Culture Disease and Medicine of the Aztecs

  • Tonalamati
    • astrological or religious calendar
      • two hundred and sixty days,
      • divided into thirteen months (20 days each)
      • each under a god.
      • defining the fate of the individual’s,
        • health,
        • disease,
        • length of life,
        • luck
    • Balance of Life
      • body contained a balance of three separate entities or souls:
        • the tonalli
          • located in the upper part of the head
          • connected to a higher power,
            • associated with the disease of “soul loss”
        • the teyolia,
          • located in the heart
          • stood for a person’s knowledge and memory
        • the ihiyotl.
          • resided in the liver,
          • associated with witchcraft and the supernatural
          • could also leave the body
            • but was always connected through
              • the wind or an
              • individual’s breath, “…
                • ie by breathing on other people
                • could affect others
        • Balance of the three entities (head heart and liver)
        • affected the health and life of a person
    • Diseases from the Gods and Goddesses
      • Specific sicknesses were linked to individual gods and their punishments.
        • Tlaloc, the water god, was responsible for sickness related to wet and cold, such as
          • rheumatic ailments
          •  tremor,
          • delirium
          • symptoms of alcoholism ( Excess pulque)
          • Treatment
            • present the god with offerings
              • in mountains and rivers
        •  Xipe Totec, responsible for
          • skin eruptions and
          • rashes.
          • Treatment
            • march in front of others
            • wearing the skins from human sacrifices
        •  Tezcatlipoca
          • God of morality
          • When people broke vows such as
            • fasting or
            • celibacy
          • The God would cause incurable disease
        • Macuilxochitl (Xochipilli),
          • Punishment
            • hemorrhoids,
            • boils,
        • God of Pleasure
          • Would punish with venereal disease
        • God of love
          • Would punish with venereal disease
        • Teteoinam or Toci
          • mother of gods
          • goddess of medicine and herbs
          •  worshiped and followed by those in the medical field
      • The Aztec Physician, Horoscope Reader and Fortune Teller  -Ticitl
        • had great knowledge to treat everyday diseases
        • as well as serious diseases including surgery
        • trauma from battle
        • circumcision for men entering the priesthood
        • bone fractures
        • sutures from
          • strong fibers
            • from plants or
            • strong hair strands from an animals
        • Used
        • stone (volcanic obsidian) to remove
          • tumors
          • boils
          • draining wounds
        • agave thorns (looks like an aloe
          • for eye surgery.
        • envelope wounds with crushed plants
    • Medicines and herbs
      • extensive inventory consisting of hundreds of different medicinal herbs and plants.
      • Plants
        •  eg Yauhtli and iztauhyatl
        • Sap
          • from the maguey  used to treat wounds
          • considered to have antibacterial elements
          •  provide cleansing
        • Salt
          • Absorb moisture
          • Decrease inflammation
      • Smoke inhalation
  • Aztec Herbal Medicines[12]
    Botanical name Nahuatl name Uses
    Artemisia mexicana Itztuahyatl Weakness, colic, reduce fever; coughing
    Bocconia frutescens Cococxihuitl Constipation, abscesses, swelling
    Bromelia pinguin Mexocotl heat blisters in the mouth
    Carica papaya Chichihualxo-chitl Latex unripe fruit for rash ulcer; ripe fruit digestive
    Casimiroa edulis Cochitzapotl sedative
    Cassia occidentalis or Cassia alata Totoncaxihuitl Astringent, purgative, anthelmintic, relieves fever, inflammation of rashes
    Chenopodium graveolens Epazotl Against dysentery, anthelmintic, helps asthmatics breathe
    Euphorbia calyculata Cuauhtepatli; chupiri Purgative, skin ailments, mange, skin sores
    Helianthus annuus Chilamacatl fever
    Liquidambar styraciflua Ocotzotl; xochiocotzotl quanhxihuitl Rashes, toothache, tonic for stomach
    Montanoa tomentosa Cihuapatli Diuretic, oxytocic, cures hydropesia
    Passiflora jorullensis Coanenepilli Causes sweating, Diuretic, pain reliever, poisons and snake bites
    Perezia adnata Pipitzahuac Purgative, cathartic, coughing, sore throat
    Persea americana Auacatl; ahuaca quahuitl Astringent, treat sores, remove scars
    Pithecolobium dulce Quamochitl Astringent, causes sneezing, cures ulcers and sores
    Plantago mexicana Acaxilotic Vomit and cathartic
    Plumbago pulchella Tlepatli; tletlematil; itzcuinpatli Diuretic, colic, gangrene
    Psidium guajava Xalxocotl Digestion, dysentery, mange
    Rhamnus serrata Tlalcapulin Dysentery, bloody bowels
    Salix lasiopelis Quetzalhuexotl Stops blood from rectum, cures fever
    Schoenocaulon coulteri; Veratrum frigidum Zoyoyatic Causes sneezing, kills mice/lice/flies
    Smilax atristolochiaefolia Mecapatli Causes sweating, diuretic, relieves joint pain
    Tagetes erecta Cempohualxochitl Causes sweating, cathartic, cures dropsy
    Talauma mexicana yolloxochitl Comforts heart, used against sterility
    Theobroma cacao Cacahuaquahuitl Excess diarrhea, can cause dizziness

 

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