Jessica
November 25, 2008, 02:39 PM
pg. 130
In many Spanish-speaking communities, folk remedies have been used and passed down from generation to generation because they work. The sources of many of them are plants with medicinal value. For example, the principal ingredient of aspirin was found in the bark of the white willow tree. Quinine, which is used to treat malaria, came from the bark of a Peruvian tree, the cinchona. Because of their biodiversity, rainforests are an especially rich source of potential medicines.
There are some examples of Mexican folk remedies. If you had a stomachache, your grandmother migh prescribe a tea made from mint (yerbabuena). If you had an earache, she might wrap a little piece of camphor (alcanfor) or the herb rue (ruda) in cotton and put it in your ear.
In Puerto Rico, your grandmother might prescribe these remedies. For minor burns, she might suggest a paste made from grated raw potatoes or the gel of an aloe vera plant. (The gel of the aloe vera is also good for sunburn.) For colds, she might make a tea made from ginger root, elderberry leaves, or orange leaves. She might add some honey if you like it.
La cultura desde tu perspectiva
Good answer for #2?
1. Are any of these remedies similar to home remedies used in your family? No, we do not have any of these remedies.
2. Why might some people who live in tropical countries know about an especially large number of home remedies? Tropical rainforests have a biodiversity of potential medicines, so people who live in tropical countries have a wide knowledge of the plants there. They know what they are for and how to use them.
In many Spanish-speaking communities, folk remedies have been used and passed down from generation to generation because they work. The sources of many of them are plants with medicinal value. For example, the principal ingredient of aspirin was found in the bark of the white willow tree. Quinine, which is used to treat malaria, came from the bark of a Peruvian tree, the cinchona. Because of their biodiversity, rainforests are an especially rich source of potential medicines.
There are some examples of Mexican folk remedies. If you had a stomachache, your grandmother migh prescribe a tea made from mint (yerbabuena). If you had an earache, she might wrap a little piece of camphor (alcanfor) or the herb rue (ruda) in cotton and put it in your ear.
In Puerto Rico, your grandmother might prescribe these remedies. For minor burns, she might suggest a paste made from grated raw potatoes or the gel of an aloe vera plant. (The gel of the aloe vera is also good for sunburn.) For colds, she might make a tea made from ginger root, elderberry leaves, or orange leaves. She might add some honey if you like it.
La cultura desde tu perspectiva
Good answer for #2?
1. Are any of these remedies similar to home remedies used in your family? No, we do not have any of these remedies.
2. Why might some people who live in tropical countries know about an especially large number of home remedies? Tropical rainforests have a biodiversity of potential medicines, so people who live in tropical countries have a wide knowledge of the plants there. They know what they are for and how to use them.