Herbal Treatment For Common and Problematic Diseases

For obvious reasons such as inadequate health facilities as well as shortage of relevant staff; folks who fall sick in remote areas are unlikely to be taken to a health clinic for treatment. Rather, these fellows are rushed to a traditional healer.

Thanks to their deep knowledge of traditional herbal therapies, most common and problematic diseases have herbal cures, whether complicated or minor.


Asthma: It involves difficulty in breathing. If a person cannot get enough air, nails and lips may turn blue and neck veins swell. It's generally worse during certain months of the year or at night.

Preparation: Extracted latex from a tree known as Euphorbia kibweziensis, is poured on boiled water. The decoction is filtered and taken for the treatment of asthma. Take 1/4 to 1/2 spoonful of decoction, do not eat meat when taking this concoction. Remember, the decoction is poisonous if taken a lot.

Hypertension: It's symptoms are accompanied by frequent head-aches, pounding of the heart and shortness of the breath with mild exercise, weakness and dizziness and occasional pain in the left shoulder and chest.

Preparation: The roots of Euclea divinorum, a shrub are boiled. The decoction helps in slowing down high blood pressure (hypertension) and also for better blood circulation. Take a glass of the decoction on the 1st day and the next time should be the 3rd day.

Alternatively, the bark of Balanites aegyptiaca tree is pound, boiled and then the decoction taken orally for the treatment of high blood pressure.

Stomach-ache
Preparation: Roots of Phytolacca dodecandra shrub are pounded, mixed with water and Magadi salt (sodium bicarbonate). Let it stay overnight and then take the next morning, together with bone soup. The concoction induce vomiting and diarrhea. To stop diarrhea, fried red meats' juice is sucked but the meat is not eaten.

Alternatively, Leaves of Aloe sp. (liliaceae), whose availability is endangered due to over-harvesting, is poured, mixed with water, boiled and taken. The concoction induces vomiting and diarrhea. Do not eat meat when using this decoction especially on the eve of day of use. Roots are also pound and taken with milk for swollen stomach, roots are sweet.

Or Else, for pinching stomach-ache, pound the bark of Warburgia ugandensis tree, mix with water and take the infusion. 1 spoonful for adults, 1/2 spoonful for children.

Another option is to pound the bark and leaves of Cordia sinensis and the decoction taken for the treatment of severe stomach-ache such as stomach-ache involving belching.

General Body Pains
Preparation: The bark of Pappea Capensis shrub is boiled and a glass full of the decoction is taken. It indices slight diarrhea. The person complaining of general painful body gets relief after taking the concoction.

Alternatively, take the leaves of Mimosa pudica shrub, Grewia dicolar tree and Biophytum abyssinicum herb pound and then soak in cold water. The person experiencing body pains should drink for 3 days.

Another option is to boil the whole plant of Fuerstia africana and take the decoction. 1 glassful twice daily for one week. For bone nourishment, the roots of Pterolobium stellatum, a climbing shrub is boiled and the concoction taken.

Anaemia
Preparation: Leaves of Hibiscus panduriformis are boiled and the resulting decoction given to the patient. 1 glassful three times a day for 3 days.

Another option is to boil the bark of Acacia tree and take 1/2 glass daily for one week.

Boils and Swellings
Preparation: The roots of Asparagus racemosus (liliaceae) are pound and put directly on the boils. It makes pus ooze out of boils and heal first.

Alternatively, the roots of Grewia trichocarpa shrub are peeled, pound and boiled. A glass or two of the decoction is taken.

Another option is to extract the milky (latex) substance of Sondus sp. The whole plant is pound, boiled and then used for bath to treat boils and rashes on the body. The decoction should not be taken orally as it's poisonous.

Or Else, the roots of Maerau subcordata are pound, mixed with jelly (oil) and applied on the swollen feet. The roots can also be burnt into ash and applied on the swollen feet. Otherwise, the roots are pound and used for bath.

Backache
Preparation: Roots of Solanum incanum, are chewed together with salt and the resultant fluid swallowed for the treatment of back-ache.

Alternatively, the roots of Cadaba farinosa are pound, boiled and a glass of the decoction taken for the treatment of back-ache.