Efik Divination, Ordeals, and Omens

Simmons, Donald C.

doi:10.1086/soutjanth.12.2.3629116

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Punishment for breaking the law or committing crimes ranged from a death penalty to fines and trade embargoes against neighboring towns. [4] e Efik people of Old Calabar, like many other African societies at the time, had a system of religious and mystical beliefs, including ancestor veneration (which was prescribed) and witchcraft (which was proscribed). Accusations of witchcraft activity were taken seriously and had grave consequences because those involved were usually subjected to the deadly eséré ordeal trial according to societal customs.…”

Section: Geographic and Historical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…e eséré ordeal was a type of divination by which the supernatural powers of the gods and ancestors were invoked through the action of the bean to help uncover and destroy witchcraft. [4] Some may argue, however, that these beliefs about the Calabar bean poison ordeal, and its use in determining one's innocence were based solely on superstition. Given the now-known toxicity of the potion, however, and the reality that not everyone who took the potion died, there has to have been some logical basis to the practice.…”

Section: Trial By Ordealmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Calabar bean and physostigmine: from African ethno-jurisprudence to medicinal discovery and modern pharmacotherapeutics

Juliet

Ikeme²,

Nwakama

et al. 2023

AJPPS

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Physostigmine, or eserine, is an alkaloid found in the Calabar bean (eséré), Physostigma venenosum (Balfour). The scientific discovery of physostigmine played a pivotal role in our understanding of chemical neurotransmission and the emergence of pharmacology as a science. The Efik people of Old Calabar, in present day Cross River State of Nigeria, used the bean as an ordeal poison to determine if persons accused of certain allegations such as witchcraft were guilty or innocent. Scottish missionaries working in Old Calabar witnessed eséré ordeal trials and attended to patients inadvertently poisoned by the plant. Perplexed by the ordeal trials and concerned for their patients, the missionaries sent reports of their observations and samples of the beans to scientists back in Britain for study. Evaluations of the plant material for its chemical constituents and biological activity led to the discovery of its active principle, physostigmine. Further explorations with physostigmine led to the discovery of acetylcholine and chemical neurotransmission, and the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1936. From a classic practice of ethno-jurisprudence, the world came to understand the chemical basis of synaptic transmission, and the nature of substrate-enzyme and ligand-receptor interactions as underlying principles in biochemistry and pharmacology. Numerous medicines including physostigmine have been developed based on these principles and are being used in current pharmacotherapy. The rich history of eséré plant and its physostigmine alkaloid anchors a compelling story of the role natural products have played in the discovery of modern therapeutic agents. Moreover, the story highlights the reality that probably many more medicinal plants in Africa remain to be explored for their chemical constituents as potential leads in breakthrough drug discovery.

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Section: Geographic and Historical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trial By Ordealmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Calabar bean and physostigmine: from African ethno-jurisprudence to medicinal discovery and modern pharmacotherapeutics

Juliet

Ikeme²,

Nwakama

et al. 2023

AJPPS

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“…Alligator pepper is chewed with kolanut where the hot spicy taste reduces the bitter taste from kola nut in Ibo culture, Eastern Nigeria. It had been employed in divination and ordeal to determine the guilt among Efik people in Eastern Nigeria (Simons, 1956), religious (voodoo) rites in the Caribbean Islands (Voeks, 2013), to flavor alcoholic drinks (Harten, 1970) and as replacement for black pepper in European and American cuisines (Voeks, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hepatotoxicity of Methanol Seed Extract of<i> Aframomum melegueta</i> [Roscoe] K. Schum. (Grains of paradise) in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Chinaka¹,

Linus²,

Ode³

et al. 2014

AJBR

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The hepatotoxic effects of the seeds of Aframomum melegueta (Grains of paradise), a spice were studied in Sprague-Dawley rats. Individual rat groups received sub-chronic exposure of the methanol seed extract at 300 mg/kg for 7, 14 and 21 days respectively. Liver toxicity was evaluated with assay of circulating serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, total bilirubin concentrations and histopathology of the liver of treated experimental rats. Serum levels of AST significantly (p<0.05) increased progressively in extract-treated rats compared to the control from day 7 till the termination of the study (day 21). However, serum ALT, ALP and total bilirubin levels of test rats were only significantly (p<0.05) elevated relative to the normal on days 14 and 21 of the investigation. The dose (300 mg/kg) of extract produced AST value of 55.8±3 µL -1 while the control was 32.2±1.9 µL . The serum albumin levels of extract-treated rats were however, comparable with that of the normal rats throughout the study period. Histopathology of the rat livers revealed mild focal necrosis of hepatocytes at day 7, moderate multifocal areas of hepatic necrosis at day 14 and severe, diffused necrosis of hepatocytes at day 21 of treatment with the extract. The results demonstrated that the methanol seed extract of A. melegueta was potent in inducing liver toxicity at the tested dose (300 mg/kg). Maximal caution should therefore be imbibed in prolonged excessive use of the plant seeds as spice in delicacies.

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“…The phytochemicals obtained from the seeds of A. melegueta posses active ingredients that may be exploited for local development of antimicrobials (Oyegade et al, 1999). Gilani and Rahman (2005) and Sommons (1956) have studied traditional/herbal medicines and their uses.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Antimicrobial Activity and Physical Characteristics of Oil Extracted from Alligator Pepper Seed (Aframomum melegueta) Cultivated in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria

Aladekoyi¹,

Shakpo²

2014

Pakistan Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research

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Efik Divination, Ordeals, and Omens

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

The Calabar bean and physostigmine: from African ethno-jurisprudence to medicinal discovery and modern pharmacotherapeutics

The Calabar bean and physostigmine: from African ethno-jurisprudence to medicinal discovery and modern pharmacotherapeutics

Hepatotoxicity of Methanol Seed Extract of<i> Aframomum melegueta</i> [Roscoe] K. Schum. (Grains of paradise) in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Antimicrobial Activity and Physical Characteristics of Oil Extracted from Alligator Pepper Seed (Aframomum melegueta) Cultivated in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria

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