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Rheumatological therapy in Prehispanic Mesoamerica
1Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología, Naucalpan de Juárez, Estado de México, Mexico.
Reumatologia Clinica
|October 9, 2021
Summary
Nahuatl medicine integrated magic, religion, and diverse remedies, including herbal medicine, for ailments like rheumatic diseases. Post-colonization efforts documented this advanced indigenous healing system.
Area of Science:
- Ethnomedicine
- History of Medicine
- Pharmacognosy
Background:
- Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican health concepts differed from European 16th-century views, incorporating magic, religion, and varied medicinal resources.
- Nahua physicians (ticitl) utilized animal, mineral, and herbal medicines supplementarily, adapting to patient needs and beliefs.
- Knowledge varied between rural and urban practitioners, and those also serving as doctor-priests.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review historical codices and recent literature on Nahua medicine.
- To investigate the use of herbal medicine for rheumatic diseases in 16th-century Mexico.
- To understand the advanced nature of indigenous healing practices.
Main Methods:
- Review of primary historical sources: Cruz-Badiano Codex, Florentine Codex, and Francisco Hernández Codex.
- Analysis of recent scholarly literature on Nahua medicine.
- Focus on ethnobotanical applications for rheumatic conditions.
Main Results:
- Nahuatl medicine was sophisticated, employing a holistic approach to health and disease.
- Herbal remedies were integral to treating symptoms potentially related to rheumatic diseases.
- Codices preserve significant, though incomplete, records of this medical knowledge.
Conclusions:
- Nahua physicians possessed advanced knowledge, particularly in herbal medicine for conditions like rheumatism.
- The integration of spiritual and natural elements characterized indigenous healing practices.
- Preservation efforts, though substantial, did not capture the entirety of Mesoamerican medical wisdom.
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