Haitian ethnobotanical practices related to traditional posology often follow cosmological/ritual numbers, both for plant quantities and timing of administration. Very, very, very bitter. Traveling cultures and plants The ethnobiology and ethnopharmacy of migrations. 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. 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. 1CERES Research School, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, NL-6706 Wageningen, the Netherlands, 2CIMAC, Centro de Investigaciones de Medio Ambiente de Camagey, Cuba. Eating and Healing: Traditional Food as Medicine. 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. 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. Consuming 2 or three Echinacea capsules twice a day can soothe extreme frustrations as well as other kinds . Almost five per cent of the remedies are used without processing, which is especially the case for fruits eaten as medicinal foods (e.g. Ethnobotanical knowledge is dynamic for any given culture and it changes as it is transferred and appropriated by people who are adapting to new environments [44,45]. The Province is inhabited by some 780,000 people, or seven per cent of the Cuban population. Specifically, I was looking for ginseng and goldenseal, both highly sought for their curative properties. Knowledge, like slaves, was traded back and forth from slave to owner, owner to slave, Haiti to America, America to Haiti. 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. In this context, traditional ethnobotanical practices are sometimes reconstituted as part of Haitian culture [14]. Voodoo, a traditional religion, is widely known for this hybrid form of care. 1998, 32: 57-62. 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 sagittifolium, and some species used for ritual and religious baths such as Allophylus cominia, Alpinia speciosa, and Vitex trifolia. 2. 2005, Managua & Santo Domingo: TRAMIL, 2. 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. Trusted Source. 1959, Port-au-Prince: Imprimeries de L'etat, Pierre-Noel AV: Les plantes et legume d'Haiti qui guerrissent. y tienen faxones y fabas muy diversos de los nuestros " Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. Between bellyaches and lucky charms. It just doesnt taste good, said St. Fort. A 2017 World Bank report revealed that Haiti's health sector is underfunded, with public spending per capita totaling $13 per year. Edited by: Pieroni A, Vandebroek I. Throughout the field study, the ethical guidelines adopted by the American Anthropological Association [27] were followed. (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. 2007, Oxford: Berghahn Books, 64-85. When a person thinks of sarsaparilla, what most often comes to mind is probably an old-fashioned sudsy drink not unlike root beer. following Len [28], Len and Alain [2931] and Alain [32, 33]. Sour orange leaves can fix that. J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine 5, 16 (2009). Throw in the extra cultural factor of what the Amer-Indians knew and imparted, and what emerges is a wide body of knowledge that serves a very useful, if not vital function. 10.1016/j.jep.2003.10.012. Article She is a believer of remed fey, or bush medicine. Part of Two main stores are situated in North Montreal and offer a choice of several dozen Haitian medicinal plants, dried and packaged in small plastic bags (Fig. Springer Nature. 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. 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. Canella winterana, Pimenta dioica) are added to preparations with stomachic purposes. Almost five per cent of the remedies are used without processing, which is especially the case for fruits eaten as medicinal foods (e.g. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. Those who arrived in the 1940s came either by plane or boat, although they were migrating mostly for the same reasons. Before Macia M, Garcia E, Vidaurre PJ: An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants commercialized in the markets of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia. 2009, 37 (1): 43-53. More than half of the plant species reported in that study are also reported in the current study of Haitian immigrants and their descendants. Children's baths prepared with anthelmintic plants (e.g. 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 plant pops up all over South Florida, especially when it rains. Anyone who has seen a cat lolling around blissfully on a pile of catnip knows that this herb can produce a definite reaction.. government site. 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]. 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]. The Origins of Human Diet and Medicine Chemical Ecology. There are many varieties such as peppermint, spearmint, lemonmint and horsemint. William Seabrook's work The Magic Island also cites the usage of verbena in women who are in labor (Seabrook 327). Scientific name, botanical family, vernacular Cuban and Haitian name(s), voucher specimen number, part(s) used, preparation, use(s), and frequency of mention are . "y tienen faxones y fabas muy diversos de los nuestros" Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. Johns T: The Origins of Human Diet and Medicine. 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. only with the new moon [42]), where the remedy is ingested periodically throughout the year. Before the advent of modern medicine, women had to rely on herbal cures for a variety of ailments and symptoms associated with their reproductive symptoms. 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. Conversely, and to a lesser extent, Haitians contributed to what is today considered as traditional Cuban medicine by introducing into the dominant Cuban community certain specific ethnobotanical practices and uses of plants, as described also in Volpato et al. Cerasee or asosi . Google Scholar. 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. Creole is the second most spoken language in the Province of Camagey, after Spanish. 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. Esquivel M, Fuentes V, Martnez C, Martnez J, Hammer K: The African influence from an Ethnobotanical Point of View. A fresh pot of cerasee or asosi tea, a traditional plant used across the Caribbean for all ailments. Nez N, Gonzlez E: Antecedentes etnohistricos de la alimentacin tradicional en Cuba. In some Caribbean grocery stores and health food stores,cerasee is sold in tea bags or dried. Haitian Medicinal Plants. Additional file 1: Medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. [12], Nevet and de la Rosa [9], and Pedro [10]. The species belong to 112 genera and 63 families, with a prevalence of Annona and Citrus (three species each) among the genera, and among the families of Fabaceae (9.8%), Asteraceae (6.5%), Euphorbiaceae and Verbenaceae (4.9%), Lamiaceae and Rutaceae (3.3%). The European slave owners were not without their healing knowledge, too. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. Fuentes V: Las plantas medicinales en Cuba. 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. The tea is bitter. 10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0381:EOPATC]2.0.CO;2. 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. 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. Williams. 1995, 49: 249-256. Exceptions to this are the works of Brutus and Pierre-Noel, Len, and Weniger et al. The Haitian herbalist and her Ozark counterpart share a similarity: they both gather and use herbs because of necessity. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Comisin Nacional de Nombres Geogrficos . Article Methods Information was obtained from semi-structured interviews with Haitian immigrants and their . Fuentes V: Plants in Afro-Cuban Religions. " 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. For example, three shoots of Mangifera indica are boiled and the remedy is drunk in three different cups to treat empacho, a digestive problem; three leaves of Cissampelos pareira are split into half and three halves are boiled in the case of fever; an infusion made from three whorls or tops of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is prepared and given to children in the morning on an empty stomach as an anthelmintic; the decoction of three leaves of Momordica charantia must be drunk for three days, and the seeds of the same plant are ingested one on the first day, two on the second, and three on the third, and so on for seven days. Haitian ethnobotanical practices related to traditional posology often follow cosmological/ritual numbers, both for plant quantities and timing of administration. 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. Jordan confirms these abortifacient qualities in his work, Voodoo Medicine. 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. 2007, Oxford: Berghahn, 14-38. 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. More than 50% of the mixtures are used to treat afflictions of the respiratory system. It is located between the Canal Viejo de Bahamas in the North, the Caribbean Ocean in the South, the Province of Las Tunas in the East, and the Province of Ciego de vila in the West. CAS Correspondence to We aim to make significant improvements in the health of the Haitian population while keeping our company strong. Produced by Will Reid and Michael Simon Johnson. When Rowe told Sister Francis she'd been breaking out in small rashes, Sister Francis said to come by for some cerasee leaves to use in a bush bath. 1 During the immense and ongoing recovery effort, individuals and organized groups have been incorporating natural and traditional medicine into their activities. Cabrera L: El Monte. 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. 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. 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. Medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Volpato, G., Godnez, D., Beyra, A. et al. Of concern to Haitians are the coloration, volume, quantity, directionality, temperature and purity of their blood. Herbal mixtures used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey. Primero Simposio de Botnica; La Habana. only with the new moon [42]), where the remedy is ingested periodically throughout the year. Volpato G, Godnez D. Ethnobotany of Pru, a traditional Cuban refreshment. Volpato G, Godnez D. Medicinal foods in Cuba: Promoting health in the household. 