Family Medicinal Plant Gardens E-Book

Rudolphe Lemmens

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 364

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

This book, Family Medicinal Plant Gardens East Africa, reflects the collective knowledge of Ugandan traditional healers, herbalists and farmers for quotidian ailments. It describes plants that can grow in your garden, how to produce medicine out of them and which ailments to cure with these preparations. Most information is been gathered during work sessions or direct interference with healers and farmers and crosschecked with other healers herbalists and medicinal literature. The plants described grows all in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the other countries belonging to East Africa. This book is to be consulted at every small accident or illness that occurs in the family, or identify the disorder, make the choice of a recipe and than collect from your garden the plants you need to prepare a first aid treatment. Do not forget to check with a medicinal practitioner when possible.

Leseprobe

Disclaimer

This book has been produced to provide information on medical plants. Although the uses, medical preparations and information given are appropriate in most cases, they are of general nature and cannot taken into account the specific circumstances of individual situations. The information collected in this book is not intended to replace professional medical care either in diagnosing or treating medical conditions. Do not attempt self-diagnosis or self-treatment for serious or long-term problems without consulting medical care takers.

Neither the publishers or the authors can assume responsibility for problems arisen from the mistaken identity of any plant, for the inappropriate use made of it by readers or for wrong information provided by the stakeholders during the workshops.

Please note that all content contained in this book is strictly for informational purpose only. This content does not substitute any medical advice, and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues.

Dedication and Acknowledgements

We have to recognize the following participants and contributors to the many workshops held in preparation of this book: Bagaya Tereza, RHIVA, Baghenda Scovia COSIL, Bahati Muhesi Josintha Green home, Bahemuka Bhimje Sylviano THEMEREC, Bahemuke Victoria RHIVA, Baluku A. James KARUDEC, Baluku Frimon Sabiti KFP, Baluku Lucy Green home, Baluku Stephen BITOSA, Baluku Zipora MFACS, Barozi Leo THEMEREC, Barozi Margrate THEMEREC, Basikania Luka St Paul’s Health Centre, Kasese, Batsurana Juliet Rygendabara Widow Group/Orphans, Bwambale Gabriel Kacungiro Woman Development Association, Bwambale Julian Kiriaghe KIRODO, Bwambale Mathina CDOK, Bwambale Philip Kiriaghe SATNET, Byaruhanga Eric K. BISA, Byensi Patrick RHIVA, Challand Simon Dr. at St Paul’s Health Centre, Kasese, Inimba Juma Sinway KIIMA FOODS, Isemiegheke Emmanuel KIIMA FOODS Kasithu Woman Farmers, Isingoma John THEMEREC, Kabale Yosam B. KFP, Kabaloodi Agnes Fight against HIV/AIDS, Kabaseke Clovis Tooro Botanical Gardens, Kabasomi Topista Fight against HIV/ AIDS, Kabugho Yayeri Bwera Community Health, Kagada Jozze-May KIIMA FOODS, Kalemire Grace St Paul’s Health Centre, Kasese, Kamalha Uzieri KFP, Kangume Samalie Juliet RRM-K, Kasaija Amooti Lawrence Y.M.M THEMEREC, Kasenene John Prof., Head Makerere University Kibale Field Station, Kasoro Patience KIWED, Katongole John Dr., Uganda Martyrs University, Nkosi, Kemigisa Jacinia Fight against HIV/AIDS, Kihuku Julia WREFI, Kihuluka Eric NAMEDO, Kiima Augustine KIIMA FOODS, Kiribulha. B. Luke Kigoro Post Test Club, Komuntale Traxia Agro Eco Consultancy, Kusemererwa Yokana K. MUWF, Kyatsinge Cornelius RHIVA, Kyomja Felix Green home, Masereka Emmanuel KIIMA FOODS, Masereke Joshua Rwenzori Mountains National Park UWA, Mawanda David Dr. and Vice Chairman NAMEDO, Mbusa Stephen RHIVA, Mubiri Thomas Gray Hair Club, Muhindo Francis RHIVA, Muhindo Joy RHIVA, Muhmedo Richard KIIMA FOODS, Muhumuza James Tropical Aloe-Land, Musoke Peluci Green home, Musoki Valeria Ruboni Community, Muzigitii Grace KIIMA FOODS, Ndulhanga Bahati E. St Paul’s Health Centre, Kasese,Ndyoka Thembo B. WREFI, Nyakairu Kenneth KRC, Nyakara Charles St Paul’s Health Centre, Kasese,Opiro Kenneth Forestry Department, Ramanzani Janat Green home, Sekagya Yahaya Dr. and Director of PROMETRA, Sesaazi Dunken Mbarara University, Siriwayo Irumba Juma RIPA, Ssewannyana Henry Chairman NAMEDO, Ssozi Sam UWEC, Sunday John THEMEREC, Thembo B. Jackson Kasanga Primary Health Centre, Bwera, Thembo Rogers Kibalya Youth, Tumusiime Stephen HEWASA, Turyasingura Chris Tooro Botanical Gardens, Uzieri Kamilla KFP, Wekesa David TRAP, Wekesa Grace TRAP.

