haitian plants medicinehaitian plants medicine

Haitian ethnobotanical practices related to traditional posology often follow cosmological/ritual numbers, both for plant quantities and timing of administration. 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). The Traditional Use of Medicinal Plants and Herbs in the Province of 2007, Oxford: Berghahn, 245-269. 2021 Jul 7;2021:6683708. doi: 10.1155/2021/6683708. y tienen faxones y fabas muy diversos de los nuestros " Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. Quinine has quite a reputation for being used in the past to induce abortion. Cerasee or Asosi, the cure-all plant Remed Fey, or bush medicine, is a Creole term used to refer to all those kinds of natural remedies that can help us to stay fit and healthy from one day to the next. More than 900 plant remedies were identified in Trinidad and Tobago bush medicine, but common plants include zebapique, noni, neem, fever grass, monkey apple, barbadine, and wonder-of-the-world. Insomnia. Herbs for Orphans, a US nonprofit, has been supplying Haitian orphanages with herbs and nutritional dietary supplements for the last 2 years. WebHaiti Medicine S.A. (HM) is a private company, which distributes top quality medicines and pharmaceutical products throughout Haiti. Although in the recent past there has been an increase in ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal investigations in Cuba [1519], these have generally not paid attention to the specific ethnic knowledge that immigrants have contributed to traditional Cuban medicine. In: Pieroni A, Price LL, editor. Cheminformatics Bioprospection of Broad Spectrum Plant Secondary Metabolites Targeting the Spike Proteins of Omicron Variant and Wild-Type SARS-CoV-2. 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.

You can drink that one over there named King of the Forest, she said. Our purpose was to list the plants held to be antifertility agents in the island. The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed. It is named in honor of its discover, Quassia the Surinam slave. 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. Among these, there are plants that are important medicinals for Haitians, such as Artemisia absinthium, Phyllanthus procerus, and Priva lappulacea, as well as culturally relevant Haitian food plants that are also used in the realm of traditional medicine, such as Abelmoschus esculentus, Cajanus cajan, Corchorus siliquosus, and Xanthosoma Medicinal topical uses: Acne. (Laguerre, 68) In the Ozarks catnip tea administered to babies quiets colic and can even be used to stop convulsions. Besides single medicinal plants, 22 herbal mixtures, mostly prepared as a concoction of plants or plant parts, are reported. Williams. It is known in both locales as a blood purifier or that which promotes a cleaning action of the liver, kidneys, spleen and bowels. In these contexts, the main forces that drive change in the cultural domain of traditional medicinal knowledge are: (1) the adaptation of the original knowledge to the new (host) environment (through substitution of no longer accessible traditional remedies with locally available ones, and the incorporation of remedies from the host culture into migrants' own pharmacopoeia); and (2) the development of strategies to obtain the original remedies (through cultivation, gathering, or marketing of the original remedies, and the development of social networks that link migrants to relatives and friends in the place of origin) [47, 48]. 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. Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. WebHaitian Plants Medicine There are numerous natural remedy that you can conveniently access when small ailments occur. I dont think theres a place that you would go in Haiti and say, I have a fever, I have a sickness, and one person wont tell you, Did you drink A tummy ache? Gabriele Volpato. During the period 19001930, more than half a million Haitians entered the country legally or illegally [6, 7]. 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. This is where I come when Im sick and I really need some old-time herbs, she said. She belongs to an unofficial club of Caribbean folks around South Florida who pick bushes from other peoples front yards and the side of the road.

