1. Creencias: Perceptions about Illness and Traditional Medicine Use in Seven High
Altitude Communities in Rural Peru (excerpt of 10 page report)
Introduction
Throughout the rural Peruvian highlands are dozens of small communities
populated by indigenous peoples that share a common language and set of beliefs and
values. In this report I will discuss the cases of the communities of Pilcobamba, Soccma,
Rayan, Pampallacta, Patacancha, Rumira Sondormayo, and Yanamayo. In these towns,
traditional medicine use is an aspect of Peruvian culture that most, if not all people know
about. Within these communities, two medical systems are utilized: traditional and
western. All of the communities cited in this case study are high altitude communities
where there is limited access to a​ posta​ (health center). Therefore, these communities
often turn to traditional medicine to meet their medical needs.
Literature Review
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional herbal medicine
is described as, “… naturally occurring plant­derived substances with minimal or no
industrial processing that have been used to treat illness within local or regional healing
practices” (Tilburt and Kaptchuk 2008: 577). In Peru, the National Centre for
Intercultural Health (CENSI) leads and promotes the implementation of traditional
medicine practices.
Tradition and Use
Traditional herbal medicine use in Peru is a longstanding practice. Traditional
medicinal plant use in Northern Peru dates back as far as 100­800 A.C. (Bussmann and
Sharon 2006). Bussmann and Sharon conducted a study on the ethnobotany of the plants
used in traditional medicine in Northern Peru to learn about their history, preparation, and

2. Creencias: Perceptions about Illness and Traditional Medicine Use in Seven High
Altitude Communities in Rural Peru (excerpt of 10 page report)
application. In this study, researchers collaborated with local ​curanderos​ (traditional
healers) to collect plants in markets and at the homes of curanderos. After collection,
“…together with the material purchased in the markets – taken to the homes of
curanderos to discuss the plants' healing properties, applications, harvesting
methodology, and origins. At the homes of curanderos the authors also observed the
preparation of remedies and participated in healing rituals,” (Bussmann and Sharon
2006). Information about 510 plant species, their common names, uses, and applications
were recorded and analyzed. The study found that, in Northern Peru, traditional medicine
is commonly used to treat urinary tract issues, female reproductive organ issues,
magic/folk illness, respiratory disorders, inflammation, liver issues, stomach issues and
rheumatism (Bussmann and Sharon 2006). Although the use of traditional medicine has
continued and become more widespread, there are very few, if any, written records of the
use of traditional medicine practices; the authors cited, “Five hundred years of
suppression of traditional healing practices by church, state institutions and Western
medicine, starting in colonial times,” as justification for this absence (Bussmann and
Sharon 2006).
Traditional Medicine and Efficacy
According to the Peruvian National Program in Complementary Medicine and the
Pan American Health Organization, the use of traditional medicine in the treatment of
“…osteoarthritis; back pain; neuroses; asthma; peptic acid disease; tension and
migraine headache; and obesity showed higher …clinical efficacy, user satisfaction,
and future risk reduction …efficacy was higher than that of conventional treatments,
including fewer side effects, higher perception of efficacy by both the patients and the
clinics, and a 53–63% higher cost
efficiency. (Bussmann and Sharon 2006)

