haitian plants medicine

Goat feces are dried, powdered, mixed with olive oil and applied topically for burns, while packages made of urine and cotton are applied to the back of the heads of children with fever. GV drafted the manuscript. around Central Brasil, Minas in the North of the Province and Central Haiti in the South). Some touristic infrastructures (notably in Camagey city and Santa Luca beach) have been developed in the last decade [26]. When first beginning to study Haiti, I was intrigued to learn that leaf-doctoring, or herbal cures, are an integral part of many Haitians' health care regimens. All of the slaves traded their expertise in healing because of the plantation milieu and dire necessity in staying alive. Generally, decoction is used for hard and ligneous parts, including coriaceous leaves, while infusion is used only for soft leaves and shoots, especially from aromatic plants (e.g. [http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/ethcode.htm], Len H: Flora de Cuba. The continuous ingestion of low doses of the allelochemicals in these species may be an effective means to prevent massive parasite infestations, especially in children [43]. Between bellyaches and lucky charms. My own interest in herbal healing dates back twenty years when I moved to a rural area in the Ozarks and had occasion to meet local people who gathered herbs and used them to treat various ailments. Remedies prepared by heating plant parts in fire (four per cent) are mostly used for topical applications (e.g. My mom comes from a line of Haitian women herbalists from Gonaives, Haiti. Besides single medicinal plants, informants also reported 22 herbal mixtures that are mostly prepared as a concoction of plants or plant parts and ingested. The use of herbal medicine is common in Haiti, where the knowledge of plants is passed down through the generations, and Haitians are known to use the hibiscus flower and the cerasee plant . Most of those interviewed are elderly people living in remote rural areas; they often live alone since, because of their age, their husbands and wives have passed away and their children, if any, have migrated mainly to major Cuban cities (e.g. Knowledge, like slaves, was traded back and forth from slave to owner, owner to slave, Haiti to America, America to Haiti. Once they found themselves in Cuba, the main strategies that Haitian migrants used to maintain their ethnomedicinal practices depended principally on the floristic similarity between Haiti and Cuba (i.e. 2004, 58: 381-395. One home remedy that can be made from the plants and natural herbs in your herb garden is a frustration pain reliever called Echinacea. Traveling Plants and Cultures The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. Beyra A, Len M, Iglesias E, Ferrndiz D, Herrera R, Volpato G, Godinez D, Guimarais M, Alvarez R: Estudios etnobotnicos sobre plantas medicinales en la provincia de Camagey (Cuba). Traveling Plants and Cultures The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. Remedies used in Voodoo originate generally from plants, as do most prescription drugs . 2005, 102: 69-88. Otherwise, they live in hospices either in Camagey or in smaller cities and villages. dicinal plants utilized in the plain regions. The rapid disappearance of Haitian migrants' traditional culture due to integration and urbanization suggests that unrecorded ethnomedicinal information may be lost forever. Nez N, Gonzlez E: Antecedentes etnohistricos de la alimentacin tradicional en Cuba. 2023 BioMed Central Ltd unless otherwise stated. 2007, Oxford: Berghahn Books, 64-85. Cultural aspects related to traditional plant posology are addressed, as well as changes and adaptation of Haitian medicinal knowledge with emigration and integration over time. Additional file 1 lists the plant species cited by informants in alphabetical order according to their scientific name, along with their botanical families, vernacular Cuban and Haitian names (as reported by informants during the fieldwork), voucher specimen numbers, parts used, preparation of the remedies, medicinal use, and frequency of mention. It is also known as the bitter gourd or bitter cucumber in Asia, South America and the Middle East. Haiti looking to Madagascar's COVID-19 'miracle cure' | Miami Herald The last group of herbs I would like to comment on are three that could be called "female herbs". During the decades after emigration, the original Haitian ethnomedicinal knowledge progressively changed and adapted to the new environment, maintaining cultivation and use of important medicinal plants, incorporating plants and uses from the host Cuban culture, and diffusing specific plant uses to Cubans in contact with Haitian communities. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Also, in the anthelmintic use of Chenopodium ambrosioides, we can distinguish a posology for acute episodes (three buds every day before breakfast for three or seven days), and a posology for chronic infection (e.g. Voucher specimens were deposited at the CIMAC herbarium in Camagey (HACC). Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their - PubMed People like St. Fort, who grew up in Haiti, know to keep an eye out for the trusted plant. Citrus aurantium was found to be used medicinally to treat colds, fevers, hepatic disorders, gall bladder problems, rheumatism, epilepsy, emotional shock, bruising internally and externally, skin blemishes and digestive problems. The Origins of Human Diet and Medicine Chemical Ecology. To some, the wild green plant with five point leaves may be just an annoying weed, but to many in South Floridas Caribbean community Jamaicans, Bahamians,Trinidadians, Haitians -- its the "it" plant for just about every ailment. PubMed Those who arrived in the 1940s came either by plane or boat, although they were migrating mostly for the same reasons. It is named in honor of its discover, Quassia the Surinam slave. Volpato G, Godnez D: Ethnobotany of Pru, a traditional Cuban refreshment. They are persistent. The practice of using herbal baths both as physical and spiritual medicine is similar to other ethnic groups [37, 38]; as well, baths are very important in general in traditional health systems based on Afro-American religions [39], and their use among Haitians can be regarded at the same time as magical, spiritual, and medicinal. Dayana St. Fort was born in Haiti. Weniger B, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R. Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents. Ososki AL, Balick MJ, Daly DC: Medicinal plants and cultural variation across Dominican Rural, Urban, and Transnational Landscapes. Migrants confront a different sociocultural context and new environments where specific plants may no longer be available and traditional practices may come under pressure and therefore may be progressively adapted or abandoned [46]. It became quite a popular cure in the rural Southern states and its efficacy was even employed by the white slave owners and their families who needed a thorough worming. Boil and simmer until the water turns a murky greenish brown. The research project has been funded by a grant to Gabriele Volpato from the CERES Programme for Innovative PhD Research at Wageningen University (CEPIP-W). Haitian Plants Medicine. Among Haitians, these practices are often related to cosmological/ritual numbers, and plant quantities used in the preparation of the remedies and the timing of administration follow these numbers (mainly three and seven; see also Weniger et al. People who migrated in the 1920s generally sailed to eastern Cuba looking for jobs on the sugarcane plantations to improve their living conditions and support their families in Haiti. GUID:FB7A69D3-5F4B-4A23-86B2-F73B140ADACB. Herbal mixtures used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey. "y tienen faxones y fabas muy diversos de los nuestros" Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. 1995, 49: 249-256. Data also suggest that culturally relevant plants (those cited by more informants and with a greater number of uses) are often used in different qualitative ways by migrants and hosts. In the latter province, they mainly settled in Haitian communities such as Caidije and Guanamaca, thus permitting the perpetuation of their own culture, including the voodoo religion and the creole language [9-12]. (Colon, 154).. Estudio etnobotnico I. Fuentes V. Plants in Afro-Cuban Religions. Map of Cuba with the Province of Camagey. Juice extraction is mostly used for green parts and is preferred over decoction and infusion for topical applications. A preliminary study on Haitian plant use revealed that Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae), common name "zorange si" was utilized in a wide variety of ways. GV, DG, AB, and AB carried out interviews and collected data in the field. Esquivel M, Hammer K: The Cuban homegarden 'conuco': a perspective environment for evolution and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources. The magic . The plants cited were photographed, collected with the informants during the interviews, and identified by authors (D.G., A.B., A.B.) I was fortunate to have three solid sources of information on herbs in Haiti: Laguerre's Afro-Caribbean Folk Medicine, Colon's Traditional Use of Medicinal Plants in the Province of Pedernales, Santo Domingo, and Jordan's Voodoo Medicine. Some 22 herbal mixtures are reported, including formulas for a preparation obtained using the fruit of Crescentia cujete. 