Thanks to all

The authors

Introduction

Did you know that your garden and your surroundings can be your first aid kit. The plants growing around you in the wild or in the garden can be used as a first aid before you consult a medical professional for further assistance. A first aid kit can handle a lot of small accidents, disorders to keep a family member comfortable before seeking further help. Recall a small cut that gets infected can easily develop into a severe infection with sometimes many complications. The idea to avoid complications is to use the plants from your garden or collected in the wild on the cut to stop bleeding, to disinfect, to heal quickly without formation of any scars.

This book is partly based on the Family Medicinal Plant Gardens, for the Rwenzori region, Uganda, it is actually enlarged with more common garden plants to make it applicable to East Africa.

In this book you shall find 44 plants growing in your gardens or in the near surroundings, their medicinal value is described to treat common health problems in an effective manner. The plants can be used as infusions, decoctions, poultices, steams, creams, powders, and poultices as forms of remedies. For many families their garden is an important supplemental source contributing to food, nutritional security, health and livelihoods. Herbal remedies have been around for centuries and still work today. They are easy to use, and convenient when you have everything on hand in your garden.

Around 250 common health problems are described. Arranged in alphabetical order, for easy look up, with at least one recipe given, based on the plants of your garden. Most of the recipes have been collected through workshops or group discussions with farmers and healers and verified in medical literature. These remedies are not replacements for medical advice, try at first and as the condition not get well see a physician without delay.

The best medicine is prevention, eat balanced, exercise enough and take care of yourself.

Enjoy this book

The authors

Contents

Garden, lifestyle and hygiene

Recommendations for a healthy lifestyle

Botanical Glossary

Medicinal glossary

Plants

Abelmoschus esculentus

Ageratum conyzoides

Albizia coriaria

Allium sativum

Aloe species

Ananas comosus

Annona muricata

Artemisia annua

Artocarpus heterophyllus

Azadirachta indica

Bidens pilosa

Callistemon citrinus

Carica papaya

Chamaesyce hirta

Centella asiatica

Crassocephalum vitellinum

Cymbopogon citratus

Erythrina abyssinica

Ficus natalensis

Hibiscus sabdariffa

Hoslundia opposita

Kalanchoe pinnata

Kigelia africana

Mangifera indica

Moringa oleifera

Ocimum gratissimum

Passiflora edulis

Persea americana

Plectranthus cyaneus

Prunus africana

Psidium guajava

Punica granatum

Ricinus communis

Senna didymobotrya

Sesamum indicum

Sida cuneifolia

Spathodea campanulata

Tamarindus indica

Tetradenia riparia

Tropaeolum majus

Vernonia amygdalina

Warburgia ugandensis

Zanthoxylum gilletii

Zingiber officinale

Disorders

References and further readings

Index

1

Garden, lifestyle and hygiene

What is a family medicinal plant garden?

