Natural Remedies
Early19th century herbalist, Courtesy of The New York Public Library
Speaking of Haiti, Anthropologist Zora Neal Hurston (1891-1960) recorded that those with a working knowledge of natural remedies did not go to board certified medical doctors to cure their ailments. Instead, they safely used natural remedies including herbs. Tennessee born naturopath Dr. Alvenia Fulton like Hurston recorded food-based prescriptions for illnesses. Where they came from specifically is unclear. A look at the ingredients in the natural prescriptions in their writings provides interesting insights into the history of medicine, folk medicine, and food as medicine.
