BOOK REVIEW: Medicines around you
Jul 05, 2005
<i>YOU will be what you eat,<br>Your food is your medicine<br>Your medicine is your food,<br>Be your own doctor!</i>
Title: Family Medicinal Plant Gardens in the Rwenzori Region
Author: Monik Adriaens
Reviewed by: Titus Serunjogi
Available at: Aristoc Booklex
Price:sh20,000.
YOU will be what you eat,
Your food is your medicine
Your medicine is your food,
Be your own doctor!
These are some of the forewords to Monik Adriaens’ book, Family Medicinal Plant Gardens in The Rwenzori Region. It is about herbal remedies that have been used by the Bakonjo and Batooro for hundreds of years. Many other tribes have also used the same recipes and Adriaens included synonyms for the herbs in Luganda, Swahili, English and Latin.
This book discusses 32 common medicinal plants including ginger, lemon grass, pawpaws, garlic and moringa. It elaborates how they can be used to cure many things from minor cuts and burns to high blood pressure and hernia. The book also includes a range of AIDS-relief drugs. Many of the medicines can be prepared as salads, spices or beverages.
After practising naturopathy and therapeutic cooking in France for 15 years, the author arrived in Fort Portal in 2002, as an advisor to the Sustainable Agriculture Trainers Network (SATNET). By then, the Bakonjo and Batooro were trying to resettle into their homesteads again, after ADF rebel attacks.
“I could not advise them to grow commercial medicinal crops when they lacked even basic health care,†she says. So she wrote this book for field trainers. These would in turn pass on the knowledge to peasants. Family Medicinal Plant Gardens only became available in bookshops after February 2005.
The book is indeed worth buying and reading. It is salvation at a time when most of the traditional medication information is dying with the old generation. It is vital in the family library where you can refer to it in case of an accident or sudden illness.
Besides, a part of section two is dedicated to healthier lifestyles. Here, the reader will find such ignored but important advice as: wash hands before eating, eat lots of whole grain cereals, sleep for nine hours everyday and exercise.
However, the author makes it clear that the book is only meant for first aid. Patients should go to hospital when illness persists.
The book is backed with the latest scientific research. Centuries-old traditions have a contribution to make to modern science. Baganda know that Vernonia (omululuuza) will cure malaria.
The Flame tree (kifabakazi) helps boost vaginal fluids. The modern cosmetic industry still relies on Aloe ferox (ekigaji) to make anti-acne creams. And a study by the Harvard School of Health Sciences proved that ginger (ntangawuzi) stimulates blood flow to the genitals to boosts libido. Adriaens includes all the above-mentioned recipes, drawing most of the facts from Bakonjo and Batooro traditional healers.
Yet both traditionalists and scientists can put Adriaens' book to fault. When she writes on Page 60 that the Chenopodium stops nightmares and banishes evil spirits, she clearly lacks scientific proof.
Probably on this, she relied on oral tradition and superstitions of the Batooro.
Traditional medicine men have been content with shrouding herbal recipes in mystery to use monopoly of information to extort large sums of money from ignorant, yet desperate patients.
Doubtless, many are disgruntled that a Belgian researcher is baring all their ‘secrets’ in a mere sh20,000 book.
Adriaens was probably aware of this fact when she wrote in the introduction that she is not afraid that herbalists are going to lose their jobs.
Family Medicinal Plant Gardens is a book from the people for the people. It thrives on the information from Bakonjo and Batooro peasants, but can be applied everywhere.
Author: Monik Adriaens
Reviewed by: Titus Serunjogi
Available at: Aristoc Booklex
Price:sh20,000.
YOU will be what you eat,
Your food is your medicine
Your medicine is your food,
Be your own doctor!
These are some of the forewords to Monik Adriaens’ book, Family Medicinal Plant Gardens in The Rwenzori Region. It is about herbal remedies that have been used by the Bakonjo and Batooro for hundreds of years. Many other tribes have also used the same recipes and Adriaens included synonyms for the herbs in Luganda, Swahili, English and Latin.
This book discusses 32 common medicinal plants including ginger, lemon grass, pawpaws, garlic and moringa. It elaborates how they can be used to cure many things from minor cuts and burns to high blood pressure and hernia. The book also includes a range of AIDS-relief drugs. Many of the medicines can be prepared as salads, spices or beverages.
After practising naturopathy and therapeutic cooking in France for 15 years, the author arrived in Fort Portal in 2002, as an advisor to the Sustainable Agriculture Trainers Network (SATNET). By then, the Bakonjo and Batooro were trying to resettle into their homesteads again, after ADF rebel attacks.
“I could not advise them to grow commercial medicinal crops when they lacked even basic health care,†she says. So she wrote this book for field trainers. These would in turn pass on the knowledge to peasants. Family Medicinal Plant Gardens only became available in bookshops after February 2005.
The book is indeed worth buying and reading. It is salvation at a time when most of the traditional medication information is dying with the old generation. It is vital in the family library where you can refer to it in case of an accident or sudden illness.
Besides, a part of section two is dedicated to healthier lifestyles. Here, the reader will find such ignored but important advice as: wash hands before eating, eat lots of whole grain cereals, sleep for nine hours everyday and exercise.
However, the author makes it clear that the book is only meant for first aid. Patients should go to hospital when illness persists.
The book is backed with the latest scientific research. Centuries-old traditions have a contribution to make to modern science. Baganda know that Vernonia (omululuuza) will cure malaria.
The Flame tree (kifabakazi) helps boost vaginal fluids. The modern cosmetic industry still relies on Aloe ferox (ekigaji) to make anti-acne creams. And a study by the Harvard School of Health Sciences proved that ginger (ntangawuzi) stimulates blood flow to the genitals to boosts libido. Adriaens includes all the above-mentioned recipes, drawing most of the facts from Bakonjo and Batooro traditional healers.
Yet both traditionalists and scientists can put Adriaens' book to fault. When she writes on Page 60 that the Chenopodium stops nightmares and banishes evil spirits, she clearly lacks scientific proof.
Probably on this, she relied on oral tradition and superstitions of the Batooro.
Traditional medicine men have been content with shrouding herbal recipes in mystery to use monopoly of information to extort large sums of money from ignorant, yet desperate patients.
Doubtless, many are disgruntled that a Belgian researcher is baring all their ‘secrets’ in a mere sh20,000 book.
Adriaens was probably aware of this fact when she wrote in the introduction that she is not afraid that herbalists are going to lose their jobs.
Family Medicinal Plant Gardens is a book from the people for the people. It thrives on the information from Bakonjo and Batooro peasants, but can be applied everywhere.