3. Creencias: Perceptions about Illness and Traditional Medicine Use in Seven High
Altitude Communities in Rural Peru (excerpt of 10 page report)
Though traditional herbal methods have proven effective to treat some conditions, very
few studies focus on their scientifically based efficacy.
In a separate study, Bussmann et al. sought to measure the efficacy of 141 of the
510 plants collected in the treatment of inflammation (areas characterized with redness or
gastric distress bacterial infections) and infections (2010). To test the efficacy of the plant
materials, the plant parts were dried for three days then ground in an industrial grinder.
To prepare solutions for testing, “…​2 samples of 5g. of plant material each were
weighted out. One sample was submerged in 100ml of 96% ethanol and left to macerate
for 7 days, while another sample was submerged in 100ml of boiling distilled water and
left to macerate for 24h” (Bussmann et al. 2011:103). Bacterial cultures of ​Escherichia
coli ​and ​Staphylococcus aureus​ were grown on ​5% sheep red blood agar (SBA). To serve
as controls, Amoxicillin were used for ​E. coli ​and Tetracycline Hydrochloride for ​S.
aureus​, as they are effective treatment for each bacterium (Bussman et al. 2010).
The study found that ethanolic extracts​ of​ 51 plant species and 114 plant species
inhibited the growth of the ​E. coli ​and ​S. aureus, ​respectively. The distilled water extracts
showed significantly less efficacy; only 30 plant extracts prevented the growth of ​E. coli
and 38 extracts prevented the growth of ​S. aureus. ​Bussmann et al. conclude that the most
effective extracts utilized by curanderos, scientifically, are routinely utilized in treating
infection (i.e. ​S. aureus​) and cleansing baths as recommended by curanderos, whereas
treatments recommended for inflammation were effective in treating ​E.coli​. Essentially,
these results demonstrate the efficacy of the plant medicines, but the results do not
necessarily coincide with how each plant is recommended by a curandero.

4. Creencias: Perceptions about Illness and Traditional Medicine Use in Seven High
Altitude Communities in Rural Peru (excerpt of 10 page report)
Treatment
If there is a health issue that cannot be cured with the use of traditional medicine,
many people in the cited communities are forced to walk a minimum of four hours to the
nearest posta. Even if a person decides to travel to the posta, there is no guarantee he or
she will be seen because of long wait times, blatant discrimination against
Quechua­speaking patients, or the absence of an on­site physician. Given these
circumstances, many communities choose to use traditional medicine.
During 2014, the communities Pilcobamba, Soccma, Rayan, Pampallacta,
Patacancha, Rumira Sondormayor, and Yanamayo were interviewed about their beliefs
about health, home remedies, and the use of traditional medicine. More specifically, the
goal was to learn about more about how communities perceive and treat illness and
whether any of the remedies were helpful or harmful.
While collecting information about the use of and beliefs about traditional
medicine, many study participants spoke about well­known illnesses like the common
cold but also included folk illnesses. According to these communities, the most cited
causes of illness are: poor hygiene, prolonged exposure to the sun, ​mal de ojo/mal viento,
overexertion while working on the family subsistence farm, and lower back pain. Many
of the most common illnesses are self­explanatory, however the folk illnesses ​mal de ojo
and ​mal viento​ have different meaning depending on the community and region of Peru
and Latin America. According to Bussmann and Sharon’s study about Peruvian
traditional medicine, ​mal aire ​is described as, “…bad air; illness caused by spirits who
influence passing adults), ​mal viento​ (bad wind, similar to ​mal aire​ but affecting mostly

5. Creencias: Perceptions about Illness and Traditional Medicine Use in Seven High
Altitude Communities in Rural Peru (excerpt of 10 page report)
children),” and ​mal de ojo ​is, “…evil eye, illness mainly in children caused by persons
with pervasive look” (2006:5).
Among the seven communities, there were many similarities in the types of
treatments used for particular illnesses (Figure 1). Many of the treatments that
community participants described are easily accessible at little to no cost. Although some
of these in­home treatments may be helpful (Figure 2), there are others that are harmful
and can cause illness with its use (Figure 3).
Most Used In­Home Treatments
Illness Remedy
Burn Raw onion, raw tomato, or cooking oil
Cut/wound Iodine, hydrogen peroxide, clean wound/cut with urine, or herbs (amber
amber, k’eto k’eto, agua de yake, yantin, c’ancer c’ancer, uchuoco)
Dog bite Hair of the dog that bit the person placed in the wound, mint mixed with
rubbing alcohol, or sugar
Cough/upper
respiratory
issues
Eucalyptus pomade, herbal tea with rosemary; chicken fat with garlic
syrup, breast milk, and herbs upusoyo and epazote; herbal tea with
cumu cumu, panti, and culandro supucha
Fever Urine bath with chamomile, rosemary, and huero or urine bath
Common
cold
Herbal tea with coca, eucalyptus, muña, and lime; herbal tea with panti
and etoque; herbal juice with collarina and piyee piyee
Diarrhea Tea with chamomile and nutmeg, oral rehydration drink, didamycin,
yaqui yaqui herbal tea, cast/wrap with chicken fat and eucalyptus,
herbal tea with catachampo, catachinka, calkachilka, palma real, tuña
tuña or akaapis
Figure 1. Most used in­home treatments across seven communities.
Most Helpful In­Home Treatments
Illness Remedy
Cough, cold Herbal tea of muña, yerba/hierba buena
(mint), eucalyptus, coca, or ginger,
honey
Swollen feet, ankles during pregnancy Cornsilk tea
Figure 2. Most helpful in­home remedies
Most Harmful In­Home Treatments
Illness Remedy

