Ethnomedicine: Traditional Healing and Medical Anthropology

Eden Hornung Start Date: Jul 29, 2018 - End Date: Oct 26, 2018
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development

My Travel Story

by: Eden Hornung Start Date: Jul 29, 2018 - End Date: Oct 26, 2018
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development
A whole lot of medicinal plant knowledge accumulated by indigenous elders, passed down through many generations, remains unknown to modernized scientists, doctors, and civilians. With deforestation and urbanization, some of the plant species are on the vulnerable list, on the verge of disappearing. Modernization of tribal culture is causing a shift of interest away from such medicinal plant knowledge and in some tribes whatever knowledge is left is confined to the oldest generation. It is our immediate concern is to preserve this knowledge. Afterall, the majority of medicines we have today are either synthetic versions of a natural plant compound, or otherwise inspired by a natural plant compound. :-)

Modern drug --- Traditional medicinal use --- Plant source:
      • Aspirin --- Reduces pain and inflammations --- Filipendula ulmaria
      • Codeine --- Eases pain, suppresses cough --- Papaver somniferum
      • Ipecac --- Controls vomiting --- Psychotria ipecacuanha
      • Pilocarpine --- Reduces pressure in the eyes --- Pilocarpus jaborandi
      • Ephidrine --- Reduces nasal congestion --- Ephedra sinica
      • Quinine --- Combats malaria --- Cinchona pubescens
      • Reserpine --- Lowers blood pressure --- Rauvolfia serpentina
      • Scopolamine --- Eases motion sickness --- Datura stramonium
      • Theophyllin --- Opens bronchial passage  --- Catharanthus roseus
      • Diosgenin --- Contraceptive --- Dioscorea floribunda
      • Digitoxin --- Dropsy, relieves heart congestion --- Digitalis purpurea