Medicinal and ethnoveterinary remedies of hunters in Trinidad

BACKGROUND: Ethnomedicines are used by hunters for themselves and their hunting dogs in Trinidad. Plants are used for snakebites, scorpion stings, for injuries and mange of dogs and to facilitate hunting success. RESULTS: Plants used include Piper hispidum, Pithecelobium unguis-cati, Bauhinia excisa, Bauhinia cumanensis, Cecropia peltata, Aframomum melegueta, Aristolochia rugosa, Aristolochia trilobata, Jatropha curcas, Jatropha gossypifolia, Nicotiana tabacum, Vernonia scorpioides, Petiveria alliacea, Renealmia alpinia, Justicia secunda, Phyllanthus urinaria,Phyllanthus niruri,Momordica charantia, Xiphidium caeruleum, Ottonia ovata, Lepianthes peltata, Capsicum frutescens, Costus scaber, Dendropanax arboreus, Siparuma guianensis, Syngonium podophyllum, Monstera dubia, Solanum species, Eclipta prostrata, Spiranthes acaulis, Croton gossypifolius, Barleria lupulina, Cola nitida, Acrocomia ierensis (tentative ID). CONCLUSION: Plant use is based on odour, and plant morphological characteristics and is embedded in a complex cultural context based on indigenous Amerindian beliefs. It is suggested that the medicinal plants exerted a physiological action on the hunter or his dog. Some of the plants mentioned contain chemicals that may explain the ethnomedicinal and ethnoveterinary use. For instance some of the plants influence the immune system or are effective against internal and external parasites. Plant baths may contribute to the health and well being of the hunting dogs.

Acute scorpion pancreatitis in Trinidad

Over a two-month period 30 patients were admitted to hospital following stings of the scorpion of Trinidad, the tityus trinitatis. In 24 cases acute pancreatitis developed soon after the sting, but in nine of these no abdominal pain occurred. All the patients made an uneventful recovery. Although such complications have been reported no pseudocyst formations or acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis occurred in this series (AU)

Pancreatitis caused by scorpion sting

The Scorpion (Tityus Trinitatis) inflicts a sting and has many complications. This is unlike many of the other species. Myocarditis and acute pancreatitis are two of the serious ones, and the former is a cause of fatality. In certain cases, the acute pancreatitis progresses to the formation of pseudopancreatic cysts. These appear from three weeks to none months after the sting. Surgery resolves all these cyst and patients should be offered this. Internal drainage or cyst excision is much superior a procedure to marsupialization. The circumstances for doing this last operation are discussed, particularly as the morbidity associated with it can be prolonged (AU)

Arbovirus studies in Bush Bush Forest, Trinidad, W.I., September 1959-December 1964. II. Field program and techniques

The field program of the Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory in Bush Bush Forest included studies in which arboviruses (their prevalence and epidemiology) were the chief interest and also studies on the biology of the arthropods and vertebrates possibly associated with arbovirus cycles. The techniques used included the exposure of sentinel animals, trapping and bleeding of small mammals and reptiles, netting and bleeding of birds, collection of bloodsucking arthropods, and observations on the diel- and seasonal-activity patterns, food sources, and habitat preferences of the more abundant species of mosquitoes.(AU)

A report of three fatal cases of human paralytic rabies occurring in one family from British Guiana, 1960

Three proven cases of paralytic rabies in humans have been described. These were almost certainly due to rat bites. In main, agreement was found between these cases of human paralytic rabies and the others reported from Trinidad in 1931-32. Once the disease is fully developed, treatment appears to be useless. It is noted that variants of rabies virus have caused encephalitis and myelitis elsewhere and it is probable that this is caused by mutation of the virus. (AU)

Some notes on scorpion poisoning in Trinidad

Figures showing the incidence of scorpion poisoning and case mortality rate are presented. The appearance of glycosuria, hyperglycaemia, acute pancreatitis, pancreatic cysts, and cardiac irregularities are described and typical cases given. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is often missed, because, in the first place it is not easy to diagnose, secondly the acute abdominal pain may be attributed to the vomiting and retching. Pancreatic cysts appear with dramatic suddenness on some occasions. It is hoped this paper will stimulate other workers on scorpion sting to look out for the features mentioned above, as they are not found in the literature I have been able to obtain. (AU)