Pankaj Oudhia

Wild tuber for Type II Diabetes and differentiation in approaches of Tradtional Healers and Quacks

“My wife is suffering from Type II Diabetes as well as Heart diseases. She is in very serious condition. Seeing her condition I met a Healer living in Raipur city. He recommended me a wild tuber collected from Bastar having blue flowers. Tuber is given as medicine. Its flowers open in night and close at early morning. The Healer claims that it will cure Diabetes from root if taken up to long time. Yesterday news related to your work on Type II Diabetes appeared in local newspapers. I want to get your expert comment on use of this wild tuber.” I got phone call from a person named Shri Gopi living in my city.

I checked the list of Tradtional Healers in my database but failed to find a Healer named by him. At evening Shri Gopi visited to me with wild tuber. I identified it. It remembered me about hundreds of tubers in forest consumed for general health. Before giving any suggestion I decided to visit my Healers with this wild tuber.

 “How much charge he is taking for this tuber?” I asked to Shri Gopi. “Thousands of rupees every week.” He replied.  I understood the status of so-called Healer.  “Gopi ji, it seems that he is quack not a Traditional Healer.” We decided to meet this so-called Healer.

He is well known in city and surroundings for treatment of Type II Diabetes. During interaction he claimed that he can cure Diabetes in one dose. His claims were really hard to digest. We returned back.

Next day when I showed this tuber to the Tradtional Healers they said that we use this tuber in treatment but along with this we use over 10 herbs. Use of this tuber as single remedy is having many side effects. For example patients having problem of Renal Calculi are not suggested to take it in any form. Patients having serious problem of obesity must not take it in higher doses. If someone is suffering from respiratory troubles then it must not be taken at night. If patients have heart troubles then it must be avoided. It seems that the quack has collected half information about its use and giving it to the patients as single remedy. It will do more harm than good.

Next day I visited to them with patient and Shri Gopi. They examined the patient and suggested herb based schedule. They emphasized in improvement on life style. “Don’t take these troubles as burden. Enjoy your life. When you take these medicines with happy mood you will feel better in short time.” They tried to suggest the patient.

I visited to the city quack and warned him about wrong practice. He was collecting tubers in bulk from forest and giving every one the same remedy, even doses were same. Seeing this collection other outsiders have also started collecting the tuber. I checked the database and found that the Healers of that particular region were facing shortage of this tuber.

It is common story not only in my city but in entire country. People are full of tension not due to Diabetes but due to fear of Diabetes. This tension is killing them. They are ready to take any thing having anti-diabetic properties without checking its authenticity. They check sugar level many times in day and for that loose normal sleep. They have developed their own concept of self medication. They are taking modern drugs with Tradtional drugs without knowing whether these are compatible or not. There is a huge demand of herbal products claiming sure cure for Diabetes. They are taking double and triple doses. New herb experts have emerged like Mushroom. They are claiming that Bougainvillea flowers are good for Type II Diabetes. When they are asked about the basis of this recommendation they reply without any shame that it is mentioned in ancient Indian literatures related to different systems of medicine but when they are asked that Bougainvillea is not a native to India and not mentioned in ancient literatures, they become answerless. The commercial Ayurveda is killing the basic Ayurveda. The Tradtional healers truly say that in coming days we have large number of patients suffering from “Fear of Diabetes” and facing bad consequences of self medication. I am praying that this prediction of the Healers must go wrong this time.

Through my surveys I have documented Tradtional Medicinal Knowledge about herbs used in Treatment of Type II Diabetes case by case. I have completed 10,000 cases with all details. These cases are in form of over 500,000 tables. Over 86,000 tables are online through Ecoport. This valuable Tradtional Knowledge is eager to serve the world community but it is really surprising that modern researchers are not taking interest in it. They complained about strict rules of National Biodiversity Authority. They want to get information free of cost without safeguarding the rights of Tradtional Healers. It’s not possible. Many times I think of continuing the Diabetes report but I fear that by writing so much on this disease I will loose opportunity to share knowledge about other herbs and diseases.

After all life is limited and still we have no modern technique that can download all the information from brain without any modification. 

Chhote Dashmuri and its use with Medicinal Rice

“Take these leaves and then cook it with Machhimudi. Serve it to the patient with Munga and Dongari Bhaji. If possible, take it up to many months without any break. We always suggest to the patients suffering from different types of cancer with severe pain to make it a part of daily life.” The Traditional Healers were instructing the patient’s relatives. The leaves were of Chhote Dashmuri. This herb is present in wild and frequently used by the Tradtional Healers in treatment of different diseases. In most of the cases patients are advised to take it with cooked rice. They suggest use of Medicinal Rice if available. In this case they suggested use of Medicinal Rice Machhimudi.

“We are aware that it is becoming difficult day by day to get Medicinal Rice but we motivate the patients to search it any how and after using it for themselves, grow it your land and give it to the Healers even by taking cost. It should be conserved for future use. Chhote Dashmuri can be given as single remedy but we have noted that when it is given with Machhimudi it acts in promising ways.” The Healers informed.

When I was conducting surveys in North Chhattisgarh the Healers were fond of Medicinal Rice Jhunni Prash. Today it is hard to get genuine Jhunni Prash with aroma. Adulteration is becoming routine practice. Nearly one decade back when I was there the Healers were growing it in their field for its use as medicine. They were aware of use of Chhote Dashmuri. In treatment of swelling they suggest the patients to add its root while cooking Medicinal Rice Jhunni Prash and then serve it to the patients in platter prepared from Pipal leaves. They claim that this use cures the patients effectively in less time.

The Healers of Chhattisgarh Plains use Chhote Dashmuri with Medicinal Rice Kanthi Banko. The patients having liver related troubles are suggested to mix fifteen herbs and add it in rice while cooking. Among these herbs Chhote Dashmuri plays important role. Chhote Dashmuri leaves are used at initial stage whereas at later stage its roots with leaves are used. Both parts are collected before flowering.

The Tradtional Healers of different regions use different herbs and herbal combination to treat Chhote Dashmuri in wild before collection. In Chhattisgarh Plains most of the Healers use Genji based formulations to treat Chhote Dashmuri. They apply these solutions one week before collection of plant parts. The Healers of new generation are showing less interest in practicing this Traditional Allelopathic Knowledge.

Last Sunday I was in forest. I found Chhote Dashmuri in abundance. Herbs were in flowering. I was with the Healers. They collected its flowers in bulk. They collected it for patients having liver related troubles. Next morning when patients come to their houses in large number they spread these flowers in path and instruct the patients to walk bare foot (Rather crush it) on it up to long time. “We are much impressed by this treatment but it is difficult to get flowers in bulk for this purpose. That is why we suggest its use in this unique way once in a week. In order to hide its identity we mix other herbs as well as black soil. This masking reduces its effects to some extent but we have no alternative.” They explained.

The Healers having expertise in treatment of urinary troubles use this herb commonly, Based on the condition of patients they suggest use of different parts. They collect its different parts in different season. They use it with Medicinal Rice and warned that it must not be used with Medicinal Rice Laha Gondi in treatment of urinary troubles.

Through on-going surveys I am trying to get more information on Chhote Dashmuri.     

© Pankaj Oudhia