Medicinal Plants Classification Biosynthesis and ... - Index of

64
Gustavo J. Martínez, Mara Sato and Marta Ojeda
interviewed individuals mention ailments of different parts of the organism, making specific
reference to a precise part of the body. Among the commonest are ―nubes‖ (clouds) or
―cataracts‖ interpreted as a ―little web that appears in the eye”, ―mal de orín” (urine
disorder) and ―arenillas‖ (sands) in the kidneys, ―chuchos‖ (shivers), ―chuschamientos‖ and
―calores” (heat flushes) or ―fevers‖, all of which are considered locatable morbid agents
rather than symptoms of an imbalance.
In addition to the characterization of symptoms for the aforementioned afflictions, a
diagnosis by urine or faeces is customary. According to Di Lullo (1944) and Foster (1953),
this practice is inherited from Spanish medicine, and is one of the most common forms of
diagnosis used by the serranos. The colour of urine allows identifying kidney and digestive
disorders, and making a prognosis for the patient, among other things. The precision of this
―diagnosis by the waters‖ or ―reading of the waters‖ is evidenced in the narration of an
elderly informer capable of identifying different types of ―pasmo” according to the direction
of the wind.
“My father saw the waters, in other words the urine doctors take to study… they
bring him a clean bottle; my father would put it into a crystal bottle and look at it
over a white sheet of paper”
“Brown and dark coloured urine, like Coke indicates a kidney problem” “urine the
colour of Coke is hepatitis, when the urine is lightly coloured it is healthy”
“It is known that the milk has done them harm, I look at them and then look at their
urine, if the urine is very strong, almost like Coca-Cola”
“When they have “pata de cabra” they defecate green”
“A rubbery and light green faeces is due to a cold or intoxication with phlegm; that
is cured with the tape measure, “palo amarillo” tea or another tea with a laxative
effect… greenish defecations like a beaten egg is a liver problem…urine with dark
blood is kidney problem that they are not working properly”
B. Imbalances generated by conflictive social relationships
Many symptoms of the criollo diseases are often interpreted as direct consequences of
conflicts related to social relationships, expressed in terms of negative energies, forces or
supernatural powers.
Evil, envy, harm and sorcery are often mentioned in the etiology of diseases of newborn
babies and heart or nervous affections. This is especially evident when explaining the causes
of asthenia, loss of weight and appetite, insanity or other symptoms as irritability, nervous
anxiety, insomnia and even sudden death due to heart failure. In this area these signs are
diagnosed as an ailment known as ―ojeadura‖ or ―mal de ojo‖, meaning ―evil eye‖.
According to the peasants‘ beliefs, this ailment reflects the fact that some people can cause
harm by the way they look at others, whether intentionally (by praise, envy, or greed) or not
(a relative or neighbour that looks fixedly at a weak person after a long-working or
troublesome day). ―Evil eye‖ often affects children, especially newborn babies that are
weaker than adults and get ill when exposed to a more powerful energy. ―Evil eye‖ is also