Rev Esc Enferm USP. 2002 Sep; 36(3): 282-8.

[Every day use of phytotherapy in a rural population]

de Rezende HA, MonteiroCocco MI.

Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP. FCM. Departamento de Enfermagem, Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisa SaÃºde e Trabalho e do PRAESA-LaboratÃ³rio de Estudos e Pesquisas em PrÃ¡ticas de EducaÃ§Ã£o e SaÃºde da Faculdade de EducaÃ§Ã£o/UNICAMP.

The aims of this study are to analyze the use of phytotherapy and the context of its utilization in a rural area population--MG; to identify the herbs used with more frequency and their forms of use; to compare the results of medicinal herbs with that described in literature. Thirty three people were interviewed in 1997. About the phytotherapy herbs known by them 106 different species were quoted, and 60 of them were effectively used in their routine. the transmission of knowledge related to the use of the herbs occurred basically from grandparents to the children. The phytotherapy was used by the population studied with similar purposes described in the literature aiming the prevention and treatment of diseases.