Traditional Knowledge

[gaddeswarup]

Since I am relatively new to the forum, I might have missed similar topics discussed earlier. I wonder whether some facts and news about traditinal knowledge and wisdom can be collected without going too much in to, culture, religion and such. Here are a few articles that I noticed recently:
Varahamihira on earthquake prediction:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1259393.cms
Story of how a Thai tribe escaped devastation during the tsumani:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/14/world/main667167.shtml
Recently, there is a highly praised book about the traditional wisdom of
Amazon tribes by David Campbell called "A land of Ghosts", Jonathan Cape, 2005. From a review:
""WHEN Dona Cabola wants to know where to plant her crops, she watches the bees. She has the jeito, wisdom accumulated over generations - and is just one of the entrancing characters we meet on David Campbell's expedition to record the plants in his Amazon study site."
More recently, there seem to be efforts to record many of India's traditional medicines.From:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4506382.stm
"The ambitious $2m project, christened Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, will roll out an encyclopaedia of the country's traditional medicine in five languages - English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish - in an effort to stop people from claiming them as their own and patenting them.


The tulsi (holy basil) plant has medicinal qualities


The electronic encyclopaedia, which will be made available next year, will contain information on the traditional medicines, including exhaustive references, photographs of the plants and scans from the original texts.

Indian scientists say the country has been a victim of what they describe as "bio-piracy" for a long time.

"When we put out this encyclopaedia in the public domain, no one will be able to claim that these medicines or therapies are their inventions. Till now, we have not done the needful to protect our traditional wealth," says Ajay Dua, a senior bureaucrat in the federal commerce ministry.

Putting together the encyclopaedia is a daunting task.

For one, ayurvedic texts are in Sanskrit and Hindi, unani texts are in Arabic and Persian and siddha material is in Tamil language. Material from these texts is being translated into five international languages, using sophisticated software coding. "

[Lambretta]

Interesting post, Swarup garu!
Esp. amazed to see mention of Tulasi in BBC news!
Is rightly said tat most of us don't know the value of our traditional medicines, despite the fact tat they r now being slowly recognised by other parts of the world! But at the same time, mere recognition doesn't help......our ppl. must know how to & be willing to apply this knowledge to the present-day scenario for the betterment of our society (which is where we differ from the West!)......or else it'll just end up as another news item!

[rajraj]

Swarup: Indigenous medicine is being neglected in India. There used to be a college for indigenous medicine in Madras. That was converted to a regular medical college offering MBBS. May be, it is time they reopened it.
I have personally seen indigenous medicine used in rural areas including surgery. In one of my visits to my mother's native village I saw a 'country doctor' (vaidyar) performing surgery on a 10 year old to remove a tumor in his calf without anesthetic. Two men held the boy down firmly and the doctor removed the tumor and put some leaves on the cut and a bandage. He was popular in that area and also travelled to nearby towns. When he died his son practiced the medicine for a while. Now, it is gone forever. That is the problem. The art is not passed on to the descendants for various reasons. The most striking example is carnatic music where the children of musicians were encouraged to go for other professions in the fifties and sixties.
L.Subramaniam went for medicine and came back to music. There are other examples too. Nadaswaram is another instrument fading away. Money talks! :( Unfortunately India does not have the type of philanthropists US has to promote such native arts and medicine. :(

[gaddeswarup]

Raj and Lambretta,
Thanks for the comments. Perhaps some of the members can record here whay they know or here. I have been out of A.P. for a long time and what all I know is what I read in newspapers. When I was in a.P. I used to hear treatments for jaundice and fixing fractures by using some herbs near Tirupati. Recently I read (in "Conversations in Tarangambadi") that sidhars used to emphasize on the health of body as well as mind. I read elsewhere, they experimented wit new medicines and treatments quite different from Ayurveda. Ayurveda itself seems to be still widely practiced in Kerala. In a different direction, here is an artcle from Indiatimes a few months ago about water conservation:
http://www.indiatogether.org/2005/aug/agr-dproof.htm
about recent uses of an old book:
This book, Krushi Jnana Pradeepike (KJP), now available in print, is unique. It was written based on the time-tested practical knowledge of farming. Ghanamatha Nagabhushan Shivayogi Swamiji, the author of this book, hailed from Daroor, in Andhra Pradesh. He had spent a good part of his life in northern Karnataka. The 350-page text is full of practical information to help farmers grow a variety of crops, to prepare manure and to conserve soil and water. Ten pages are allotted for soil and water conservation and drought-proofing. The book, in Kannada, was published only after Shivayogi Swamiji's death. So far, it has sold more than 40,000 copies. Says D.D. Bharamagaudra, a well-known organic farmer of Yelavatti, Karnataka, "KJP is the scripture for the farmers pursuing dry land agriculture in Karnataka. It is unfortunate that the book isn't known to many farmers even now."

