Journal of Ethnopharmacology

Volume 155, Issue 2, 11 September 2014, Pages 1388–1392

Ethnopharmacological communication

New categories for traditional medicine in the Economic Botany Data Collection Standard

• Marta Gruca^a,
• Rodrigo Cámara-Leret^b,
• Manuel J. Macía^b,
• Henrik Balslev^{a, ,}

 

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2014.06.047

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Abstract

The Economic Botany Data Collection Standard (EBDCS) has been successfully followed by ethnobotanists investigating plant uses in many parts of the world. However, we have encountered some cases in our study of traditional medicine where the standard seems incomplete and inaccurate when it is applied to plant uses of rural or indigenous societies in developing countries. We propose two categories to be added to the EBDCS: Cultural Diseases and Disorders, and Ritual/Magical Uses. Adding these categories, we believe will give a more accurate insight into traditional medicine and will contribute to developing an integrative ethnomedicinal data collection protocol, which will make ethnomedicinal studies more comparable.

Keywords

• Ethnobotany;
• Ethnomedicine;
• Traditional knowledge;
• Medicinal plant classification;
• Ritual and magical uses;
• Cultural diseases and disorders

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