On Collecting Herbs In Madagascar Atanoushi, the Province of Fort Dauphin, in southeast Mada- gascar, is a patchwork of humid groves and dry scrub se- questered from the rest of the Island by a range of encircling mountains on the north and opening on the south on the Indian Ocean. This geographic situation first invited colonization by the French, and now isolates a colorful and somewhat inscru- table citizenry from whatever Europeanizing influences emanate from the capital in the north. In the approximately three hun- dred years since Etienne de Flacourt complained about the Malagasy, little has changed: S’il y a nation au monde adonnee a la trahifon, diffimulation flatterie, cruaute, mefonge & tromperie, c’eft cell cy.... Flacourt, p. 83.* The physician in search of useful in Southeastern Madagascar undertakes a tantalizing but frustrating task. In pursuit of a with healing qualities, questioning a curious sign painted on a body or the appearance of a number of feathers near a hospital bed, he finds the answer concealed in a web of evasion which not only protects the native practitioner from expected scorn, but also serves to preserve this folklore from Western influence. For example, as a clinic physician at the Manabare Lutheran Hospital, I noticed, when examining a pleasant elderly lady with leg pain, numerous elaborate scratchmarks, neatly spaced in groups of five, on her thigh above the lateral cutaneous nerve. On a prior visit, failure to appreciate a common pain syndrome caused the dissatisfied invalid to resort to the local competition. Following precise injection of an instant pain relief to this nerve, I was able to obtain from her the story that the scratches

* Etienne (Stephenne) de Flacourt, (1607-1660), a native of Orleans France, was superintendent or governor of the colony established by the French on Madagascar. Later he became general director of the French East India Company. Although not a naturalist Flacourt observed well and wrote of the "natural productions" of the area. A quarto volume of his observations was published in Paris in 1658. The Fla- courtia, type of the plant family , was named in his honor. In fact, , a tropical , is commonly known as the "Governor’s Plum" having been described first by Flacourt. 23 24

had been made with a sharpened awl dipped in a potion made from certain plants thought to have anaesthetic properties. I was able to obtain a few scraps of leaves and twigs, but re- quests for flowers or or the plant itself brought only end- less smiles, leaving a botanical riddle. Rural medicine, as practiced by the Umbiasha, or sorcerer, Madagascar’s General Practitioner, does not rely on botanicals. The Umbiasha performs his spells on talismans - oodis-corni- copias stuffed with pebbles, dung, blood - worthy of the Witches’ brew in Macbeth. These horns are treasured by the holders as protection against illness, enemies, and the fates. Fortunes are told with the use of the seeds called the Voam- ponina (probably Strychnos spinosa). These seeds are ar- ranged in a series of matrices following an elaborate ritual. Each position in the matrix represents an element of destiny: in the first square, the horizontal positions are labeled man, cattle, and brother earth, and the vertical ones labeled children, ill- ness, wife, and enemies. At one point, I cured the sorcerer’s son of a web-space infection of the hand and not too subtly ex- pressed an interest in the ritual. It was then possible to learn my destiny from this impressive ceremony. Herbs are everywhere in use, but information is difficult for the foreigner to secure because precisely those people with the most knowledge are the least communicative. And how many times previously had I, as an outsider, going from clinic to market, passed by a common-looking hut, unaware that when night falls and there is enough moonlight to promote confidence, the Umbiasha’s patients are bartering herds of cattle for reme- dies more powerful than those in the pharmacopoeia. Casual "promenading" (sangana-sangana), the chief recreation in a rural society, provided opportunity to look down and say, "Oh yes, isn’t this good for cough?" If one’s companion replies, "Cer- tainly, just boil the leaves and stems and drink the brew," the herbal verification has been made. But it takes time, attention, and willingness to seize on even informal situations to verify impressions as to how plants are used. It may be bad manners, when a dinner guest, to leave a home with a handful of un- cooked spices from the kitchen, but on the other hand, the Malagasy do not expect Americans to understand their eti- quette. I discovered, while ambling in the market, that the deputy mayor had compiled a list of remedies and recipes, and my local friend (an educated Northerner, a Royal Imerna who speaks fluent French ) quickly rendered all this information into French 25