[Lambretta]

Unfortunately India does not have the type of philanthropists US has to promote such native arts and medicine. :(
Raj,
unfortunately today, the "philanthopists" in India r more inclined to (financially) promote certain other things, which wudn't be beneficial to the general society! :( :evil:

[rajraj]

Swarup,
There is not much I can add about what is happening in India in alternative medicine. Like you I have been out of India for a long time (40 years).
I became interested when I came across a book by Dr.Andrew Weil, a Harvard MD turned natural healing/herbal medicine expert. The spices we use in Indian food have a lot of medicinal values. He talks about garlic. You might want to get some of his books.

Lambretta: I am fully aware of what you said.:( Giving back to the society is something we have to learn from the US !

[a.ratchasi]

I would like to share something here which is infact long overdue.
Months ago, one of the hubbers here mentioned about the medicinal value of black sesame seed in regulating the monthly menses cycle.

Menses irregularity seems to be a common issue among most women and is normally blamed on stress, hormonal imbalance and hectic lifestyles among others.

This embarked me on a small research which saw myself collecting info from various sources. These included articles to interviews with several senior citizens.

My friends and colleagues who have tried it are swearing about its effectiveness. Just for your info, these are the very ladies for whom modern medicine was of no help.

Thanks to Pradeep's knowledge-sharing, I found myself learning and researching more on other little known traditional remedies.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Gingelly oil(from sesame seeds) played a very important role in old paatti vaithyam rules for women right from puberty through delivery, after delivery etc. My grandma used to say it is best for toning the muscle. Recently in a book for improving memory power I read everyday raw gingelli oil must be added to our food.

[pavalamani pragasam]

"Idhayam nallennai" is widely advertising the innumerous benefits of mouth gargling with it to rid oneself of a lot of illnesses!

[Shakthiprabha.]

I would like to share something here which is infact long overdue.
Months ago, one of the hubbers here mentioned about the medicinal value of black sesame seed in regulating the monthly menses cycle.

Menses irregularity seems to be a common issue among most women and is normally blamed on stress, hormonal imbalance and hectic lifestyles among others.

This embarked me on a small research which saw myself collecting info from various sources. These included articles to interviews with several senior citizens.

My friends and colleagues who have tried it are swearing about its effectiveness. Just for your info, these are the very ladies for whom modern medicine was of no help.

Thanks to Pradeep's knowledge-sharing, I found myself learning and researching more on other little known traditional remedies.

Also BANANA FLOWER is supposed to control excessive bleeding during mensuration.

I am told, drinking the raw extract of banana flower early in the morning (add buttermilk and salt to beat the bitter taste) works wonders.

[Shakthiprabha.]

Til oil, as mentioned by pp maam, is used as a best medcine for a girl who attained puberty. I am told its supposed to STRENGHTHEN the uterus.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Drumstick tree's flowers are a sure remedy for heavy periods, it is said!

[Anoushka]

My Mom always says "poondu thai paalai vida siranthathu", another one is turmeric, I've been told that it has cancer fighting capabilities...

[pavalamani pragasam]

"poondu" is supposed to have antibiotic quality besides many other beneficial effects. In our days as my hubby used to say jokingly the house where a woman has delivered a baby will have the aroma of poondu all over the house. The young mother used to ingest as much as poondu as possible. BUT nowadays the allopathic doctors are against it!!!

[Lambretta]

"poondu" is supposed to have antibiotic quality besides many other beneficial effects. In our days as my hubby used to say jokingly the house where a woman has delivered a baby will have the aroma of poondu all over the house. The young mother used to ingest as much as poondu as possible. BUT nowadays the allopathic doctors are against it!!!
PP ma'm, do u mean garlic?? Pity I don't like the pungent smell (unless its mixed in sum foodstuff so tat we cud hardly notice it), so not sure if I'd want even my wife to hav it! 'wud feel bad enuff when I was teased/nearly boycotted for having "bad breath" in 10th class, even tho I normally din't eat nething w/ "strong" odours.....! :(

[pavalamani pragasam]

Lambretta, in olden days, soon after the delivery the woman will be made to eat raw garlic along with "karuppatti"(palmirah jaggery)! That indeed is a torture( borne with grit & faith for the good of the baby!)

