Ivelyn Harris catalogues healing herbs of Jamaica

For centuries, Jamaicans have been using herbs (bushes, vines, tree leaves, roots and barks) for a variety of physical, mental, psychological and medical ailments. Hot beverages (bush teas), tonics, balms, oils and powders are some of the things that are made from what nature has to offer.

However, for the most part, people use these things arbitrarily, sometimes upon the advice of ‘bush doctors’, ‘herbalists’, et al, who have had no formal medical training or scientific knowledge. The oral tradition, then, is what is inspiring this arbitrary use. People believe their elders, their testimonies and anecdotes.

Whatever is learned is passed down to generations.

In the introduction to her book Healing Herbs of Jamaica, published by Ian Randle Publishers, Ivelyn Harris, a Maroon born and bred in Cornwall Barracks, Portland, says, “ This book is about herbal knowledge that was passed down to me by my Maroon ancestors. The knowledge about the properties of herbs is nothing less than miraculous. We passed them in the pastures, on the wayside, in our yards, and all over the land, every day. These herbs are the earth’s clothes. And yet we take them for granted, spraying them with chemical weed killers, not knowing the great benefits of them … .

“Every traditional herb we come into contact with should be valued, and all the information should be preserved for future generations. We have to venture into the known and unknown properties of herbs for the 21st century rather (than) to isolate ourselves from all that which is created for us. Tiny seeds become plants, the very act of life is growth. The farmer prepares the ground, the birds sow the seeds, and herbalists wait ... while the seed’s increasing returns manifold.”

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

Harris has been a traditional herbalist for over 40 years, and her 246-page second edition outlines the traditional, common and scientific names of the plants, their traditional uses, and what ‘Miss Ivey says …’ about them.

For example, for the African Minty (Piper auritum Kunth), commonly called ‘kava’, ‘cure all’ and ‘peace bush’, which is used to relieve tension headache and stress, she says, “When the farmers come home tired and fatigue from farming in the field they will make a tea from Africa Minty which they drink after dinner before going to bed at nights. They would wake up the next morning feeling strong and ready to get back to work on the farm again.”

Yet, the book comes with a disclaimer.

Parts of it note, “ This book details the author’s personal experiences with and opinions about plants and herbs occurring naturally in Jamaica. The author is not a healthcare provider … . The statements made have not been evaluated by the Ministry of Health. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition or disease. Please consult your own physician or healthcare specialist regarding the suggestions and recommendations made in this book. This book is not intended as a substitute for consultation with a licensed healthcare practitioner.”

PLANT FAMILY CLASSIFICATION

The introduction is principally about the story of Harris’ Maroon ancestors, the “Kormanteen” and their journey from the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana) to Jamaica, not as enslaved people, but as gold traders. She has been to Ghana.

She writes, “ I have been to Kormantse in Ghana two times to meet my people. They had a ceremony for me to make sure I am who I said I was. Kormantse is a village on the coast road, just up the road from Cape Coast Castle, Ghana, west Africa … Today, we are proud to be descendants of the Kormanteen who became known as the Maroons.”

In the foreword, Summer Ragosta, who was guided by Harris in her doctoral dissertation work, says, “ Everything I know about ethnomedical research ethics, I first learned from Sister Ivelyn Harris … Yes, Ivey has taught me everything … The plants listed in this book were identified by collecting fertile examples in the field with author and herbalist Ivelyn Harris, dried in a botanical press, and vouchered for accession into the Institute of Jamaica’s herbarium collection in Kingston.”

Species determinations were made by botanists Keron Campbell of The Institute of Jamaica’s Natural History Museum, and Summer Ragosta, from Surfing Medicine International, using keys published in the Flora Flowering Plants of Jamaica by C.D. Adams(1972). Angiosperm Phylogeny Group plant family classification was applied and verified using Missouri Botanical Gardens Tropicos taxonomic website. This paperback is also chock-full of photographs of the plants of which she writes.