Dear Friend of the Environment:
We are John Weeks, a family physician and Leslie Weeks RN, lovers who fell in love with Costa Rica. In the small rural communities we visited there are individuals who serve as traditional health care providers. We met people who have studied the use of medicinal plants for many years; they are often called upon by their neighbors for treatment of conditions ranging from childbirth to snakebite to weight loss. Since many of the plants used in the traditional medicine of the area originate in the rain forests we felt strongly that there is a linkage between deforestation and the loss of knowledge about traditional healing plants. for more info about the rainforests, click here)

   
Augusto and Alcides instruct John in rainforest medicinal plants

In addition, some of our commonly used pharmaceuticals are derived from tropical plants (e.g. quinine, local anesthetics, curare, xanthines, psyllium.) There may be many as yet undiscovered equally useful medicines in the myriad unstudied species of the rain forest.

We propose a project (click for a more detailed description of the research proposal) that would incorporate the following goals:

• 1. documentation of the location, gathering, processing and administration of traditional medicinal plants by local experts with efforts to classify such plants according to scientific taxonomy (see Jim Duke's extensiveCosta Rican plant dictionary), comparing them, when appropriate, with equivalent pharmaceutical treatments
• 2. support for efforts by local communities to halt conversion of rain forest land to cattle grazing pasture by demonstrating potential economic sustainability of growing plants of medicinal value. (for a good discussion of the economics see: rainforest economics ) For more information about tours in the indigenous communities, visit here. or here.
  
• 3. work with local physicians to provide a cross-cultural exchange of information about approaches to primary care medicine with limited access to high technology; this could be a useful clerkship elective for medical students

I have recently purchased three hectares of land in the Lake Arenal region which are adjacent to rain forest. We propose to use this property for such a demonstration project. A permanent structure to be built will utilize energy-efficient and ecologically sensitive locally available building materials as an alternative to construction practices that threaten rare hardwoods, increase erosion and topsoil runoff, and depend on nonrenewable energy generation. The Lake Arenal area is already one of the leading sites in Costa Rica for wind powered and hydroelectric generation. It would be an ideal region for applications of solar water heating, cooking and photovoltaics.

We need to obtain funding to support the startup costs and a stipend for the time we take off from our regular positions. Please let us know if you have any thoughts about the feasibility of your (or anyone else you know) providing financial support for this project. We are also looking for like-minded people who would like to be partners in the project.

Thanks for your consideration.
 

John A. Weeks, M.D.
Leslie Weeks, RN
PO Box 4119
Clearlake, CA 95422
(707) 994-7377
(707) 994-9456 fax
email: famdoc@inreach.com

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

for more reading on medicinal plants, ethnobotany, etc. seebibliography

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