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Helena an im mumma go a grung
Helena start cry fi im belly, Go home Helena, go home Helena Go bwile cerusee fi yu belly Guava root a medicine Fi go cure de young gal fever. -Claude McKay |
| Bidens pilosa Spanish needle |
|
Spanish needle, or the yucca,
contains a high concentration of the soapy compounds saponins. As such,
they can be used externally as shampoos or astringents, and internally as
emetics and laxatives. Ingested, they are thought to purify the blood
by breaking apart inorganic materials that accumulate. |
| Cannabis sativa Ganja |
|
Often used as a headache
or migraine treatment. When soaked in rum, can be ingested to treat
coughs and fevers. One must wonder, however, if a condition exists
that rum-soaked ganja does not mitigate. |
| Cordia globosa John Charles |
|
John Charles is used to
relieve colds, congestion, and menstrual cramps. It is thought to
manage gout when brewed as a tea. Additionally, it can be used to
treat gastro-intestinal problems like diarrhea, vomiting, and internal bleeding. |
| Momordica charantia Cerusee |
|
Cerusee, or bitter melon,
is a Jamaican cure-all. It is used for the treatment of hypertension,
childrens' colds and fever, diabetes, worms, and as a general tonic. It
can be brewed as a tea, which is taken internally as a birth control and
applied externally for sores, rashes, and other skin problems. Researchers
have isolated the compound guanylate cyclase which inhibits cell division.
This extract is currently being tested for applications in cancer treatments. |
| Symphytum officinale Comfrey |
|
Comfrey
contains the extract allantoin, which stimulates cell proliferation. It
is thought to stimulate healing internally and externally, and is therefore
used to treat wounds, fractures, ulcers, psoriasis, and many gastrointestinal
disorders. |
| For more information on herbal
remedies in Jamaica, try the following sites |
||
| Spring Hill Herbal |
Jamaican Bush Medicine |
Extractions
of Jamaican Plants |