Giuseppe Polini

Medicinal Plants of Paraguay Giuseppe Polini

The medicine based on the medicinal properties of plants is part of the tradition, culture and millennial wisdom of the indigenous people. The natives of Chaco have developed over time an valuable knowledge of a large variety of plants used for medical purposes. Native pharmacopoeia has always played an important role in the life of the indigenous and it is the first support they turn to, to resolve their health problems. In the last few years a lot of this precious knowledge has been lost. The movement of young natives into the cities has left the shamans and elderly with no-one to pass on their traditional medicine knowledge to; the advances of agricultural and breeding have brought about the alarming deforestation that is destroying the natural habitat of the medicinal vegetable species. The present research aims to recover the cultural and traditional information of the medicinal plants used by the native community of the ethnic group Énxet of Chaco. Much of the traditional knowledge about the use of the plants is being lost due to the intrusion of new cultures over time and also because there are no written sources available. The objective of this book is to recover the knowledge of the medicinal cares based on vegetables. To present this traditional information and to preserve it for years to come, so that it can be documented and safeguarded as an important aspect of the rich history of the indigenous people of Chaco.