Product Description

Eliseo Torres, known as "Cheo," grew up in the Corpus Christi area of Texas and knew, firsthand, the Mexican folk healing practiced in his home and neighborhood. Later in life, he wanted to know more about the plants and rituals of curanderismo.

Torres's story begins with his experiences in the Mexican town of Espinazo, the home of the great curandero El Niño Fidencio (1899-1939), where Torres underwent life-changing spiritual experiences. He introduces us to some of the major figures in the tradition, discusses some of the pitfalls of teaching curanderismo, and concludes with an account of a class he taught in which curanderos from Cuernavaca, Mexico, shared their knowledge with students.

Part personal pilgrimage, part compendium of medical knowledge, this moving book reveals curanderismo as both a contemplative and a medical practice that can offer new approaches to ancient problems.

From Curandero

". . . for centuries, rattlesnakes were eaten to prevent any number of conditions and illnesses, including arthritis and rheumatism. In Mexico and in other Latin American countries, rattlesnake meat is actually sold in capsule form to treat impotence and even to treat cancer. Rattlesnake meat is also dried and ground and sprinkled into open wounds and body sores to heal them, and a rattlesnake ointment is made that is applied to aches and pains as well."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #407631 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 180 pages

Review
"Readers will be entertained, enthralled, and mystified." -- Corpus Christi Caller-Times, 8/28/05

About the Author
Eliseo "Cheo" Torres is vice-president for student affairs at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Timothy L. Sawyer, Jr. is a public information representative with the University of New Mexico.

Customer Reviews

An authentic account of the true nature of curanderismo
This book is a refreshing alternative to the type of New Age drivel that seems to dominate anything that smacks of the supernatural - like, in the case of curanderismo, that travesty of a book "Woman Who Glows in the Dark". This book depicts curanderismo as it really is in New Mexico and along the Mexican border, which is, of course, rooted in the culture of the Mexican homeland itself. I am from New Mexico and I am very familiar with this culture, and I think this book is spot on.

First hand account
This book was a very good first hand account of Mexican Folk Healing. The history and current state of Curanderismo is covered with detailed descriptions of cures for Susto and Mal de Ojo.