But garlic when cooked softly in tamarind gravies is delicious without its objectional smell. Do't you like briyani or pulao? It is mainly the garlic, ginger paste that makes these smell & taste GREAT! It is essential for a lot of yummy kurmas & gravies!

[ssanjinika]

Poondu pidikatha Lamby??And here I cant cook without poondu :P.As PP mam pointed out Poondu is great with tamarind(poondu rasam for eg) and also a key ingredient in any dish that requires masala.Its supposed to help in the removal of waste from our body(though I dont know how far its true).Another thing with is supposed to be very very good for our health is Onion.Onion is also supposed to remove toxins from the body.One thing which I have done myself is when a dust particle falls into an eye and no amount of washing is able to remove it,cut a slice of onion and lightly show it in front of the eye.Dont touch the eye but get as close to the eye as possible.you can see the dust particle sticking to the slice of onion soon.

[Lambretta]

Poondu pidikatha Lamby??And here I cant cook without poondu :P.
:lol: Oh well.....yenna pannarthu! As the saying goes...one man's meat is another's poison.....? :D
Actually, as I said, I jus don't like it in its raw form (where the smell is the strongest)......I dont mind it when its cooked & mixed up in curry/sambhar/watever........I can say tat in hotels I've been to most of the dishes do hav poondu in them! :)


One thing which I have done myself is when a dust particle falls into an eye and no amount of washing is able to remove it,cut a slice of onion and lightly show it in front of the eye.Dont touch the eye but get as close to the eye as possible.you can see the dust particle sticking to the slice of onion soon.
Wow!! :shock: Tats amazing to know! :D
Looks like I shud like onions (raw) more! :wink: I do like the small round ones tho, esp. in onion sambhar! My father used to make it very nicely (yes he knew cooking! :wink: )......

[Lambretta]

Btw, reverting to the main topic, I came across this ad for Colgate active salt toothpaste on TV where the grandfather tells his grandson tat he wud rub salt on his teeth so they'd become white.......ne-one who cud confirm if this is true?? Was this really another traditional technique?

[rajraj]

Lambretta: Yes. I used to brush my teeth with salt and powdered charcoal to get them whiter!

[Lambretta]

Lambretta: Yes. I used to brush my teeth with salt and powdered charcoal to get them whiter!
Um.......so did they ultimately get whiter?? :)

[ssanjinika]

Yes Ive seen that too..but I really dont think its a good practice(rubbing salt on teeth).
**Digression**
My dad used to love sambhars and esp the "chinna vengaya sambhar" too :D.
Infact my mom used to tease him about him being born a rickshaw man in his previous life.
He didnt know how to cook it though :p.
***End Digression**

[rajraj]

Lambretta: My white teeth were the topic of conversation in my elementary school. I told the boys my secret ! :)

[Lambretta]

Lambretta: My white teeth were the topic of conversation in my elementary school. I told the boys my secret ! :)
Tks for telling me too! :D

[rajraj]

Lambretta: More on brushing teeth:
In rural areas and even in towns people use twigs from trees and plants to brush teeth. Banyan (aal), acacia (vel) and neem (veppa maram0 are commonly used. There is a saying in Tamil that goes : aalum vElum pallukku urudhi. pal = tooth, urudhi = strength. Banyan and acacia are good for(strengthening) the teeth. A small twig, about 8 inches, is cut and one end is chewed to make it into bristles (brush). That is country brush for the rustic! :) It is environment friendly. You can throw it away after one use and it will disintegrate.

[ssanjinika]

Lambretta: More on brushing teeth:
In rural areas and even in towns people use twigs from trees and plants to brush teeth. Banyan (aal), acacia (vel) and neem (veppa maram0 are commonly used. There is a saying in Tamil that goes : aalum vElum pallukku urudhi. pal = tooth, urudhi = strength. Banyan and acacia are good for(strengthening) the teeth. A small twig, about 8 inches, is cut and one end is chewed to make it into bristles (brush). That is country brush for the rustic! :) It is environment friendly. You can throw it away after one use and it will disintegrate.

Thats so true!!I have seen people using neem twigs for brushing teeth.I am still not very sure about using salt or coal to brush teeth.Since they are comparitively hard wont they damage the enamel coating?

[rajraj]

sanjinika: If you used everyday salt and charcoal will damage the enamel. It is used occasionally when you feel you need it. In fine powder form it is a little more abrasive than the toothpaste.

[Lambretta]

sanjinika: If you used everyday salt and charcoal will damage the enamel. It is used occasionally when you feel you need it. In fine powder form it is a little more abrasive than the toothpaste.
Oh...tks for advising on how often to use them! I actually thot they shud be used regularly! :shock: :oops:
But do they (salt+charcoal) hav to be used together?

