Learning from the Aztecs
As we continue to explore the practices of various cultures together on this blog, an important facet of culture is medicinal practices. For many cultures, their practices have been passed down from ancient times, and a great example of this is the extensive traditional medical practices still thriving in Mexico.
In the land of a variety of plants, animals, and fungi, the vast diversity of plants has allowed a field of medicinal practices to develop centered around the use of these herbs in present day Mexico. This country has a rich history of medicinal herb use that predates the era of European conquest by many centuries1. Evidence of these practices have been depicted in the various codices that were preserved from the Aztec civilization. Codices are like little books that contain pictures of the plants being used. While the history behind these ancient books isn’t quite so charming, the codices were burned by Spanish missionaries under the pretense that they were “heretical”1, there is valuable knowledge stored in them. Today we still have access to some of the information within the codices due to the progressive thought processes of a few select missionaries who had the foresight to protect two of the codices.
Detailed within these codices we have access to how the Aztecs used certain herbs. Some of the uses for these herbs has remained the same through time till present day while others have changed; whether by disappearing or new ones appearing, the uses narrowing or shortening. Some commonly used herbs in present day Mexico include the medical plant Scoparia Dulcis, which is used to treat diarrhea, stomach pain, and toothache. Equisetum hyemale L. on the other hand is used to treat abdominal pain and urinary tract infections, and Tilia mexicana Schlechtendahl is used to soothe nerves and ease menstrual pains2.
These herbal medications have made their way from the past to the present, and are still a part of life today, reminding us that we must continue to give value to practices of the past as they still hold value in the present, and hold the key to the future.
Work Cited
1. The University of Texas at El Paso - UTEP, https://www.utep.edu/herbal-safety/_Files/docs/Plants-Used-in-Mexican-Traditional-Medicine-July-04.pdf
2. Valdivia-Correa, Bárbara, et al. “Herbal Medicine in Mexico: A Cause of Hepatotoxicity. A Critical Review.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 15 Feb. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4783966