The miracle tree's many uses

A snuff made from the roots of the tree is inhaled to relieve earaches and toothaches By Gerald Tenywa RICHARD Kasawuli still remembers the day he came in contact with something that is bound to change many peoples' lives. The day he came face to face with the wonders of the "Miracle tree''. He was taken around a remote village in Senegal, where he was overwhelmed by what he saw. "The planting and subsequent utilisation of the Miracle tree had changed the villagers' well-being,'' Kasawuli says. When he came back to Uganda, 5 years ago, he embarked on popularising the wonder tree. "The World Health Organisation may support the work,'' Kasawuli said, "because the tree is good for AIDS patients." According to Lowell J. Fuglie, all parts of the tree are useful. l Leaves: In India, juice from leaves is believed to have a stabilising effect on blood pressure and is used to treat anxiety. In Senegal, infusions of leaf juice are believed to control glucose levels in cases of diabetes. l Mixed with honey and followed by a drink of coconut milk two or three times a day, leaves are used as a remedy for diarrhoea, dysentery and colitis (inflammation of the colon). l Leaf juice, sometimes with carrot juice added, is used as a diuretic (to increase urine flow). l Leaves and young buds are used to treat headaches. l A poultice made from leaves is applied to reduce glandular swelling. l Malaysians sometimes apply a leaf poultice to the abdomen to expel intestinal worms. l Leaf Juice is sometimes used as a skin antiseptic. l Leaves can be used to treat fevers, bronchitis, eye and ear infections, scurvy and catarrh (inflammation of the mucus membrane). l In the Philippines, eating leaves is believed to increase a woman's milk production and is sometimes prescribed for anaemia. l Flowers: They are considered anthelmintic (drugs that kill worms). l They are used to cure inflammations, muscle diseases, tumours, and enlargements of the spleen. l In India, juice pressed from flowers is said to alleviate sore throat and catarrh. l In Puerto Rico, an infusion of the flowers is used as an eyewash and as a treatment for hysteria. l Pods are believed to be anthelmintic ( kill worms). l Pods are used to treat infections of the liver and spleen and articular pain (pain in the joints). l Roots: In India, roots are used to promote the expulsion of gas from the alimentary canal, to rid a person of intestinal pain or spasms and as a laxative. l Roots are considered useful against fevers and are sometimes chewed to relieve cold symptoms. l Juice from its roots is applied externally as a skin tonic, counter- irritant or as an agent to induce blistering. l Roots are used as an abortifacient, diuretic and a cardiac and circulatory tonic. l They are used to treat epilepsy, nervous debility and hysteria. l In Senegal and India roots are pounded and mixed with salt to make a poultice for rheumatism and articular pains. In Senegal, the poultice is also used to relieve lower back or kidney pain. l Roots are used as a purgative. l In India, Indo-China, Nicaragua and Nigeria, a root poultice is used to treat inflations, especially swelling of tissues in the feet (pedal edema). l A decoration of roots is used to cleanse sores and ulcers. l In India and Indo-China, roots are used to treat cases of scurvy. l Root juice mixed with milk is considered useful against hiccups, asthma, gout, lumbago, rheumatism, enlarged spleen or liver, internal and deep-seated inflammations. Crushed root mixed with rum has been used as a liniment for rheumatism. l A snuff made from roots is inhaled to relieve earache and toothache. l A juice made from a combination of fresh roots, bark and leaves is inserted into the nostrils to arouse a patient from a coma or stupor. l Root or stem bark: In Senegal, root and tree barks are used to treat sores and skin infections. l Bark is regarded as useful in treating scurvy. l In India, stem and root barks are taken as appetizers and digestives. l In Senegal, a decoration of root bark, roots, leaves and flowers is used to treat epilepsy, hysteria and intestinal spasms. l In India, a decoration of the root bark is used as a fermentation to relieve intestinal spasm and is considered useful in calculus affections (mineral build up/kidney stones). l In India, root bark is said to prevent enlargement of the spleen and formation of tuberculous glands of the neck, destroy tumours and heal ulcers. l Juice from root bark is put into the ear to relieve earaches and placed in a toothache cavity as a painkiller. l In India, bark is sometimes mixed with peppercorns and used in abortions (although often with fatal consequences). l Gum: Mixed with sesame oil, is used to relieve headache. This is also poured into ears to relieve earaches. l In Java, gum is given for intestinal complaints. l In India, gum is considered a diuretic. l In India and Senegal, gum is considered useful in treating fevers, dysentery and asthma. l In India, gum is sometimes used to carry out abortions. It is also used to treat syphilis. l Seeds are used against fevers. l In India, seed oil is applied externally to relieve pain and swelling in case of gout or rheumatism, and to treat skin diseases. l Oil is used to treat hysteria and scurvy. l It is applied to treat prostate and bladder troubles. l Oil is considered a tonic and a purgative. Recent research findings have proved the efficacy of some of these applications. l Moringa leaf extract has been shown to be effective in lowering blood sugar levels with in the space of three hours, though less effectively than the standard drug. However, effects were shown to be greater with larger doses. l Researchers say that drug extract from dried leaves showed an impressive ability to heal ulcers. The injection of daily doses caused a significant improvement in the healing rate of gastric ulcers. l Research confirmed that an infusion made from the seeds inhibits intestinal spasms and has some diuretic effect. l An extract made from the seeds or roots are effective in inhibiting the growth of fungi. l The extracts from the stem, at high concentrations, decrease high blood pressure. l Monginine, from the root bark acts on the central nervous system as a cardiac stimulant. Anthonine, also found in root bark, is toxic to the germ that causes cholera.