Phytotherapy applied to the treatment of cultural bound syndromes in Calchaqui Valley (Salta, Argentina)

CRIVOS, MARTA; MARTINEZ, MARIA ROSA; POCHETTINO, MARIA LELIA

Advances in Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Research

Ed. Dr. Thangadurai

Lugar: India; Año: 2007;

From the 80s onwards, our research team has developed interdisciplinary studies in rural populations in the Department of Molinos, located in Northern Valles Calchaquíes (Salta, NW Argentina), with the aim of characterizing the current traditional medicine. In this frame, the great preponderance of phytotherapy as therapeutic strategy has been established. Nevertheless, there exists a set of diseases that show particular characteristics - ?susto? (fright, literal translation), ?mal aire? (bad air), ?mal dar?  (bad giving), ?aire? (air), ?aique ? and ?malos deseos? (bad whishes) ?  and specific therapeutics about which we have gathered abundant references. These diseases, which are grouped under the label of illnesses of the spirit in the anthropological literature devoted to cultural-specific syndromes, have deserved broad consideration from specialists of native Latin-American medicine, while they are widely widespread in the Andean area. Along with their nosological specificity, the specificity of the resources  used for their treatment, which come exclusively from traditional medical wisdom, has been recorded, This knowledge, shared by a wide range of local population members, is found in a more systematized way in the speech of local traditional healers or  " médicos campesinos?. Three therapeutic techniques are used in the treatment of these pathologies: the ?llamado?  (calling, literal translation), ?sahumado? (smoking), and ?tomas? (ingestion), that include different combinations of elements of plant, animal and mineral origin. In this paper we explore the settlers? representations of the above mentioned components: the qualities and efficacy ?either symbolic and/or pragmatic-  attributed to them. By means of qualitative and quantitative techniques, 28 elements of plant  origin were recorded, as well as 14 of animal origin and 11 minerals used in the therapeutics of the  illnessess of the spirit. The strategies for the treatment of these diseases include a series of components and skills that shape real complexes whose therapeutic properties ?as we believe- derive mostly from their combination rather than from the qualities attributed to each component individually.