Aztecs and Nature by Diana Schott
Herbal Medicine
The Aztec Empire was developed in 1200 A.D. The story started around 30,000 years when the first people came to the Americas from Asia. There were many kinds of tribes like hunters and gathering roots (Hicks, 1993).
They were nomadic people moving around, looking for food and a place to establish themselves. By the time they arrived in Central America and separated from the others: that group was called Tenochas. The Aztecs moved to many places looking for settlements, and they were attacked by other tribes in their journey. In 1325, They founded a group of small islands in The Lago de Texcoco, and they started to build Tenochtitlan.
The Aztecs were agricultural; they had a great love for nature. Tenochtitlan was a small place to grow plants, but they created floating gardens called “chinampas”. These gardens were built from large woven baskets and held trees; they were filled with dirt and placed in shallow water.
Modern medicine is based on components found in herbs and traditional plants. Nature provides us a great gift that we can use for our benefit. The Aztecs like other important ancient cultures, have contributed to the betterment of mankind with their discoveries about herbal medicine.
Balsam Tree: The balsam was said to have been created by Goddess of medicine, Tzapotlatenanan based on the turpentine exudation of the pine “known as ocotzl” (Gates, 2000, p.127)
With this resin, the Aztecs prepared the “ointment called oxitl or essence of the pine” (Gates 2000, p. 127).
Fragments of the book “The Aztecs and Nature”
by Diana Schott 2013
TWLS
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