6. Creencias: Perceptions about Illness and Traditional Medicine Use in Seven High
Altitude Communities in Rural Peru (excerpt of 10 page report)
Burns Tomato, onion, guinea pig blood, guniea
pig stomach lining, urine
Cuts/wounds Urine, worms
Dog bites Dog fur/hair in the wound
Cataracts Ground fingernail trimmings in the eyes
Female reproductive health Herbal tea of se le dueña or alcoquisca to
prevent ovulation; toasted pumpkin skin
wash for vaginal hemorrhaging
Pneumonia Breast milk, specifically to adults
Figure 3. Most harmful in­home treatments
When comparing the in­home treatments amongst communities, there are many
similarities. For the most part, the majority of the communities use the same plants and
herbs. However, the application is different. For example, in treating cuts, Yanamayo
uses an herbal tea of uchuoco to clean the cut and the herb is ground up and placed in the
wound until it heals. Rayan, on the other hand, uses hydrogen peroxide or the herbs
ambar ambar, k’eto k’eto, or agua de y’ake to treat a cut. Another significant difference is
that communities with easier access to larger towns (Pilcobamba, Rayan, Pampallacta,
Patacancha), reported they would visit the nearest posta or take pills to treat illness.
Cultural Implications of Traditional Medicine and Recommendations
The presence of conflicting medical systems has a definite effect on the individual
medical systems and those who use them within the community. The presence of these
two medical systems gives patients a wider spectrum in choice of treatment. However,
given their personal experiences of discrimination and chastisement—especially for
Quechua speakers and people in traditional dress—many are reluctant to visit the posta.
As evidenced by the seven communities and their beliefs, traditional medicine is
an integral part of life and how illness is perceived. According to Konadu, indigenous

7. Creencias: Perceptions about Illness and Traditional Medicine Use in Seven High
Altitude Communities in Rural Peru (excerpt of 10 page report)
knowledge is “…the collective human product of ongoing cultural development forged
through the ways in which people approach their reality and its coherent body of
knowledge” (2007:20). Not only is knowledge a way community approaches reality, it is
also a lens through which life is viewed, lived, and explained, especially in the presence
of western medicine. Indigenous knowledge can be seen as a means of survival and a
means of staying connected to roots of the past. Even if the remedies used have no known
scientific efficacy, at times, they are the only treatment readily available.
References
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http://www.ins.gob.pe/portal/jerarquia/7/110/inventario­nacional­de­plantas­medicinales/
jer.110
National Policy on Traditional Medicine and Regulation of Herbal Medicines ­ Report of
a WHO Global Survey: 5. Country summaries: 5.2 WHO Region of the Americas.
(2005). Retrieved April 22, 2015.
Bussmann, R., & Sharon, D. (2006, November 7). Traditional medicinal plant use in
Northern Peru: Tracking two thousand years of healing culture. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
Bussmann, R. W., Malca­García, G., Glenn, A., Sharon, D., Chait, G., Díaz, D., …
Benito, M. (2010). Minimum inhibitory concentrations of medicinal plants used in
Northern Peru as antibacterial remedies. ​Journal of Ethnopharmacology​, ​132​(1),
101–108. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.07.048
Konadu, Kwasi. ​Indigenous medicine and knowledge in African society​. New York:
Routledge, 2007
Tilburt, J., & Kaptchuk, T. (2008, August ). Herbal medicine research and global health:
An ethical analysis. Retrieved April 22, 2015.