Neways ppl., gtgo get sum sleep now........11.15pm here already! :)

[rajraj]

Lambretta: Yes! You mix them and mash it into powder.

[ssanjinika]

Ahh..I thought you used it instead of toothpaste :P.Then I'll def try it..though Im sticking to salt only.

[Lambretta]

Then I'll def try it..though Im sticking to salt only.
So wud I.......charcoal is too hard for me to get neways.....! :)

[ssanjinika]

And speaking of teeth..heres another one of my tried and true "nattu vaitheyam"
Pallu valikku try sucking on a piece of clove.Ofcourse this is not for any serious infections which need a doctor :P but incase you bit down on soemthing hard or your wisdom tooth is growing or when a teeth is going to fall and things like that this remedy helps.

[stranger]

They call that as "decolorizing charcoal" in a chemistry laboratory. That is one of means used to purify and get colorless/white compounds before recrystallizing the off-white impure compounds from a solvent. :)

[rajraj]

.....charcoal is too hard for me to get neways.....! :)

Those were the days of wood burning stoves. There was no problem getting charcoal. Even now you can burn wood and get charcoal.

[gaddeswarup]

I still use salt to clean my teeth. In the old days, they used to have in Andhra, monkey brand tooth poder using a mixture of charcoal powder and other ingrediants. Is it still available? Another standard method is use a twig from the Neem tree or 'ganuga chettu'. I do not know the English word for the second. There is a scene in the Hindi film Mela of Jeevan brushing his teeth with a twig.
Our family doctor Dixit if from Hydetrabad. he is reluctant to use antibiotics. if we complain of throat infections , he asks to mix tumeric with milk and drink. If does not get better after a few days, he prescribes antibiotics.
Swarup

[rajraj]

Swarup: They misuse antibiotics in India. Doctors in US will consider other medication before prescribing antibiotics.
ganuga is called Indian beech. Pungam in Tamil.

[pavalamani pragasam]

Charcoal+salt toothpowder topic fills me with nostalgia. During holidays all cousins gather in our grandma's house & she comes up with ever so many chores to keep the battallion engaged. One of them was pounding the charcoal in the ural with ulakkai along with salt & storing the powder in a green glucose dappa. How I freshly remember that green glucose tin, the almirah it was kept in, the yard where the almirah was.....a chain of memories of very happy times!

[pavalamani pragasam]

After brushing with charcoal+salt powder the teeth not only become whiter, they also FEEL like clean, smooth & shining chinaware!!! The enamel gets the glow of the crockery! And all minor tooth,gum ailments will be gone!

[Shekhar]

Why not use Vim powder?!!! :lol: :lol:

[swathy]

Why not use Vim powder?!!! :lol: :lol:


I heard Vim also makes your teeth white and shining. better shekhar test with your teeth and share your experience with us.

[Lambretta]

Why not use Vim powder?!!! :lol: :lol:
Nah.better not go for commercial brands in this matter.....then all the other brands in the market would at once come running w/ similar claims & turn u into a marketing product dustbin b4 u know it! :P :lol2:

[NM]

Why not use Vim powder?!!! :lol: :lol:plus Clorox, too! :twisted:

ssanjinika - my parents hv tried the clove remedy before....it provides a temporary relief but was effective!

[NM]

Gingelly oil(from sesame seeds) played a very important role in old paatti vaithyam rules for women right from puberty through delivery, after delivery etc. My grandma used to say it is best for toning the muscle. Recently in a book for improving memory power I read everyday raw gingelli oil must be added to our food.My paatti 's vaithiyam was also gingelly oil and ulunthu kanji! It's supposed to be good for the back bones :wink:

[pavalamani pragasam]

Perhaps Mrs.Shekar's favourite cleanser for her crockery is Vim!!!

[NM]

Perhaps Mrs.Shekar's favourite cleanser for her crockery is Vim!!! :lol: :lol: :clap: looks like someone's getting roasted here :lol:

[pavalamani pragasam]

[tscii:f59b026da3]Has anyone heard about the surprising cure for the urination problem called “neerkaduppu”? My grandma’s advice for sure relief is applying wet lime(calcium carbonate called “chunnaambu”) on the big toes of the feet! Many could have known the remedial measure of pouring warm water on the organ for solving another urination problem.

Castor oil used internally & externally is a handy cure for a lot of illnesses. Ladies wearing “kaajal” are doing good for their eyes because of the castor oil in it, for example.
[/tscii:f59b026da3]

[Shekhar]

Perhaps Mrs.Shekar's favourite cleanser for her crockery is Vim!!!

