ANCIENT MEDICAL HERBS IN USE

  

Our family and the people around traditionally use a lot of herbal medicines like-

Honey and ‘Vayambu’ (Sweet flag or Calamus) Acorus calamus: A little of this ground with honey is given to a new born child. It is believed to increase wisdom, improve the memory power and sound. At times gold is also rubbed in a tiny granite mortar and given to the baby to improve the complexion. 

 ‘Kurumulaku’ powder, (Black Pepper), shriveled Ginger, Nutmeg, Mace and ‘Kalkandam’, (Sugar candy) is a good medicine for irritation in the throat, cold, cough and sinusitis. It has even proved to be effective in the cure of an ear infection. This can prevent fever as well.

‘Panikurkka’ or Adjeran Indian rock-foil, Coleus aromaticus:  The juice is extracted from the leaf after gently warming it; this is then mixed with honey and given to children. It is a good herbal cure when given thrice a day for children who have a .cough, cold or fever.  

A Steam inhalation – Boil some leaves of ‘Tulasi’ (Sacred Basil), ‘Panikurkka’ (Adjeran Indian rock-foil) ‘Thumba’ (Phlomis) along with ‘Chukku’ (Shrivelled Ginger) and ‘Jeerakam’ (Kumin seed) and inhale the steam, while the head and chest portion fully covered with a woolen blanket, which would give a good relief for cold, cough and fever and would reduce the heaviness in the head.

A little Juice taken out of a few leaves of ‘Thulasi’ (Sacred Basil) and Red Onion, when poured into the eyes would give a reasonable relief for fever.

 ‘Chukku- Kappi’, Black coffee with shriveled ginger: A fever is treated with a concoction of black coffee and ‘Chukku’ which is the dried ginger and ‘Kurumulaku’ pepper powder. This is boiled for a few minutes till it becomes a concentrate. This is then consumed in small quantities for a few days with adequate sugar. One is relieved of the fever by having this along with adequate rest. 

‘Chuvannulli’, (Red Onion), ‘Kurumulaku’, (Pepper) and ‘Kalkandam’, (Sugar candy obtained from Palmyra): A dry cough or cold or a throat pain that lingers on after a fever could be avoided and / or treated by using a ‘Chuvannulli’. These are small red onions which when consumed with a few ‘Kurumulaku’, pepper and a little ‘Kalkandam’, (sugar candy obtained by boiling Palmyra toddy) at least thrice a day for a few days would give one adequate relief.

 ‘Chukku Vellom’, Water boiled with shriveled ginger quenches thirst. ‘Payasam’, a dessert that is a part and parcel of the ‘Sadya’, a festive vegetarian lunch, makes one thirsty. If a piece of dried ginger is taken before having ‘Payasam’, one can have several helpings of this dessert without getting sick of it. It also relieves them of the excessive thirst that one is likely to experience otherwise.

‘Poovumkurunthala’, (Cacalia rotundifolia): This is a herb which is boiled in ‘Nallenna’ or gingerly oil. This is used to smear on the head to avoid cold.

Nanthiyarvattom (East Indian Rose Bay) ’Tabernaemontana divericata’ (or coronaria) –Wild). The white flowers of East Indian Rose are soaked overnight in water. This water is then used to wash the eyes when one has conjunctivitis (red eye due to inflammation). 

‘Peruku’ or          Clerodentron is a medicinal herb with big leaves and small bunches of white flowers. A bruise would heal in a day or two when the red paste obtained, by firmly rubbing together on the palm the tender leaves of ‘Peruku’, and Calcium hydroxide. This is then applied on the wound for quick healing. 

‘Porippal’, (dried skin of pointed heap of coconut tree) a small wound on the human body caused by any iron implement could heal if you put the ‘Poruppal’ of coconut tree.

An embedded thorn   in the human flesh can be easily removed if the milk that oozes from the freshly plucked seed of ‘Kuruttu Pala’, (Tabernae montana alternifolia); is poured on the affected area.

Ginger, Lime and Mace. A cure for indigestion is to take in a few pieces of ginger with honey or sugar or a hot lime tea. A paste of ‘Jathipatri’, Mace, the outer covering of Nutmeg, also comes in handy in these situations.  

Burned ‘Veluthulli’, Garlic is good for heart patients.

The half ripe ‘Erumban Puli’ or ‘Chemmen Puli’ and two glasses of water before morning walk is good to reduce the LDL in cholesterol.

‘Manjal’, Turmeric, A little turmeric paste is added in curries to make it poison free and acts as a natural insecticide.

‘Kudampuli’ when put in fish curries helps digestion.

Back pain vanishes, if you have a good  massage with the ground paste of ‘Kutampuli’ and ‘Pavatta’  leaves mixed with   ‘Chakkara’ and ‘Jeerakam’.

An Ear-Ache is treated by pouring a few drops of warm red onion juice into the ears. I have also seen grannies doing something strange to relieve the pain. The seeds of a dried red chilli are removed; and into this blank chilli cover a little coconut oil or sesamum oil is poured and then warm it. It is poured into the ears. It instantly cures as one finds the wailing child going into a comfortable slumber. 

Swelling on the hands and legs due to dislocation would be relieved when the affected part is bandaged with the bark of ‘Kalasam’, ‘Poovarasu’ and Coconut, all mashed and mixed together.

         

Arya Veppu’ is a popular insecticide especially for patients infected with chicken –pox and small-pox.

‘Keezhanelly’ ground with cow milk is a popular cure for jaundice.

‘Kallurukki’ is a herb known to dissolve kidney stones.  

‘Karkitaka Kanji’ rice gruel with herbal medicines is considered a panacea for all illnesses during the famine months of Monsoon. I have seen ladies pinching herbs like ‘Nilampala’, ‘Oruchevian’, ‘Mukkuthi’,  ‘Thottavadi’ (a sensitive plant), ‘Atuthotapala’, (Birth Wort) a worm killer, Kuzhalvathachedi’,  ‘Karinkurinji’, ‘Thazhuthama’, ‘Ellodi’, ‘Thumba’ and ‘Kurumthotti’ from our compound. Some of them grind all the above to extract the juice which is then mixed with the Kanji for breakfast and supper. Some of them put all these herbs in the Kanji and remove it when it is boiled. The saying goes that this elixir if had continuously for 3 to 7 days wards off all illnesses during the month of ‘Karkithakam’, (between mid July and mid August).

‘Manjal’ (Fresh Turmeric), and Sandal wood paste when applied on the skin rejuvenates it and improves the complexion.

An Ayurvedic physician would be able to give better guidance in all the above use of herbs.

I remember a few tribal women from Madavana Tribal Colony who used to come at regular intervals to collect bundles of ‘Kurumthotti’, (Sida) Sida retusa.‘Amruth’ ‘Tinospora cordifolia Miers’, a climber, the roots of ‘Kattupaval’, ‘Momordica dioica’ and a lot of other shrubs and herbs. They used to sell it to the Ayurvedic physicians or at the Ernakulam market. This was used in the manufacture of Ayurvedic medicines.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com