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Traveling cultures and plants The ethnobiology and ethnopharmacy of migrations. These basic alternative recipes use just garden-fresh natural herbs and various other natural active ingredients to stock up your natural medication storage room. 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. 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. They observe nuances in the condition of their blood that are almost unheard of in white Anglo folk pharmacopoeia. Some 22 herbal mixtures are reported, including formulas for a preparation obtained using the fruit of Crescentia cujete. 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]. She learned from her mother, who learned from her mother, who learned from her mother and so on. The relatively high figure for alcoholic maceration (8.7%) is due to the number of plants that are reported to be soaked in rum and used in the preparation of a medicinal and ritual Haitian drink called tifey [14]. Tomatoes: tomat. 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]. Esquivel M, Hammer K: The Cuban homegarden 'conuco': a perspective environment for evolution and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources. 1991, 22: 55-76. Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. She lives in Pembroke Pines and she also grew up drinking They are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. FOIA following Len [28], Len and Alain [2931] and Alain [32, 33]. Everyone calls Francis Sister Francis because shes a respected elder. Along with the knowledge some of the slaves were able to bring a few plants. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Ingestion is the preferred means to administer the remedies and accounts for 62% of all applications. The last group of herbs I would like to comment on are three that could be called "female herbs". deflowered adj. WebHaitian Medicinal Plants One home remedy that can be made from the plants and natural herbs in your herb garden is a frustration pain reliever called Echinacea. and Bidens pilosa are added to treat congestions of the respiratory system, whereas 'hot' plants (e.g. Interviews were conducted in Spanish after first explaining the aims of the study. Dayana St. Fort was born in Haiti. 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]. (PDF 182 KB). Vervain contains over 20 beneficial plant compounds, including iridoid glycosides, flavonoids, and triterpenoids, which may be responsible for its purported benefits . Besides Haitians, other ethnic groups in the Province include Jamaicans and Chinese. 2005, 102: 69-88. Edited by: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H. 1992, Gatersleben, Germany: Institut fr Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, 1: 83-109. Cerasee or asosi is typically prepared as a tea: Wash the vine; throw it into a pot of water --leaves, stems and all. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the Red sage is an herb found in both locales and is known to be an emmenagogue, or that which promotes menstrual flow (Kloss, 308; Laguerre, 94; Colon, 161). chire, dechalbore, devwale, kreve (vulg. Seabrook, William B., The Magic Island, 1929. Our purpose was to list the plants held to be antifertility agents in the island. 2000, La Habana: Oficina Nacional de Hidrografa y Geodesia, Code of ethics of the American Anthropological Association. Chemie, Pharmakologie, Toxikologie. Esquivel M, Fuentes V, Martnez C, Martnez J, Hammer K. The African influence from an Ethnobotanical Point of View. Medicinal topical uses: Acne. I used Kloss's Back to Eden and Santillo's Natural Healing with Herbs for my American source books. deflower (v). Additional file 1: Medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Given this, as well as the poor availability of ethnobotanical data relating to traditional Haitian medicine, there is an urgent need to record this knowledge. 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. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies m touse (TB). Sister Francis is a religious woman whose backyard is filled with the healing bushes she grew up using in Jamaica. It is used for general hygiene and curing excessive discharges. 2022;76(2):205-226. doi: 10.1007/s12231-021-09526-3. I surmise that Quassia the Surinam had seen a plant similar to bitterwood in Africa. Weniger B, Rouzier M, Daguilh R, Henrys D, Henrys JH, Anton R: La medecine populaire dans le Plateau Central d'Haiti. eCollection 2021. Natural Healing with Herbs, Prescott Valley, AZ: Hohm Press, 1987. And thats it. Across the yard is a towering shrub with yellow flower clusters shapedlike a candle. Nez N, Gonzlez E: Antecedentes etnohistricos de la alimentacin tradicional en Cuba. Insomnia. Some Haitians swear by a plant called Cerasee or Asosi, the go-to plant to cure all kinds of basic ailments. Even though the Haitian and the Ozarkian know that "modern medicine" exists and is practiced by doctors located an automobile or donkey ride away, the old herbal beliefs don't die away. The plant pops up all over South Florida, especially when it rains. Haiti is tropical and ginseng and goldenseal need cool, shady forest slopes to grow in. The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed. 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. Methods: 2000, La Habana, Cuba: Centro de Antropologa-CEISIC-Centro Juan Marinello, Espronceda ME: Parentesco, inmigracin y comunidad. ", She points to a green shrub with slightly oval leaves, This isJackna Bush.. Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. There are many varieties such as peppermint, spearmint, lemonmint and horsemint. Au DT, Wu J, Jiang Z, Chen H, Lu G, Zhao Z: Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Hakka in Guangdong, China. I think the reason I was unable to find any mention of them in Haiti was because of the complete dissimilarity in climate. deflower (v). Fieldwork was carried out from December 2002March 2003 and from FebruaryJuly 2004. Informants reported using 123 plant species belonging to 112 genera in 63 families. Although no census of Haitians (residents or descendants) in Cuba has been done to date, we can roughly estimate the number of Haitians and their descendants in the Province of Camagey at about 50,000 or 67% of the population. 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. In my research, I discovered three herbs that are used for female problems both in Haiti and Ozarkia. A fresh pot of cerasee or asosi tea, a traditional plant used across the Caribbean for all ailments. Ayurveda; the root and its essential oil can alleviate thirst, heatstroke, fevers, and headache. Part of Quassia was thought to have been a leaf healer in Surinam before being brought to Haiti. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Haitians were concentrated in the sugarcane and coffee areas of the former provinces of Oriente and Camagey (Figure 1). But because of the recent wet weather, freshcerasee is practically everywhere wrapping itself around traffic signs near I-95 and across fences. Echinacea can be taken numerous times a day, as recommended by an herbalist. asosi?, she said. WebHaiti Medicine S.A. (HM) is a private company, which distributes top quality medicines and pharmaceutical products throughout Haiti. See this image and copyright information in PMC. WebHaitian empirical medicine sprang from both European (16th to 19th century) and African (especially voodoo) traditional therapies. A fresh pot of cerasee or asosi tea, a traditional plant used across the Caribbean for all ailments. The .gov means its official. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Map of Cuba with the Province of Camagey. 1979, La Habana, Cuba: Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, Guanche J, Garcia AJ: Ethnic history. The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. Since catnip is a very mild herb for humans, it is safe to give to babies in tea form. Among the shared ethnobotanical practices is also the preparation of miel de gira with the pulp of the fruit of Crescentia cujete. Neuwinger HD: Afrikanische Arzneipflanzen und Jagdgifte. Fuentes V: Las plantas medicinales en Cuba. 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. doi: 10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0381:EOPATC]. In the case of a child with persistent 'evil eye' (for example when the child cries excessively), after the bath the child's clothes are burnt, and a collar is made with seeds of Canavalia ensiformis and placed on the child, as reported also in Haiti [36]. Throughout the field study, the ethical guidelines adopted by the American Anthropological Association [27] were followed. Her go-to cure-all medicinal plant is asosi, also called cerasee or corailee in the English-speaking Caribbean. Anales del Jardn Botnico de Madrid. [25]). Shes picking up bush to make some kind of remedy. . 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. deflowered adj.

