haitian plants medicine

They knew the use of cure-to-all medicinal plant Asosi or cerasee or corailee in English which grows all over South Florida, especially in abundance during the rainy season. Although medicinal uses of these plants are not absent from the Cuban pharmacopoeia, they may in some cases be restricted to Haitian descendants and to Cubans who have been influenced by the migrants' culture. dicinal plants utilized in the plain regions. Medicinal plants and cultural variation across Dominican Rural, Urban, and Transnational Landscapes. [15]. Kote ou bouke m pote Cultura haitiana en Esmeralda. 1987, South Hadley, MA: Bergin and Garvey Publishers. Haitian ethnobotanical practices related to traditional posology often follow cosmological/ritual numbers, both for plant quantities and timing of administration. Volpato G, Godnez D. Medicinal foods in Cuba: Promoting health in the household. 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. New York: Paragon, 1989. [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. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Five formulas have been reported as miel de gira (siw kalbaz in Creole), whose main ingredient is the fruit of Crescentia cujete. 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'. Another emmenagogue employed in both Haiti and the Ozarks is vervain. Therefore, herbs are the medicine of choice and necessity. Pieroni A, Mnz H, Akbulut M, Baser KHC, Durmuskahya C. Traditional phytotherapy and transcultural pharmacy among Turkish immigrants living in Cologne, Germany. Weniger B, Rouzier M, Daguilh R, Henrys D, Henrys JH, Anton R. La medecine populaire dans le Plateau Central d'Haiti. A few other remedies of non-vegetal origin were also reported. Etnologa y Folklore. [http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/ethcode.htm], Len H: Flora de Cuba. 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. Fieldwork was carried out from December 2002March 2003 and from FebruaryJuly 2004. Almost half of the plants reported in this study are not reported in Beyra et al. Information was obtained . 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]. Nez N, Gonzlez E. Antecedentes etnohistricos de la alimentacin tradicional en Cuba. The Province of Camagey is located between 2031'01" and 2229'00" latitude North and 7657'00" longitude West from Greenwich. The final question that I wanted to probe was some sort of linkage between the two cultures of Haiti and America that might account for the similarities I found in treatment methods. 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. Privacy 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. 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. Terms and Conditions, In: Pieroni A, Vandebroek I, editor. 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. Lee RA, Balick MJ, Ling DL, Sohl F, Brosi BJ, Raynor W: Cultural dynamism and change An example from the Federated states of Micronesia. 105 e/ngel y Pobre, Camagey, Cuba. 1985, 497-509. Everyone calls Francis Sister Francis because shes a respected elder. Additional file 1: Medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. 2002, Camagey, Cuba: Editorial cana. 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. Plantas medicinales de uso tradicional en Pinar del Ro. 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. This paper focuses on traditional medicinal plant uses of Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. 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. 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. 2001, 55: 9-13. 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]. Across the yard is a towering shrub with yellow flower clusters shapedlike a candle. 1946, La Habana: Contribuciones Ocasionales del Museo de Historia Natural Colegio La Salle 8, Cultural S.A, Len H, Alain H: Flora de Cuba. 1995, 49: 249-256. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. [http://www.afrocubaweb.com/haiticuba.htm#creole]. 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. Esquivel M, Fuentes V, Martnez C, Martnez J, Hammer K. The African influence from an Ethnobotanical Point of View. Additional file 1 Medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba.Inventory of medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. 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. 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. DG, AB, and AB performed botanical analysis and species identification. 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. In Michel Laguerre's book he tells of a Haitian woman who makes herself ill by eating the head of a turkey. 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]. 1988, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba: Editorial Oriente, James J, Millet J, Alarcn A: El Vod en Cuba. Informants reported using 123 plant species belonging to 112 genera in 63 families. GUID:FB7A69D3-5F4B-4A23-86B2-F73B140ADACB. Calle Cisneros No. But, says Davis, "there were a lot of problems with the Datura hypothesis. [14], while some other information can be found in James et al. 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Among those plants with shared uses are species that are widely used in Cuban pharmacopoeia such as Bidens pilosa, Boldoa purpuracens, Phyla scaberrima, Pluchea carolinensis, and Rheedia aristata, whose medicinal uses may have partly been adopted by migrants, as well as medicinal plants that are common to the Caribbean pharmacopoeia whose use Haitians and Cubans shared prior to migration: examples include the use of Cecropia schrebiana as an anticatarrhal; of Carica papaya, Chenopodium ambrosioides and Psidium guajava to treat intestinal parasites; of Lepidium virginicum as a carminative and diuretic; and of Zingiber officinale to treat colds, catarrh, and rheumatic pains. By using this website, you agree to our I have chosen eight that are used both in Haiti and the Ozarks to describe and comment on. An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants commercialized in the markets of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia. 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. 