Papantla, Ver.– Despite technological advances in allopathic medicine, a large part of the population still uses traditional medicine to combat various diseases; however, the good image that traditional Totonac doctors have has served for “charlatans” to abuse those who seek to heal.
Hilario Morales is a traditional doctor from the town of El Tajín, who points out that for years the Totonac healers have fought so that their work is not underestimated compared to that of their colleagues, who studied Medicine at a university, since they point out that what they know is by through their grandparents, and the use of herbal medicine has cured the indigenous people for hundreds of years.
“Traditional doctors are indigenous or mestizo midwives, healers and sorcerers. Midwives help women during pregnancy and childbirth; They provide special care to mother and child through temazcal baths and medicinal plants. They believe in the influence of the moon on women and in the dichotomy of hot and cold”, she stated.
According to the interviewee, the Totonac healer knows the use of medicinal plants to relieve physical and mental ills, heals the body and soul, both indigenous and mestizo people resort to their services, heals men and animals, charges for their services , depending on the disease and the seriousness of the case, he explains.
Don Hilario lamented that in recent years people have come to light who have no knowledge, who do not have the gift and who only get paid to deceive people, promising to do cleans, healings, moorings and other jobs that have nothing to do with what that traditional Totonac medicine encompasses “They make us look bad, they overshadow us,” he concluded.
