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Versatile Savila is said to
be good for anything, from
feet to facials, and
potions to poultices.
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Aloe Vera's longevity is due
to its ability to live on
its own gel for nourishment.
remove wrinkles. Doctors prescribed savila for
arthritis, rheumatism, and stomach disorders, tell-
ing patients to drink it in water. It was a common
medication for insect bites, scratches, burns, cuts,
and skin irritations.
Apparently, many of the bygone uses proved
effective to modern researchers, as the Aloe Vera
plant is being grown commercially and used by at
least two manufacturers. One sells it as the base
for a skin cream and the other as a cure for
stomach trouble, rheumatism, and arthritis.
Early day inhabitants along our Texas-Mexico
border had beds of the plant growing by their
homes. In three old houses in the Zapata, San
Ygnacio area, vacant for nearly 50 years, the
savila still grows. It had to be put here on purpose
because of locations of beds at various sites. The
Aloe's apparent longevity is explainable, by the
fact that it may survive for long periods of time
by utilizing its own gel for nourishment.
During my information seeking treks to the
Zapata area, and with the aid of Bernie Dresden
and Gabrielson, I was able to track down many of
the users of savila. Most of those using the plant
have lived in the area for several generations, but
a few were outsiders who had been let in on
the "secret." In other words, it is a true "old
time" remedy, and not just a figure of speech.
Gabrielson told of many instances of his own
personal experience of the Aloe's being used for
medication by border doctors during his tour of
duty in the Zapata country. There and on into
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TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE
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