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kinds, whether material or not, which from time immemorial had

enabled the African to guard against disease, to alleviate his sufferings

and to cure himself.

Traditional African practice

African traditional health systems

A prominent South African TP has stated^4 that ‘although it is not possible
to find a single African traditional healing system, the differences between
cultures south of the Sahara are sufficiently small for generalisations to be
made within certain limits’.
This is especially true of neighbouring states, between which ethnic ties
may be very strong and political boundaries quite artificial.^5 There are,
however, two groups of people to which this statement does not apply:

Traditional medical practice in Africa | 85

Plant species Plant family Monograph Crude drug Country Medicinal use

of origin

Aloe feroxMill. Aloaceae Aloe capensis Dried leaf South Purgative

(Cape aloes) juice Africa

EP 2008 (6th edn)

and BP 2009

Agathosma Rutaceae Buchu BPC 1963 Dried leaf South Diuretic and

betulina Africa urinary antiseptic

(P.J. Bergius)

Pillans

Harpagophytum Pedaliaceae Harpagophyti Dried tuber Namibia, Analgesic/anti-

procumbensDC radixEP 2008 Botswana inflammatory in

and H. zeyheri (6th edn) and the treatment of

Decne. BP 2009 arthritis

Rauwolfia Apocynaceae African rauwolfia Dried root East Africa Antihypertensive

vomitoriaAfzel. BPC 1963

Physostigma Fabaceae Physostigmine Fruit (Calabar West Africa; Cholinesterase

venenosumBalf. BPC 1963 bean) as a mainly inhibitor used

source of Nigeria mainly as a miotic

physostigmine)

Cola nitida(Vent.) Sterculiaceae Cola BPC 1949 Dried Tropical Source of

Schott & Endl. and cotyledon West caffeine in the

C. acuminata(Pal.) Africa treatment of

Schott & Endl. migraine

Table 5.1Pharmaceutical monographs for African plant species in current and

earlier editions of the British Pharmacopoeia(BP), British Pharmaceutical Codex

(BPC) and theEuropean Pharmacopoeia(EP)