Philippine Medicinal Plants 4

MANGO

A tree of East Asian origin that is widely cultivated in tropical areas for its fruit, the mango, Mangifera indica, belongs to the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. The genus Mangifera contains about 60 species of jungle trees whose fruits are fibrous, acrid, and sometimes toxic, with a flavor that has been likened to turpentine.
Centuries of selection have produced varieties that are free of both fibers and offensive flavor.

They are rich in vitamins A, C, and D. Unripe they are used for mango chutney. When ripe, mangoes are soft and very juicy. An overripe mango tastes like turpentine.

Whoever eats this fruit frequently, also purifies the blood, prevents the accumulations of mucous in the throat and respiratory tract, counteracts all kinds of catarrhs, hoarseness, cough, diseases of the bronchial tubes, pain and debility of the stomach, intestinal laziness and fevers.

Tea made by boiling the leaves of the mango tree, prepared as a concoction, counteracts bronchitis and diseases of the stomach. Tea obtained from the seed of this fruit, prepared as concoction, combats intestinal worms and parasites.

With the use of honey, a very healthful syrup can be prepared from this fruit.

THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES:

ALTERATIVE : A treatment that alters processes of nutrition.

Scientific name : Mangifera indica Anacardiaceae

The decoction of the leaves is antidiuretic. The oil of the seed is useful in chronic malarial fever. The root is also employed as an alterative.

English : Mango
Tagalog : Manga

Philippine Medicinal Plants

HERBOLARIO DRUGSTORE

The Philippines is rich in medicinal plants. The early Spanish missionaries who came to the islands learned of the curative values of these drugs through experience, and passed on the knowledge to others. These missionaries owed their knowledge of these native remedies largely to the mediquillos. Notwithstanding the prejudices of the missionaries against a lot of superstitious practices of these mediquillos, the former were frequently compelled to request the services of the latter when the life of a patient became endangered.
Young graduates of medical schools today who are not sent out into the remote regions of the Philippines to work in the barrios are usually provided with patent drugs by the government or their institutions. They soon run out, however, and they have to resort to local drugs available in the area as whispered to them by the mediquillos or the local herbolarios. An example of this is the gumamela flower below.
Therapeutic Property:

ANODYNE - Drug able to assuage pain; mentally soothing
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Gumamela)
Decoction of the leaves relieves pain; crushed buds of the flowers are used as poultice.