Traditional African Medicine

Not all herbal remedies (or ‘herbals’ for short) are created equal. Or are they? European herbals have a long (two to three millennia) and illustrious history of documentation and research. Traditional Chinese medicine combines about five millennia worth of herbal folklore and observations with elaborate theoretical frameworks. Indian culture preserved the tradition of Ayurvedic remedies for almost six millennia, it is claimed, making it the oldest continuous medical tradition on the planet. But this is where most of the historical accounts of herbal lore stop. American (North and South), African and Australian herbal lore – which had been passed orally from generation to generation – was severely impacted on by colonisation. Disruption in the fabric of these societies meant the loss of a vast amount of oral tradition, most of it forever. And so it came about that the written herbal traditions triumphed over the oral ones. But not all was lost.

HERBAL REMEDIES IN AFRICA

Around the world, a few scientists documented as much as they could from what living memories were left. The colossal achievement of J M Watt and M G Breyer- Brandwijk in documenting the medicinal and poisonous plants of southern and eastern Africa remains a monument to ethnobotanical rigour, probably unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Most of what is known about African herbal remedies can be traced back to their now out-of-print book.¹ In 1997, South African medicinal lore got a major boost from another landmark publication by three local scientists,² and although far from the only book on our medicinal plants, this remains the most accessible and authoritative word on the subject.

As you will soon see, despite the relatively recent history of our written herbal lore, it does not need to stand back for any other herbal tradition. Traditional African medicine provides us with some truly powerful remedies for a wide range of conditions. It is time to invite Cinderella to the ball, methinks.

Without further ado, I will now give a rundown on some of South Africa’s exciting herbals.

ALOE (ALOE FEROX)

Of all our herbals, the aloe is probably the most well known and widely commercialised. This succulent loves the drier parts of our country – but not too dry, mind you. The southern and eastern coastlines are the heartland of our aloe industry. The fleshy, thorn-rimmed leaves are harvested essentially for two products: the white gel on the inside, and the bitter yellow sap that runs in the leathery exterior. The gel mainly finds its way into skin care products, although it is used internally to stimulate the immune system. The bitter yellow sap is boiled until it hardens into a product known as ‘aloe crystals’. These contain aloin, a potent laxative, as well as aloe resins, which are becoming increasingly popular for use in skin-lightening products.

ROOIBOS (ASPALATHUS LINEARIS)

Is rooibos a herbal remedy, or a healthy caffeine-free drink? Either way, it is immensely popular in South Africa and becoming increasingly so internationally. The unique taste, flavour and colour make it stand out in a crowd. On the health side, relatively high levels of antioxidants have inspired much research to validate anti-ageing, immune-stimulating and anti-cancer claims. It is also very good for use on sensitive skins (e.g. eczema, soap allergies, psoriasis).

DEVIL’S CLAW (HARPAGOPHYTUM PROCUMBENS)

This marketing nightmare of a name refers to the plant’s vicious-looking seedpods. Talking of Cinderellas, here’s a plant that is much more popular overseas than locally. In Europe, devil’s claw is one of the leading (if not the leading) natural remedies for the treatment of arthritic complaints. Strange, then, that there is hardly a devil’s claw product on our local shelves! In addition to its well-documented pain-relieving properties, it also has diuretic and mildly sedative effects. In contrast to synthetic anti-inflammatories it has no known side-effects when given over the long term, and its potency has been confirmed. There are dozens of other uses – some traditional, some more recent discoveries – all of which make this plant an exciting South African herbal.