Sugar Apple, Atis

Sugar Apple unripe fruit and seeds (atis in tagalog) herbal medications.

Treatments for Mosquito Bites:

• Pound and extract the juice from one unripe fruit.
• Apply the juice directly on the infected bites, 3 times a day.

Life Plant, Kataka-taka

Life Plant leaves (kataka-taka in tagalog) herbal medications.

Treatments for Mosquito Bites:

• Pound 5-10 leaves and extract the juice.
• Apply the juice directly on the infected bites, 3 times a day.

Mosquito Bites

          Infected mosquito bites become swollen and painful.

Water Treatments:
1.  Rub the infected area with wet soap (any kind of toilet soap). Don’t rinse with water; let it dry on the skin for 2 hours. If itchiness is not relieved, repeat after 4 hours.

Preventive Measures:
1.  Use mosquito nets at night when sleeping. If possible, put screen on all windows and doors of the house.
2.  Keep the surroundings clean and dry. Empty all stagnant water containers in and around the house.

Tapioca plant, Cassava, Kamoteng Kahoy

Tapioca Plant or Cassava flour for starch bath (kamoteng kahoy in tagalog) herbal treatments.

Treatments for Measles and Skin Rashes:

• Remove peelings and grate the tuber. Extract the juice, add water enough for one baby bath tub and boil.
• Soak the baby in the starchy water for 10-15 minutes but don’t rub the skin. May apply directly as powder on the skin.

Measles and/or Skin Rashes

          Measles is an acute viral infection characterized by morbilliform eruptions with catarrhal inflammation of the conjunctiva and the air passages.

Water Treatments:
1.  Give fever sponge bath for fever three times a day.
2.  Apply a continuous cold compress on the forehead for headache.
3.  For coughs, give fomentation to the chest and back, 2 times a day.
4.  A starch bath to relieve itchiness can be given daily to take the place of sponge bath.
5.  Protect eyes from bright light. Make the room dim with curtains on the windows and dim lights at night.

Procedure (fever sponge bath):
a.  Make the patient comfortable. Remove clothing and cover with a sheet or blanket. Close windows to avoid drafts.
b.  Protect the bed with the towels as each part is being sponged. Put one bath towel across the chest and sponge the face, ears, and neck. Dry the areas that had been sponged with the towel across the chest.
c.  Sponge one part at a time in the following order: arms, chest, abdomen, legs, feet and back. For the arm or leg, spread the towel under the whole length of the arm or leg while it is being sponged. Rub skin briefly with the face towel to draw blood on the surface. Dry each part after the sponge to avoid chilling. Be sure the patient is dry before replacing clothing and covers. Hot drinks (Calamansi juice) may be offered to encourage perspiration.

Procedure (cold compress):
a.  Wring compress cloth from ice water. Be sure it does not drip.
b.  Apply snugly on the area to be treated.
c.  Change or renew compress every 2-3 minutes.
d.  Treatment time: for decongestion … 20-30 minutes; fever… continuously, or as long as there fever.
e.  At the end of the treatment, dry body part thoroughly with the towel and avoid chilling.

Procedure (fomentation):
a.  Remove patient’s clothing and cover with sheet or blanket.
b.  Have basin of the ice water and compress at bedside of the patient.
c.  Close windows near patient’s bed avoid drafts.
d.  Cover area to be treated with one bath towel.
e.  Wring out one bath towel from boiling water.
f.  Spread the dry towel on the table and wrap the hot towel.
g.  Apply the hot towel to the body area to be treated, over the dry towel.
h.  Apply cold compress to the patient’s head. Change it three times during the application of each fomentation.
i.  Give three changes of hot fomentation, drying the treated area quickly between applications. Change fomentation every 5 minutes or till it gets warm or cool. Don’t wait till towel gets cold before removing it.
j.  Have hot towel ready before used hot towel is removed from the treated area.
k.  After the last fomentation, rub the area quickly with cold compress wrung from the ice water.
l.  Dry thoroughly and give sponge or warm bath if desired.
m.  Let patient rest after the treatment.

Procedure (starch bath):
a.  Fill up the tub 2/3 full with warm water. Water should be deep enough to immerse the affected areas. Use bath tub if whole body is affected.
b.  Melt the starch in cold water in a small basin. Mix well the melted starch into the tub of water.
c.  Undress the patient and assist him into the tub.
d.  With the face towel, bathe the parts not interested. Wet the head or hair if the scalp is affected. Immerse patient for 20 minutes, but do not rub him with the towel.
e.  After 20 minutes, drain the water and pat dry the patient with dry towel. Don’t give shower or rinse the starch. Don’t use soap even for washing hands, unless a specific soap is ordered by the physician.
f.  Keep patient warm and avoid chilling.
g.  Give daily bath or twice a day, depending upon the patient’s condition.

Lice Infestation on the Head

          Lice (“kuto in tagalog”) is a small, wingless, flattened insect which produces irritating dermatitis on the scalp.

Herbal Treatments:
1.  Shampoo hair with gugo bark or any commercial shampoo.
2.  Immediately after the shampoo, comb hair with fine comb (suyod) to remove the live lice.
3.  If possible, shampoo every day for one week and comb hair with fine comb twice a day.
4.  To get rid of the nits (lice eggs), wet hair with hot vinegar for half an hour before the shampoo. Then, comb hair with fine comb thoroughly.
5.  At bedtime, pound 1/2 cup of sugar apple seeds. Mix it with 1/4 cup of oil. Apply thoroughly the oil-and-sugar apple-seed mixture over the scalp and hair. Wrap the hair and head with a piece of clean cloth and leave it on overnight. Shampoo the next morning and comb hair with fine comb.
6.  Do this treatment daily for 3-5 days or until all lice and nits are gone. Destroy or kill the lice and nits as soon as they are removed from the hair and head.
7.  Always keep hair clean and well combed. Don’t use the comb of other persons. Don’t sleep with an individual infested with lice.