Micmac Medicines: Remedies and Recollections

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

The “art” in “folk art” usually suggests paintings, wood
carvings, or other craft objects. If the definition can be extended to
include writing, this book is folk art.

The text is similar to a diary, consisting of a mix of descriptions,
notes, recollections, recipes, and poetry. The whole is blended with
numerous chunky sketches of plants and landscapes. The approach to the
text is informal and chatty. The style of the sketches is heavy-handed,
although always strong and clear. The result is folk art about folk
medicine as practised by the Micmac of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

The work is limited to herbal (or plant) medicines, used either singly
or in combination. Its purpose is to record the lore and legends in
order to preserve knowledge about this aspect of our history and
heritage; the remedies are not recommended for use today.

Lacey touches on the medicinal properties and conjectured usage of more
than 70 trees, shrubs, and herbs. For many, he includes information on
how the medicine was most likely prepared and used. His sources are a
mix of interviews, folklore, published sources, and his own experiences
and fieldwork.

This book will intrigue those interested in herbs and folk medicine; it
belongs in local-history collections in the Nova Scotia South Shore
area.