1998, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba: Editorial Oriente, Creole Language and Culture: Part of Cuba's Cultural Patrimony. Often performed during the new year and around holidays, voudou baths are designed to bestow various blessings from God: anything from better cash flow to improved health or a new baby. Afrikanische Arzneipflanzen und Jagdgifte Chemie, Pharmakologie, Toxikologie. only with the new moon [42]), where the remedy is ingested periodically throughout the year. She said, Once you see this crazy woman on the side of the street picking up bush, you can say, Oh, shes from the island. Davis had found Datura growing in Haiti. You can drink that one over there named King of the Forest, she said. Back to Eden, 1939. Mints such as catnip are widely used both in Haiti and America. 1959, Port-au-Prince: Imprimerie de L'etat. Journal of Black Studies. Traditional and ritual plant posology should be investigated in more depth in ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies in order to understand their relation with medicinal plant efficacy and toxicity. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. The practice of using herbal baths both as physical and spiritual medicine is similar to other ethnic groups [37,38]; as well, baths are very important in general in traditional health systems based on Afro-American religions [39], and their use among Haitians can be regarded at the same time as magical, spiritual, and medicinal. Some people from the Caribbean believe theres almost nothing cerasee doesnt work for. The Province of Camagey is located between 2031'01" and 2229'00" latitude North and 7657'00" longitude West from Greenwich. Weniger B, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R: Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents. Scull R, Miranda M, Infante RS: Plantas medicinales de uso tradicional en Pinar del Ro. Colon, Sandra Hernandez. Topical application as a pomade or plaster is used in 10% of the remedies, while frictioning, preferred with preparations for rheumatisms and arthritis, accounts for two per cent. Article A fresh pot of cerasee or asosi tea, a traditional plant used across the Caribbean for all ailments. This figure is based on a comparison with data from another province that also absorbed much Haitian migration to Cuba, the Province of Guantanamo [13]. religious and traditional practices have merged with medicine. Once in the field, we asked for the help of the local government officers responsible for health (doctors or nurses from the local hospital) to determine whether there were any elderly Haitians living in the locality and precisely where. 1954, La Habana: Ediciones CR, Germosn-Robineau L: Farmacopea Vegetal Caribea. Baths are also prepared to rid people of the 'bad' and the 'evil eye', a practice known in Afro-Cuban religions as despojo [34,35], mainly using species such as Vitex trifolia, Trichilia glabra, Alpinia speciosa, Allophyllus cominia. The complexity of practices related to traditional posology is rarely investigated in ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies. She lives in Pembroke Pines and she also grew up drinking asosi tea. Cerasee Or Asosi: The Cure-All Plant For South Florida's Caribbean Primero Simposio de Botnica; La Habana. As a library, NLM provides access to scientific literature. Divergence and Convergence in Traditional Plant-Based Medicinal Pieroni A, Vandebroek I, Eds: Traveling Plants and Cultures. 8600 Rockville Pike Anales del Jardn Botnico de Madrid. 1998, 32: 57-62. Comisin Nacional de Nombres Geogrficos . Seabrook claimed it was called "pains cutter" in rural Haiti.. Douching with a decoction made from oak bark is another female remedy found in both Haiti and the Ozarks (Jordan, 735; Kloss, 171). Have a sore throat? most plants used in Haiti were also available in Cuba), and to the cultivation of medicinal plants in the new environment. Interviews were conducted in Spanish after first explaining the aims of the study. Although its roots grow downwards, the plant itself can grow up to 1.5 meters high, with long and thin leaves and brownish/golden flowers. Code of ethics of the American Anthropological Association. In this context, traditional ethnobotanical practices are sometimes reconstituted as part of Haitian culture [14]. the contents by NLM or the National Institutes of Health. Five formulas have been reported as miel de gira (siw kalbaz in Creole), whose main ingredient is the fruit of Crescentia cujete. They relied heavily on homegardens, wild plants, and on traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in order to survive. In my research, I discovered three herbs that are used for female problems both in Haiti and Ozarkia. Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, http://www.afrocubaweb.com/haiticuba.htm#creole, http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/ethcode.htm, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. Consequently, there is little data in the literature about the ethnobotanical knowledge and practices of Haitians in Cuba, with the exception of Volpato et al. It's not just a weed. Why some Caribbean immigrants seek out this wild The plant parts used include: leaves and aerial parts (53.5% as a whole), young leaves and shoots (9.7%), seeds and fruits (8.4% each), roots and tubers (7.7% as a whole), bark (4%), stems (3%), flowers (2.3%), rhizomes (1.3%), and resins and bulbs (0.6% each). Cash-strapped Haitians find Voodoo a cheaper alternative to traditional Armed with Sunflower Tea and Ginger Root, Haitian Mountain People - VOA Among first generation migrants, twenty are originally from the cities of Les Cayes (Creole name Okai) and Port Salut (Creole name Posal), in the South of Haiti, whereas four lived in or near Port-au-Prince. This use of cricket's legs has been also reported by Hernndez and Volpato [19] in their article about the medicinal mixtures of Eastern Cuba, as well as by Seoane [16] in his treatise on Cuban medical folklore. She is a believer of remed fey, or bush medicine. California Privacy Statement, Her laments were set to music: Needless to say, mint teas are the first to be administered if someone complains of stomach upset in Haiti or Ozarkia.. Quite unlike the soothing properties of the mints are the herbs that are known for their tonic or stimulating effects. Mixtures (components, parts used, preparation and means of use) are given in Table Table1,1, whereas the presence of species in mixtures is reported in Additional file 1. 1974, La Habana: Instituto Cubano del Libro. Richard Allen Journal of Ethnopharmacology. CERES Research School, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, NL-6706, Wageningen, the Netherlands, CIMAC, Centro de Investigaciones de Medio Ambiente de Camagey, Cuba. 10.1016/j.jep.2004.11.022. Her go-to cure-all medicinal plant is asosi, also called cerasee or corailee in the English-speaking Caribbean. (Jordan, 726) Nonetheless, catnip is such a good all-purpose herb it is no surprise that it shares equal popularity in Haiti as it does in the hill country of Missouri and Arkansas. Five formulas have been reported as miel de gira (siw kalbaz in Creole), whose main ingredient is the fruit of Crescentia cujete. About 10% each of the remedies are prepared by means of juice extraction and infusion. Summary. Medicinal plants and cultural variation across Dominican Rural, Urban, and Transnational Landscapes. [2125]. Plantas medicinales de uso tradicional en Pinar del Ro. 1966, 1: 25-39. This paper focuses on traditional medicinal plant uses of Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. A 2017 World Bank report revealed that Haiti's health sector is underfunded, with public spending per capita totaling $13 per year. Revealing Latinos' plant-healing knowledge and practices in New York City. Other medicinal uses reported in this study and also commonly found in the Cuban pharmacopoeia include the use of the aerial parts of Cissus verticillata for respiratory problems, of the young fruit of Cocos nucifera and the leaves of Portulaca oleracea for intestinal parasites, of the bark and the leaves of Mangifera indica for gastrointestinal and respiratory problems respectively. Baths are the second more important category of means of application at almost 16% of the total. Fieldwork was carried out from December 2002March 2003 and from FebruaryJuly 2004. Its worse than cod liver oil.. volume5, Articlenumber:16 (2009) This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Esquivel M, Fuentes V, Martnez C, Martnez J, Hammer K. The African influence from an Ethnobotanical Point of View. They brought plants and they brought their collective memories. He remembered and was able to impart that knowledge when he arrived in the Caribbean. Haitian ethnobotanical practices related to traditional posology often follow cosmological/ritual numbers, both for plant quantities and timing of administration. Inventaire ethnopharmacologique. Received 2009 Feb 28; Accepted 2009 May 18. What I found was that even though Haiti has many native tropical plants that are used medicinally, quite a few of the same medicinal plants grow there that do in the Ozarks. Migrants confront a different sociocultural context and new environments where specific plants may no longer be available and traditional practices may come under pressure and therefore may be progressively adapted or abandoned [46]. The research led to the identification of 123 different plant species used for medicinal purposes by Haitians and their descendants in the Province of Camagey. The Coolness of Cleansing | ReVista Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in Mixtures (components, parts used, preparation and means of use) are given in Table 1, whereas the presence of species in mixtures is reported in Additional file 1. 1) and generally sold for US$1.50 to $2.50. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. GV drafted the manuscript. Children's baths prepared with anthelmintic plants (e.g. Audrey Rowe is Jamaican. Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents - ScienceDirect Phillis has sold medicinal herbs since the age of 9, when she helped her mother. Given the availability of medicinal plants in the surrounding environment, for some species at least, the use of fresh plants may present the advantage of preserving more active compounds and consequently enhancing their absorption and effectiveness. [14], while some other information can be found in James et al. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. They are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. Macia M, Garcia E, Vidaurre PJ: An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants commercialized in the markets of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia. There are many varieties such as peppermint, spearmint, lemonmint and horsemint. De Smet PAGM: Traditional pharmacology and medicine in Africa. Very, very, very bitter. The most frequently used species are Chenopodium ambrosioides, Cissus verticillata, Cocos nucifera, Crescentia cujete, Cymbopogon citratus, Lippia alba, Momordica charantia, Pimenta dioica, Portulaca oleracea, Psidium guajava, and Stachytarpheta jamaicensis. 1957, La Habana: Contribuciones Ocasionales del Museo de Historia Natural Colegio La Salle 10, P. Fernndez and Ca, Alain H: Flora de Cuba. Laguerre, Michel S. Afro-Caribbean Folk Medicine, S. Hadley, Mass: Bergin & Garvey, 1987. The present investigation shows that Haitian migrants and their descendants living in the Province of Camagey (Cuba) have medicinal uses for 123 plant species belonging to 112 genera in 63 families. 2000, La Habana, Cuba: Centro de Antropologa-CEISIC-Centro Juan Marinello, Espronceda ME: Parentesco, inmigracin y comunidad. New York: Paragon, 1989. Other therapeutic uses treat afflictions of the reproductive apparatus (menstrual disorders, ovary pain, vaginal infections, as an aphrodisiac; about 9%), skin afflictions (wounds, burns, rashes; about 9%), helminth worm infections (about 7%), and renal afflictions (diuretic, depurative; about 7%). Kloss, Jethro. Article Often, a decoction of leaves and aerial parts is prepared, sometimes in combinations of different species, and left to cool, or otherwise these vegetal parts are smashed and directly added to the bath water. DG, AB, and AB performed botanical analysis and species identification. At the same time, posology is embedded in specific rituals that are performed during the preparation of the remedies, which on the one hand serve to memorize the proper dose, especially when dealing with toxic allelochemicals, and on the other hand contribute to the efficacy of the remedy by invoking supernatural forces and entities related to those rituals and numbers. Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. 1985, 497-509. Human Ecology. Haiti is one of the leading producers of vetiver in the world. Most of those interviewed are elderly people living in remote rural areas; they often live alone since, because of their age, their husbands and wives have passed away and their children, if any, have migrated mainly to major Cuban cities (e.g. About 40% of the total population of the province lives in the city of Camagey; almost 200,000 people live in rural areas. Besides Haitians, other ethnic groups in the Province include Jamaicans and Chinese. Part of But even cerasee devotees say some of the claims might just be old wives tales. Weniger B, Rouzier M, Daguilh R, Henrys D, Henrys JH, Anton R. La medecine populaire dans le Plateau Central d'Haiti. DeSantis' appointed board approves a lawsuit against Disney, South Florida professor allegedly fired over racial justice unit files civil rights complaint, Gas prices across Florida are on the decline and could get even lower, Florida LGBTQ+ lawmaker tells the GOP: 'Im literally trying to exist', The Symphonia's climate change-themed concert series concludes with 'Water', Favorite Zip Odes: Poems about cafecito, heat, language and I-95 traffic, Bumping Lady Gaga off the charts? 1. [15]. Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents - PubMed 10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0381:EOPATC]2.0.CO;2. In contrast, the use of the same species with different medicinal purposes may be the result of migrant's adoption of some species through experimentation with plants found in the new environment (e.g. 2009, 37 (1): 43-53. Cerasee or asosi . GV and DG conceived and designed the research. Often this practice is associated with a ritual acknowledgement of the plant and its power, by leaving a coin in the place where leaves have been collected, or by adding a coin to the bath and later leaving it at road crossing. Herbal and Traditional Medicine in Post-Earthquake Haiti Rituality based on 'sacred' numbers represents, in these cases, a simple way of memorizing the proper dose to be used, as well as a contribution to the efficacy of the remedy by calling upon supernatural forces and entities related to those numbers. Abstract. [14]. Although they are also reported in Beyra et al.

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haitian plants medicine