The importance of botellas and other plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine.
BACKGROUND
Plant mixtures are understudied in ethnobotanical research.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the importance of plant mixtures (remedies consisting of at least two plants) in Dominican traditional medicine.


METHODS
A Spanish language questionnaire was administered to 174 Dominicans living in New York City (NYC) and 145 Dominicans living in the Dominican Republic (DR), including lay persons (who self-medicate with plants) and specialists (traditional healers). Plants were identified through specimens purchased in NYC botánica shops and Latino grocery shops, and from voucher collections.


RESULTS
The percentage of mixtures as compared to single plants in plant use reports varied between 32 and 41%, depending on the geographic location (NYC or DR) and participant status (lay person or specialist). Respiratory conditions, reproductive health and genitourinary conditions were the main categories for which Dominicans use plant mixtures. Lay persons reported significantly more mixtures prepared as teas, mainly used in NYC to treat respiratory conditions. Specialists mentioned significantly more botellas (bottled herbal mixtures), used most frequently in the DR to treat reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Cluster analysis demonstrated that different plant species are used to treat respiratory conditions as compared to reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Interview participants believed that combining plants in mixtures increases their potency and versatility as medicines.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates the importance and complexity of plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine and the variation in its practices influenced by migration from the DR to NYC, shedding new light on the foundations of a particular ethnomedical system.
Vandebroek
Ina
I
Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458, USA. ivandebroek@nybg.org
Balick
Michael J
MJ
Ososki
Andreana
A
Kronenberg
Fredi
F
Yukes
Jolene
J
Wade
Christine
C
Jiménez
Francisco
F
Peguero
Brígido
B
Castillo
Daisy
D
D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004293:Dominican Republic; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires