Transcript Little Book of Herbs

Historical Ethnobotany
The Badianus Codex – “The Little
Book of Herbs”
The Badianus Codex – “The
Little Book of Herbs”
• Written in 1552 at College of Santa Cruz
• Written in Nahuatl by Aztec physician
Martin de la Cruz
• Translated into Latin by Aztec monk named
John Badianus
• de la Cruz probably trained in Aztec
medical practices prior to arrival of Cortes
in 1521
• de la Cruz probably did the paintings of
plants
Cortes first meets the Aztecs
Aztec healer shown in the
Florentine Codex – ca. 1540
Ohuaxocoyolin –
Native bitter herb –
Probably a begonia Used to cure Glaucoma
“The Little Book of Herbs”
•
•
•
•
Detailed descriptions of used of 251 plant species
Also uses of bird, animal blood and body parts
Use of various earths
Bezoar stones (hard secretions from guts of
animals – mainly ruminants)
• Other nonherbal substances
• Many plants used were psychoactive and used in
religious rituals and for divination but also had
medicinal uses
Peyote – Lophophora williamsii
• Huichol shaman rub
on cuts to prevent
infection
• Found to have
antibiotic properties –
even against penicillin
resistant
Staphylococcus
Aztec physicians used
many species of Datura
• Almost all species of Datura produce the
narcotic stramonium
• Stramonium is made up of:
• Atropine – effects heart rate
• Scopolamine – large doses cause
disorientation, delirium, foaming at the
mouth, great thirst, visions, dreamless sleep
followed by amnesia
• Hyoscyamine – reduces muscle spasms,
sweating
Tolohuaxihuitl – Nexehuac –
Datura ceratocaula
Datura innoxia
Jimson weed - Datura stramonium
Jimson weed seed capsule
- Datura stramonium
Aztec cautions about Datura
• “It harms one, takes away one’s appetite,
maddens one, makes one besotted. He who
eats it will no longer desire food until he
shall die. And if he eats it moderately, he
will forever be disturbed, maddened; he will
always be possessed, no longer tranquil.” from the Florentine Codex by Fray
Bernadino de Sahagun, ca. 1540
Belladonna – aka Deadly nightshade –
Atropa belladonna
Cacao – Theobroma cacao
Tlalcacahoatl
Aztec uses of Cacao
Woman making
chocolate drink –
from Codice Tudela
– 16th century
Florentine Codex – god
visiting Cacao eater
Theobroma cacao
Cacao leaves and seeds – Theobroma cacao
Aztecs recognized at least four
varieties of Cacao
• Cacahoaquiahuit – largest, bore the largest fruits,
most seeds.
• Mecacahoatl – medium height, fruits second
largest in size.
• Xochicacahoatl – smaller in height and with
smaller fruits with red seeds.
• Tlalcacahoatl – smallest of them all and with the
smallest fruits. It was thought to make the best
drink. The other varieties were prized for seeds
for currency
Food Plants
Contemporary Hunter-Gatherers
The San Bushmen
Torres Straits Islands
Corn –
Zea mays
Typical Corn Growth
Typical ear of corn
Variation in ear size and kernel color from
Mexican landraces of corn
Teosinte –
Zea diploperennis
Ear of teosinte – Zea diploperennis
Teosinte vs. Corn Growth
Teosinte
Corn
Zea mays