Salix nigra bark of the tree contains salicylic acid, a chemical compound similar to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It may also be used as an environmental restorative. Swamp trees in general are, by necessity, good at surviving and thriving in areas where highly mobile environmental toxins are present. Black Willow is very resistant to herbivory and flooding and is also a fantastic erosion control tool. Thus, it is useful for any sort of marshland stabilization or restorative as long as the roots don’t penetrate any clay liner that may be in place. In a relatively extensive phytoremediation study, "Salix nigra" demonstrated some success
Hippocrates believing and arguing that disease was not a punishment inflicted by the gods but rather the product of environmental factors, diet, and living habits. Indeed there is not a single mention of a mystical illness in the entirety of the Hippocratic Corpus. However, Hippocrates did work with many convictions that were based on what is now known to be incorrect anatomy and physiology, such as Humorism. Ancient Greek schools of medicine were split (into the Knidian and Koan) on how to deal with disease. The Knidian school of medicine focused on diagnosis. Medicine at the time of Hippocrates knew almost