1993 (J. S. Handler and J. Jacoby) “Slave Medicine and Plant Use in Barbados.” JBMHS 41: 74-98.
The early healing practices of Barbadian slaves had their roots in traditional West African medicine which involved the use of plants. Both Africans (and Europeans) in Barbados were predisposed to experiment with and exploit the natural environment for medicinal purposes. Over time, a variety of locally prepared medicines came to be widely employed by all racial groups in Barbados and this article discusses, on the basis of limited documentary evidence, which of these were specifically part of the enslaved community’s pharmacopoeia.