Traditional healing methods with special reference to Manipur
- Part 1 -

Dr K Paochunbou *

Nongmangkha Mapal - A medicinal plant :: Pix - Richard Laishram

Every ethnic community in Manipur has well-established knowledge, skills, beliefs and practices relating to promotion of positive health and avoidance of sickness even before the hospital oriented system of medicine. In an old civilization and culture as that of Manipur since pre-historic days, Kabui Salang Amaiba, a famous healer of folk-medicine (Medicine man) was recorded during the days of Khamba and Thoibi. Even today, the quacks, or witch-doctors or wizards are conventionally using the herbs and the vegetables as folk-medicines and the store of such knowledge is bound to be rich in time-tested and proved their efficacy in healing sickness.

The ancient Indian physicians studied anatomy. They devised methods to diagnose and prescribed medicines for their cure. The earliest mention of medicines is in the Athurva Veda. But as in other ancient societies, the remedies recommended were replete with magical charms and spells and herbal medicines could not develop along the scientific line.

In the 2nd century A.D., India produced two famous scholars of the Ayurveda: Sushruta and Charaka. In the Sushruta Samhita, Sushruta describes the method of operating cataract, stone disease and several other ailments. He mentions as many as 121 implements to be used for operation. In the treatment of disease, he lays special emphasis on diet and cleanliness.

The Chinese do not draw any distinction between food and medicine – Lin Yutang.

Charaka's Charaka samhita is like an encyclopaedia of Indian medicine. It describes various types of fever, leprosy, hysteria and tuberculosis. It presumed that Charaka did not know that some of these diseases are infectious or communicable diseases. His book contains the names of large number of plants and herbs which were to be used as medicine during the ancient Indian societies. Mahatma Gandhi, vociferous proponent of nature and nature cure was a firm believer in the goodness of neem. He insisted in holding the Sabarmati Ashram prayer meetings under a neem tree. Gandhiji's diet was incomplete without his daily neem leaf chutney – Dr. Shiva, 1993.

The Indian system of medicine itself is of great antiquity and is believed to be one of the most ancient. This same system prescribed plant extractives in therapy dates back to the early age of Rig Veda (4500 – 1600 B.C.). There is ample proof of the application of various recipes of Manipuri herbs in curing many maladies. The therapeutic efficacies of herbal medicines led to the evolution (2500 – 600 B.C.) of Ayurveda which literally means "Science of Life".

It deserves mention that the important chemical constituents of the plants were written with emphasis on therapeutic uses with particular reference to clinical applications in Ayurveda. It should also be emphasized that a large number of modern drugs have their origin from higher plants. Pharmacognosy – the study of plants as sources of drug – is, therefore, one of the oldest disciplines. Though as old as human civilization, pharmacognosy remained more an art than a science for several millenia.

"Green is Gold" is the global buzz-word, nowadays – says Dr. S. Suresh. "Old is Gold" said the sages of antiquity. When one considers medicinal plants there is truth in this saying. We are still using many plant derived drugs in much the same ways our ancestors did in Manipuri societies. Charaka the great Indian physician with characteristic insight observed that : Diet and drugs are two sides of the same coin.

Among the broad-minded people, open to some trends in therapy science, Dr. George D. Pamplona-Roger, a medical doctor, and general and digestive surgeon, holds an outstanding place. While working, he became more and more interested in preventive medicine and education for health as he observed that most of the cases he treated at his workplace or in the emergency room were directly related to unhealthy lifestyles.

Dr. Ramplona-Roger follows a trend initiated by the WHO (World Health Organisation) in the late seventies, by paying a higher degree of attention to natural medicine based therapies and even founding a specialized service at the Geneva headquarters of the WHO Secretariat. In 1991, the 44th World Health Assembly approved its 44.34 Resolution, which encourages all member countries of the WHO to promote the use of "traditional, harmless, efficient and scientifically proved remedies" otherwise herbal remedies.

Modern medical science may be effective in treating a variety of diseases but sometimes fails when it comes to chronic problems like gastric disorders, common cold, respiratory ailments, madhumeha (diabetes mellitus) high blood pressure, piles and many others. Here is the positive role of traditional herbal medicine and home medicines in question in Manipuri society.

