The Maya of Belize had many herbal remedies for just about any ailment know to man, a wealth of traditional healing knowledge preserved by Don Elijio Panti, which his grand niece Aurora Garcia Saqui has now recorded and preserved for future generations, in her new book, “Ix Hmen U Tzaco Ah Maya”.
Judy Lumb and Dorothy Beveridge of the publishing house “Producciones de la Hamaca”, helped Garcia-Saqui edit her new work, and introduced Aurora at the launch of her new book at the Image Factory in Belize City on Tuesday morning, April 12. Aurora’s husband and collaborator in her work, Ernesto Saqui was also present at the launch to lead the audience in prayer; while their children Regina and Emanuel sang the national anthem.
Garcia-Saqui’s medicine book contains recipes for everything from cough syrup, in sect repellent, massage oils, poultices, tonics and healing baths. Recorded in its 158 pages are cures for AIDS, allergies anemia, arthritis, asthma, athlete’s foot, beef worm, blood pressure, burns, cancer, coughs, cold and flu, sore throat and tonsilitis, diabetes and even contraception. It also includes treatments for migraine headaches, hepatitis, infertility, menstruation, pregnancy and delivery, mumps, and muscle cramps. There are recipes for purges to address digestion and intestinal problems, as well as for skin lesions and snake-bite.
Need a formula for weight-loss, stress, stomach ulcers, difficulty in sleeping, toothache, trauma, urinary problems? It’s in there!
This book is a treasure trove of jungle knowledge, with detailed color photographs to help identify each species in the forest pharmacopeia, with the colloquial name as well as the scientific name, so that this knowledge may be compared with other botanical references of other plants of the same genus or species.
Garcia-Saqui had published an earlier work, a cookbook of traditional Maya cuisine: “U Janal Aj Maya”. Both books are available at the Image Factory; or order online from:producciones-hamaca.com; the healer’s manual is $60 and the cookbook is $20.