Contribución a la medicina natural: Pohã Ñana, un Manuscrito inédito en Guaraní (Paraguay, S. XVIII)

Abstract

After five years of transliterating, translating and research, we have been encouraged to write a brief description of the Poha Ñana manuscript (1725) currently attributed to Marcos Villodas. We will also present in brief another manuscript (no date) called Libro de medicina en lengua guaraní. We will then mention some of the similarities and differences between the two codices. Later we will show the translation and analysis of two examples of therapies for specific diseases that can be found in Ñana Pohã. It is unclear at this time whether the two extant sources are in fact drawn from a third manuscript which may have circulated among the villages of the Jesuit Reductions, within the original territory of Paraguay.

Keywords

• History
• South American medicine
• codices in Guarani
• Paraguay