This data from contemporary writings, especially those of Bernal Díaz del Castillo and Francisco Antonio de Fuentes y Guzmán, deals primarily with Mexico and Guatemala. The first part describes the illnesses and treatments endured by the Europeans, aside from wounds, hunger, and cold. They found medicinal plants and exorcisms of witch doctors far different from those of the Old World.

Some of the descriptions are vague: a pestilence which, says Bernal Díaz, killed many soldiers, and left the survivors with wounded legs. This could be due to insect bites, for he mentions numerous types which left ulcerous sores. They also suffered and died from food poisoning due to improperly preserved meat. They report malaria suffered by natives and Europeans alike. The quina bark had not yet been introduced from Peru. Dysentery was occasional; so was infectious diarrhea. The reference to Bubas apparently does not include syphilis, but many abscesses and simple adenitis. One cure for this, used by the natives, was mothers’ milk, which presumably contains protective antibodies. References (1547-1686) to “dolor de costado” give symptoms of pneumonia and also describe minor indications of influenza and severe nasal hemorrhages. After hunger and thirst, some died from gorging on fresh water. In addition to irritating insects, such as flies and mosquitos, they suffered from parasitic agents producing pediculosis, filiariasis, etc.

The second part describes viruela—supposedly smallpox—introduced into Mexico by a Negro in the troops of Pánfilo Narváez, 1520, which spread to all America. Evidence is presented to assert that this was not smallpox but measles. None of the Spaniards with Narváez were affected; they may have had it in youth. Only the Indians were susceptible to the infection at this time. Also “viruela” was applied loosely to any eruptive fever. However the Memorial of Tecpán Atitlán, Guatemala, calls it smallpox and dates it 1520; which is corroborated by Cortez in a letter to the King. Symptoms listed as cough, nasal hemorrhages indicate measles but not smallpox. Epidemics recurred for several years. Pedro de Alvarado also wrote King Charles, 1532, calling it measles and describing its virulence for the natives.

Part three: La primera botánica médica guatemalense. The Indians had such good medicos and curanderos that Cortez required none from Spain. Recordación Florida,” by Fuentes y Guzmán, was the first medical botany of Guatemala written by a Guatemalan’ It has excellent descriptions of many plant drugs still used by the curanderos to-day.

These descriptions with uses of 62 and sketches of 45 plants include such familiar ones as: Aguacate—Avocado; water extract of twigs is sudorific, and seed is used to heal wounds and ulcers. Cacao: chocolate; its butter is an unguent. Coconut: for food and drink; outer shell for dysentery. Chile, pepper: purgative. Maguey: juice, pulque, for fevers. Piña—pineapple: juice a diuretic. Piñon—pine: nuts may be purgative. Tapat Mexicana—Datura Stramonium: for inflammations and eye lotion. Zarzamora—blackberry: syrup.

Other plants listed, but with no uses given, include: wormwood, cassis, ginger, tamarind, verbena.

Most medicinals were plants, but water from medicinal springs was also used.