Herbal Medicinal Plants
Local herbal remedies should only be used under the guidance
of a knowledgeable herbal medicine practioner! |
Manihot
esculenta has been a staple food in St. Lucia since Amerindian
times but it has medicinal uses as well. The starch, mixed with
vinegar, is used to treat wezipel. Sometimes it is mixed with blue and
sometimes with powdered milk of magnesia. A paste is made and
applied to affected areas. Some people recommend rubbing the leg
with the belly of a frog in addition to the starch treatment. For
ground itch, the leaves are boiled and the feet wash with the
water. For inflammation, grated watjet (Opuntia dillenii) is put
in water with farine and drunk. Raw roots and leaves contain
hydrodynamic acid that can cause death if not removed in the grating
and washing process done in preparation for eating. |