Simple system of folk-medicine:

? 3-4 bed bugs to be caught alive and be soaked in salted water for 20-25 minutes to be swallowed to heal diarrhoea. In the case of malaria also, adopt the same method to kill parasites of three types of malaria, such as, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae. Secondly, when the patient who suffers from malaria being detected the parasite through any blood smear or any test, the patient is advisable to drink the decoction of the leafs of Nightjasmine tree (Nyctanthes arbotristis, L) not less than 5-7 leafs. And the patient is to drink at least 2 to 3 small cup daily for 7 (seven) days to get complete healing. This is the most simple healing method prevalent in Manipuri society.

It has been clinically proved that malaria is an infection caused by parasites of the genus, Plasmodium. Human malaria caused by four species: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale and P. ovale caused the most serious among the communities. Plasmodium ovale is not found in Manipur as explained by the experts of the concerned Department. Many experienced healers noted different plant species namely wormwood, Creat, Neem and many others to treat malaria. But the best one is Nightjasmine.

In the case of presumptive treatment, boil 6-7 leaves of Nightjasmine and drink the decoction once in a week during the transmission season. ? 1 or 2 cockroaches have to be caught alive and killed with a knife and it is to wash in salted water removing stomach and cut the flesh into small pieces and boil it in small pot for 15 minutes. After boiling, keep aside the decoction to be mixed with honey. A small baby, infant or child who suffers from frequent urination at bed at night, bed-wetting, loose motion or diarrhoea of unknown origin needs to drink decoction twice or thrice and the child will get complete healing.

? Centipede tincture can kill the virus of throat cancer including breast cancer as proved by some patients. However, there exists a need to establish a scientific evidence to prove the validity. It is necessary that every approach to herbal treatment / remedies should be made on the basis of scientific method. Unless a system is tested, a method is tested, a treatment is tested, a line of treatment is tested, or a result is clinically tested, it would be extremely dangerous to start it off and impose it on the sick people.

Some of the medicinal plants used in the treatment of Jaundice and Hepatitis-B infections

Sl. No.	English Botanical	Manipuri Hindi or Latin
1	Ceylon Leadwort Plumbago zeylanica. L	Telhidak angouba Chitraka
2	Gulancha Tinospora cordifolia	Ningthoukhongli Guduchi
3	Papaya Carica papaya. L	Awathabi Papita
4	Garden mint Mentha viridis	Nungshihidak Pudina
5	Black Nightshade Solanum nigrum	Leipungkhanga macha Kakmachi
6	Indian Gooseberry Emblica efficinalis	Heikru Amla
7	Phlogacanthus curviflorus Nees	Nongmangkha ashinba

In Manipur, as in other parts of India, herbs or plants have all along been used in the treatment of all diseases. They are used in most cases as infusion or decoction, or tincture from the parts of plants, such as, roots, stems, leafs, flowers, fruits or trunks. In addition to herbs in ancient times, the cause of human suffering and its alleviation was intimately associated with religion, ritual chanting, or magic. Some tribal priests claim that they could wave a magic wand. In some occasion, the magician will try to cure the sick by performing ritual ceremony. In tribal context, this practice is common in olden days.

Traditional drug or herbal medicine can cure jaundice and Hepatitis-B infections A great medicinal breakthrough has been achieved by discovering a drug for treating the virulent Hepatitis-B infection – claimed by Dr. A.L. Thyagarajan, Head of the Department of Microbiology at the Dr. A.L. Maduliar Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of the University of Madras. He had stated that he had spent nearly twenty years of research in discovering a drug that was developed based on a locally available herb "Phyllanthus amarus". The Hindu: New Delhi. 22 July 1999.

But in Manipur, we used the following plants and herbs which are more better and we achieved efficacious result in the treatment of Hepatitis-B infection. So far as the result is concerned, we have achieved 100% success in curing Hepatitis-B infection.

To be continued...

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* Dr K Paochunbou wrote this article for The Sangai Express
The writer presented this paper during the 7 day short term programme on traditional healing methods with special reference to Manipur organised by UGC-Academic Staff College at Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal
This article was posted on May 30, 2013.

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