much of the accumulated botanical wisdom of brazilian folk medicine was collected by pedro luís napoleon chernoviz, an early 19th century naturalist, who extensively studied the native plant life of rio de janeiro and compiled anecdotal and empirical evidence from common people and scientists.

entitled the dicionário de medicina popular (dictionary of folk medicine), and commonly known as the old chernoviz, the compendium he produced, and the information contained therein was disseminated through first the learned middle class, then to the working class and rural populations, until it finally gained traction in contemporary scientific communities.