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. leaves applied to the forehead to treat headache). Among these, a mixture prepared with the fruit of Crescentia cujete as a main ingredient is highly regarded by Haitians and is considered as a panacea. It formed part of the foundation for Herbal Tours, which began in April 2004, and are day-long postgraduate . I surmise that Quassia the Surinam had seen a plant similar to bitterwood in Africa. Original music by Dan Powell and . They relied heavily on homegardens, wild plants, and on traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in order to survive. But quinine is a chemical salt that can cause violent reactions, unlike gentle verbena. The last group of herbs I would like to comment on are three that could be called "female herbs". 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. Besides Haitians, other ethnic groups in the Province include Jamaicans and Chinese. During the period 19001930, more than half a million Haitians entered the country legally or illegally [6, 7]. In: Pieroni A, Vandebroek I, editor. A Haitian carnival takes place every year in Santiago de Cuba, and a Creole radio program is broadcasted nationally [13]. Ethnobotanical knowledge is dynamic for any given culture and it changes as it is transferred and appropriated by people who are adapting to new environments [44, 45]. Haitian empirical medicine sprang from both European (16th to 19th century) and African (especially voodoo) traditional therapies. The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. DG, AB, and AB performed botanical analysis and species identification. 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. In this article we have presented the medicinal plants' knowledge of Haitians in Cuba as it is today, approximately 80 years after migration. "You know the herb is the healing of the nation," she said. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 Haitians (21 women and 13 men) whose ages ranged from 45 to 102 years (mean age 68), in the following communities: Central Brasil, Jiqu, Aguacate, Esmeralda, Antn, Batey Varela (Antn), San Serapio, Caidije, La Jagua, Macuto 2, Camagey (neighbourhoods of Puerto Prncipe, Bellavista, Florat, and La Guernica). 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. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. To the Haitian, these beliefs are inexorably woven in with Voodoo, serving the loa and reliance on the local docteur feille.. 10.1007/s10745-008-9211-4. 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]. 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. 2007, Oxford: Berghahn. Some locals say that Voodoo succeeds where modern . Plantas medicinales de uso tradicional en Pinar del Ro. 1998, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba: Editorial Oriente, Creole Language and Culture: Part of Cuba's Cultural Patrimony. 2001, 55: 9-13. Haitians were concentrated in the sugarcane and coffee areas of the former provinces of Oriente and Camagey (Figure (Figure1).1). Down through the ages women have had to deal with menstrual cramps, excessive bleeding, water retention and unwanted pregnancy, just to name a few. Of these, about three quarters were reported with the same medicinal uses, and the remaining quarter with different uses. Herbal Index. and Bidens pilosa are added to treat congestions of the respiratory system, whereas 'hot' plants (e.g. Pedro A. Guanamaca, una comunidad haitiana. statement and Vetiver, Chrysopogon zizanioides, is a perennial grass native to India, where it is known as khus or the oil of tranquility, but it is produced mainly in Haiti, Java, and Runion. 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. 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. An official website of the United States government. The plants cited were photographed, collected with the informants during the interviews, and identified by authors (D.G., A.B., A.B.) [15] who interviewed 29 Cuban informants across the Province of Camagey and reported 111 species used for medicinal purposes. In this article we have presented the medicinal plants' knowledge of Haitians in Cuba as it is today, approximately 80 years after migration. In reference to therapeutic use, almost half of the remedies are intended to treat gastro-intestinal afflictions (stomach pains, and as digestive and carminative; about 20%) and afflictions of the respiratory system (catarrh, asthma, colds, cough; about 18%). Therefore, a medical syncretism of sorts must have occurred. Ethnomedicinal knowledge of Haitian immigrants in Cuba presents no exception [14]. They are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. Interviews were conducted in Spanish after first explaining the aims of the study. Pierre-Noel (1959) gathered recipes and modes of usage for various plants and categorized them by illness. In Michel Laguerre's book he tells of a Haitian woman who makes herself ill by eating the head of a turkey. 