Page 33 - Hall-Musgrove Family Reunion 2025

BUSH MEDICINE BUSH MEDICINE
Eustace Musgrove - Medicine Man Eustace Musgrove - Medicine Man
Written by: Written by: Bryan Naqqi Manco Bryan Naqqi Manco
I remember meeting I remember meeting
time on the subject time on the subject
wanting it wanting it
Mr. Eustace Musgrove Mr. Eustace Musgrove
of Amazonian bush of Amazonian bush
to survive, to survive,
for the first time over for the first time over
dentistry, and I noted the dentistry, and I noted the
and having and having
two decades ago -- his two decades ago -- his
consistencies in the uses consistencies in the uses
a deeper a deeper
reputation preceded him reputation preceded him
of specific plant families of specific plant families
k n o w l e d g e k n o w l e d g e
as a community elder as a community elder
and derivatives between and derivatives between
than I will ever than I will ever
of clout and wisdom. of clout and wisdom.
Peru and North Caicos. Peru and North Caicos.
comprehend on comprehend on
He was a participant in He was a participant in
This wisdom on parade This wisdom on parade
its importance. its importance.
a community planning a community planning
could not be ignored -- it could not be ignored -- it
As these pract- As these pract-
seminar that day on seminar that day on
was heritage embodied, was heritage embodied,
ices are lost to ices are lost to
bush medicine. I was bush medicine. I was
culture materialized, and culture materialized, and
modernity and modernity and
there to present with Mr. there to present with Mr.
survival demonstrated. I survival demonstrated. I
pharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals,
Alton Higgs, but I was Alton Higgs, but I was
had always been amazed had always been amazed
as people suffer as people suffer
young in my career and I young in my career and I
that people survived at that people survived at
increasingly from increasingly from
yielded the floor for the yielded the floor for the
all through TCI’s harsh all through TCI’s harsh
plant blindness and plant blindness and
chance to learn more. Mr. chance to learn more. Mr.
environment in days environment in days
a dearth of immer- a dearth of immer-
Eustace raised his hand Eustace raised his hand
before supermarkets, before supermarkets,
sion in nature, as the sion in nature, as the
and discussed some and discussed some
desalination, and emerg- desalination, and emerg-
importance of the importance of the
ideas on various herbal ideas on various herbal
ency medical services. ency medical services.
natural heritage of the natural heritage of the
treatments for selected treatments for selected
But this is exactly how But this is exactly how
islands is regarded less islands is regarded less
ailments, and he and ailments, and he and
that happened. This was that happened. This was
as valuable and more as valuable and more
Mr Alton exchanged Mr Alton exchanged
the skill and experiential the skill and experiential
as expendable, thinking as expendable, thinking
discourse. Mr. Eustace discourse. Mr. Eustace
wisdom that carried wisdom that carried
back on Mr. Eustace’s back on Mr. Eustace’s
then introduced a then introduced a
people through pain, people through pain,
deeply specialized know- deeply specialized know-
subject entirely new to subject entirely new to
disease, and any manner disease, and any manner
ledge of herbal remedies ledge of herbal remedies
me - Turks and Caicos me - Turks and Caicos
of injury and condition. of injury and condition.
reminds me to keep reminds me to keep
Islands bush dentistry. Islands bush dentistry.
Being privileged to hear Being privileged to hear
sharing that knowledge, sharing that knowledge,
He explained in great He explained in great
Mr. Eustace’s treatise Mr. Eustace’s treatise
and to keep reminding and to keep reminding
detail how he used detail how he used
on bush medicine and on bush medicine and
people of its importance. people of its importance.
various plants to treat various plants to treat
dentistry made me want dentistry made me want
Carrying what is likely Carrying what is likely
complaints of the teeth complaints of the teeth
to learn more, and any to learn more, and any
only a tiny percentage only a tiny percentage
and mouth, as I tried to and mouth, as I tried to
opportune meeting opportune meeting
of Mr. Eustace’s vast of Mr. Eustace’s vast
keep up scribbling in my keep up scribbling in my
in front of the store in front of the store
comprehension of Turks comprehension of Turks
notebook. I had recently notebook. I had recently
or office I would try or office I would try
and Caicos Islands flora and Caicos Islands flora
finished re-reading a finished re-reading a
to converse with him to converse with him
is a privilege to treasure is a privilege to treasure
favourite book on South favourite book on South
about it. He was never about it. He was never
and perpetuate. I’m and perpetuate. I’m
American ethnobotany, American ethnobotany,
shy about sharing the shy about sharing the
fortunate to have known fortunate to have known
which spends some which spends some
him. him.
information, obviously information, obviously
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