User talk:Cagui001

Vila - Cultural Traditions in Healthcare - Pg1

Question #1 Cuba is recognized for its cultural diversity which in influenced by various customs including those from Africa, Asia, Spain, and French. The most notable treasures in Cuba are the buildings of the colonial era with the UNESCO declaring various towns World Heritage Sites such as the old town of Trinidad, Desembarco del Granma National Park and the fortifications of San Pedro de la Roca del Morro. There are various cultural remedies that have been passed through my family generation including rituals such as the transition to adulthood as well as marriage and folk medicine. Specifically, folk medicine, commonly referred to as natural of herbal medicine due to its predominance of herbs in its materia medica is common in Cuba and has been passed down through my family for generations. For instance, anti-diabetic folk medicines are used as eyewash. The herbal eyewash was extracted from the Madagascar periwinkle flowers and applied to the affected eye. The remedy was used when an individual required soothing of the eye when the eye was either irritating or had been infected by pounding the leaves in a pestle and mortar to a fine paste while the leaves are still wet. No water is added to the paste. The final product is then applied to the affected place. The Madagascar periwinkle is a flowering shrub which contains two alkaloids that inhibit tumor growth. However, traditionally, the plant was used for treating different symptoms. Madagascar periwinkle has led to an extensive investigation of its healing properties as they have proved to be effective in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, wasp stings and eye treatment. While the plant is native to Madagascar, it is cultivated in various parts of Africa. According to Venkateshwaran (2015), plants that belong to Catharanthus and Vinca are classically called periwinkle and are widely used to treat different types of diseases. Regardless of the fact that the plant is often used for medicinal purposes, its flowers are used in treating eye infections. Notably, the leaves of the Madagascar periwinkle are used to make eyewash that treats eye infections. Research has revealed that use of periwinkle as eyewash does not have side effects.