BUSH MEDICINE
Ma Clemantina Walkin 101 years old understands all about Bush medicine
Well after travelling round the Islands and visiting with many senior citizens as part of the “Spotlight on the TCI Cultural Heritage” Show sponsored by Salt Cay Development Co… there has been plenty of local knowledge gathered about “bush Medicine” and so it seems a good idea to not only collate all the information together but grow a garden on Salt Cay that has as many of these super remedy’s and cures under one roof so to speak..
Bush medicine was first introduced into these islands by the African slaves. There was no easy access to visiting doctors on the out islands and so many families relied heavily on local concoctions and brews prepared by the local bush doctor who had many types of root, bark and leaves that gave relief and often a cure for various ailments. These bush doctors were often the “grannies” the local endearment for the brave women of the settlement that became midwifes and who were called out to the homes to administer to the birthing mothers.
Following is a few names called of 42 plants named to date. These names have been called by our older folk as I meet them on my travels throughout the ‘Salt’ and Caicos Islands.
As time goes by we will add an in depth description and
method of use. for now however I thought it would be interesting to hear word for word what the elders have to say about these cures.....
This is an ongoing project and interactive and so please add your observations and forward any pictures to piratequeen3@hotmail.com
Thankyou to 14 yr old Rachel from the Byte for the new bushes added to our list ROACH BUSH and OILNUT BUSH…now lets find out from our seniors what they have to say about various plants...
CATNIP
"Boil it and steep it and its good for children with worms.
It all round good for sugar But boy it bitter."
DILL SEED TREE.
“Make tea with it and when it dry you make the tea…nice.nice..you put a piece of parsley leaf in it woman….and it belches up the gasses….dill seed and parsley boiled and strained and you make your tea..children can drink it…its good for babies griping in their stomach…you boil dill seed tea and when you done..especially boys you make their bottle of tea and child it good for gripin’”
"Good for babies…good for colic".
SNAKESTICK
“If you have a bad pain of stomach, you break some of the snake stick, you hot some water …you put the snake stick in the cup,…you put the hot water in and the salt that you cook with, you put a pinch of that and when it done steep you take a drink of that woman….that pain of stomach with the Lord to it…will ease”
Bush Man Aldon Higgs from Middle Caicos
SOURSOP BUSH
“Plenty of little bushes you can make your teas from and they taste so nice….
“They tell me you, pull off three leaves and you put in your pillow when you sleepin’ or in your hat…its good for headaches and pressure”.
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