2004, 61: 185-204. 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. Besides single medicinal plants, 22 herbal mixtures, mostly prepared as a concoction of plants or plant parts, are reported. around Central Brasil, Minas in the North of the Province and Central Haiti in the South). Terms and Conditions, dicinal plants utilized in the plain regions. Produced by Will Reid and Michael Simon Johnson. 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 last group of herbs I would like to comment on are three that could be called "female herbs". An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted to collect information on medicinal plant use by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. 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. 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. 1986, 17: 13-30. Vervain is a popular remedy due to its multiple plant-beneficial compounds. But even cerasee devotees say some of the claims might just be old wives tales. Edited by: Pieroni A, Vandebroek I. 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. 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. Therefore, herbs are the medicine of choice and necessity. 10.1016/j.jep.2004.11.022. 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. Camagey, La Habana). They are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. 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.) The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Migrations. 1964, La Habana: Asociacin de Estudiantes de Ciencias Biolgicas, Alain H: Flora de Cuba. 10.1016/j.jep.2008.01.016. 10.1016/j.jep.2005.05.018. Accessibility Some locals say that Voodoo succeeds where modern . Paul A, Cox PA. An ethnobotanical survey of the uses for. More than half of the plant species reported in that study are also reported in the current study of Haitian immigrants and their descendants. Economic Botany. (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. 1959, Port-au-Prince: Imprimeries de L'etat, Pierre-Noel AV: Les plantes et legume d'Haiti qui guerrissent. About 10% each of the remedies are prepared by means of juice extraction and infusion. Boletn de Resea de Plantas Medicinales. Before 1985, 497-509. 105 e/ngel y Pobre, Camagey, Cuba, Daimy Godnez,Angela Beyra&Adelaida Barreto, You can also search for this author in Even though Haitian and Peruvian ritual bathing traditions demonstrate many differences, we note several important themes of similarity: cleanses that involve moving (not stagnant) sacred waters; the application, and at times ingestion, of medicinal plants and flowers; and the act of being bathed by a spiritual elder to cultivate greater . 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. 2004, 90: 293-316. Shes picking up bush to make some kind of remedy. . Bidens pilosa, Cymbopogon citratus, Majorana hortensis, Ocimum spp.). Haiti is one of the leading producers of vetiver in the world. 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). The Origins of Human Diet and Medicine Chemical Ecology. Baths are the second more important category of means of application at almost 16% of the total. 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. The rapid disappearance of Haitian migrants' traditional culture due to integration and urbanization suggests that unrecorded ethnomedicinal information may be lost forever. 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. This video showcases plants used for post labor bath and tea as Haitian mother explains the importance of traditional medicine. Volpato G, Godnez D: Ethnobotany of Pru, a traditional Cuban refreshment. We are a Social Impact (SI) company; we don't focus in making excessive profits, but we primarily . 2007, Oxford: Berghahn Books, 64-85. volume5, Articlenumber:16 (2009) Parentesco, inmigracin y comunidad Una visin del caso haitiano. A few other remedies of non-vegetal origin were also reported. Loma Linda, CA: Back to Eden Books, 1987. 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]. Revista Cubana de Alimentacin y Nutricin. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted They both grow well in Ozark soil which contains a lot of limestone sediment. 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. [25]). 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. They relied heavily on homegardens, wild plants, and on traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in order to survive. My own interest in herbal healing dates back twenty years when I moved to a rural area in the Ozarks and had occasion to meet local people who gathered herbs and used them to treat various ailments. 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. 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. 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. Journal of Black Studies. In some Caribbean grocery stores and health food stores,cerasee is sold in tea bags or dried. Before you rub yourself with it, Sister Francis instructed, youwash it and rub it all over where the itching is.. Pieroni A, Mnz H, Akbulut M, Baser KHC, Durmuskahya C: Traditional phytotherapy and transcultural pharmacy among Turkish immigrants living in Cologne, Germany. One that I ran across in my research that is very interesting and pertinent to this subject is quassia, or bitterwood. 