The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed. Traveling Plants and Cultures The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. She belongs to an unofficial club of Caribbean folks around South Florida who pick bushes from other peoples front yards and the side of the road. Why Surinamese migrants in the Netherlands continue to use medicinal herbs from their home country. In North Miami Beach, Audrey Rowe stopped by her friend Cacheta Francis house to pick some cerasee growing in the backyard. 10.1016/j.jep.2008.01.016. Because of the importation of workers for plantation slavery, a vast body of knowledge departed Africa for the New World. Webcry-baby, whiner. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. Lee RA, Balick MJ, Ling DL, Sohl F, Brosi BJ, Raynor W: Cultural dynamism and change An example from the Federated states of Micronesia. chire, dechalbore, devwale, kreve (vulg. (Laguerre, 68) By a mental process Laguerre terms cognitive mapping, Haitians seem to have a highly developed instinctual sense of their bodies, their circulatory systems particularly. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. Remedies prepared by heating plant parts in fire (four per cent) are mostly used for topical applications (e.g. Boil and simmer until the water turns a murky greenish brown. Some Ozark women do not choose to either. 1951, La Habana: Contribuciones Ocasionales del Museo de Historia Natural Colegio La Salle 10, P. Fernndez and Ca, Len H, Alain H: Flora de Cuba. plant, fruit, food. [12], Nevet and de la Rosa [9], and Pedro [10]. Psidium guajava as an anthelmintic). Cabrera L: El Monte. When a person thinks of sarsaparilla, what most often comes to mind is probably an old-fashioned sudsy drink not unlike root beer. This lapse of time is long enough to permit insights to be drawn regarding the process of transformation and adaptation of ethnomedicinal knowledge after migration and in the ways in which the progressive integration of migrants in the host culture modifies this knowledge. Haitian's knowledge about plants seems to comprehend and deal with toxic allelochemicals through specific posological practices. PubMedGoogle Scholar. 1997, Stuttgart: Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. 2008, 117: 41-50. People like St. Fort, who grew up in Haiti, know to keep an eye out for the trusted plant. 1982, 6: 67-84. WebOlives: oliv. (Colon, 154).. 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. 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. Onions: zonyon. Scientific name, botanical family, vernacular Cuban and Haitian name(s), voucher specimen number, part(s) used, preparation, use(s), and frequency of mention are reported for 123 plant species used for medicinal purposes. Kloss describes it as "good in all female troubles, will increase menstrual flow much better than quinine for the purposes for which quinine is used" (323). The plant pops up all over South Florida, especially when it rains. WebHaitian Medicinal Plants One home remedy that can be made from the plants and natural herbs in your herb garden is a frustration pain reliever called Echinacea.

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).