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 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]. FOIA Haitian's knowledge about plants seems to comprehend and deal with toxic allelochemicals through specific posological practices. A close-up of the cerasee bouquet Audre Rowe plans to use as a topical treatment for a rash. 1979, La Habana, Cuba: Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, Guanche J, Garcia AJ: Ethnic history. Haitians were concentrated in the sugarcane and coffee areas of the former provinces of Oriente and Camagey (Figure 1). 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. Psidium guajava as an anthelmintic). Esquivel M, Fuentes V, Martnez C, Martnez J, Hammer K: The African influence from an Ethnobotanical Point of View. 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'. PubMedGoogle Scholar. 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. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. Haitians believe that giving catnip tea to infants will clarify impurities in their blood. most plants used in Haiti were also available in Cuba), and to the cultivation of medicinal plants in the new environment. Down through the ages women have had to deal with menstrual cramps, excessive bleeding, water retention and unwanted pregnancy, just to name a few. Knowledge, like slaves, was traded back and forth from slave to owner, owner to slave, Haiti to America, America to Haiti. Google Scholar. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Fuentes V: Las plantas medicinales en Cuba. One that I ran across in my research that is very interesting and pertinent to this subject is quassia, or bitterwood. 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 .gov means its official. Traveling Plants and Cultures The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. 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. 2005, Managua & Santo Domingo: TRAMIL, 2. Bidens pilosa, Cymbopogon citratus, Majorana hortensis, Ocimum spp.). the use of Dichrostachys cinerea as antidiarrhoeic) or incomplete imitation of local practices. About 40% of the total population of the province lives in the city of Camagey; almost 200,000 people live in rural areas. religious and traditional practices have merged with medicine. Children's baths prepared with anthelmintic plants (e.g. The Province is inhabited by some 780,000 people, or seven per cent of the Cuban population. Macia M, Garcia E, Vidaurre PJ. 1990, Tucson: The University of Arizona Press. 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). A tummy ache? Senna is the main ingredient in many modern day American laxatives. In the Ozarks sarsaparilla tea is also widely used for its purifying properties.. Another blood purifier that is a very common remedy both in Ozarkia and Haiti, is catnip or catmint. only with the new moon [42]), where the remedy is ingested periodically throughout the year. "y tienen faxones y fabas muy diversos de los nuestros" Origin, Evolution and Diversity of Cuban Plant Genetic Resources. More than half of the plant species reported in that study are also reported in the current study of Haitian immigrants and their descendants. They sell a large variety of medicinal plants (67 dry species and three fresh species) from the Haitian pharmacopoeia. Pieroni A, Vandebroek I, Eds: Traveling Plants and Cultures. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Decoction of fresh herbal components (mainly leaves and other aerial parts) is the preferred means to prepare medicinal remedies. I might add though, that there is a nebulous line between what constitutes an emmenogogue or abortifacient, but the desired result is the instigation of bleeding. 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. Herbal baths are important in Haitian culture in both spiritual and medicinal practices, and represent the second most important category of administration, after ingestion. Traveling Plants and Cultures The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. 2023 BioMed Central Ltd unless otherwise stated. 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. Weniger B, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R: Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents. Natural Healing with Herbs, Prescott Valley, AZ: Hohm Press, 1987. Volpato G, Godnez D. Ethnobotany of Pru, a traditional Cuban refreshment. 2004, 90: 293-316. Richard Allen The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. 10.1016/j.jep.2003.10.012. Anales del Jardn Botnico de Madrid. 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. Prez de la Riva J: Cuba y la migracin antillana. "The Bible say so. Of these, about three quarters were reported with the same medicinal uses, and the remaining quarter with different uses. Laguerre M: Afro-Caribbean Folk Medicine. A Haitian carnival takes place every year in Santiago de Cuba, and a Creole radio program is broadcasted nationally [13]. Freshly picked mint from the backyard will ease the pain. 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. She learned from her mother, who learned from her mother, who learned from her mother and so on. Back to Eden, 1939. In: Pieroni A, Price LL, editor. 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 . They relied heavily on homegardens, wild plants, and on traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in order to survive. Edited by: Pieroni A, Vandebroek I. Haitian with a dried fruit of Abelmoschus esculentus from his homegarden (G. Volpato). Trusted Source. . Her go-to cure-all medicinal plant is asosi, also called cerasee or corailee in the English-speaking Caribbean. Ethnomedicinal knowledge of Haitian immigrants in Cuba presents no exception [14]. About 40% of the total population of the province lives in the city of Camagey; almost 200,000 people live in rural areas. leaves applied to the forehead to treat headache). 1959, Port-au-Prince: Imprimerie de L'etat. Canella winterana, Pimenta dioica) are added to preparations with stomachic purposes. 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]. Brutus TC, Pierre-Noel AV: Les plantes et legumes d'Haiti qui guerrissent. They are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. Voucher specimens were deposited at the CIMAC herbarium in Camagey (HACC). 