Health News and Information

Panna is a small District situated in north-east of Madhya Pradesh. It is famous for diamond and temples. It is also known as city of temples. The total geographical area of the District is 5,10,156 ha. Out of which 2,37,136 ha. land is under vegetable cover. The main occupation of the people is agriculture. Mainly Rabi crops like wheat, maize, jowar, and pulses are grown. Stone quarrying is also a prominent buis ness. Flag stone is excavagted in large scale.

Panna is a backward District. It is not linked with railways. The total population of the District consists of 20 per cent SCs and 13 per cent STs. Literacy per cent is very low. For men it is 36.6 per cent and for women 2.3 per cent. Kalda plateau of the District has got characteristic geographical features. There are 119 villages situated on Kalda plateau. These villages are lacking transport and drinking water facilities.

The main tribes of the District are Gonds, Rajgonds and Bhumias. Kalda plateau is inhabitated by Bhumias and Gonds. Human population is increasing at rapid rate. People, because of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance do not show required interest in preserving vegetation of their surroundings. The people in the towns, because of their increasing needs always try to exploit forest resources, and inturn do not put any effort in protection and preservation of the natural heritage. Local villagers and tribals believe in traditional medicines. They have been using Jadibootis (herbal medicines) for various ailments but easy availability of allopathic medicines has greatly minimized the use of traditional medicines. New generation of the villagers specially tribes do not want to take trouble to extract medicines out of medicinal plants.

On account of extreme poverty, illiteracy and ignorance herbs of Panna District are fast disappearing at alarming rate. Apart from this following are the other causes of depletion and disappearance:
Fast increasing stone mines which has threatened whole of biosphere reserve.
Excessive grazing by domestic catties leading medicinal herbs to extinction.
Occurrence of fire in summer season destroys natural regeneration of medicinal herbs.
Regular extraction of Jadi-bootis by contractors, money lenders, etc. through villagers, played great role in depletion of medicinal plants.

Ethnomedicinal plants

1.    Abrus precatorius L. (Family – Fabaceae)
Local Name – ‘Gumchi’
Local Use – Used in cough. ‘Bhasma’ (ash) is given in asthma in small quantity.

2.    Andrographis paniculata Nees. (Family – Acanthaceae)
Local Name – ‘Chirayta’
Local Use – Used in high fever, Maleria, etc.
3.    Asparagus racemosus Willd. (Family – Liliaceae)
Local Name – ‘Satawari’
Local Use – Used to gain vitality and strength.

4.    Bambusa arundinacea Willd. (Family – Poaceae)
Local Name – ‘Bans’
Local Use – The powder obtained srom the plant is a powerful tonic.

5.    Bryonia laciniosa Linn. (Family – Cucurbitaceae)
Local Name – ‘Shivlingi’
Local Use – Used in sex determination of children. Also useful in menses.

6.    Bupleurum falcatum L. (Family – Apiaceae)
Local Name – ‘Bhojraj’
Local Use – Powerful tonic, used in liver trouble.

7.    Carum carvi Linn.    (Family – Apiaceae)
Local Name – ‘Kala zira’
Local Use – Used in worms

8.    Celastrus paniculatus Willd.    (Family – Celastraceae)
Local Name – ‘Malkangni’
Local Use – Used in Kanthmal (Goitre)

9.    Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (Famaily – Amaryllidaceae)
Local Name – ‘Kalimusli’
Local Use – Used as tonic

10.    Cissus quadrangularis Linn.   (Family – Vitaceae)
Local Name – ‘Harjuri’
Local Use – Bone fracture in catties and men
11.    Cyperus scariosus R.Br.   (Family – Cyperaceae)
Local Name – ‘Nagarmotha’
Local Use – Roots are used to subside the heat of the body.

12.    Eclipta alba (Linn.) Hask.    (Family – Asteraceae)
Local Name – ‘Bhringraj’
Local Use – Blood purifier, hair tonic

13.    Emblica ribes Burm. (Family – Euphorbiaceae)
Local Name – ‘Baibidang’
Local Use – Root bark is used in toothache

14.    Nelsonia canescens (Lamk.) Spreng
Local Name – ‘Kamraj’
Local Use – Used as a tonic

15.    Plumbago zeylanica Linn. (Family – Plumbaginaceae)
Local Name – ‘Chirayta’, ‘Cheeta’
Local Use – Applied externally on eczema, and also in wounds

