Table 7 Popular uses, number of species used (Nt), number of use citations (recipes) (Nur), and informant’s consensus factor (ICF) calculated for each therapeutic category
Therapeutic category | Popular uses | N t | N ur | ICF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Birth control, childbirth | Abortive and post-abortion care, labor (delivery of the placenta), childbirth, for the baby to be born faster, recovery, and care after delivery | 8 | 9 | 0.13 |
Cardiovascular and hematological | To the heart, hypertension, symptoms of heart attack, enlarged heart (cardiomegaly), blood purifying, varicose veins, leukemia | 10 | 11 | 0.10 |
Contagious and tropical diseases | Measles, chickenpox, smallpox, paludism, typhoid fever, “sezão” (intermittent or cyclic fever, such as caused by malaria) | 5 | 6 | 0.20 |
Dermatological | Allergy, itching, scabies, fungal infection, healing process, skin burn, wound, chronic wound, to wash an increased mosquito wound, “bicheira” (pests, as Tunga penetrans), homemade mercury for medical use, stop external bleeding (injuries and scratches) | 21 | 23 | 0.09 |
Endocrine and metabolism | Diabetes, cholesterol | 4 | 5 | 0.25 |
Gastrointestinal | To the stomach, liver, gut, indigestion, hangover, burning sensation on liver and stomach, gastritis, hepatitis, emetic, gut motility, guts pain due to food, worm, vermifuge, hemorrhoid, laxative, diarrhea, “ventosidade” (flatulence) | 34 | 58 | 0.42 |
Genitourinary | Kidney, kidney stone, urethra and kidney problems, infection with vaginal discharge, difficulty urinating, regulate urination, gynecological infection, uterus inflammation, menorrhagia | 14 | 23 | 0.41 |
Hygiene | Domestic hygiene, to vent the house, soap, dentifrice, dandruff shampoo, armpit odor, seborrhea | 6 | 7 | 0.17 |
Inflammation, pain and fever | Pain, fever, inflammation, body ache, headache, inflamed tooth, toothache, pain due to dental caries (cavities), sore throat, inflammation from inside the body, feeling sick, contusion, tendon inflammation, bruised bone, bowel pain, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, eye pain, eye injury (knock), eye inflammation, wash aggravated eyes, sinusitis, otitis, rheumatism, hoarseness | 40 | 55 | 0.20 |
Magical | Spiritual, to remove black magic, against evil eye, to bless, to prevent envy, home protection, against stress (external use) | 21 | 26 | 0.20 |
Neonatal care | Baby belly button, baby teeth popping | 3 | 3 | 0.00 |
Psychoanaleptic | Sedative, to sleep, to calm down, to children out of parental control, bad feeling, mental illness affecting humor | 15 | 24 | 0.39 |
Respiratory problems | Flu, cold, cough, whooping cough, breast congestion, expectorant, inhaler, catarrh, bronchitis, asthmatic bronchitis, pneumonia, for the lungs | 38 | 62 | 0.39 |
Stimulant and fortifier | Anemia, stimulate appetite, vitamin, sexual weakness | 4 | 5 | 0.25 |
Others | Coffee addiction, weight loss | 2 | 2 | 0.00 |