It is the garden surroundig your homestead. This garden is where members of a family can find medicinal plants for preparations of herbal drugs as first aid for themselves and their family members.

Notice that we are only speaking about first aid and that we advise people to seek medical care when there is no significant improvement of their health situation after a few days.

Where is the family medicinal garden?

The family medicinal garden must be easily accessible, and near the home where the family is living, so that even at night, when a member of the family is not feeling well, plant parts can be collected and used.

Why a family medicinal garden?

One of the best reasons for planting a family medicinal garden is to have an available first aid pharmacy kit at home. For example when people have an accident and are injured or burned, they can immediately apply plants to stop bleeding or reduce pain. When treatment is administered immediately, healing shall be faster and in some cases the rate of infection will also reduce.

If someone starts feeling ill, and immediately takes plant extracts to strengthen or stimulate his immune system, in many cases one can overcome a disease.

Having a family medicinal garden is a nearby solution also it saves precious time and money.

Choice of plants

In the previous book 30 plants where described.

In this book 44 common shrubs, trees and weeds are selected, based on their usefulness, ease to use, frequency used and use documented. Of course you can plant more medicinal plants in your garden, the collection selected in this book, provide already first aid solutions to more than 250 common ailments. It includes more than 1000 recipes based on the selected plants.

Recommendations for a healthy lifestyle

Recommendations for a healthy lifestyle

These are just some guidelines of living rules and good home practices. Much more could be included and could fill a whole book.

Having and using plants from a family medicinal garden is worthless if some basic living conditions and rules are not respected, as indicated below:

1. Body hygiene

One of the most important hygiene rules is to wash your hands with soap under running water (use carafe, pot or kettle) before eating, before preparing food, after using a toilet and after seeing or visiting a sick person.

Wash yourself and help children to wash themselves thoroughly every evening with soap and warm water. In case of cold mountainous areas, keeping out of direct wind and dry yourself quickly with a clean cloth or towel avoid catching cold.

Wash your hair at least once a week with soap or shampoo.

Brush your teeth at least every evening and even better still after every meal with a small Eucalyptus, Neem or other tooth stick, with or without natural dental powder.

Keep your nails short and clean.

Wash and change your clothing frequently especially underclothes.

Do not use toxic soaps, this are soaps that contain for example chemicals as mercury salts, known as skin bleaching soaps.

2. General hygiene

Cook and serve food in clean pots and dishes.

After washing the dishes, put them on a dish rack and not on the floor to dry. Once dry store them in a dust and animal free place.

Wash your food with clean water before cooking.

3. Water

Drink only safe water, clear, cool, boiled water and use clear water for bathing.

4. Food

Think of this very old adage: Your food should be your medicine, and your medicine your food.

4.1. Balanced diet

Eat a balanced healthy diet.

Food and hygiene are the most important points to stay healthy.

When the body is improperly fed, it is more susceptible and has less resistance to many diseases. There are diseases caused by external elements such as bacteria, fungi and viruses and diseases owing to a toxin accumulation in the body as diabetes, obesity, arthritis, high blood pressure and many others. For both types of diseases, food is very important in strengthening and stimulating the body to fight against diseases and prevent body illness.

A balanced diet has variety of food.

Once a day, a meal should be composed of two-third of whole cereals and one-third of different vegetables, where at least one vegetable should contain a high percentage of proteins such as beans, groundnuts or any other leguminous vegetable. Meat and fish can be added, but is not necessary and should only be taken in small amounts. Some vegetables like carrots, cucumber, lettuce, radish, cabbage or fennel should be consumed raw to have all the benefits of vitamins and minerals.

Matooke (cooked unripe bananas) is not a cereal but can replace cereals in a meal. Eating only matooke everyday with soup, gravy or sauce is a poor and unbalanced diet.

The most important meal should be taken at noon and if not possible diner should be at least before 7 p.m.