16.    Pueraria tuberosa DC (Family – Fabaceae)
Local Name – ‘Vidari kand’
Local Use – Used as tonic

17.    Smilax macrophylla Roxb. (Family – Smilaceae)
Local Name – ‘Ramdatone’
Local Use – Used in seminal emissions

18.    Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers. (Family – Menisp-
ermaceae)
Local Name – ‘Gurvel’ Local Use – Used in fever
19.    Urginea indica Kunth.    (Family – Liliaceae)
Local Name – ‘Jangli Piyaz’
Local Use – Cordial tonic

20.    Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dumal
Local Name – ‘Asgandh’
Local Use – Used as a powerful tonic

There is a greater need to identify, preserve and propagate all indigenous herbs of medicinal importance. A little effort by forest department has been made in Shyamgiri area of Kalda plateau but much more has to be done. Government and Non-governmental organisations together can play a great role in conservation and propagation of endangered species..
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If harsh, clashing sounds such as those made by machines get on our nerves and can damage our health, it is easy to believe that harmonious music would do just the opposite for us. Science has studied the effects on humans of various kinds of sound, and the consensus is that the right sort of music definitely has a beneficial effect on our state of health.

The lullaby a mother or grandmother sings at a child’s bedside is a good example of how a soft melody can have a calming effect. On the other hand, is it not true that the loud blare of pop music coming from a neighbour’s open window, when one is trying to relax and rest, has just the opposite effect? How often have Mozart’s delightful melodies boosted our morale? How many troubled and wrinkled brows have been smoothed by listening to the works of the great composers? The power of a Beethoven symphony has quietened many an agitated heart. Even the twittering of birds is often able to disperse worry and anxiety to such an extent that those who see no solution to their troubles return home from a walk in the woods comforted and strengthened, hardly realising from what source the power came. A child might fall and immediately begin to scream to attract attention and assuage his pain. If, just then, a robin or blackbird in the garden hedge starts to sing, the child invariably stops wailing. At first he is interested to know where the voice is coming from, then is comforted by the cheerful little minstrel; soon the pain is forgotten and the little face is all smiles again.

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There is a general idea that tobacco is only dangerous because of its nicotine content. This view is incorrect. There is yet another evil inherent in tobacco and that is the phenols and tarry substances that are released in the process of smoking. The latter are, to a great extent, responsible for the development of cancer. Smoker’s cancer of the tongue or throat results directly from tar contamination rather than nicotine. Experiments with rabbits have shown that tobacco tar can cause malignant ulcers. The ears of some rabbits were brushed with tobacco tar every two or three days, and within a few weeks or months most of the animals developed cancerous ulcers. If these experiments are repeated using ordinary tar, the same form of cancer develops, thus proving that it is not the nicotine but the tar in tobacco which is responsible for cancer. Thus, it is wrong to draw the conclusion that low-nicotine or nicotine-free tobacco is safe to smoke.

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Earlier this century, the British began to experiment with yeast and yeast extract as a concentrated food for various expeditions. From the point of view of weight and size, they turned out to be most suitable for this purpose. An individual can keep going longer on a pound of yeast extract than on a pound of any other concentrated food. In the beginning, the value of yeast was known only by the results that were obtained from its practical use, as little was known of its vitamin content. If today yeast and yeast extract are looked upon as the most valuable concentrated foods at our disposal, scientific research and experiments have amply justified this opinion.

Yeast contains various vitamins of the  complex, especially vitamin B, (thiamine), and is very important to the cells, helping to take up oxygen supplied by breathing (vitamin B2). The vitamin B] content of yeast is also most beneficial to the nervous system and the process of burning up carbohydrates.

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The manner in which bread cereals are ground is quite important. Some time ago I visited an old miller, who showed me an old-fashioned stone mill, now unused, beside the beautiful new machinery that replaced it. Without any prompting on my part, the miller began to tell me that his old mill had produced excellent flour, while the other two modern machines seemed to take all the goodness out of it. At first I thought this was rather exaggerated, but in the light of subsequent observations I was forced to agree with him.

The ancient Romans, who knew something about metallurgy, were certainly in a position to make metal rollers or discs, if they had not been convinced that the use of stone was more appropriate for milling grain. Every metal mill, if it creates too much friction heat, does something detrimental to the flour which, ultimately, is reflected in its taste and quality.

Today it is known that copper destroys most of the vitamin Ñ content of food that is brought into contact with this metal. Similar effects take place with other metals too. Thus it is possible that an iron or steel mill could affect the taste or composition, or both, of the flour, even though this has not yet been proved conclusively.

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The amount of vitamin Ñ contained in each item is only approximate. The actual figure varies according to where the plants grow and the season, but the fresh fruit or vegetable has the highest content when just picked, as a certain amount is lost in storage. It goes without saying that you will only need part of the amount given for each food item containing vitamin Ñ because you will eat more than one category of such foods in the course of the day. If sugar is added to the raw, freshly prepared fruit puree, a larger amount of fruit will be needed to cover your requirement.

