The importance of botellas and other plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Plant mixtures are understudied in ethnobotanical research.

Aim of the study: To investigate the importance of plant mixtures (remedies consisting of at least two plants) in Dominican traditional medicine.

Materials and methods: A Spanish language questionnaire was administered to 174 Dominicans living in New York City (NYC) and 145 Dominicans living in the Dominican Republic (DR), including lay persons (who self-medicate with plants) and specialists (traditional healers). Plants were identified through specimens purchased in NYC botánica shops and Latino grocery shops, and from voucher collections.

Results: The percentage of mixtures as compared to single plants in plant use reports varied between 32 and 41%, depending on the geographic location (NYC or DR) and participant status (lay person or specialist). Respiratory conditions, reproductive health and genitourinary conditions were the main categories for which Dominicans use plant mixtures. Lay persons reported significantly more mixtures prepared as teas, mainly used in NYC to treat respiratory conditions. Specialists mentioned significantly more botellas (bottled herbal mixtures), used most frequently in the DR to treat reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Cluster analysis demonstrated that different plant species are used to treat respiratory conditions as compared to reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Interview participants believed that combining plants in mixtures increases their potency and versatility as medicines.

Conclusions: The present study demonstrates the importance and complexity of plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine and the variation in its practices influenced by migration from the DR to NYC, shedding new light on the foundations of a particular ethnomedical system.

Figure 1

Map of the study areas. Interviews were conducted with 174 Dominicans in the neighborhoods of Washington Heights and the Bronx in New York City (figure 1A) and with 145 Dominicans in four provinces in the Dominican Republic: (1) Distrito Nacional (Santo Domingo), (2) San Pedro de Macorís, (3) Santiago and (4) La Vega (figure 1B).

Figure 2

Percentage of mixtures that are composed of two or three plants, four or five plants, or more than six plants (N=sample size, total number of plant use reports with mixtures).

Figure 3

A tea mixture is prepared by boiling different plant species together in water (a decoction).

Figure 4

A botella mamajuana containing bark and other parts from different plant species and octopus.

Figure 5

Use of botellas for respiratory versus reproductive health and genitourinary conditions.

Figure 6

Use of tea mixtures for respiratory versus reproductive health and genitourinary conditions.

Figure 7

Cluster analysis of plant-illness data based upon presence/absence of plant species used to treat these health conditions (figure 7A: NYC lay persons; figure 7B: DR lay persons; figure 7C: DR specialists). Data from NYC specialists are omitted because the tree showed a poor correlation with the original similarity/dissimilarity matrix (r=0.73; normalized mantel statistic Z). Matrix correlations for NYC lay persons: r=0.88 (good fit); DR lay persons: r=0.86 (good fit); DR specialists: r=0.94 (very good fit). *STDs: sexually transmitted diseases.

Figure 7

Cluster analysis of plant-illness data based upon presence/absence of plant species used to treat these health conditions (figure 7A: NYC lay persons; figure 7B: DR lay persons; figure 7C: DR specialists). Data from NYC specialists are omitted because the tree showed a poor correlation with the original similarity/dissimilarity matrix (r=0.73; normalized mantel statistic Z). Matrix correlations for NYC lay persons: r=0.88 (good fit); DR lay persons: r=0.86 (good fit); DR specialists: r=0.94 (very good fit). *STDs: sexually transmitted diseases.

Figure 7

Cluster analysis of plant-illness data based upon presence/absence of plant species used to treat these health conditions (figure 7A: NYC lay persons; figure 7B: DR lay persons; figure 7C: DR specialists). Data from NYC specialists are omitted because the tree showed a poor correlation with the original similarity/dissimilarity matrix (r=0.73; normalized mantel statistic Z). Matrix correlations for NYC lay persons: r=0.88 (good fit); DR lay persons: r=0.86 (good fit); DR specialists: r=0.94 (very good fit). *STDs: sexually transmitted diseases.