With food, the body receives many calories. Calories will be directly transformed in energy and energy is the opposite of what you need to have a quiet night’s rest. Also, digestion is heavy work for the body and during sleep all the body organs are functioning at a slower rate, that’s why digestion can become a problem.

At least one fruit should be consumed during daytime to have some intake of vitamins and trace elements.

Tea, coffee or herbal tea should be taken without sugar, as sugar is a poison for the body (see later). Adding sugar into drinks becomes a habit and creates sugar dependency.

Pure water is a healthy drink and at least one litre of water should be taken during daytime. We may not forget:

That our body is made out of more than 90% of water.

That water is needed for elimination of toxins by urinating.

That water is needed to maintain our body temperature and many other functions.

Old Indian theories (Ayurvedic medicine) recommend that to stay healthy, every one should start the day by drinking one glass of warm water on an empty stomach to warm up the body, stimulate the digestive system and eliminate toxins.

4.2. Toxins

One golden rule: avoid much food that contains toxins for the body.

Toxins are: extracted sugar, purified salt, alcohol, drugs, stimulants, chemicals, meat, and purified food. All those food substances should only be taken in small quantities and people can even live without them.

Sugar

Purified extracted sugar, even if it came from sugarcane, maize or sugar beet, acts as a drug in the body and very quickly the body starts depending on it. That is why in many cases a person starts using 1 teaspoon of sugar in a cup of tea and after some years he needs 3 teaspoons to satisfy the sugar addiction.

Excess sugar consumption may lead to general body weakness, dental caries, obesity, magnesium deficiency and the sugar crystals fix themselves as toxins in the body especially between the different joints.

Sugar is also a very good substrate for bacteria and fungi and people who take much sugar are more susceptible to fungal and bacterial diseases.

Various scientific studies have related excess of white sugar consumption with cancer of the colon, stomach cancer and cervical cancer.

As sugar contains much calories and energy for the body, it can stop the feeling of hunger and that is well known by schoolchildren who at lunchtime eat sugarcane instead of food and this can lead to malnutrition (beside all other pernicious influences) when sugarcane or other sweets are often replacing food.

There is no need for adding purified or none refined sugar, as the amount of sugar that the body needs, even during exercise, can be found in fruits, vegetables and cereals.

Don’t forget that soft drinks and sodas contain much sugar as well as chemicals.

Salt

Excess use of salt may cause heart disease, kidney problems, high blood pressure and obesity. Salt retains water in the body. Water normally takes toxins along when leaving the body (elimination). As water is retained, toxins remain also in the body.

Uncooked salt destroys the tongue papilla (which are responsible for your taste); the taste decreases and more salt will be needed to find the original salt flavour back.

Just like sugar, the salt crystals may fix themselves as toxins in the body especially between the different joints.

Raw vegetables due to their high salt content can replace salt. In case you don’t eat much raw vegetables, use and take clean lake salt, vegetable salt or lye instead of white purified salt.

Always cook your salt and never add salt when the meal is already in your dish to save your tongue papilla.

Alcohol

Alcohol immediately attacks the liver and its functions (the liver has more than 300 functions).

Two types of alcohol exist: alcohol as a normal process of fermentation of fruits, vegetables or honey and alcohol obtained by distillation.

The first category of alcohol doesn’t reach more than 16-degree alcohol and can be used as a medicinal wine in small amounts as 1 glass a day.

Distilled alcohol is normally more than 40-degree alcohol and is too aggressive for the liver and should be avoided.Alcohol has also physical, psychological and social side effects.

Drugs

Drugs act in the same way as strong alcohol whereby, not only does the body become dependent on them, but the whole nervous system gradually starts to decline.

Psychological and physical deterioration of the body is a consequence.

Drugs are very toxic for the body.

Chemicals

Chemicals are found in meat, vegetables and cereals that have been cultivated in a non-organic way, in food with preservatives or other chemical flavours and in Western drugs.

Chemicals are unknown food for the body and they are enclosed or stocked in fat layers of the body or in the liver. After some time those chemicals can cause dysfunctions of organs, cancer or other modern‚ diseases.

