Picramnia antidesma explained

Picramnia antidesma (also known as Chilillo, Majoe bitters, or Macary bitters) is a species of plant in the Picramniaceae family, native to Mexico, Central America, and the Greater Antilles.^{[1] [2]}

In his posthumously published work Hortus Americanus, surgeon and naturalist Henry Barham credits an "old negro woman," Majoe, with using the plant as a treatment for yaws and venereal disease. Barham describes seeing the plant growing near St. Jago de la Vega in Jamaica and its use among enslaved people in the area.^[3]

Further reading

• Pablo N. . Solis . Angel . Gutierrez Ravelo . Antonio G. . Gonzalez . Mahabir P. . Gupta . J. David . Phillipson . Bioactive anthraquinone glycosides from Picramnia antidesma ssp. Fessonia . Phytochemistry . 38 . 2 . 1995 . 477–480 . 0031-9422 . 10.1016/0031-9422(94)00598-N. 7772307 . 1995PChem..38..477S .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Natural History Museum: Slavery and the natural world . Natural History Museum . chapter 8: page 7, chapter 10: pages 26–27.
2. Web site: Picramnia antidesma Sw. Plants of the World Online Kew Science . 2024-02-05 . Plants of the World Online . en.
3. Book: Barham, Henry . Hortus Americanus : containing an account of the trees, shrubs, and other vegetable productions of South-America and the West India Islands, and particularly of the island of Jamaica ... . 1794 . printed and published by Alexander Aikman. Kingston, Jamaica . 96 . en.