Human
health and climate are very much related in the philosophy of Hausa healing
tradition. Body temperature, circulatory and respiratory systems of body anatomy
translate climatic conditions of the very environment we live in. In this
respect, our tradi-medical heritage is scientifically and culturally controlled
by the climatic condition of the region we found ourselves. The focus of this
paper is to examine the relevance of climate change in sub-saharan Africa
particularly in that northern part of Nigeria, known as the Hausaland,
with reference to the ancient institution of traditional health care delivery.
To be precise, the desired target is to read through the negative impacts of
climate change to the medicinal plants and trees, special species and materia-medica
with special reference to some climate sensitive…
The Place
Of Climate In Hausa Tradi-Medical Tradition
Professor
Aliyu Muhammadu Bunza
Faculty
of Humanities
Department
of Nigerian Languages
Umaru
Musa Yar’adua University,
Katsina-Nigeria,
Phone:
0803 431 6508
Email:mabunza@yahoo.com.
Being a
paper presented at the Scientific Session of the International Conference,
Possible Impacts of Climate Change on Africa, in the Institute of African
Research and Studies, Cairo University, Egypt 18th – 20th
May, 2014
Introduction:
Human health and
climate are very much related in the philosophy of Hausa healing tradition.
Body temperature, circulatory and respiratory systems of body anatomy translate
climatic conditions of the very environment we live in. In this respect, our
tradi-medical heritage is scientifically and culturally controlled by the
climatic condition of the region we found ourselves. The focus of this paper is
to examine the relevance of climate change in sub-saharan Africa particularly
in that northern part of Nigeria,
known as the Hausaland, with reference to the ancient institution of
traditional health care delivery. To be precise, the desired target is to read
through the negative impacts of climate change to the medicinal plants and
trees, special species and materia-medica with special reference to some
climate sensitive diseases in the region.
The aim is to highlight the cultural components of Hausa traditional
medicine and its response to the epileptic weather conditions in Hausaland.
Should the current trends of the climate change persist, what would be the fate
of Hausa traditional health institutions? In the light of the aforementioned
observations the deliberations are as follows:
What Is Hausa
Tradi-medical Tradition?
Hausa tradi-medical tradition is the ancient traditional
health institution found across Hausaland and elsewhere among the Hausa
speaking communities. It includes general medicine in the healing art,
professionalism in the healing tradition, herbalism and materia- medica,
spiritual and religious traditions in the application of the art, scientific
and supernatural forces employed in the medicinal practices. Medicine is named magani
and medicine men are mai magani (singular) and masu magani (plural). The
popular ancient name of Hausa healer is Boka in general term (Bokaye
is the plural) but they are subdivided according to the areas of their
specializations. Experts in bone-setting (masu ɗori) birth attendance (unguzoma),
psychiatric (Bokaye) and fortune tellers (‘yan arwa/duba) are the second group
in the classification. These groups are the health ministry, pharmacy and
dispensary of the native Hausa speakers occupying the geographical space of
Hausaland. An interesting question to be raised is: Do these men have the
knowledge of climate and its impact on human health? Do they have the idea of
the climate effect or climate change on their profession? What are the consequences
of the climate change to their clients and the ingredients of their
materia-medica? To address these questions we must identify:
Ingredients of Hausa
Tradi-medical Traditions:
In the study of Hausa
traditional medicine, medicinal ingredients that are concocted, grounded, mixed
up, cooked, stored or dried, are the solid foundation of the healing art.
Sources of the ingredients that are used in the ‘secret of the art’ can be
generally classified into:
i)
Plants
and trees
ii)
Insects
iii)
Birds
iv)
Animals
and fishes (of all categories)
v)
Waters
(river, well, springs, rain water, lakes)
vi)
Mineral
deposits (salt, iron, soils, etc)
vii)
Food
(grains, vegetables, fruits, leaves, root tuber, etc).
These seven categories
are the principal actors in the preparation of all types of Hausa native
medicines. In some illnesses only one ingredient is used. In complicated and
some selected cases two or more are combined to produce the required drugs.
