haitian plants medicine

More than half of the plant species reported in that study are also reported in the current study of Haitian immigrants and their descendants. Nowadays Haitians are mostly integrated into mainstream Cuban society, although many of them maintain a small-scale farming and livestock production as a base for their livelihoods. Just one of the high notes from Seraphic Fire's first 20 years, Judy Blume, on top of the world (and her Key West bookstore), Adrienne Kennedy akennedy@wlrn.org (305)-995-2256, FRIENDS OF WLRN, INC. AS MEDIA MANAGER OF WLRN PUBLIC MEDIA. It is also known as the bitter gourd or bitter cucumber in Asia, South America and the Middle East. Herbal mixtures used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey. 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. Ethnopharmacological themes in sub-Saharan art objects and utensils. Baths are the second more important category of means of application at almost 16% of the total. Decoction of fresh herbal components (mainly leaves and other aerial parts) is the preferred means to prepare medicinal remedies. The plants cited were photographed, collected with the informants during the interviews, and identified by authors (D.G., A.B., A.B.) 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. Kote ou bouke m pote Cultura haitiana en Esmeralda. A fresh pot of cerasee or asosi tea, a traditional plant used across the Caribbean for all ailments. In today's Video Wilnise Francois will be sharing some of her favorite Haitian Traditional Plants.Wilnise Francois is a Haitian-American Licensed Nurse and H. To locate the respondents, we first focused on the areas in the province where historical and oral records indicate the presence of Haitian communities (e.g. Although in the recent past there has been an increase in ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal investigations in Cuba [15-19], these have generally not paid attention to the specific ethnic knowledge that immigrants have contributed to traditional Cuban medicine. DG, AB, and AB performed botanical analysis and species identification. Camagey, La Habana). Another emmenagogue employed in both Haiti and the Ozarks is vervain. Miel de gira is considered as a panacea, and its use is apparently widespread among Cuban and Cuban-Haitian populations as a preventive and a remedy, when it is taken in small spoons in doses of from one to five spoons per day [16]. following Len [28], Len and Alain [29-31] and Alain [32,33]. Etnologa y Folklore. Su estudio en la ciudad de Santiago de Cuba. Rowe and Francis are both Jamaican. Inclusion in an NLM database does not imply endorsement of, or agreement with, Today's Cubans rely for food and medicine on a mixed culture that draws upon wisdom originating mainly from Indian, African, Spanish, and Antillean ethnic groups [15]. Rowe said growing up in Jamaica people used to tell pregnant women that if they wanted their babies to be born with pretty brown skin, they should drink cerasee. In: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H, editor. The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed. Nez N, Gonzlez E. Antecedentes etnohistricos de la alimentacin tradicional en Cuba. Juice extraction is mostly used for green parts and is preferred over decoction and infusion for topical applications. 2004, 90: 293-316. A few other remedies of non-vegetal origin were also reported. Edited by: Pieroni A, Vandebroek I. Volpato G, Ahmadi Emhamed A, Lamin Saleh SM, Broglia A, Di Lello S: Procurement of traditional remedies and transmission of medicinal knowledge among Sahrawi people displaced in Southwestern Algerian refugee camps. 1957, La Habana: Contribuciones Ocasionales del Museo de Historia Natural Colegio La Salle 10, P. Fernndez and Ca, Alain H: Flora de Cuba. He remembered and was able to impart that knowledge when he arrived in the Caribbean. Inventory of medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. A close-up of the cerasee bouquet Audre Rowe plans to use as a topical treatment for a rash. 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. 1997, Stuttgart: Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. 2002, Camagey, Cuba: Editorial cana. About 75% of the inhabitants live in urban areas, where Camagey, Florida and Nuevitas are the major cities. Inventaire ethnopharmacologique. The incorporation of local remedies into their own pharmacopoeia occurred as a consequence of factors such as cultural contacts and exchanges between Haitians and Cubans and of personal experimentation or imitation of local practices by migrants. 1985, 497-509. Before you rub yourself with it, Sister Francis instructed, youwash it and rub it all over where the itching is.. Ingestion is the preferred means to administer the remedies and accounts for 62% of all applications. She is a believer of remed fey, or bush medicine. 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]. I used Kloss's Back to Eden and Santillo's Natural Healing with Herbs for my American source books. Immigration was a key factor in the plans for economic reconstruction after the War of Independence against Spain, and West Indians entered Cuba as cheap labour required to cut sugarcane [8]. Eating and Healing: Traditional Food as Medicine. 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. 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. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies GV, DG, AB, and AB carried out interviews and collected data in the field. Richard Allen Au DT, Wu J, Jiang Z, Chen H, Lu G, Zhao Z. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Hakka in Guangdong, China. Macia M, Garcia E, Vidaurre PJ: An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants commercialized in the markets of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia. Conversely, Justicia pectoralis, reported by Haitians only as a component of one mixture, is widely used and reported by Cubans for its sedative effects [15, 19]. 