Tree of Life?

The Pine Tree’s Role in Parasite Control and Medicine: A Historical Perspective

The pine tree (Pinus species), one of the most widespread and resilient trees in the Northern Hemisphere, has provided humanity with far more than timber and resin for shipbuilding. For thousands of years, various parts of the pine — especially its sticky resin, pine tar, and the distilled spirit known as turpentine — were prized in traditional medicine for their purported ability to kill parasites and fight infections.