Good!! You realise it is Mrs. Shekhar who washes dishes and not Mr. Shekhar!! :D :D

[pavalamani pragasam]

Both Mr.& Mrs. need not do the chore; the maid uses only what the mistress supplies!

[pavalamani pragasam]

Perhaps it is too much to expect Mr. to know the shopping list of Mrs.!

[Sanguine Sridhar]

I am not very sure that i can post it here."Pankajakasthuri" is really a gift for the people who has all cold&asthma&wheezing related problems.Even i had wheezing problems which i will get if i get heavy cold.I took Pankajakasthuri every day two full spoons..Now-a days,I don have wheezing trouble at all.I am not advertising any product, since i feel really comfortable after those irritating wheezing problems i m forced to post it here so that it might help others.

[Lambretta]

Good!! You realise it is Mrs. Shekhar who washes dishes and not Mr. Shekhar!! :D :D
Surely u cud afford a maid for such chores instead of letting ur Mrs. handle it all?! :twisted: :P

[Shekhar]

Oh! I got her a maid alright.. years ago. But I wish I hadn't. She has been adding kilos and kilos to her weight... I have difficulty remembering how she was before we got married!!! :) :)
My sincere adivise to all husbands is not to commit the mistake that I did. If you really have to, then hire a cute one! :wink: :D

[pavalamani pragasam]

"She has been adding kilos and kilos to her weight... I have difficulty remembering how she was before we got married!!!"

The vice versa of this statement is exactly what Mrs.Shekar told me about her "aging" hubby! :wink:

[Shakthiprabha.]

:lol: pp maam gives a good competition for shekhar.

[sv]

For teeth alone it is better to resort to a dentist at the earliest. I am telling this from my personal experience. I am one for the traditional remedy and for long neglected my tooth ache or sensitivity with cloves, using salt water etc. Cloves just get rid of the symptom but don't cure the cause, bacteria. Salt water is good, but not sufficient in the case of infection.
Charcoal or any solid powder will harm the enamel in the long run due to mechanical corrosion of the teeth. It will lead to sensitive gums and deposition of food particles on the teeth.
It is better to use a gentle brush, good paste and a mouthwash. Better to follow what the doctor suggests.

[gaddeswarup]

[tscii:a707fc36c0]From:http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=4999
about Okinawa diet:
The purple sweet potato, imo, is the core food, and the diet is high in vegetables, he said. It is balanced by a high consumption of soy foods, some fish with limited amounts of pork.

Okinawans have a habit of stir frying foods with turmeric, mugwort (fuchiba), tofu and peppers. When they prepare pork, it is boiled with the fat skimmed off the top, he said.

This “really resulted in a distinct cuisine that had very high antioxidant loads and very few calories,” he said. “They ended up being lean all their lives. . . . Coupled with physical activity, farming, fishing, you had the right recipe for longevity,” Willcox added.

Besides living longer, Okinawan centenarians are “highly functional people” with low rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia, Willcox said. Japanese and Americans reaching their late 80s show a 30 percent prevalence of dementia, according to a graph on Willcox’s Web site. Okinawan dementia rates are less than 15 percent for that age group.

“There’s a cultural component,” said Willcox. “The Okinawans are a tightly knitted community that has placed an emphasis on ’yuimaru,’ which literally means a connecting circle.”

The elderly are supported and cared for; neighbors check on neighbors, he said.

“You see 80-year-olds caring for 100-year-olds,” he said. “You get elder-care networks.”

Okinawa, which is a prefecture of Japan, has always been the “poorest of the prefectures, yet they have the longest life expectancy,” he pointed out.

Affluence is not a major component to longevity in Okinawa, but attitude might be. Okinawans don’t watch the clock and don’t feel much tension, Willcox’s Web site says. They are optimistic, adaptable, easygoing, full of self-confidence and unyielding, surveys of the population have indicated.[/tscii:a707fc36c0]

[Shekhar]

"She has been adding kilos and kilos to her weight... I have difficulty remembering how she was before we got married!!!"

The vice versa of this statement is exactly what Mrs.Shekar told me about her "aging" hubby! :wink:

You are wrong there!!!

I am a fitness 'freak'!!
I jog 6 kms every morning and do workout for 45 minutes afterwards. I have maintained the same weight (64-65 kgs) for more than a decade!!! :D :D :D
And mentally ... you all know .. I am very fresh :wink: :lol: :lol:

[pavalamani pragasam]

What can be hindering Mrs.Shekar from jogging along (a pun intended!)Mr.Shekar? :roll: