ETNOBOTÁNICA MÉDICA EN ARTIGAS, URUGUAY.

Medical ethnobotany in Artigas, Uruguay.

RESPIRATORY organs; DIGESTIVE organs; PLANT species; UMBELLIFERAE; MYRTACEAE

Este artículo registra saberes botánicos y médicos en el departamento de Artigas, Uruguay. La investigación se llevó a cabo entre los años 2017 y 2018. Mediante observaciones y entrevistas a diferentes actores sociales vinculados a la práctica de la medicina popular, se logró recabar información para su posterior sistematización y análisis. En Artigas fueron identificadas 142 plantas pertenecientes a 65 familias botánicas, siendo las familias Asteraceae, Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae y Lamiaceae las más recurrentes. De estas especies, 131 son utilizadas como medicinales. Las restantes plantas poseen otros usos etnobotánicos como ser alimentos, condimento, maderable, pintura corporal y usos indígenas. Las plantas medicinales son utilizadas principalmente para tratar afecciones del sistema digestivo (23%), sistema sensorial (13%), sistema genitourinario (12%) y sistema respiratorio (11%). La principal forma de consumo es a través de la infusión (46%) y la parte utilizada principalmente es la hoja (48%). Asimismo, fueron identificadas una gran diversidad de prácticas de la medicina popular, dando como resultado una etnomedicina caracterizada en base al uso de plantas medicinales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents botanical and medical knowledge in the department of Artigas, Uruguay. The research was carried out between 2017 and 2018. Information through observations and interviews with different social actors linked to the practice of popular medicine was collected to systematize and analyze. In Artigas, 142 plant species belonging to 65 botanical families were identified, with Asteraceae, Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae and Lamiaceae as the most recurrent ones. Of these species 131 are used as medicinal. The remaining have other ethnobotanical uses, such as food, seasoning, timber, body paint, and native traditions. Medicinal plants are mainly used to treat disorders of the digestive system (23%), sensory system (13%), genitourinary system (12%) and respiratory system (11%). The main form of consumption is through infusion (46%) and the part used are mainly leaves (48%). Likewise, a great diversity of popular medicine practices were identified, resulting in an ethnomedicine characterized on the use of medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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