Spices

Most of the people refer to spices as flavors to give specific tastes to food and have forgotten that spices were introduced first to facilitate digestion and avoid digestive problems. Spices are medicinal plants with digestive or disinfectant properties. That is why it is important to include spices when you are preparing food.

Coriander, anise, basil, cayenne, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, parsley, cinnamon, garlic and others are well known spices. Local plants with digestive or disinfectant properties as Warburgia ugandensis, Moringa oleifera (Moringa) or Capsicum frutescens (the bird eye chili) can also be used as spices.

Meat

Meat is rich in purines, which are other toxins for the body.

The main reason why people eat meat is that meat contains protein, a structural component for the body cells, tissues and organ formation.

Proteins can also be found in milk, eggs, beans, cereals, algae and others.

Most of the so-called diseases of civilisation‚ as heart diseases, high blood pressure, strokes, obesity and others are linked to high animal and animal fat consumption.

In Western countries, people are eating too much meat and many diseases could be prevented if people only eat meat once a week or by eating fish instead of meat.

Another reason why some vegetarians don’t want to eat meat is because you have to kill an animal that in the fauna world is your family.

Another reason is that 10 kg of cereals are needed as food to obtain 1 kg of meat, and with 10 kg of cereals you can feed 8 times more people than with 1 kg of meat.

Still another reason is that meat is equivalent to cadaver or death substance.

Purified food and low fibre food

Purified food is food without or with low fibre content for example white flour, white rice, “posho” (porridge made from maize), pastas, decorticated millet and other decorticated cereals. Those are cereals that through processing have been separated from some husk or bran where most of the fibres are located.

Fibres regulate the absorption of fats and glucose into the bloodstream and prevent colorectal cancer. Fibres are also needed to have a normal digestion and a normal stool. People who eat much low fibre food, as white rice, bread, pasta, macaroni or maize have frequent digestive and constipation problems.

Milk

Milk must be boiled before consuming to avoid Brucellosis infection.

In the animal world, milk is only produced and available to feed the very young animals. As a human belongs to the mammals, milk is food for babies and young children.

With age, milk becomes more indigestible because of the decreasing quantity of enzymes needed to digest the milk. Therefore adults should reduce the milk consumption or turn milk into other milk products such as yoghurt and cheese.

Milk that has not been digested properly contains much glue, another toxin that is accumulated in the small bronchioles of the lungs. That is why respiration problems take much more time to heal with high milk consumption.

People believe that the body needs milk to have its daily ration of calcium. Different studies have found that an adult person absorbs only low amounts of calcium by drinking milk. Much more calcium is found in algae (100 to 1000 times more than in milk), almonds, soybeans, beans, cabbage, carrots and green vegetables.

Fat or oil

Cold pressed plant oil is better than warm pressed plant oil and better than animal fat.

We have saturated fats and unsaturated fats and only unsaturated fats are healthy for the body. Saturated fats are found in meat, milk products and some margarine and that is why plant oil is better than animal fat.

The body needs oil to perform many functions, but needs only small amounts of oil. As all oils have different medicinal properties we should change from time to time the oils we are using in our food for another type of oil.

All oils have different uses, some have to be taken raw and other can be used for cooking.

5. Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs

Genes are the hereditary units. Different genes make a chromosome. Every living being has its own genes, but each family, in the plant as in the animal world has its specific number of chromosomes and every chromosome has its specific number of genes. That is why a dog cannot mate with a cat, and that a fish is a fish and not a cow.

Genetically modified crops are obtained byreplacing one or more of the existent genes of the plant by other genes. Those genes can be from any origin, either from animal, plant, bacteria or fungi.

We should not forget that genes are the identity card of the plant and by changing those we are changing the whole nature without knowing the effects this will have.

Not only should the growth of those crops be forbidden because of the unnatural practices but also eating the crops with GMO should be avoided.

Buy only products certified without GMO.

6. Toilet

Use a latrine with a ventilation pipe and put a cover on the pit after using the toilet.

