Bwa-yo - Société Audubon Haiti

20 Medicinal Uses
Trees have provided a rich source of ingredients that Haitians and other people of
Hisponiola have used for centuries in their folk medicine. After Charles Plumier
published his Description des Plantes de l'Amerique in 1693, based in part on floristic
studies conducted in Haiti, two French doctors wrote on the utilization of medicinal
plants in Haiti: RenePouppee Desportes wrote Histoire des Maladies de Saint
Domingue in 1740 and E. Descourtilz wrote Flore Pittoresque et Medicinales des
Antilles in 1821. Recent ethnobotanical studies have been conducted on the medicinal
plants of Haiti, including those by Brutus and Pierre-Noel (1959, 1960, 1966), Leon
(1980), Weniger (1985), Weniger and Rouzier (1986), and Rouzier (1990). Studies
dealing with many of the same species present throughout the Caribbean and Latin
American include Ayensu (1981), Morton (1981), Nunez (1982), Tramil I (1984),
Darnault and Longuefosse (1985), Tramil II (1986), Joseph (1988), Seaforth (1988),
Tramil III (1988), Ansel et al. (1989) and Liogier (1990).
The medicinal use of trees is an important part of Haitian cultural knowledge, and
its effectiveness must be reinforced by scientific study. At times there is concern, even
contempt, among Western medical researchers about traditional, local practices.
Precision in dosages of curative treatments is difficult. Some remedies have been
shown to contain toxic compounds; others fade into the universe of mysticism and
magic. Strict ethical guidelines in the application of treatments are rarely explicit.
However, the beauty of traditional medicines comes down to an issue of cultural
diversity and a deeper understanding of the role that plants play in the daily lives of .
people. Without this diversity, modem pharmaceutical science would not be what it is
today. Herbal remedies are locally available and foster a self-reliance among those
who can ill-afford the high costs of imported pharmaceuticals. Perhaps an art more
than a science, one of the most important contributions of folk medicine is that it adds
to our understanding ofHaitiantrees.
A list of trees that are commonly used for medicinal purposes in Haiti is provided
in Table 20.1 below. The table includes 76 families, 222 genera and 293 taxa. The
taxa are arranged alphabetically by species. The first column gives the scientific and
Creole names associated with the tree. The second column summarizes the ailments,
followed by the tree part and the principal method of application. Specific
prescriptions, such as dosage and frequency, are not given, as these are rarely
specified in the literature and can vary considerably among users according to recipe.
Moreover, the table does not rank the order of species importance as a medicinal
source for the ailments, though this work can be found for areas of Haiti studied by
Service Oecumenique d'Entraide since the 1980s. Many of the tree species invariably
are associated with specific treatments. Examples include the relief of sore throat with
Spondias purpurea or lowering of blood pressure with Terminalia catappa.
The genera that stand out in importance· are important fruit trees - notably
Citrus (sweet and sour orange, key lime, and pummelo) and Annona (soursop, custard
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