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May 2003 Ancient Medicinal Practices Still Popular in Mexico By Dixie Davis With today's spiraling cost of manufactured medicines, many Mexicans who live in the cities are now resorting to pre-Columbian remedies still commonly used in the rural areas. Traditionally, the poor seek medical attention from curanderos, or natural healers; the middle-class and upper class Mexicans usually see a medical doctor. But when they are desperate, they switch over. As the saying in Spanish goes: a poor man only goes to the doctor when he is very sick; a rich man only goes to the curanderos when he is very sick. Herbs are almost as basic in Mexico today as they were in pre-Hispanic days. Many plants are still known by their original indigenous names. Fortunately for today's herbalists, the Aztecs had developed a very successful system for using plants as medicines and this was one of the few cultural aspects of the pre-Hispanic era that the Conquistadores didn't destroy. The Spaniards discovered that each different indigenous tribe had a codex describing treatments for many conditions, some of which had no known cure in the Old World at that time. Hernán Cortés wrote the King of Spain in 1522 to let him know that doctors from there were redundant here in the face of such a well-developed local medical system. The Aztecs and Mayas had advanced health strategies that are only today becoming important in more developed countries. Preventative medicine was their principal strategy. They strongly believed that physical and mental well-being could not be separated. Today, one of the greatest expressions of indigenous cultures is still in the area of medicine or preventative care. Indigenous doctors generally transcend what is normally called medicine, arriving at a more holistic approach in the care of their patients. The average Mexican doesn't spend a day without coming into contact with the amazing variety of herbal plants the country has to offer. One of the simplest and most well-known folk remedies, manzanilla (or Chamomile) tea is so popular that you can get it in almost any household or restaurant in Mexico. It is sold in tea bags at the grocery store, which generally has fresh and dried Manzanilla plants available in the produce department. It is favored for its delicate apple flavor and prescribed for almost every stomach discomfort, for stimulating the appetite and as an aid against sore throats and mouth infections. Arnica, which has the same name in English, is one of Mexico's most versatile herbs. It is used in the form of a poultice or an infusion (soaked in alcohol) for wounds and bruises. For sores and other open wounds, an infusion of árnica is made with water. Tea from the flowers of this plant is used to cure colds, clear the lungs and combat fatigue. And of course the Mexican sávila (aloe vera) plant is now famous around the world for being a superb cure for skin disorders. Where fresh sávila is available, the pale viscous liquid from the cut plant is applied directly to the skin. Infusions are also made up from the fresh plant for internal disorders. Mexicans claim this plant can cure over a thousand ailments. Many of the more than 5,000 medicinal plants are normal ingredients in the most popular Mexican dishes. Cilantro or coriander, is considered to strengthen the heart and work as a stomach tonic. The leaves of this plant show up in many Mexican soups, stews and sauces. Fresh rosemary or romero is prepared as a vegetable dish to go along with fish or seafood meals. An epazote leaf (chenopodium ambrosioides) is often added to tortilla dishes such as quesadillas for its flavor and anti-parasitical properties. Fresh nopales, the thick leaf or paddle of the prickly pear cactus is used daily in egg and salad dishes and known to be an effective control of blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The inexpensive and nutritional nopal is also one of the many ice-cream flavors available in Mexico. Herbs are normally grown at home and used frequently in cooking by Mexican homemakers. Dozens of medicinal plants double as houseplants. These are found in tin-can containers suspended from adobe walls as well as in the burgeoning greenery of elegant patios. Whole sections of every big-city or village market are piled high with fragrant grasses, leaves, barks, flowers, seeds and roots. Herbalists are in attendance to give advice to prospective buyers. Some of the yerberos, or herb salesmen, keep alive the more mystical side of Aztec culture by offering rare herbs used in magic rites that are preliminary to medical activity. They also tout lotions, amulets, candles for ceremonies, powders, essences, little bundles of leaves that can cure any ailment and paper ribbons with incantations. They offer up concoctions guaranteed to cast off evil spirits and banish unhappiness or to attract members of the opposite sex. Most Mexicans are not taken in by this kind of chicanery, but do think herbal treatments can be beneficial. Rural people generally know about all the useful plants that grow wild in their area. They gather these as needed from Mother Nature's inexpensive and inexhaustible pharmacy: the nearby fields and forests. A significant segment of the Mexican population believes that curing with plants is slower but safer and less expensive than using drugs developed in a laboratory, which are often derivatives of the same plants. These homemade cures are especially appreciated for common, everyday ailments because they are known to cause fewer side effects than modern medicines. Herbal remedies that don't especially require mixing by an expert include the following: berro (watercress) leaves applied to the temples to ease headaches, spirit of rosemary (romero) massaged into joints to relieve aches, and inhaled basil (albahaca) oil to clear sinuses. Thyme (tomillo) has strong antiseptic properties and is known as an excellent digestive aid. One teaspoon of leaves in hot, not boiling, water is used to make an infusion of which the ailing person drinks a cup of two or three times a day. Toronjil (a member of the mint family) provides both flowers and leaves for a delicious tea with a light lemon taste that is said to be good for an upset stomach and to cause a deep and peaceful sleep. Jamaica (hibiscus) is a popular tea and homemade drink. Drinks made from these dried red flowers contain more vitamin C than orange juice and are a well known for their diuretic properties. The flowers and leaves of the pericón plant (tagetes lucida or Mexican Tarragon) are brewed to alleviate an old-fashioned stomachache. The plant is often used as a condiment for corn and chayote and has a light flavor of anise. The fragrant foliage of a small tree called the Mexican Laurel (litsea glaucescens) makes a tea that is used to alleviate colic or used as a gargle for sore throats. Laurel (or Bay leaves) is also added to meat and pasta dishes as a condiment. Mexico's Health Secretariat has come to consider traditional medical practices as more than marginally important. Many new clinics are established in rural areas every year and the people in charge make a point of combining the two healthcare methods in order to complement, rather than to replace the practices already deeply rooted in these communities. University-educated doctors try to work with the traditional healers of the community, hoping to integrate modern medicine and health education into the local culture. 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