them out and crack the hard shell of the seed with a heavy 
stick, exposing the white spongy haustorium. It has a mildly 
sweet taste, and as many as twenty at a time can be con- 
sumed without fear of digestive complications. Only children 
who eat primarily a diet of ocumo and fish are said to suffer 
occasionally from diarrhea. 
Ethnomedicine. Several parts are believed to have me- 
dicinal properties and are used as remedies against catarrh: 
that is, cough and fever; and against symptoms of other 
respiratory problems. An Indian woman prepared some 
medicines in my presence, so that I can verify the following 
recipes — if not attest to their effectiveness. 
To alleviate coughing and to repress fever, the water of 
Manicaria fruit is carefully strained through a cloth to 
eliminate impurities. The patient drinks a cup three times 
a day. 
Fever and cough are alleviated with a potion made of 
the green juices from the fresh eophylls of Mauritia mixed 
with Manicaria water. Added to the slimy chlorophyllous 
liquid is the urine of a child of opposite sex of the patient. 
The preparation is set aside for forty-eight hours and then 
applied to the patient’s body, especially his temples and 
forehead. The treatment is repeated three times a day. I 
found the remedy to have a definite cooling, hence soothing 
effect. Small children are washed in the liquid from head to 
foot to stop diarrhea accompanied by fever. Occasionally, 
they are also given a small quantity to imbibe. 
The anti-asthmatic and anti-catarrhal effect of the liquid 
endosperm of Manicaria has been mentioned by previous 
investigators. Since asthma does not seem to afflict the 
Warao, I could not verify this assertion, although all in- 
formants assured me that the fruit water of the palm 
facilitates breathing in congested patients. Most effective 
in this respect is a concoction made of grated Manicaria 
palmito mixed with fruit water. The remedy is imbibed. 
Indirect benefits. An indirect benefit accruing to the 
Indians from Manicaria relates to the fact that the ripe, 
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