“CURANDERISMO”: HISTORICAL ZOOTHERAPY AMONG CRIOLLO INHABITANTS IN RURAL AREAS OF CÓRDOBA, ARGENTINA"

ARIAS TOLEDO, BÁRBARA; TRILLO, CECILIA

Ethnoscientia

Sociedade Brasileira de Etnobiologia e Etnoecologia (SBEE)

Año: 2023

2448-1998

This article presents a compilation and analysis of animal-based remedies included in the category of "curanderismo" in the National Folklore Survey (NFS, Argentina, 1921). The use of 37 individuals or parts of animal species of different taxa for 66 different applications is described, analyzed and related to the current use in zootherapy. The NFS included records of 37 animal species (7 of them domestic), animal parts or animal-derived products, with 66 different uses. Of these species, 9 (3 domestic and 6 wild) continue to be used (Clitellata, Arachnida, Insecta, Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia and Amphibia) for multiple purposes. The NFS reveals a complex ethnomedical system that included local biodiversity but also elements of cultural syncretism. Paying attention to them may enrich our view of the daily life of current and past rural communities.