Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
purposes in Africa, but only a few have been described or studied. This topic provides an overview
of the small fraction of the species that have been scientifically investigated.
CUrrENt tOPICS
African medicinal plants are considered here from two viewpoints: as sources of biologically
active compounds and as elements in the complex equation of healing. At first glance, the two aspects
may appear very different and even conflicting, but a closer inquiry will reveal a common ground
in the two modes of medicinal plant utilization in traditional African medicine. Included is infor-
mation on the physical characteristics of the plants, including size, shape, color, texture, and taste,
which have traditionally served as important criteria in their selection for therapeutic purposes. Be
aware that a significant proportion of plants was selected on the basis of their physical resemblance
to an organ of the body, which is akin to the folk healing system called the ''doctrine of signatures''
ascribed to various medical traditions ranging from American Indian to ancient Chinese.
The volume gives a concise description of the materia medica
of an enormous and extensively
varied continent, with well over 2000 distinct tribes, many diverse cultures, and several unique
loras. The irst part of the topic includes a catalog of the plants used as ingredients for the prepara-
tion of traditional remedies, including their medicinal uses and the part of the plant used. Following
the catalog is a pharmacognostical profile of 170 of the major herbs, arranged alphabetically accord-
ing to botanical names and plant families. A brief description of each herb, including the diagnostic
features of the leaves, flowers, and fruits, is provided. The monographs contain the botanical names.
common names, synonyms, African names, habitat and distribution, ethnomedicinal uses, chemical
constituents, and reported pharmacological activity, with references cited from over 1100 publica-
tions. The topic is illustrated with photographs of some of the plants. A table of plants used as rem-
edies for specific maladies is included, as well as an index of pharmacological activities.
The second part of the topic provides an introduction to African traditional medicine. The aim
is to situate medicinal plant use within the general African culture and to explain how such cultural
frameworks fit into the methods of healing in traditional African medical systems. This aspect
of healing is what is generally considered the symbolic aspect of traditional African medicine.
Symbols in traditional African medicine contain the scientific concepts, which are tangible and
extensive while retaining the intensity and potency of the mythical and religious components. It is
this aspect of healing that offers the individual a mythical but necessary sanctuary from the harsh
edges of daily existence.
The second section of the topic also addresses the problems associated with the negative image
of traditional African medicine. The popular image of the African medicine man is that of the
fabled witch doctor, with his exotic paraphernalia of feathers, cowries, and animal skin, muttering
meaningless incantations and dispensing worthless potions to his equally ignorant clients. Even
the herbs dispensed are considered harmful, and when they are found efficacious, the detractors
of traditional medicine are quick to dismiss them as chance discoveries. The incantations and the
rhythm of the drums are said to be weird sounds and part of the mumbo jumbo designed to “hood-
wink the superstitious savages who are under their spell.” The reality of African medicine is far
more complex than is generally understood. Only a few appreciate the real capabilities of African
medicine. African medicine is concerned with power: the utilization of human energy, the environ-
ment, and the cosmic balance of natural forces as tools in healing. In the African world, the natural
environment is a living entity whose components, the land, sea, atmosphere, and faunas and floras,
are bound to humans in an intrinsic manner. The
Handbook of African Medicinal Plants
presents
an outline of this relationship as it concerns humans and plants.
In this introduction, it is pertinent to state that the African medical system does not fall into the
sphere of what is known as “alternative medicine,” but it is rather a complementary but different