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. He remembered and was able to impart that knowledge when he arrived in the Caribbean. The plant pops up all over South Florida, especially when it rains. Canella winterana, Pimenta dioica) are added to preparations with stomachic purposes. Medicinal plants and cultural variation across Dominican Rural, Urban, and Transnational Landscapes. 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. Respondents in the city of Camagey were located thanks to the local Haitian Association. Au DT, Wu J, Jiang Z, Chen H, Lu G, Zhao Z: Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Hakka in Guangdong, China. leaves applied to the forehead to treat headache). It is used for general hygiene and curing excessive discharges. But sarsaparilla is a root that is used medicinally both in Haiti and the Ozarks. Fuentes V: Las plantas medicinales en Cuba. 1990, Tucson: The University of Arizona Press. Of these, about three quarters were reported with the same medicinal uses, and the remaining quarter with different uses. Today we have black-eyed peas, sesame seeds and peanuts in the Americas because slaves brought them along on the middle passage. 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]. Haitian with a dried fruit of Abelmoschus esculentus from his homegarden (G. Volpato). 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. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1984, 10: 1-39. Una visin del caso haitiano. And thats it. 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. 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). 10.1016/S0378-8741(98)00031-2. It is known in both locales as a blood purifier or that which promotes a cleaning action of the liver, kidneys, spleen and bowels. Since catnip is a very mild herb for humans, it is safe to give to babies in tea form. Haitian migrants played an important role shaping Cuban culture and traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. 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. 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. 2005, Managua & Santo Domingo: TRAMIL, 2. [2125]. 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 [912]. 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. Article Lee RA, Balick MJ, Ling DL, Sohl F, Brosi BJ, Raynor W. Cultural dynamism and change An example from the Federated states of Micronesia. 1984, La Habana: Editora Ciencias Sociales. Some 22 herbal mixtures are reported, including formulas for a preparation obtained using the fruit of Crescentia cujete. 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 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]. 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. Information was obtained . 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]. Weniger B, Rouzier M, Daguilh R, Henrys D, Henrys JH, Anton R. La medecine populaire dans le Plateau Central d'Haiti. (Laguerre, 68) In the Ozarks catnip tea administered to babies quiets colic and can even be used to stop convulsions. most plants used in Haiti were also available in Cuba), and to the cultivation of medicinal plants in the new environment. 1988, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba: Editorial Oriente, James J, Millet J, Alarcn A: El Vod en Cuba. 1987, South Hadley, MA: Bergin and Garvey Publishers. 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'. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-5-16, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-5-16. Consuming 2 or three Echinacea pills two times a day can relieve serious frustrations and also other sorts of migraines. 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. 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. 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%). Fuentes V: Sobre la medicina tradicional en Cuba. Weniger B, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R. Plants of Haiti used as antifertility agents. 2007, Oxford: Berghahn, 245-269. 2009, 37 (1): 43-53. 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. 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. About 40% of the total population of the province lives in the city of Camagey; almost 200,000 people live in rural areas. 2004, 58: 381-395. 1995, 49: 249-256. It is also known as the bitter gourd or bitter cucumber in Asia, South America and the Middle East. Haiti Medicine S.A. (HM) is a private company, which distributes top quality medicines and pharmaceutical products throughout Haiti. California Privacy Statement, GV drafted the manuscript. 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. Haitian empirical medicine sprang from both European (16th to 19th century) and African (especially voodoo) traditional therapies. Bidens pilosa, Cymbopogon citratus, Majorana hortensis, Ocimum spp.). 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%). Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Economic Botany. 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. 1946, La Habana: Contribuciones Ocasionales del Museo de Historia Natural Colegio La Salle 8, Cultural S.A, Len H, Alain H: Flora de Cuba. CD ROM Atlas Etnogrficos de Cuba. So, Lippia alba and Cymbopogon citratus often appear in the corpus of ethnobotanical knowledge of African origin in Cuba [14,51], and Erythroxylum havanense and Chiococca alba are among the main ingredients of multi-herbal preparations used as a medicinal remedy in Eastern Cuba as well as a spiritual remedy in Afro-Cuban religions [19,34]. Some locals say that Voodoo succeeds where modern medicine can't, but that the religion is often misunderstood. We aim to make significant improvements in the health of the Haitian population while keeping our company strong. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. Dried cerassee for sale at Grace Seafood in Miami Gardens. GV and DG conceived and designed the research. Guanche J, Moreno D: Caidije. News reports immediately following the disaster documented displaced Haitians sitting . Voodoo, a traditional religion, is widely known for this hybrid form of care. Cultura haitiana en Esmeralda. They are used to treat rashes in children caused by measles and smallpox (e.g. GV drafted the manuscript. Her go-to cure-all medicinal plant is asosi, also called cerasee and corailee in the English-speaking Caribbean. 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]. My mom comes from a line of Haitian women herbalists fromGonaives, Haiti. Nez N, Gonzlez E. Antecedentes etnohistricos de la alimentacin tradicional en 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. Juice extraction is mostly used for green parts and is preferred over decoction and infusion for topical applications. This paper focuses on traditional medicinal plant uses of Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camagey, Cuba. In the Caribbean, however, the herbal bath carries an even holier association as a major component of Haitian Voudou (frequently westernized as "Voodoo"). Psidium guajava as an anthelmintic). [15] who interviewed 29 Cuban informants across the Province of Camagey and reported 111 species used for medicinal purposes. 10.1016/0378-8741(82)90072-1. 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. Correspondence to Ethnopharmacological themes in sub-Saharan art objects and utensils. Edited by: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H. 1992, Gatersleben, Germany: Institut fr Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, 1: 110-137. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Primero Simposio de Botnica; La Habana. The use of herbal medicine is common in Haiti, where the knowledge of plants is passed down through the generations, and Haitians are known to use the hibiscus flower and the cerasee plant . 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. Map of Cuba with the Province of Camagey. 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]. Received 2009 Feb 28; Accepted 2009 May 18. (Kloss, 215) In Jordan's research on Voodoo medicine, he places more emphasis, however, on the calming properties of catnip, rather than purgative. 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. Esquivel M, Fuentes V, Martnez C, Martnez J, Hammer K. The African influence from an Ethnobotanical Point of View. About 40% of the total population of the province lives in the city of Camagey; almost 200,000 people live in rural areas. I soon learned however that Caribbean folk medicine cannot be studied without comparing it to African-American practices. Colon, Sandra Hernandez. Another excellent febrifuge used both in Haiti and the Ozarks is senna. Chenopodium ambrosioides, Momordica charantia) are used to treat intestinal parasites. 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]. Brandon G: The uses of plants in healing in an Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria. 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. Boletn de Resea de Plantas Medicinales. 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. Creole is the second most spoken language in the Province of Camagey, after Spanish. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 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. CAS Many Haitians are believer of "remed fey" or "bush medicine". Revista Cubana de Alimentacin y Nutricin. If they or their leaf doctor sense that any of these factors are out of balance in their body, they dose themselves with an decoction (tea) of sarsaparilla root. 10.1016/0378-8741(86)90070-X. This information on herbs was developed by BHLP faculty members and consultants as an attempt to begin educating conventional health care practitioners about the use of herbs and supplements by ethnic groups in Boston. 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]. 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%). ", She points to a green shrub with slightly oval leaves, This isJackna Bush.. April 28, 2023. In: Hammer K, Esquivel M, Knpffer H, 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. In its basic preparation, the inner mass is cooked, triturated, and then stirred, sometimes being left one night outside of the house before stirring. 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. 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]. Neuwinger HD: Afrikanische Arzneipflanzen und Jagdgifte. 105 e/ngel y Pobre, Camagey, Cuba. Everyone calls Francis Sister Francis because shes a respected elder. Herbal Index. Still, cerasee is in demand, especially for Caribbean transplants now living here in South Florida. 10.1663/0013-0001(2004)058[0381:EOPATC]2.0.CO;2. Fuentes V: Plants in Afro-Cuban Religions. " Children's baths prepared with anthelmintic plants (e.g. He deduced that the bark and wood of the simarouba excelsa plant were an excellent tonic and febrifuge (that which acts to expel intestinal worms from the system).