1984, La Habana: Editora Ciencias Sociales. 1998, 32: 57-62. Haitian ethnobotanical practices related to traditional posology often follow cosmological/ritual numbers, both for plant quantities and timing of administration. Herbal Index. Volpato G, Godnez D. Ethnobotany of Pru, a traditional Cuban refreshment. 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. Fieldwork was carried out from December 2002March 2003 and from FebruaryJuly 2004. Those who arrived in the 1940s came either by plane or boat, although they were migrating mostly for the same reasons. Google Scholar. One home remedy that can be made from the plants and natural herbs in your herb garden is a frustration pain reliever called Echinacea. Google Scholar. This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. Along with the knowledge some of the slaves were able to bring a few plants. Since catnip is a very mild herb for humans, it is safe to give to babies in tea form. I surmise that Quassia the Surinam had seen a plant similar to bitterwood in Africa. But in Haiti, the purifying qualities of sarsaparilla are held to be more important because of the emphasis Haitians place on the role of blood in the body. 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%). Primero Simposio de Botnica; La Habana. She is a believer of remed fey, or bush medicine. FOIA Some of its benefits include antitumor effects, nerve cell protection, anxiety- and . Some touristic infrastructures (notably in Camagey city and Santa Luca beach) have been developed in the last decade [26]. Haitian migrants played an important role shaping Cuban culture and traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. 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. Hernndez J. Uso popular de plantas con fines medicinales. 2007, Oxford: Berghahn, 245-269. GV drafted the manuscript. 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. 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. Here Kloss seems to be hinting in his 1939 publication that vervain can be used to cause abortion. 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. Edited by: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H. 1992, Gatersleben, Germany: Institut fr Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, 1: 83-109. 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. 1979, La Habana, Cuba: Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, Guanche J, Garcia AJ: Ethnic history. dicinal plants utilized in the plain regions. Still, cerasee is in demand, especially for Caribbean transplants now living here in South Florida. Boletn de Resea de Plantas Medicinales. 2007, Oxford: Berghahn, 14-38. These mixtures can be more or less complex, ranging from a concoction of two plants to complex preparations with different species. Economic Botany. 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. statement and [14], while some other information can be found in James et al. For most Haitian migrants, given their poverty, there was no possibility to make trips back to Haiti to procure remedies that were not available in the new environment. Esquivel M, Hammer K: The Cuban homegarden 'conuco': a perspective environment for evolution and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources. Of these, about three quarters were reported with the same medicinal uses, and the remaining quarter with different uses. 2. 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. Remedies prepared by heating plant parts in fire (four per cent) are mostly used for topical applications (e.g. I have chosen eight that are used both in Haiti and the Ozarks to describe and comment on. Creole is the second most spoken language in the Province of Camagey, after Spanish. Today we have black-eyed peas, sesame seeds and peanuts in the Americas because slaves brought them along on the middle passage. 1991, 22: 55-76. ). The complexity of practices related to traditional posology is rarely investigated in ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies. Echinacea can be taken numerous times a day, as recommended by an herbalist. Some plant uses have a common origin in the ethnobotanical practices of Caribbean people of African cultural heritage, the so-called Afro-Caribbean pharmacopoeia: examples include the use of the aerial parts of Lippia alba and Cymbopogon citratus, as well as the use of roots and ligneous parts of Allophylus cominia, Caesalpinia bahamensis, Erythroxylum havanense, and Chiococca alba. They are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. Remedies shared between Haitian immigrants and their descendants and the Cuban population are mainly the result of the presence of shared ethnobotanical knowledge before migration took place, but as well reflect adoption by Haitian immigrants of plants and/or uses from the dominant Cuban pharmacopoeia and, to a lesser extent, vice versa. 19001931. Informants reported using 123 plant species belonging to 112 genera in 63 families. I soon learned however that Caribbean folk medicine cannot be studied without comparing it to African-American practices. 10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0381:EOPATC]2.0.CO;2. 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. y tienen faxones y fabas muy diversos de los nuestros " Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. 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. To gain further insights, we qualitatively compared our results with those reported in other Cuban ethnobotanical studies [18, 19, 42, 49] and especially with the work of Beyra et al. Its popular name suggested the plant was used in creating zombies. Haitian immigrants and their descendants mainly decoct or infuse aerial parts and ingest them, but medicinal baths are also relevant. Special thanks are due to all of the Haitian respondents and their families for their kindness and for agreeing to share their knowledge with us, with oral consent being provided for figure 2; to the members of the Asociacin de Haitianos de Camagey; to Patricia Howard for her commentaries and suggestions. Between bellyaches and lucky charms. 