Myrrh Gum

Botanical Name: Commiphora molmol Common Names: Mo Yao, abyssinica, heerabol Folk Uses: Myrrh resin may be burned as incense for purification, exorcism, protection, and healing. Also, for funerary rites, connection with the ancestors and the underworld.  Myrrh has long history as a favorite among the original indigenous people of Africa, going back to its first discovery in the far reaches of time. A native to Ethiopia and Somalia, it has been used as long ago as 3000 BCE by the ancient Kemites to embalm mummies, as the oils not only provide a nice scent but slow decay by killing bacteria and other microbes.  Folk Medicinal Uses:  Traditionally used to treat skin wounds and infections; help treat some common parasites; used to treat oral infections. Promotes gut health; helps treat intestinal spasms related to irritable bowel syndrome and stomach ulcers. Myrrh is known to kill bacteria, as well as stimulate the immune system to make more white blood cells, which also kill bacteria.