Re: Plants Help People Tolerate Pain
Maybe the next work of horticultultural research will show plants help
people tolerate pain outdoors too. That must be why a crowd can be
assembled to protest the destruction of gardens, but nary a soul is around
to protest development of an abandoned lot. All this time I thought it was
commitment to community & garden. Turns out it was just science. Bummer.
Bruce Wittchen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Honigman, Adam" <Adam.Honigman@Bowne.com>
To: "ACGA listserve" <community_garden@mallorn.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 11:20 AM
Subject: RE: [cg] Plants Help People Tolerate Pain
> Comrades,
>
> Re the findings of the good folks of Washington State University: I banged
> my thumb with a hammer last Saturday while working in the garden and
cursed
> a blue streak. The garden was in full end of season gorgeousness. My hand
> hurt like hell. Could it have been worse had I banged my hand in less
sylvan
> surroundings? I'm not planning on trying this experiment out any time
soon.
> I personally prefer brandy and a warm bath, but my wife - an RN - is no
fan
> of self indulgent men with boo-boos.
>
> However, persons with AIDs, seniors and folks with all sorts of chronic
> ailments use the Clinton Community Garden to recreate themselves, relax
and
> breathe. We have a club house residence for persons with mental problems a
> few doors down. Both staff and clients say nice things about the garden,
> draw pictures, walk about and the more together clients like to volunteer
(
> often more "sanely" than most of us.) Our volunteer bed gardeners try to
> keep a multi-season visual show going for our 2000 + neighborhood key
> holders ( many of whom will never get to the excellent NY Botanic or
> Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.)
> Once I had wrapped up my thumb, I continued tinkering, pruning,
> gardening....
>
> Happy Gardening,
>
> Adam
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Laura Berman [SMTP:laura@foodshare.net]
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2000 9:56 PM
> > To: ACGA listserve
> > Subject: [cg] Plants Help People Tolerate Pain
> >
> > Hi Everyone,
> > Here's something to ponder. Adam, surely you should have something to
say
> > about this.
> >
> > Plants Help People Tolerate Pain
> >
> > Results of a study which were published earlier this year in the journal
> > Horttechology, says that people in rooms with houseplants can tolerate
> > more
> > physical pain than those in surroundings without any plants, according
to
> > the study conducted at Washington State University.
> >
> > In the study each participant was asked to put a hand in a bowl of ice
> > water
> > and keep it there for as long as possible, up to 5 minutes. The control
> > group of 67 people completed the experiment while in a windowless room
> > without plants or decorative items.
> >
> > Another group of 69 people went through the routine in the same room
with
> > several houseplants, such as lipstick plant, philodendron and bamboo
palm.
> > The remaining 62 participants took part in the experiment in the room
> > without the plants but with the addition of colorful posters, a table
lamp
> > and other visually pleasing objects.
> >
> > Participants in the room with plants could tolerate more pain by keeping
> > their hands in the ice water longer than either of the other groups,
> > according to Virginia Lohr, horticulture professor, and research
> > technician
> > Caroline Pearson-Mims
> >
> >
> > =====================================
> > Laura Berman
> > Community Garden Programme Coordinator
> > FoodShare Toronto
> > 238 Queen St. West
> > Toronto, Ontario M5V 1Z7
> > Phone: (416) 392-1668
> > Fax: (416) 392-6650
> > email: laura@foodshare.net
> > cgnetwork@foodshare.net
> > web: www.foodshare.net
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > community_garden maillist - community_garden@mallorn.com
> > https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
>
> _______________________________________________
> community_garden maillist - community_garden@mallorn.com
> https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
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