapod (Nov 22, 2013)

*AW: What Aristotle said about oregano*

I have oregano in my enclosure. It once was a small bushel but my tortoise decided that he had to make a path right through it, so now it makes an arch. 

He has never tried to eat it.


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## Jacqui (Nov 22, 2013)

I am thinking that that wonderful smell is a bit too strong for their liking (as with many herbs)


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Nov 22, 2013)

That is what I thought also, that herbs tend to have strong oils and may not appeal easily, if at all. 
So Aristotle saw tortoises eating snakes (?) and then they ate oregano (?). Hmmm, what did Aristotle do/smoke/snort/drink before he saw all this, I wonder? 
I think for now I will just use the colloidal silver with oregano oil that I have for respiratory infections. I can spray it in the mouth or on the shell or spray into the soak water, and leave it at that. As a remedy.


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## AnnV (Nov 22, 2013)

I took oregano capsules for a long time for Lyme infections.
So my sister finds the pure oil and sends me some. 
Hmmm, never tried it that way. Smell it...Whew! Very strong. Follow directions to put in small glass of water and drink down.
O_M_G! I thought I would die! Much better inside a capsule! Even just a couple drops in a savory dish is too strong. Dont know what I'll do with the stuff. :-/


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## Jacqui (Nov 22, 2013)

BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> So Aristotle saw tortoises eating snakes (?) and then they ate oregano (?). Hmmm, what did Aristotle do/smoke/snort/drink before he saw all this, I wonder?



Well you also need to keep in mind, that the plant he saw is not the same plant of today. It may in those days have been a milder variety.


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## Tom (Nov 22, 2013)

...but snakes are not poisonous. You can eat them all day long. You can drink extracted rattlesnake venom and it won't hurt you unless you have a bleeding ulcer or open mouth sore.


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Nov 22, 2013)

AnnV said:


> I took oregano capsules for a long time for Lyme infections.
> So my sister finds the pure oil and sends me some.
> Hmmm, never tried it that way. Smell it...Whew! Very strong. Follow directions to put in small glass of water and drink down.
> O_M_G! I thought I would die! Much better inside a capsule! Even just a couple drops in a savory dish is too strong. Dont know what I'll do with the stuff. :-/



AnnV, that's hard core if you used it for Lyme. Oh my. Sounds like you got over it. It is a potent little oil, wow. My friend thought his tortoise, his large mamma tortoise, had gotten into a cherimoya and the skin and seeds can be toxic, so we were going to use it as a poison antidote. (She's fine, false alarm, phew!) My colloidal silver has some oregono in it. AnnV, that oil you have you can use for many things, including food poisoning and many other things, like the flu. So I guess we plug our nose and bottoms up, down some juice or tea as quickly as possible. : )


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