Relics and Historical Uses of Human Zootherapeutic Products in Contemporary Spanish Ethnoveterinary Medicine
1
Grupo de Investigación de Recursos Etnobiológicos del Duero-Douro (GRIRED), Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Salamanca, E-37071 Salamanca, Spain
2
Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Biología Celular, Histología, Historia de la Ciencia, Medicina Legal y Forense y Toxicología, Área de Historia de la Ciencia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cádiz, E-11003 Cádiz, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Giada Cordoni
Vet. Sci. 2021, 8(12), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8120323
Received: 10 November 2021
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Revised: 6 December 2021
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Accepted: 9 December 2021
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Published: 11 December 2021
(1) Background: this review documents the wide repertoire of practices and remedies based on the use of human-derived products in Spanish ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) from the early 20th century to the present. These practices are compared with historical data and those of other countries; (2) Methods: a search using advanced functions in the most important databases in the fields of ethnobiology, EVM, folklore, and ethnography was performed. Information was obtained from 29 documentary sources; (3) Results: from the search of the literature, 46 use-reports related to the veterinary use of human urine, menstrual fluid, saliva, breast milk, and faeces were recorded. These zootherapeutic resources are/were used to treat 20 animal diseases, in particular dermatological ailments. In addition, many practices of the magical–religious type are documented; (4) Conclusions: the veterinary uses described and analysed here are fundamental to the development of therapeutic tools and creating teaching and learning processes in new popular veterinary practices adapted to the users and those who demand them. The information collected could form a scientific foundation for future inventories of local veterinary knowledge (LVK) and research addressing the discovery of new drugs for livestock. This work contributes to the inventory of some uses, traditional practices, and rituals seriously threatened by the progressive loss of LVK in Europe.
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Keywords:
human being; ethnozoology; zootherapy; veterinary practices; Spain
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MDPI and ACS Style
González, J.A.; Vallejo, J.R. Relics and Historical Uses of Human Zootherapeutic Products in Contemporary Spanish Ethnoveterinary Medicine. Vet. Sci. 2021, 8, 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8120323
AMA Style
González JA, Vallejo JR. Relics and Historical Uses of Human Zootherapeutic Products in Contemporary Spanish Ethnoveterinary Medicine. Veterinary Sciences. 2021; 8(12):323. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8120323
Chicago/Turabian StyleGonzález, José A., and José R. Vallejo. 2021. "Relics and Historical Uses of Human Zootherapeutic Products in Contemporary Spanish Ethnoveterinary Medicine" Veterinary Sciences 8, no. 12: 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8120323
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