ABSTRACT
The proven therapeutic efficacy of murure was associated with using its exudate, called Milk of Morure, which was extracted by cutting the bark of the tree. Based on tests using murure to treat syphilis in the 20th century, in the year 1918 there was an elevated number of reported cases of the disease throughout the country. The experience and effectiveness of using murure in the missions, on both Indians and Caucasians, impressed Joao Daniel who soon saw the export potential of the species to use as a medicine in Europe. Treatment methods for syphilis mostly involve the use of penicillin with no reference of using Brosimum acutifolium, although there are historical medical records that note murure is effective. In Amazonian communities on the Maruepaua River, the sap of Brosimum acutifolium is used in the treatment of rheumatism, dislocations, and swollen body parts.