Certainly, these ingredients may vary from one region to another, even in the
geo-political zones of Hausaland itself. However, selected ones from the area
are recommended, being the ingredient familiar with the weather and friendly to
the climatic condition of the very land. The philosophy behind the selection is
that, the illnesses or diseases to be cured are common to our environment and
the required drugs to put on trial are the vegetations of the land, as depicted
in one popular Hausa proverb: Karen da ya yi cizo da gashinsa ake magani,
“The hair of the dog which bites should be used to heal the inflicted wound”.
In this view, the notable illnesses and diseases of a given area can be
confronted with medicinal plants and trees available in the environment. Are
the climates and weather party to the application of these ingredients? And the
answer is:
Climate As a Factor:
In the context of Hausa
health care delivery, climate is the principal actor in the illnesses and
well-being of human health. The four traditionally classified climatic
conditions, namely: Rani (dry season), Damina (wet season) and
the two middle seasons Hunturu (the cold season during which we
experience the harmattan wind between Dec-Feb) and Bazara (the hot
season just prior to the west season) seasons, have a very special role in the
philosophy of Hausa traditional medicine. In all the seasons Damina (wet
season) is the most preferable. Professional herbalist depend very much on damina
season for their herbs and materia-medica for several reasons:
i)
Medicinal
plants and trees are very active and sufficient with all their medicinal
components, fully greenish during the season.
ii)
Special
species of the selected insects and birds with medicinal nutrients are
available during the season.
iii)
Some
selected wild animals whose body parts, organs, diet, are of medicinal impact
are mostly available during the season.
iv)
Waters
of all types, river, spring, well, lake, rain, etc could be obtained easily and
be stored for the preparation of the drugs.
v)
Mineral
deposits that are required in some of the medicaments are obtainable during the
season.
vi)
Very
few medicinal plants and trees can withstand prolong drought. Thus, delay in
getting the rain may extinct the species. In contrast, some may not withstand
heavy rain and therefore may not germinate under such a condition.
Certainly, the
aforementioned study speaks on the relevance of climate change to the general
activities of Hausa tradi-medical heritage. In this view, the dry season
occupies a very insignificant aspect of the art. The dry season is considered
as:
i)
Holiday period or season for
the concoction and preparation of the medicaments.
ii)
The
season is a breeder to the greenish medicaments extracted during the wet season.
iii)
In
special cases, very few of the medicinal plants and trees like: Gudai -Allium
cepa (onion), Kaiwa: Parkia biglobosa (locust bean seeds), Goriba:Hyphaene
thebaica, Gumbi: Mimosa pigra, Kaba: Hyphaene thebaica (young dum
palm) and the likes survive the season.
vii)
Dry
season is the chosen period for the general practice and the advert of the
healing art and tradition. Healers and professionals take advantage of the
period by migrating to the urban areas to display their expertise and wares to
their clients.
The remaining seasons
of bazara and Hunturu are of less importance to the real herbal
art and preparation of the medicinal materials. As it is noted before, these
periods are polluted with communicable diseases and illnesses. All the efforts
in the preparation of medicine are targeted at this period to dispense the
drugs. These does not mean that, damina and rani seasons are free
of any disease, of course there are, but not very much widespread as in rani
period. In this attempt, I therefore wish to peep through the effect of the
climate change to this great art in the history of the most widely spreaded
community in the sub-saharan region of Africa
“the Hausa community”.
The Effect of Climate
Change on Hausa Medicine:
In Hausa cultural
perspectives, medicines are not man made because man has no hand in the
creation of the species administered as drugs. The originality of the species is
divine, man is only a factor to examine, experiment, test and evaluate these
materials to confront any health discomfort found in his body anatomy. The side
effects of climate to the health comfort provokes the desire to arrest the
unhealthy condition which opens up the door to the healing art. Without
illnesses there would be no need for medication. It is the ill-condition of
health which leads to the experiment to confront the discomfort caused by the
weather the climate change of the region. Harsh weather is attributed to harsh
climatic condition resulting in the unhealthy situation of the environment,
which consequently pollutes the environment with varieties of diseases.