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. The tea is bitter. While I was able to match several Haitian herbs with American counterparts, I was a little disappointed that I could find no mention of the "biggies" of American herbal pharmacoepeia in Caribbean plant botany. Its popular name suggested the plant was used in creating zombies. But sarsaparilla is a root that is used medicinally both in Haiti and the Ozarks. Revista Cubana de Alimentacin y Nutricin. And thats it. 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. Inventaire ethnopharmacologique. As a library, NLM provides access to scientific literature. Quinine has quite a reputation for being used in the past to induce abortion. She learned from her mother, who learned from her mother, who learned from her mother and so on. CAS following Len [28], Len and Alain [2931] and Alain [32, 33]. Momordica charantia, Solanum americanum and Stachytarpheta jamaicensis are among those species most cited by Haitians in this study. The data presented in this paper are derived from a wider study that was conducted on the ethnobiological knowledge of Haitian people living in the Province of Camagey. Nez N, Gonzlez E: Antecedentes etnohistricos de la alimentacin tradicional en Cuba. Edited by: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H. 1992, Gatersleben, Germany: Institut fr Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, 1: 110-137. National Library of Medicine GV, DG, AB, and AB carried out interviews and collected data in the field. We will present and discuss data about: 1) traditional remedies, their uses, and preparation, 2) traditional practices and beliefs related to these uses, and 3) changes and adaptation of Haitian medicinal knowledge with emigration and integration over time. Fuentes V. Sobre la medicina tradicional en Cuba. Haitian empirical medicine sprang from both European (16th to 19th century) and African (especially voodoo) traditional therapies. In: Pieroni A, Vandebroek I, editor. 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. We are a Social Impact (SI) company; we don't focus in making excessive profits, but we primarily . 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]. 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. 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. Human Ecology. the use of Dichrostachys cinerea as antidiarrhoeic) or incomplete imitation of local practices. 1991, 22: 55-76. 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. Laguerre, Michel S. Afro-Caribbean Folk Medicine, S. Hadley, Mass: Bergin & Garvey, 1987. Nevertheless, some culturally relevant products such as dried or fresh specimens of Artemisia absinthium and fruits and seeds of Abelmoschus esculentus were brought to Cuba upon migration (Figure (Figure2).2). Some locals say that Voodoo succeeds where modern . Some touristic infrastructures (notably in Camagey city and Santa Luca beach) have been developed in the last decade [26]. J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine 5, 16 (2009). 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. Eating and Healing: Traditional Food as Medicine. We will present and discuss data about: 1) traditional remedies, their uses, and preparation, 2) traditional practices and beliefs related to these uses, and 3) changes and adaptation of Haitian medicinal knowledge with emigration and integration over time. The ethnic and cultural composition of contemporary Caribbean populations are the result of historical population movements through the slave trade and inter-island migration and of the legacy of the different ethnicities involved in the process of national identity formation. In this context, traditional ethnobotanical practices are sometimes reconstituted as part of Haitian culture [14]. Here Kloss seems to be hinting in his 1939 publication that vervain can be used to cause abortion. Besides single medicinal plants, informants also reported 22 herbal mixtures that are mostly prepared as a concoction of plants or plant parts and ingested. Rowe and Francis are both Jamaican. 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. Of concern to Haitians are the coloration, volume, quantity, directionality, temperature and purity of their blood. leaves applied to the forehead to treat headache). [12], Nevet and de la Rosa [9], and Pedro [10]. Neuwinger HD: Afrikanische Arzneipflanzen und Jagdgifte. Summary. Primero Simposio de Botnica; La Habana. Viladrich A: Between bellyaches and lucky charms. Medicinal plants used by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. Pieroni A, Mnz H, Akbulut M, Baser KHC, Durmuskahya C: Traditional phytotherapy and transcultural pharmacy among Turkish immigrants living in Cologne, Germany. Remedies prepared by heating plant parts in fire (four per cent) are mostly used for topical applications (e.g. 2004, 61: 185-204. Haitians were concentrated in the sugarcane and coffee areas of the former provinces of Oriente and Camagey (Figure (Figure1).1). 1953, La Habana: Contribuciones Ocasionales del Museo de Historia Natural Colegio La Salle 10, P. Fernndez and Ca, Len H, Alain H: Flora de Cuba. Part of Springer Nature. Anne Myriam Bolivar/GPJ Haiti . 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]. [2125]. Les plantes et legume d'Haiti qui guerrissent. 10.1007/BF00052650. About 75% of the inhabitants live in urban areas, where Camagey, Florida and Nuevitas are the major cities. Between bellyaches and lucky charms. She lives in Pembroke Pines and she also grew up drinking asosi tea. 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. 8600 Rockville Pike Different plant species are added to the basic preparation according to the specific medicinal purpose for which it is prepared: for example, Cissus spp. Consuming 2 or three Echinacea pills two times a day can relieve serious frustrations and also other sorts of migraines. In this article we have presented the medicinal plants' knowledge of Haitians in Cuba as it is today, approximately 80 years after migration. Have a sore throat? 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.

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