To set your mind at rest I would like to point out that the natural vitamin Ñ in our food does not harm the system, even though we might take in more than the indicated daily quantity. However, this cannot be said about the synthetic vitamins. These artificial products should only be taken in accordance with the prescription and are never equal to the vitamins contained in plants or fruit. Bio-C-Lozenges, on the other hand, are made from fruit extracts with a high natural vitamin Ñ content and help to prevent vitamin Ñ deficiency. So if you believe the principle that food should be a remedy at the same time, you will not take synthetic vitamins but see to it that your daily requirement comes from carefully chosen and prepared food.

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What makes us marvel most in our quest to understand these fascinating relationships is the fact that these organs are fully automatic in their functions. We eat something and immediately the message is sent via the nerves to the cerebellum; at once another message is sent back to the intestine, the liver and the pancreas. The necessary enzymes are immediately made ready for the arrival of the food. Of course, the entire process goes on without our having to think or do anything about it. What a marvellous thing! No wonder the Bible psalmist once gratefully acknowledged that ‘in an awe-inspiring way we are wonderfully made’. Anyone who fully understands this will, and can, never accept the theory of evolution. The wisdom and intelligence of a Creator’s design, even in the smallest detail, is much too obvious. No sound reasoning could ever deny Creation. So let us continue our research into the wonderful secrets of the human body, for the more we understand them the stronger the proof of the Creator’s power.

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Although ordinary worm medicines can sometimes have a bad effect or none at all, the Papayasan treatment is quite different. While it is an excellent anthelmintic, it is quite safe to take. Whereas other modern worm medicines kill the worms by poisoning them, leaving the body to expel what is left of them, the effect of Papayasan is based on a different principle. It does not poison the worms, but the protein-splitting enzyme papaya contains, called papain, attacks them and digests them in the intestine. It is true that the stomach, pancreas and intestinal walls produce enzymes to break down protein in the digestive tract, but the worms are immune to them. On the other hand, papain is able to literally digest the worms without harming the intestinal lining in any way. In fact, the intestinal lining is neither affected by the plant enzymes nor the body’s own enzymes. It is important to maintain a low-protein diet while taking Papayasan, otherwise the proteins from meat and eggs use up the worm-dissolving enzyme for their own digestion, so that it will not be available for its intended purpose.

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The midday meal should mainly consist of raw vegetables, with the addition of steamed vegetables and potatoes, brown rice or some other wholegrain dish. All highly spiced foods must be scrupulously avoided. A further period of occupational therapy should follow the meal, even if it is only washing and drying the dishes.

During the afternoon some form of physical therapy should be given, perhaps a Schlenz bath with sweat-inducing packs. Such a bath may be repeated two or three times in a week, depending on the degree of benefit derived from it. Instead of the hot bath, alternating hot and cold showers may be taken, starting with the hot, then cold, then hot again.

In cases of insufficient menstrual flow, a hip bath lasting about half an hour at 37 °C (98.6 °F), if possible with herbal extracts added, can be of great benefit.

After any one of these treatments some form of physical relaxation is called for, such as a walk in the fresh air, which will give an optimistic turn to the patient’s thoughts. If some time is left before the evening meal, it should be employed with further occupational therapy.

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Generally, inflammation of the bladder, or cystitis, is a result of a cold. ‘Whatever results from a cold can only be taken away through heat’ is an ancient law of natural therapy. Since it also applies to the bladder, hot herbal packs, compresses and prolonged sitz baths are very successful aids in treating cystitis. The water used to prepare a compress should be as hot as the hands can bear when wringing out the cloth. The sitz bath should have a temperature of 37-38 °C (98-99 °F) in order not to cause any congestion. This should be carefully observed, particularly if the patient has high blood pressure or a weak heart. The sitz bath should be continued for half an hour, with hot water being added from time to time to maintain a constant temperature.

Certain bacteria such as staphylococcus, streptococcus and sometimes colibacillus can often be responsible for bladder infections. In rare cases the bladder may be affected by tuberculosis, a condition more likely to occur if the patient already has a kidney tuberculosis, which permits the bacillus to enter the bladder through the kidney and manifest itself at the slightest irritation. Chronic cases of cystitis may be connected with any of the above-mentioned causes and would need special treatment.

The symptoms of cystitis are pain or burning sensations on passing urine. Due to the infection and irritation a strong urge to pass water persists. The urine generally contains some red and white blood cells, is cloudy and forms a white, often slimy sediment when left standing.

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