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FAMSI © 2007: Vania Smith-Oka |
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Traditional Medicine Among the Nahua: Contemporary and Ancient Medicinal Plants Discussion (continued)
Plants are recognized by the people of Amatlán by their physical attributes; the people use several markers to identify a plant's physical appearance: shape of the leaves ("its leaves look like they have fingers"), striations on the leaves, nodes on the stalk ("looks like cane"), size, color, and shape of the fruits ("small like coffee" "looks like [a] peach"), whether it has thorns or prickles, color of the leaves ("it is a small green tree"), color, size, and shape of the flowers ("this one has a white flower, there are others that are red…[the fruit] open up and look like cotton wool"), general shape of the plant ("it looks like a maguey"), scent ("it smells nice"), and the chemical properties of the plant ("if [that plant] gets on your hands or your eyes it will hurt, it itches/burns").
The above differentiation of the physical attributes of medicinal plants was also a part of Aztec taxonomy, as can be seen in Francisco Hernández's seminal book, Historia de las Plantas de Nueva España, as well as in Fray Bernardino de Sahagún's Florentine Codex. The first book is not only a list of many plants found in México during the colonial period, but also their uses and taxonomy. The Aztec names for the plants described their physical appearance and/or their uses, for example the plant Ololticapitzalpahtli, which means the round (ololtic) diarrhea (apitzalli) medicine (pajtli) (Hernández 1942[1572]:8). This name describes not only the fact that the plant is medicinal, but also what it is used for and what it looks like. This form of taxonomy makes it easier for the people to identify plants because their names become descriptors. Amongst the people of Amatlán, a similar type of taxonomy is used, for example there is a plant referred to locally as sesecpajtle, which means the cold (sesec) medicine (pajtli). It is used for headaches and colds by the people.
The plants are also identified by where and when they grow, as well as where the people can find them. Some of the plants might resemble each other, but the healing specialists know that they do not grow during the same time of year or they flower at different times and hence they can differentiate between them. Other plants (such as Bombax ellipticum, Hylocereus undatus, Pouteria salicifolia) grow primarily in people's home gardens; if anyone needs part of that plant for medicinal purposes, they tend to know who grows it and whether they will share it (see Figure 12, Figure 13, and Figure 14, above). |
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