History of Latin American Dermatology

JULIO CORREAbark of the Chipihú tree is used, with the mother of pearl scraped off a nambí (conch),the juice of certain ground-hugging Ihsipós or Yhvihmbi; and externally, certain ointmentsand liniments, which have noticeable power for the cleansing of the pustules thatare generally present on the body of those who have pian. He adds:They prepare these remedies by means of the ashes of burnt rushes or pirí, withwhich they mix the water that is segregated and which they collect from the leavesof the stem of the Babirier; they also employ with the same purpose the juice of theGenipa fruit, and apply the crushed pulp of this fruit over the buttons; it has thepower to attract all the pus from the sores and close the lips of the ulcers 6 .The Guaraní knew diverse procedures to apply to the diverse ailments that affectedthe skin. Suction, which in Guaraní is suvá, was very well known:Furthermore, the Guaraní knew the true suction cup from antiquity. The Guaranísuction cup was not made of glass, a substance unknown in the Americas, but wasmade by appropriately cutting a pumpkin or porongo (Lagenaria vulgaris) in orderto form a funnel or small horn, which was applied like our suction cups, but extractingthe air by sucking through the narrow end which was duly drilled. A good suvandára— as the operator was called — produces rubefactions and elevations thatcannot but have an effect on certain ailments 6 .The heat of fire and of the sun’s rays are taken advantage of by the medic or payé.According to Bertoni, who cites Couto de Magalhaes:They also employ fire as a therapeutic agent in the case of poisonous animals suchas snakes and rays. They do not cauterize the wounds and the sores as we do, butplace the injured member near the fire and hold out until they cannot bear the heatany longer; they then withdraw it and soon place it near again until the heat is followedby a kind of torpor, leaving the pain numb 6 .It is important to point out that, because of the accent that they put on cleanliness andof their discipline in nutrition, the Indians exhibited very few dermatoses. Guillermo Piso,quoted by Bertoni, indicates only two: empeine or impetigo and the rash. For impetigo(uñé in Guaraní, a name that persists to our days and is used by our fellow countrymenin public hospitals to designate dermatophytosis), a herb of a modest and grassy aspectis employed, called yupikaih; it is used after grinding. Also used is the pod of a leguminousplant, the Phaseolus caracalla, and in very persistent cases the bark of Sevipira, aBrazilian tree with a very strong action.The sudamina or rash caused can be halted with the decoction of the roots of Yuripe(Yuripeva) with lemons. One of its species is similar to the Solanum robustum (Yaguaretepó),with a noticeable effect on sores and ulcers in general.Under the category of ulcers and buboe, mention of leishmaniasis is found among authorsof olden times. For the healing of ulcers the ka’ã-tai, Polygonum acre and relatedspecies were used, as well as the milk of the Guapoih (Picus).One of the more widespread illnesses in both Americas is surely the ura or botfly (Dermatobiahominis) or better said, the larva of this fly, distinguished from the adult animalwith the name of Mberuasó, both names being Guaraní. Insect repellents are not alwaysefficient against the botfly; however, knowing the weather conditions and the high-riskhour, and perfuming themselves with certain plants, the Indians generally avoid it, throughthe use of Chupad oil and the decoction of Paraih, and in the northeast through diversebalsams and the boiling of the Tarokih, a Cassia of notable properties. In the frequent case292