Ivey Harris in Jamaica knows so much about herbal healing

I just got back from spending more time with my good friend and colleague, Ivey Harris, at her home in Cornwall Barracks, high up in the John Crow Mountains of Jamaica. I’ve written about Ivey before... she’s the last of the traditional herbal healers in Jamaica’s Maroon culture.

Dr. Sears and Ivey Harris in Jamaica

In fact, Ivey is the seventh generation of her family to practice this nearly lost art. She’s a direct descendant of Princess Nanny, the first leader of the Windward Maroons. Princess Nanny was a renowned herbal healer, and is Jamaica’s only national heroine.

At just five feet tall, Ivey’s a tiny bundle of pure energy. She’s vivacious but has this calm way about her. And she always welcomes me with open arms every time I make the trek up the treacherous mountain roads leading to her remote home.

I try to visit her whenever I can because she knows so much about herbal healing. And I always learn a thing or two from our visits.

This time, Ivey took me into the bush by her home and showed me some of the herbs she uses with her patients. Her yard is like an all-natural pharmacy. And she’s a walking herbal encyclopedia – describing each plant in great detail... its uses, medicinal properties, how to prepare it, and its interactions.

After our walk, we sat down together and Ivey told me about a tonic that she gives to her patients for overall health and strength. Ivey says this tonic can help men and women with sexual problems, too … including desire and performance issues. She calls it Wood Root Tonic. It’s a combination of five herbs, including:

1. Puron Bark – When used in a tea, this fresh-smelling bark can make you feel full and help you work all day without having to stop to eat.
2. Allman’s Strength – This vine grows high in the mountain forest and strengthens the entire body, just as its name implies.
3. Raw Moon – This is a powerful aphrodisiac that can help men and women get back their sexual urges. Ivey says it improves sexual performance in men, as well.
4. Chaney Root – Ivey says this root, which looks like a yam, is used for fertility and to strengthen the reproductive system.
5. Black Whist – The gum resin from this plant helps to lubricate joints.

I had the chance to record my visit with Ivey on video. She gives me easy-to-follow instructions on how to prepare her Wood Root Tonic and talks about other herbs, too. You can watch it at my website at, Alsearsmd.com

She also describes her tonics and dozens of other potent healing secrets in her book, Healing Herbs of Jamaica. These herbal cures, passed down from generation to generation for 500 years, could have been lost forever if she hadn’t written them down. And I’m so glad she did...

To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD