Ritual uses of palms in traditional medicine in sub-Saharan Africa: a review

Ritual uses of palms in traditional medicine in sub-Saharan Africa: a review

Palms (Arecaceae) are prominent elements in African traditional medicines. It is, however, a challenge to find detailed information on the ritual use of palms, which are an inextricable part of African medicinal and spiritual systems. This work reviews ritual uses of palms within African ethnomedicine. We studied over 200 publications on uses of African palms and found information about ritual uses in 26 of them. At least 12 palm species in sub-Saharan Africa are involved in various ritual practices: Borassus aethiopum, Cocos nucifera, Dypsis canaliculata, D. fibrosa, D. pinnatifrons, Elaeis guineensis, Hyphaene coriacea, H. petersiana, Phoenix reclinata, Raphia farinifera, R. hookeri, and R. vinifera. In some rituals, palms play a central role as sacred objects, for example the seeds accompany oracles and palm leaves are used in offerings. In other cases, palms are added as a support to other powerful ingredients, for example palm oil used as a medium to blend and make coherent the healing mixture. A better understanding of the cultural context of medicinal use of palms is needed in order to obtain a more accurate and complete insight into palm-based traditional medicines.

More:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4222890/

Traditional Medicines in Africa: An Appraisal of Ten Potent African Medicinal Plants

Traditional Medicines in Africa: An Appraisal of Ten Potent African Medicinal Plants

The use of medicinal plants as a fundamental component of the African traditional healthcare system is perhaps the oldest and the most assorted of all therapeutic systems. In many parts of rural Africa, traditional healers prescribing medicinal plants are the most easily accessible and affordable health resource available to the local community and at times the only therapy that subsists. Nonetheless, there is still a paucity of updated comprehensive compilation of promising medicinal plants from the African continent. The major focus of the present review is to provide an updated overview of 10 promising medicinal plants from the African biodiversity which have short- as well as long-term potential to be developed as future phytopharmaceuticals to treat and/or manage panoply of infectious and chronic conditions. In this endeavour, key scientific databases have been probed to investigate trends in the rapidly increasing number of scientific publications on African traditional medicinal plants. Within the framework of enhancing the significance of traditional African medicinal plants, aspects such as traditional use, phytochemical profile, in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies and also future challenges pertaining to the use of these plants have been explored.

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http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/617459/

Healing Herbs and Medicinal Plants List

Healing Herbs and Medicinal Plants List

.... Read Original Article: http://www.herbslist.net/

Medicinal Plants, Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Medicine

Traditional medicine

“Traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.”  WHO

http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional/definitions/en/

Intangible heritage: arts and traditions of the world

“Intangible cultural heritage includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, arts, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.” UNESCO

http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/?pg=13&sp=13&sj=Intangible+heritage

Medicinal Plants and Local Communities

http://www.unesco.org/most/bpik1.htm

Health and wealth from Medicinal Aromatic Plants

http://www.fao.org/3/a-i2473e.pdf

Indigenous Knowledge for Development

http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/ikpaper_0102.pdf

http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/broch.pdf

Key Resources for Indigenous Knowledge and Practices

http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/key.htm

Community Ethnoheritage Project

Community Ethnoheritage Project

Traditional Medicine and spiritual healing.

What is the aim of the project?

The project will explore the history of Traditional Medicine and Spiritual Healing (TM&SH) practices, knowledge and beliefs within the African Communities in the London Borough of Enfield from 1950s to present.

Who are involved in the project?

10 young people supported by experienced researchers will take the lead on researching, interviewing and recording TM&SH oral histories and exploring their contribution to the community in order to share them with the wider community.

What young people will do?

·         Researching, interviewing and recording TM&SH oral histories

·        Publicising the project, providing administration support, organising and   attending the exhibition

·         Undertake 10 oral open-ended interviews of at least 30-45 minutes

·         Carry out online search and in libraries on the background information about the history, uses and practices of TM&SH in UK.

·     Visit Kew Botanical Gardens to research and document of medicinal plants that are used in TM&SH. Young people will also learn about the current research being undertaken on medicinal plants by Kew Botanical Gardens. They will collect the information about medical and scientific (botanical) characteristics and uses of the plants as raw material used by African communities in TM&SH.

·   Participating in two day training in oral history techniques, archive management and exhibition development. Training will be provided by an expert from the Oral History Society.

How young people would benefit from the project:

·    Young people will gain skills in oral history research (e.g. interviews and in using research equipment)

·      Increased academic and employability skills

·    Gain transferrable to a range of employment occupations (e.g.  problem-solving, analysis and interpretation of data, IT, interview techniques, and social and communication skills).

·     Be aware of  the research  carried out by Kew Botanical Gardens in relation to traditional medicine and medicinal plants

·        Young people get a certificate for their  voluntary work

How young people volunteers will be supported?

·        Support, guidance and training will be provide to young people by experts about  how to carry out the research, analysis, conducting interviews, summarising and transcription of interviews

·    Volunteer expenses will be provided including reimbursement of transport fees and lunch.

Where the research will take place?

The project takes place in London Borough of Enfield. The interviews will take place in homes, community centre, Libraries or other places preferred by interviewees.

What the training will cover?

·         Oral history research planning and preparation, oral history interviewing techniques

·         Archive organisation, archive digitisation, exhibition development and planning skills,

·    Review of the role and work of local and national heritage organisations, the social meaning and value of local history and heritage,

·         Learning how to conduct and preserve an oral history project, etc.

What the project will the project archive?

·         An online (blog) and CD of archive information (transcripts) and an exhibition.

·    Interview transcripts a will be recorded on CD and displayed on exhibition panels together with pictures showing the associated plants used in TM&SH

·    Archival research (online and in libraries) to collect background information about the history, uses and practices of traditional medicine and spiritual healing in the UK.

·       A project blog will be created to record and provide information on the project outcomes.

For more information, please contact:

Diversity Living Services

57 The Market Square

Edmonton Green, London

N9 0TZ

Tel: 02088036161

Web: http://www.diversityliving.org.uk

Note: This project is supported by Heritage Lottery Fund.