Naturally, inhabitants
of any region must have had the experience of its health history. Their
ancestors must have tested varieties of herbs and materia-medica to address
their health conditions. The secret of these herbs are passed on to generations
with all the methodology, styles, dos and don’ts attached to the healing art.
The prescription and mode of administration of the drugs are all preserved in
their oral arts from time immemorial. However, the medicinal substances
involved in the therapy may be species that were terminated long ago by the
climate change and therefore no where to be found. The extinctions caused by
climate change to the various medicinal ingredients in Hausaland effect the
original orthodox Hausa tradi-medical tradition. Consider the following
medicinal components of the early 19th century Hausaland to the late
20th century, in the contemporary 21st century situation
as per the materia-medica of the following categories.
Insects:
Certain endogenous
insects are prominent in the treatment of minor and major illnesses such as
mild fever, vomiting, jaundice, food-poising, stomach ache, and septic wounds.
In some cases, some of the insects are used in treatment of supernatural nature
and magic. To some extent some are used as biological weapons in the
pre-colonial Hausaland. Gradually, the climate change witnessed in the 21st
century terminated nearly 45% of these species as we may wish to note from the
notorious ones such as:
1.
Damina:
2.
Buzuzu: A dung-beetle
3.
Zanzaro: A mason or doubler-wasp
4.
Kwaronwuta:
5.
Sunge:
6.
Gyare:
7.
Zuma: Honey bees
8.
Rina: Wasp/hornet
9.
Zarnaƙo:
10.
Ƙozo (kwaɗo): very bit frog
11.
Shadare (bobo): An insect which does great damage
to nearly ripe bulrush-millet.
12.
Ahihiya: A very big/large tortoise
13.
Hawainiya- Chameleon
14.
Matsettseku (Turguni): A small lake insect with two
mouths
15.
Dole-Dole: big maggot, grub
16.
Shanshani: A centipede, with long flat body
17.
Kaska: A tick
18.
Zago:
A variety of large white ant.
A dung-beetle is used
for the treatment of mental problems. Mason is an important element in
Shamanism. Chameleon is a special element in magic and illusion. A tick
is used in the prevention of witchcraft. Honey is multipurpose in all
traditional concoctions and medicaments. In pre-colonial period, Shadare
is used to poison sword and arrows. With exception of honey bees, these insects
were frustrated with unsuitable climate change and virtually at the born of
extinction. By implication their medicinal usages are diminishing.
Birds:
West African birds
attract research attention of many serious scientists in the area of African
studies. The most interesting aspect to the species of birds is that, some of
them are domesticated, which gives the native Hausa speakers chance to study
their lifecycle, productivity and medicinal impact. Apart from utilizing parts
of these birds in the preparation of traditional medicines their favorite diet
is also recognized as medicaments of certain illnesses. To, our dismay, climate
change is affecting many of the species in Hausaland and tremendously reducing
their number. Some are gone for ever, some a very few in very few places, while
many are only known in the treasury of Hausa orature. The more we lose these
species, the more we lose our traditional medicines. In the history of our healing
arts the following species are very active:
1.
Shamuwa: white-bellied stork, a harbinger of the wet
season
2.
Belbala: Butter churned by the movement of the
cattle
3.
Fakara: Francolin (francolinus bica/caratus)
4.
Babba-da-jikka: Saddle-bill/African Jabiru
(Ephipplorhyndus senegalensis).
5.
Suda: Senegal bush shrike (Pomatorhyneus
senegalus)
6.
Jimina: Ostrich (Struthio camelus)
7.
Kurciya: laughing dove (stigmatopelia senegalensis)
8.
Takabarbada: Lily trotter or African Jacana
(Actophilonis africanas)
9.
Angulu: vulture
10.
Shirwa:African black kite (Milvus migrans
parasiticus)
11.
Zarɓe
12.
Kumare: The crown bird
13.
Tantabara: A pigeon
14.
Makwarwa: Double-spurred francolin (Francolinus
bicalcaratus)
15.
Bilbilo: A swallow (Hirundo aethiopica)
16.
Damatsiri:
17.
Aku:
A parrot.
