Historical Ethnobotany The Badianus Codex The Little Book of Herbs

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Historical EthnobotanyThe Badianus Codex The
Little Book of Herbs
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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

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Cortes first meets the Aztecs
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Aztec healer shown in the Florentine Codex ca.
1540
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Ohuaxocoyolin Native bitter herb Probably a
begonia - Used to cure Glaucoma
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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

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Peyote Lophophora williamsii

• Huichol shaman rub on cuts to prevent infection
• Found to have antibiotic properties even
  against penicillin resistant Staphylococcus

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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

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Nexehuac Datura ceratocaula
Tolohuaxihuitl Datura innoxia
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Jimson weed - Datura stramonium
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Jimson weed seed capsule - Datura stramonium
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Aztec cautions about Datura

• It harms one, takes away ones 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

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Belladonna aka Deadly nightshade Atropa
belladonna
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Cacao Theobroma cacao
Tlalcacahoatl
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Aztec uses of Cacao

• Woman making chocolate drink from Codice Tudela
  16th century

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Florentine Codex god visiting Cacao eater
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Theobroma cacao
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Cacao leaves and seeds Theobroma cacao
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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

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Food Plants
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Contemporary Hunter-GatherersThe San Bushmen
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Torres Straits Islands
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Corn Zea mays
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Typical Corn Growth
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Typical ear of corn
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Variation in ear size and kernel color
from Mexican landraces of corn
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Teosinte Zea diploperennis
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Ear of teosinte Zea diploperennis
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Teosinte vs. Corn Growth
Teosinte Corn
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Zea mays