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. Ethnomedicinal knowledge of Haitian immigrants in Cuba presents no exception [14]. [15] and in other studies about traditional Cuban medicine [18, 42], their use among Cubans is not as widespread or as differentiated as among Haitian descendants. leaves applied to the forehead to treat headache). Moreover, to date only limited data about Haitian traditional medicine has been collected in Haiti, mostly due to the fact that the religious, cultural, and political situation in Haiti has made the study of Haitian ethnomedicine difficult [20]. Decoction of fresh herbal components (mainly leaves and other aerial parts) is the preferred means to prepare medicinal remedies. Cultura haitiana en Esmeralda. Respondents in the city of Camagey were located thanks to the local Haitian Association. The magic . Gabriele Volpato. He remembered and was able to impart that knowledge when he arrived in the Caribbean. 2006, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 213-235. Eating and Healing: Traditional Food as Medicine. Weniger B, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R. Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents. The study of Haitian immigrants' traditional medicine in this context not only represents an interesting case about medicinal plant use, but also records knowledge that is rapidly disappearing with the death of older Haitian migrants. [14], while some other information can be found in James et al. PubMed Camagey is the largest province in Cuba, at 15,615 km2, corresponding to 14.3% of the nation's territory. 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. Au DT, Wu J, Jiang Z, Chen H, Lu G, Zhao Z. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Hakka in Guangdong, China. Since Haitians have very limited access to the attentions of doctors and modern medicine when ill, their reliance on leaf-doctoring is essential to remedying their sicknesses and maintaining a state of good health. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. [15] who interviewed 29 Cuban informants across the Province of Camagey and reported 111 species used for medicinal purposes. 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. 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 https:// ensures that you are connecting to the Hernndez J: Uso popular de plantas con fines medicinales. Camagey, La Habana). Some people from the Caribbean believe theres almost nothing cerasee doesnt work for. Many Haitians are believer of "remed fey" or "bush medicine". Otherwise, they live in hospices either in Camagey or in smaller cities and villages. Davis had found Datura growing in Haiti. Besides single medicinal plants, 22 herbal mixtures, mostly prepared as a concoction of plants or plant parts, are reported. Remedies prepared by heating plant parts in fire (four per cent) are mostly used for topical applications (e.g. Ososki AL, Balick MJ, Daly DC: Medicinal plants and cultural variation across Dominican Rural, Urban, and Transnational Landscapes. Among the peoples of African origin who settled in Cuba throughout the centuries, Haitians played an important role shaping Cuban culture and traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. 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. [25]). 2007, Oxford: Berghahn, 245-269. Since catnip is a very mild herb for humans, it is safe to give to babies in tea form. 10.1016/j.jep.2005.05.018. ", She points to a green shrub with slightly oval leaves, This isJackna Bush.. Sister Francis is a religious woman whose backyard is filled with the healing bushes she grew up using in Jamaica. 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. with Momordica charantia, Hamelia patens), as well as to treat skin infections such as carbuncles, to alleviate itching, and to fortify children who have 'fragile health'. Code of ethics of the American Anthropological Association. 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. Psidium guajava as an anthelmintic). Traveling Plants and Cultures. Most Haitians were illiterate, crowded into barracks (barracones), paid a miserable salary, and compelled to hand over their savings to reimburse the cost of their passage [7,9]. from therapeutic activities pertaining to this cult are of the same kind as those encountered in the practice of Modern Medicine. Haiti is tropical and ginseng and goldenseal need cool, shady forest slopes to grow in. Parentesco, inmigracin y comunidad Una visin del caso haitiano. About 10% each of the remedies are prepared by means of juice extraction and infusion. Herbal baths are important in Haitian culture in both spiritual and medicinal practices, and represent the second most important category of administration, after ingestion. 8600 Rockville Pike 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. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies But because of the recent wet weather, freshcerasee is practically everywhere wrapping itself around traffic signs near I-95 and across fences.
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