Thursday, 7 July 2016

My medicine women

I went out into the woods at the back of my house. Carrying a basket i filled it with what leaves i could find. I wouldn't know all the scientific names. I only know them based on what my grandmother and mom had told me.

There was nochi, kuppaimeni, aaduthoda, karisalangkanni, koyya, neem, toothuvelai, modakkattaan, kohvai, tunnittupacchai, aruvathaampacha, katpooravalli, thulasi, betel, vallaarai, pomegranate, turmeric..

It all started from observing my grandmother when she administered simple remedies for people who came looking for her. Normally people needed massages. Leg sprains, twisted bowels, neck sprains required painful massages.

I remember adults in tears while treatment was going on. Young kids and babies  were in tantrum even before they entered my house. My grandmother was looked at like she was the creator of all terrible pain.

Of course later they understood she actually took away their pain and solved their troubles. She was medicine woman of my area.

My great grandmother was born in a village from Thiruannamalai. She was medicine woman there. This tradition had been brought down to Malaysia through my great grandmother. It was then passed down to my grandmother.

I have not really taken any interests in any of it until i observed people around me suffering with after effects of modern medicine. My children who had asthma and eczema were badly affected by steroid based medication.

Another friend of mine suffered severely from kidney stone. A surgery on his kidney left him with many consequences. Later when i had a stone myself in my right kidney, I searched for alternative medication to cure myself. Of course it took me close to nine months to break the stone but i did conquer the stone without laser or surgery.

My son, Siddarth, is often my guinea pig. I would try various herbal treatment on him for his asthma. He had asthma since he was five months old. Administration of steroids and pain killers at that tender age inflicted stomach ulcers. He often showed symptoms of twisted bowels syndrome.

At first he hated the herbal soups and green juice that he had to drink. He disliked the trips he had to make to the washroom to cleanse his bowels.

Now I'd say he's happy without both troubles. I have managed to make him better. Now it's all about prevention rather than looking for cure. Stomach is the source where all ailments starts. If we keep the stomach balanced most problems can be stopped even before it comes.

Balancing the five elements in the body would ensure better health. Neutralising acidic and alkaline levels in the stomach is a must. Everything roots from the stomach.

Whenever there is medical troubles i resort to a massage and alternative medication. It seems to work wonders.

For this there are various types of oil. The leader of all oil would be nallennai, oil made from sesame seeds. Castor oil, coconut oil, eucalyptus oil are also oils often used in treatment. Thennamarakkudi oil is another favorable ointment used for massages. Recently new oil such as franch oil and surimas oil were discovered.

Life must be handled with simple measures. Life can become great. 

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