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. y tienen faxones y fabas muy diversos de los nuestros " Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. Map of Cuba with the Province of Camagey. The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed. Canella winterana, Pimenta dioica) are added to preparations with stomachic purposes. 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. only with the new moon [42]), where the remedy is ingested periodically throughout the year. 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. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Su estudio en la ciudad de Santiago de Cuba. Original music by Dan Powell and . 2009, 37 (1): 43-53. My mom comes from a line of Haitian women herbalists from Gonaives, Haiti. 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. Some plant uses have a common origin in the ethnobotanical practices of Caribbean people of African cultural heritage, the so-called Afro-Caribbean pharmacopoeia: examples include the use of the aerial parts of Lippia alba and Cymbopogon citratus, as well as the use of roots and ligneous parts of Allophylus cominia, Caesalpinia bahamensis, Erythroxylum havanense, and Chiococca alba. GV and DG conceived and designed the research. Today's Cubans rely for food and medicine on a mixed culture that draws upon wisdom originating mainly from Indian, African, Spanish, and Antillean ethnic groups [1-5]. News reports immediately following the disaster documented displaced Haitians sitting . The resulting juice is then mixed with sugar and/or bee's honey and sometimes a small amount of rum, and drunk/eaten for problems of the respiratory system (asthma, catarrh), of the digestive system (stomach pains, intestinal parasites), and of the female reproductive apparatus (infertility) [19]. Haitian immigrants and their descendants mainly decoct or infuse aerial parts and ingest them, but medicinal baths are also relevant. Different plant species are added to the basic preparation according to the specific medicinal purpose for which it is prepared: for example, Cissus spp. Anne Myriam Bolivar/GPJ Haiti . Cabrera L: El Monte. Background Haitian migrants played an important role shaping Cuban culture and traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. Chenopodium ambrosioides, Momordica charantia) are used to treat intestinal parasites. 1 During the immense and ongoing recovery effort, individuals and organized groups have been incorporating natural and traditional medicine into their activities. The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. Also, cricket's (genus Acheta and Neoconocaephalus) legs are boiled in water and the decoction is then drunk by children and older people who have urination problems. To locate the respondents, we first focused on the areas in the province where historical and oral records indicate the presence of Haitian communities (e.g. 2005, Managua & Santo Domingo: TRAMIL, 2. We are a Social Impact (SI) company; we don't focus in making excessive profits, but we primarily . Una visin del caso haitiano. Fuentes V. Sobre la medicina tradicional en Cuba. FURCY, HAITI - About an hour's drive from Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, residents of Furcy, a cool, lush, agricultural community high up in the mountains, say they are used to dealing with . Paul A, Cox PA: An ethnobotanical survey of the uses for Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae) in Haiti. Some locals say that Voodoo succeeds where modern . By listening to them, going along into the woods when they gathered and doing reading on my own, I too began to gather and use medicinal herbs. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Produced by Will Reid and Michael Simon Johnson. Inventory of medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Prior to that date, many documents on the French colonies carry some mention of Haitian ethnobotany. Those who arrived in the 1940s came either by plane or boat, although they were migrating mostly for the same reasons. The hairs of the fruit of this plant contain formic acid and mucunain, which are so toxic that they were used as homicidal poisons in Africa [40,41]. Traditional Haitian medicine retained an important role in healthcare and cultural practices soon after immigration, when Haitian livelihoods were based on work in the sugarcane fields, on the surrounding environment, and on their knowledge about that environment. Esquivel M, Fuentes V, Martnez C, Martnez J, Hammer K. The African influence from an Ethnobotanical Point of View. 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%). 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. 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. Afro-Caribbean pharmacopoeia is that body of knowledge and practices around medicinal plants which finds its origins in the cultures of African slaves brought to the Caribbean [50]. 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. As a library, NLM provides access to scientific literature. most plants used in Haiti were also available in Cuba), and to the cultivation of medicinal plants in the new environment. Haitian ethnobotanical practices related to traditional posology often follow cosmological/ritual numbers, both for plant quantities and timing of administration. 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. Information was obtained from semi-structured interviews with Haitian immigrants and their descendants, direct observations, and by reviewing reports of traditional Haitian medicine in the literature.

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