Historical Ethnobotany The Badianus Codex – “The Little Book of Herbs”

1. Historical EthnobotanyThe Badianus Codex – “The Little Book of Herbs”

2. 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

3. Cortes first meets the Aztecs

4. Aztec healer shown in the Florentine Codex – ca. 1540

5. Ohuaxocoyolin – Native bitter herb – Probably a begonia - Used to cure Glaucoma

6. “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

7. Peyote – Lophophora williamsii • Huichol shaman rub on cuts to prevent infection • Found to have antibiotic properties – even against penicillin resistant Staphylococcus

8. 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

9. Nexehuac – Datura ceratocaula Tolohuaxihuitl – Datura innoxia

10. Jimson weed - Datura stramonium

11. Jimson weed seed capsule - Datura stramonium

12. Aztec cautions about Datura • “It harms one, takes away one’s 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

13. Belladonna – aka Deadly nightshade –Atropa belladonna

14. Cacao – Theobroma cacao Tlalcacahoatl

15. Aztec uses of Cacao Woman making chocolate drink – from Codice Tudela – 16th century

16. Florentine Codex – god visiting Cacao eater

17. Theobroma cacao

18. Cacao leaves and seeds – Theobroma cacao

19. 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

20. Food Plants

21. Contemporary Hunter-GatherersThe San Bushmen

22. Torres Straits Islands

23. Corn – Zea mays

24. Typical Corn Growth

25. Typical ear of corn

26. Variation in ear size and kernel color from Mexican landraces of corn

27. Teosinte – Zea diploperennis

28. Ear of teosinte – Zea diploperennis

29. Teosinte vs. Corn Growth Teosinte Corn

30. Zea mays