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. My mom comes from a line of Haitian women herbalists from Gonaives, Haiti. 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. 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%). Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. More than half of the plant species reported in that study are also reported in the current study of Haitian immigrants and their descendants. But sarsaparilla is a root that is used medicinally both in Haiti and the Ozarks. 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. As a library, NLM provides access to scientific literature. Pierre-Noel (1959) gathered recipes and modes of usage for various plants and categorized them by illness. Almost half of the plants reported in this study are not reported in Beyra et al. 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. Knowledge, like slaves, was traded back and forth from slave to owner, owner to slave, Haiti to America, America to Haiti. 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. 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. 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]. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. and Bidens pilosa are added to treat congestions of the respiratory system, whereas 'hot' plants (e.g. 1991, 22: 55-76. Haitian Medicinal Plants. Voodoo, a traditional religion, is widely known for this hybrid form of care. [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. De Smet PAGM. 10.1016/0378-8741(86)90070-X. Especially over the last decade, Haitians in Cuba have begun to rediscover their roots and revitalize their traditional culture by forming Haitian associations and groups and celebrating festivals and other events. Traveling Plants and Cultures The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. [12], Nevet and de la Rosa [9], and Pedro [10]. Psidium guajava as an anthelmintic). California Privacy Statement, a Part(s) used: ap, aerial part; ba, bark; bu: bulb; ep, fruit epicarp; fl, flowers; fr, fruits; ft, flowering tops; la, latex; le, leaves; ls, leaf stalks; re, resin; rh, rhizome; ro, root/tuber; se, seeds; sg, stigma; sh, shoots; st, stems; uf, unripe fruits; wh, young whorls; wo, wood; wp, whole plant. Traveling cultures and plants The ethnobiology and ethnopharmacy of migrations. Correspondence to 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]. 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. Five formulas have been reported as miel de gira (siw kalbaz in Creole), whose main ingredient is the fruit of Crescentia cujete. 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). But quinine is a chemical salt that can cause violent reactions, unlike gentle verbena. Fuentes V: Sobre la medicina tradicional en Cuba. Quassia was thought to have been a leaf healer in Surinam before being brought to Haiti. Voucher specimens were deposited at the CIMAC herbarium in Camagey (HACC). 2000, La Habana: Oficina Nacional de Hidrografa y Geodesia, Code of ethics of the American Anthropological Association. Haitian Voodoo priests control two major practices which might be of interest to toxicologists: healing and poisoning. Hernndez J, Volpato G: Herbal mixtures in the traditional medicine of eastern Cuba. Edited by: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H. 1992, Gatersleben, Germany: Institut fr Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, 1: 83-109. Chemical Ecology. Paul A, Cox PA. An ethnobotanical survey of the uses for. 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. During the period 19001930, more than half a million Haitians entered the country legally or illegally [6,7]. 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. 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. 10.1016/j.jep.2004.11.022. Edited by: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H. 1992, Gatersleben, Germany: Institut fr Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, 1: 110-137. [15] who interviewed 29 Cuban informants across the Province of Camagey and reported 111 species used for medicinal purposes. Macia M, Garcia E, Vidaurre PJ. The research project has been funded by a grant to Gabriele Volpato from the CERES Programme for Innovative PhD Research at Wageningen University (CEPIP-W). They observe nuances in the condition of their blood that are almost unheard of in white Anglo folk pharmacopoeia. 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. 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. Cerasse vine intertwined with other plants growing in Cacheta Francis' North Miami Beach backyard. Since catnip is a very mild herb for humans, it is safe to give to babies in tea form. 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. GV and DG conceived and designed the research. Dayana St. Fort was born in Haiti. 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. 1960, Port-au-Prince: Imprimerie de L'etat, Leon R: Phytotherapie Haitienne; Nos simple. haitian plants medicine De Smet PAGM: Traditional pharmacology and medicine in Africa. only with the new moon [42]), where the remedy is ingested periodically throughout the year. In the Caribbean, however, the herbal bath carries an even holier association as a major component of Haitian Voudou (frequently westernized as "Voodoo"). Anne Myriam Bolivar/GPJ Haiti . official website and that any information you provide is encrypted Sour orange leaves can fix that. 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 are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. 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. Selling Traditional Haitian Herbs Fuentes V: Plants in Afro-Cuban Religions. " sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Esquivel M, Hammer K: The Cuban homegarden 'conuco': a perspective environment for evolution and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources. Summary. Calle Cisneros No. The use of medicinal herbs is highly developed. 10.1007/s10745-008-9211-4. Back to Eden, 1939. Weniger B, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R. Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents. The Province is inhabited by some 780,000 people, or seven per cent of the Cuban population. Seabrook, William B., The Magic Island, 1929. (Kloss, 215) In Jordan's research on Voodoo medicine, he places more emphasis, however, on the calming properties of catnip, rather than purgative. Its not even like cod liver oil. Of concern to Haitians are the coloration, volume, quantity, directionality, temperature and purity of their blood. Background Haitian migrants played an important role shaping Cuban culture and traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. 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. Edited by Liz O. Baylen and Mike Benoist. 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. 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. Revealing Latinos' plant-healing knowledge and practices in New York City. Have a sore throat? 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. 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%). 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. 1959, Port-au-Prince: Imprimeries de L'etat, Pierre-Noel AV: Les plantes et legume d'Haiti qui guerrissent. Almost five per cent of the remedies are used without processing, which is especially the case for fruits eaten as medicinal foods (e.g. 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. Haiti Medicine S.A. (HM) is a private company, which distributes top quality medicines and pharmaceutical products throughout Haiti. Before you rub yourself with it, Sister Francis instructed, youwash it and rub it all over where the itching is.. Haitian Plants Medicine - Medicinal Plants and Herbal Remedies I was born and raised in Miami, but my very Haitian mom always kept true to her roots especially whenever I didnt feel well. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba.