Iroquois Medical BotanyThe world view of the Iroquois League or Confederacy—the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations—is based on a strong cosmological belief system. This is especially evident in Iroquois medical practices, which connect man to nature and the powerful forces in the supernatural realm. Iroquois Medical Botany is the first guide to understanding the use of herbal medicines in traditional Iroquois culture. It links Iroquois cosmology to cultural themes by showing the inherent spiritual power of plants and how the Iroquois traditionally have used and continue to use plants as remedies. After an introduction to the Iroquois doctrine of the cosmos, authors James Herrick and Dean Snow examine how ill health directly relates to the balance and subsequent disturbance of the forces in one’s life. They next turn to general perceptions of illness and the causes of imbalances, which can result in physical manifestations from birthmarks and toothaches to sunstroke and cancer. In all, they list close to 300 phenomena. Finally, the book enumerates specific plant regimens for various ailments with a major compilation from numerous Iroquois authorities and sources of more than 450 native names, uses, and preparations of plants. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Folk Conceptions of Health and Medicine | 25 |
Conceptions of Illness in Traditional Iroquois Culture | 33 |
Medical Treatments in Traditional Iroquois Culture | 65 |
Powerful Medicinal Plants in Traditional Iroquois Culture | 89 |
Native Names Uses and Preparations of Plants | 95 |
| 251 | |
| 257 | |
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Common terms and phrases
½ qt americana Anyms Aralia nudicaulis Aralia racemosa Asarum canadense baby behavioral Boil roots bundle canadensis caused ceremonies Chew Chimaphila umbellata CHJJ cold concept corn cough CRE/ET Creator cure Diarrhea emetic FAMILY fever field notes 1912 FndA SS FndB FndC FndD further details Gleason Gonorrhea handful of roots health actor illness imbalance individual Inula helenium Iroquoian Iroquois JJJr leaves Let cool let stand love medicine Mash menses Mitchella repens Nuphar lutea Osmorhiza claytonii Osmunda claytoniana otko patient person poison poultice Preparation not given racemosa recorded by Waugh Rheumatism Scrape bark Seneca sick Smash roots Smilacina racemosa spirit forces Steep stomach symptoms tablespoon teacup teaspoon things and events thought tobacco traditional Iroquois culture Ulmus rubra urine Venereal disease verb root virginiana vomit warm water wash water and boil whole plant witch witchcraft woman worms