White-bellied stork and butter
are great sign of good season of the year. Butter is utilized for love
medicines. Jackal and saddle-bill are of great benefit to improve
mental capability. Ostrich intestines are used as poison for weapons. In
addition to that, it is the best ingredients in Tauri magic and
performing art. Kurciya (laughing dove) is used by orators, singers and
poets to improve their memory in composing songs and poems. Due to the
unpredictable rainy season caused by climate change, great numbers of these
birds are going down annually. The more they varnish the more we lose our
tradi-medical heritage.
Animals:
The animal kingdom is a
very big kingdom in African folklore. It is a well known kingdom in human
folktales, legend, myth, saga, figures of speech and proverbs. Medicinal
relevance of Hausa domestic and wild animals in the geographical location of
Hausaland is well preserved in Hausa Orature and culture. Animal bones,
feathers, hide and skin, vital organs, intestine, blood, etc are very common in
the preparations of many Hausa traditional medicines. The uncertainty of the
climatic condition of the 21st century is affecting the survival of
many of these animals. While some are completely off the land, others are only
available in the zoos, and quiet a significant number of them hide in very
dangerous desert not humanly habitable. By implication, the tradi-medical
heritages attached to them are also at large. It is very sad that the land is
now almost empty of the following species:
1)
Alfadari:
2)
Kurage:
A ground squirrel
3)
Dila:
Jackal
4)
Barewa:
Dorcas gazelle
5)
Zaki:
Lion
6)
Kura: Hyena
7)
Gwanki:
Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinum gambianus)
8)
Bika:
9)
Dorina:
Hippopotamus
10)
Ayyu:
Monatee
11)
Jimina:Ostrich
(Struthio camelus)
12)
Giwa:
Elephant
13)
Damisa:
Leopard
14)
Doki:
Horse
15)
Jaki:
Donkey
One may observe that
some of these species mentioned herein are still available in the land.
However, we should also note that very few of the varieties are in existence
especially those of the families of Donkey and Horse which are of
twenty four varieties (twelve each) and now only two or three varieties exist.
In the categories of animals, they are widely utilized in the field of magic,
use of supernatural power, divinity and sorcery. Many of their organs are also
used in the preparation of special drugs for some major illnesses. Human and
natural factors contribute to the fast encroaching desertification which is
forcing wild animals to vanish from our forest, and grazing lands.
Consequently, our traditional medicines are also being eroded from our land,
leaving us unprotected, health wise.
Animals are the
greatest treasury in Hausa pre-colonial and pre-Islamic medicines. In most
cases, the medicines under these categories are of general purposes. Tail hair
of a squirrel (kurege) is used in causative medicines to weakened the
manhood of an enemy. Lion fat and bones are the best treatment for joint pains
and very useful in the traditional bone-setting by professionals. Hyena’s head
and mouth are used in magical medicines for protecting members of the royal
household in the society.
Plants:
In Hausa land there are
more species of plants than species of trees. The plants species are very
common during the wet season. They are of thousand varieties and quickly
disappear with shortage of rainfall. Majority of the species cannot withstand
desert condition and short rain fall. Plants are the major sources of Hausa
traditional medicine from time in memorial. They are some-times considered food
as medicine and medicines as food by ethnographies and anthropologists. Infact,
most of the plants are used as food especially during the hard period of
famines. Still, they are considered as the major sources of Hausa traditional
medicine. Recently, climate change is affecting areas in which some of the
species are found, and with time they are gradually disappearing. This
assessment can be verified with the following species:
1.
Jema:Urely
trum giganteum
2.
Yaɗiya: Lepatadenia
hastate (tears)
3.
Bunsuru: Heteropogon
4.
Ƙyasura: Pennisetum
hordeoides
5.
Sanga-Sanga:senna occidentals (coffee senna)
6.
Babbajuji: Datura metal (hairy thorn apple)
7.
Ƙuduji: Striga spp
(witch weed)
8.
Bubburwa: Erogrostis tremula
9.
Doɗɗoya: Ocimum basilicum
(sent-leaf)
10.
Lalo: Covchorus tridens (jute)
11.
Bado: Nymphaea latus (water-lily)
12.
Ƙyara: Parinar
Kerstingli (Coffee senna)
13.
Tafasa: Senna occidentales
14.
Tamakka: Moringa oleifera
15.
Garahuni:Momodica
balsamina (balsam apple)
16.
Baabaa:Indigofera
17.
Baushe:Terminalia
Interestingly, recent
scientific discovery of the medical values of some of these species is have
renewed interest in them as they now make a comeback to the challenges of our
health care delivery. In this respect, Tafasa, Tamakka/Zogala, sanga-Sanga,
Bunsuru and Ɗaɗɗoya
are now prominent in rural and urban areas. To confront the effect of climate
change, they are now domesticated in farms and produced in large quantity.
Senna accidental is used for high fever
and liver problems. Datura metal is used for mental diseases. Moringa
Oceifera is used for the general stomach problems. Leptadenia hastate
is used for rashes and septic wounds. Pennisetum hordeoides is
anti-bleeding and is used for the treatment of fresh wounds and running nose. Heterogonous
is anti-mosquitoes and a good remedy for fever believed to be caused by
mosquito bites. As at moment, these species are virtually gone and the said
medicines attached to them are reducing tremendously.
Trees:
In Hausa tradition, it
is said, “a tree can not make a forest”. It is only when they collected together
that they can make a forest. In the forest lies our food and medicine. Thus, in
the absence of forest, our food is gone and so our medicines. The harsh
climatic conditions of the 21st century couple with the human factor
is seriously depleting the forest in Hausaland. Well known trees in history and
folklore are at the brink of disappearing. The following are the varieties of
tree endangered:
1.
Kukkuki:
Sterculia setigera (karagum tree)
2.
Kaɗe: Vitellaria
paradoza (shea)
3.
Durumi: Ficus polita
4.
Ceɗiya: Ficus thonningii
5.
Lodaa: Rogeria adenophylla
6.
Faru: Lannea microcarpa
7.
Giginya: Barassus aethiopum (fan, deleb palm)
8.
Maƙafro:
Afromosia laxiflora
9.
Tsiidau: Capsicum annuum, c (chili)
10.
Gamji: Sorghum bicolor (large-grain)
11.
Kauci: Englerina gabonansis
12.
Tsamiya: Tamarindus indica (tamarind)
13.
Tarauniya: Anogeissus leicocarnus
14.
Marke: Acacia macrostachya
15.
Gardaye:
Englerina
gabonensis
is used for general medicines (medication and magic). Tamarindus is a
good drug for dysentery and mild stomach problem. Ficus polita and ficus
thoningii are good treatment of sudden rushes and general body pain.
Tree
categories are the mother aspects of Hausa traditional medicine. All aspects of
Hausa medicines must have one or two ways to do with trees. In the recent
studies of Hausa medicine more than thirty parts, of trees are utilized in
different manners in the traditional healing art. Medicinal trees contribute in
both health and supernatural medicines including charms and amulates. With
trends, in climate change, it is very unlikely that medicine attributed to
these species may survive the wind of change.
Conclusion:
Climate change is so
severe to Hausa healing tradition to the extent that I so wish to consider it
as a second colonial domination to the healing heritage of Hausa speaking
community. Indeed, the treasury of Hausa Orature is fully aware of the wind of
change as a great sign of the hour. The climate change, is not only directly
affecting the Hausa man physically, so to say, but the whole efforts of his
traditional medical heritage is at the brink of extinction. The unsuitable
weather produces a lot of unknown diseases, and medicinal herbs and medicaments
to confront them are affected by the climate change. The insects and animals
utilized in the healing art have no capacity to resist the unfriendly climate
change of our century, and they finally died leaving us with an empty treasury
in the healing art. All efforts to arrest the situation in urban areas to
domesticate some of the species could not protect the interest of our
traditional health practitioners for the fact that they are not actively
involved in the preparation and documentation of the said materia-medica. A
good team work of the natural scientist and scholars of Hausa tradition and
cultures should be formed by the center of Africa studies, university of Cairo
with any of the affiliated Nigerian
University in the heart
of Hausaland to handle the situation appropriately.
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