Vendors are more than willing to sell their products if the ailment is minor, but because of strong beliefs in black magic many vendors may be leery of discussing their products with foreigners, especially when the stated ailment is of a more serious nature. The remedies found within the botanicas are usually not described in medical journals, but the formulas have been passed down from generation to generation. Ilerbalists sometimes conduct examinations using the centuries-old method of iridology, the study of a person's iris to ascertain certain physical maladies. Most often, all you need to do is to describe your ailment and, if it is simple, you will be given an herbal preparation, usually in the form of a tea. The botanical tradition is very real and is rooted in a long folkloric history.
Modern medicine uses many of the old cures.
Birth control pills are derived from the hormone progesterone, which is found in the Mexican plant, caheza de negro. There are powerful arguments for saving both rainforests and the oral traditions of primitive cultures. One may or may not choose to be skeptical of many of the wares touted by the herbalists and curanderos. Dead hummingbirds, for example, are sold as love amulets. And sand dollars and deer antlers are supposed to bring good luck.