A Famacopéia Tiriyó: estudo étno-botânico.

Abstract

The Tiriyó Indians of the upper Paru de Oeste River, located on the brazilian side of the

Tumucumaque range, still have a great knowledge about medicinal plants, a heritage from

their ancestor groups named Aibuba. As an introduction, the present paper intends to give a

general survey about the flora of the region and the distribution of the forest and the

savana from where the plants of their medicine are taken. Also indicated is the kind of

denomination of their remedies according to their applications, effects, etc., followed by

a "Tiriyó Medicinal Terminology". From 328 medicinal plants collected, 171 have now been

botanical classified. For a better comprehension, the data about the vegetal remedies are

presented here in form of classification cards. A distinction was made between the

etno-pharmacologic part and the botanical. The first part list the name of the plant in

Tiriyó language, the kind of vegetal, clinical utility, parts used from the plant, the

procuring and manipulation of the plant, the manner of preparing the remedy, the way to use

it, effects, ethnic origin of the use plant and finally, detailed indication of the process

of the preparation and application of the remedy (like "directions for use"). The botanical

part includes the scientific classification, popular names, detailed description and

register of the medicinal plant in the Herbarium of the Museu Goeldi. In the final chapter

an attempt was made to arrive at some conclusions and deductions based on the cards

mentioned above. The Appendix contains a table of classification of the whole subject.