and offered to find some of the things. He shared a mutual interest in the medicinals in use among the heathen Southern- ers. He has pursued a semi-scientific interest in one concoc- tion, claimed to be an anti-diabetic agent, and has taken samples to the University of Tananarive for analysis. His assistance was invaluable, but it was often difficult to persuade him to pick over a curious supply of leaves drying in front of his informant’s hut, for he was more interested in displaying his knowledge of pathology and pharmacology. The most common remedies encountered are for diarrheal diseases which are frequent in an area where virtually every- one has parasites and sanitary precautions are unknown. Rep- resentative remedies are Kildo (Microstephanus cernaus N.E. Br.) and Tsy maky asotry (Ageratum conyzoides L.). In each case, leaves and twigs are used to produce a bland infusion which is given to the invalid. Indeed, considering that the chief risk of uncontrolled diarrhea is dehydration, the quantities of sterile bouillon remedies administered often cure these self- limiting diseases. It was also possible to collect purgatives, Va- hona (Aloe divaricata Buger), Famonto kely (Helichrysum sp.), and an antispasmodic, Many-aho (Scorparia dulcis L.). A scrub which is particularly abundant along the roads in Manambaro, Tsotsorini-hangatra (Cassia occidentalis, L.), is used as a substitute for coffee by roasting and grinding the seeds. The leaves of this plant, as well as those of the climbing fern Tsiktolito (Lygodium lanceolatum, Dess.), are boiled to produce a cough remedy. Andrarika (Themeda triandra Frosh.) is said to be useful for jaundice, as is Famonta (Vernonia sp.). The hairy leaves of Famonta can be rolled up and tucked into the nostril to stop nosebleeding. Another such topical remedy is Sanirana (Phyl- lanthus sp.), the root of which is cooked with a little salt, made into a paste, and stuffed into aching teeth. A remedy with the picturesque name of Dinga-dinga (Pistachia altissima (DC) B. & H.) is claimed to be an antisyphilitic. The leaves are crushed and placed on the chancre. Here, the remission of the primary symptoms would explain the apparent success of the balm. A great many crushed botanical preparations are available for wounds. With Faingalala (Borreria verticillata, G.F.W. Meyer) the essence obtained from ground leaves is used. The bark of Tsimahavano ( Erythroxylon sp.) is thought to be useful for multiple pustules. The cooked leaves of Piment (Capsicum frutescens, L.) are used as a pomade on wounds. The fiery fruit

27

of this plant is more commonly used as a condiment ac- companying Kato-Kato, a bland and traditional poor-man’s dish of meat and manioc. Both Urena lobata, L. and Triumfetta . bartramia, L. are used to dress wounds, as well as to bind small packets, and hence they are both called Tsinga fcafi. An infusion of Ravinambatry (Cajanus cajan, Millsp.) is prepared for menstrual difficulty, and Romba (Ocimum gratis- simum, L.) is used as an anti-hemorraghic agent following de- livery. The description and characteristic odor of this plant correspond to entry number 40 in Flacourt’s collection: 40 Rhomba odorante a grandes fueilles, c’eft une efpece de Menthe franche, que l’on nomme Baume, elle a auec cela vne odeur de girole, & de canelle enfemble, elle vient de deux coudees de haut. p. 129

Tonga (Catharanthus roseus (L.) Don), which figures prom- inently in the modem pharmacy as a chemotherapeutic agent against certain leukemias (Vincristin), was also described by Flacourt :

42 Tongue, herbe reffemblante au Saponaris, qui a la fleur comme celle de Iaffemin, 1’vne eft blanche, 1’autre eft de cou- leur de poupre, la racine eft fort amere, de laquelle ifs fe feru- ent contre le mal de coeur, & eft bonne contre les poifons, elle approche du Vincetoxicon; ou afcelpia, & ne vient pas plus haute. Celle qui a la fleur blanche a plus de vertu. p. 130 My informant, who was collecting great bales of Catharanthus for an American drug firm, said it could be used as an infusion for fever with abdominal pain. Radriaky (Lantana aculeata, L.) is used as an infusion for hypertension, and Fandrotsarana (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) for urinary infection. Descriptions of this type are too in- definite to be reliable and, further, contain a hint of pseudosci- ence foreign to such prescriptions as Fandlikatany (Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam.) in which a brew is made of the leaves to give troublesome children whose fontenelles are dangerously protuberant. Other such interesting recipes from the Sous- prefect’s list, but not collected, are items such as Sarongazana and Mandakolahy. Sarongazana is crushed, the juice warmed in a spoon and poured into the ear for earache. The grated root of Mandakolahy is placed on the forehead for relief of head- ache. Among the interesting edible herbs and fruits collected are Hazongalala (Canephora madagascariensis, J. F. Gmel. ) whose

Top: Hillside in the valley of Ramanafana with cultivated fields of taro and sweet potatoes. Center: Inner court at the Manambaso Lutheran Hospital.

Bottom: A clay house in the village of Ejeda. A woman is husking rice. 28 29 characteristic edible red fruits probably correspond to Fla- court’s number 20, Azonualala, and Voakaiepoka (Brexia ma- dagascariensis Thomas) the name of which is onomatopoetic for the sound made when cracking open the hard fruit. Per- haps the most common herbs are Anamaloho and Anabe (Sola- num nodiflorum, Jacq.) which are used to season meat and are sold widely in the local markets for a few pennies a handful. The physician who sojourns in this very different and curi- ous community returns home not only with lists of diseases treated and plants collected, but also with a new perspective - one tinged with the ever-present irony of a scientific man in an anti-scientific setting. DAVID SELIGSON

[Dr. David Seligson, as a student in biology at Harvard, began col- lecting plant specimens for the Arnold Arboretum during his travels. While in medical school at Duke University Dr. Seligson received a Smith, Kline & French Foreign Travel Fellowship which permitted his observations in this paper. Documenting herbarium specimens are in the herbarium of the Arnold Arboretum. Ed.] ,y,’)’

The editor is appreciative of the editorial work of Miss Jean How- ard in the preparation of this article.

Above: Woman winnowing rice in a family compound.

Left: Fresh eggs and a banana-rice-honey paste wrapped in banana leaves, at Sunday market. ’