/oss/taxonomy/term/1037/all en /oss/article/did-you-know-history/aloe <p>Alexander the Great was known to use aloe as a purgative after being taught about the plant’s effects by his tutor Aristotle.  Purgatives were highly valued at the time because it was believed that illness could be eliminated from the body by expelling the contents of the digestive tract.  Aloe juice can do this very effectively.  The juice can also be a mild remedy for skin disorders but this was not the main application in antiquity.  Today various unsubstantiated claims are made about the ability of aloe juice to cure digestive ailments.</p> Wed, 31 May 2017 14:25:33 +0000 OSS 2503 at /oss /oss/article/health-history/juice-aloe-vera-plant-has-reputation-helping-heal-skin-disorders-what-did-aristotle-recommend-juice <p style="text-align:justify">Cleansing the body...internally. You know what Aristotle said to Alexander the Great in 325 B.C.? 'Come here Alex, I have something to show you'. And he showed him a plant. It was the Socotrine aloe, which originated from the island of Socotra, east of the horn of Africa. Aristotle had learned that the juice of the plant had an amazing effect. It was a purgative. You drank a little and everything came out. This was an important finding at the time because it was widely believed that illnesses could be cured by cleaning out the body.</p> Fri, 24 May 2013 18:38:10 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1946 at /oss