Afrodyzjaki dla mężczyzn, środki antykoncepcyjne dla kobiet – na marginesie badań nad ziołolecznictwem wśród imigrantów paragwajskich mieszkających w Misiones w Argentynie

Abstrakt

The sexual life of indigenous and local societies has been in a focus for ethnographers and anthropologists since the foundation of cultural anthropology. Nevertheless, anthropologists have dedicated very little attention to the casual use of plants, animals and minerals used in the regulation of fertility and as natural aphrodisiacs by men and women in aboriginal and rural societies. Ethnobiologists have attempted to fulfill this gap. This article is a contribution to well-established studies on plants used in Paraguayan folk culture to regulate fertility. The research was conducted in the northern and central part of Misiones(Argentina) among Paraguayan immigrants. 100 study participants were interviewed in 2014 and 2015 in three rural localities and one town along the Parana river bank, which forms a border with Paraguay. The general scope of the research were medicinal and wild edible plants. Voucher specimens were collected and deposited in the Herbarium of the Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste in Corrientes, Argentina. In total, 24 plant species were reported as used for regulating fertility and in vaginal hygiene mostly by women interlocutors. Of these, two species were reported as used to “dry the uterus” (secar la matriz), which meant permanent sterilization (Acanthospermum australe, Bidens pilosa). The most frequently cited abortifacient plants were isipo milhombres (Aristolochia triangularis) and cangorosa (Maytenus ilicifolia). Doradilla (Hemionitis tomentosa) was reported as the most important plant enhancing pregnancy. One species was used in menopause (Melissa officinalis). Several species were mentioned as used for vaginal infections, most of them were related to humoral medicine syndromes and considered as hot medicines. Four different aphrodisiacs were elicited by Paraguayan migrants. One of them was a herb called tatu'ruguay (Stachytarpheta cayennensis), used only by men, and three were of animal origin: penis of coatí (Nasua nasua), cascabel (Crotalus durissus terrificus) and royal jelly of Apis mellifera. Only the latter could be used by women. The results were compared with the available sources from Paraguay and Misiones. The comparison indicates that Paraguayan immigrants share more plants with Polish immigrants living in the same region of Misiones, especially for regulating fertility and for vaginal hygiene as well as relaxing agents during menstruation. This is probably due to the intensive contact between these two groups and the same floristic composition of the forested part of central and northern Misiones. Much less exchange of knowledge has been performed in this respect between Guarani Indians and Brazilian immigrants living in the same province. To some point, the mentioned species reflect the continuation of Paraguayan folk medicine. Nevertheless, Paraguayan Mestizo people adapted their knowledge to locally occurring species very well.