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How did Aztecs cure fear?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

September 30, 2002

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Aztec herbalists treated not only physical ailments; they sought to treat psychological problems as well. For fear or timidity, the Aztec Herbal recommended, "Let one who is fear-burdened take as a drink a potion made of the herb tonatiuh-yxiuh which throws out the brightness of gold, the herb tlanextia-yxiuh, tetlahuitl and white earth that is to be sifted with river water...." (The Classic Codex of 1552, trans. William Gates, 2000*)

After 450 years, no one is certain to what plants these names refer. The ending, yxiuh, means that a soft or herbaceous part of a woody species was used. The third herb ends with huitl, the Nahuatl word for year and suggests an annual plant.

Plant of the Week 08/20/2001

Cacalo was the frangipani (Plumeria sp. Linnaeus) Plant of the Week 08/20/2001 Frangipani (Plumeria rubra)

Xochitl or flowers were the next ingredients. "...to these add...cacalo-xochitl, cacaua-xochitl and tzacouh-xochitl...." Cacalo was the frangipani (Plumeria sp. Linnaeus), cacaua was the chocolate tree (Theobroma cacao Linnaeus), and tzacouh is thought an iris.

By modern standards, the final portion of the treatment required considerable bravery. "...he should also have a poultice which you must prepare with the blood of a wolf and a fox, a worm, the blood and excrement of the acuecue-yalotl (unknown), laurel, swallow's excrement ground upon water, and sea foam."

Considering the treatment, one can imagine that few Aztec ever admitted being afraid. Frankly, one can keep the flowers, blood, and excrement--many civilized people would kill for chocolate.

To download a desktop of a frangipani (Plumeria rubra) for your computer, click on the link:

http://www.killerplants.com/goodies/plumeria.asp

The Computing Support Services, University of Louisiana at Lafayette have posted a page about the chocolate tree (Theobroma cacao). To view the page, click on the link:

http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~khh6430/cacao.html

Scroll down to view photographs of the flowers and pods.

* The Aztec Herbal was written prior to 1552 in Nahuatl (Aztec language) by Martín de la Cruz, an Aztec physician. A Latin version of the herbal was written concurrently by Juan Badiano, an Aztec nobleman, and sent to Rome in 1552. De la Cruz's manuscript is no longer in existence. The Badiano manuscript, The Classic Codex of 1552, remained in Rome until 1990. (Bruce Byland, Introduction to the Codex, 2000)

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Suggested Reading:

What is the seed of a modern standard? What's in a Name? - July 28, 2006
How was this Biblical plant used? Herbal Folklore - May 13, 2002
Why have a mandrake on the mantle? Herbal Folklore - December 15, 2003
What are Job's Tears? Herbal Folklore - December 3, 2001
What is myrrh? Herbal Folklore - July 23, 2001
Frankincense and the Lost City of Ubar Herbal Folklore - December 24, 2001

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