Human excrement can be a source of all kind of diseases. That is why latrines have been promoted. When a latrine has a ventilation pipe you avoid the bad smell and some insects flying around; and particularly if you keep the pit covered after using the toilet.

7. Reduce insects, bacteria and fungi breeding places.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes always breed in water or moist places. They can lay their eggs on damp soil or damp vegetation, in moist tree holes or other wet places like plastic bags half buried in the soil or broken containers which can contain water. Mosquitoes are the vectors of malaria.

Cleanliness

Cleanliness and order in and around the homestead is the first requirement.

Flies, bacteria and fungi

Flies, bacteria and fungi will develop where food residues remain. That can be in improperly washed cooking pots, improperly stored food, overripe fruits and food residues on the floor in and around the home.

Animals

Keep animals out of the home. They infest your home by droppings while pets like cats and dogs host different parasites. Wash your hands after touching your house animals.

Waste

Don’t put any waste near your house but organise your farm and compound. (E.g. By making a compost heap.)

Sweep every day in and around your home. Sort all rubbish and waste you collected by sweeping:

Paper, cardboard and wood

Paper, carton and wood should be stored in an old tin or any metallic container and should be recycled.

Organic wate

Organic waste should be put on the compost heap that is not near the entrance of your home to avoid bad smells and negative influence of insects.

Glass, plastic, metal

Glass, plastics, and metal, where a recycling system is in place, use it otherwise, keep this waste in a deep pit that has been dug in a corner of your compound. When this pit is four-fifth full, cover it with soil and make another pit.

Don’t grow food on top of this pit.

8. Toxicity

Many fatal accidents have taken place with toxic products. Keep those products out of reach of children and never fill up toxic products in a bottle without labeling it.Every toxic product is dangerous for the health. Toxicity can penetrate the body by drinking, sniffing, smelling and through the skin.

Cigarettes

Cigarettes are not only toxic for those who smoke, but also toxic for people who have to inhale the smoke. It is proved that lung cancer comes as a result of cigarette smoke or smoking.

Cooking stoves

Eye problems and lung diseases can be a result of smoke inhalation, when you are cooking. In many cases a chimney and energy saving stoves, like the “Lorina” stove already provide a solution. It even reduces the consumption of firewood.

The World Health Organisation found that firewood smoke inhalation was the fourth killer in the world. As this is a fact, every one should cook on a stove with a chimney.

Batteries

Batteries used for radio, torches and other electronics contain toxic elements and once dropped they add toxic heavy metals to the soil. When you cultivate crops on that place, the crops will absorb these heavy metals that will be absorbed by your body when you eat them. Through rain, those toxic heavy metals will reach the water table and contaminate your drinking water.

In Uganda there is no recycling system in place, so we should try much to get rid of those batteries safely and replace them with solar-energy. These old batteries should be taken back to the sellers.

Plastics

Don’t burn plastics: the gasses formed by burning them are very poisonous for all living beings. These gasses also attack the ozone layer of our planet and that is one of the reasons why the planet is warming up, snow is melting, sea level is rising, some countries are getting flooded, and rain patterns are disturbed.

Pesticides, fertilisers and herbicides

All those chemicals used to intensify agriculture production are dangerous. They not only kill life but also disorganise the whole chain of living creatures. Food harvested from that type of agriculture contains those chemicals which act as toxins in the body; and are stocked in the body till they disorganise the body functions.

Through rain, they reach the water level in the soil and poison your drinking water. Scientific researches know already that in 15 years, safe drinking water will be the biggest problem in the world.

Ink of newspaper

Ink of newspaper is very toxic, so never use it to store or to wrap food.

Aluminium

When you cook in aluminium cooking pots, aluminium molecules go into the food and aluminium is toxic for the body.

If you want to have an experience, try to drink beer, or alcohol stored in aluminium pots or containers, and you will develop a serious headache.

For healthy reasons clay pots are much better than aluminium pots.

9. Respect

Having respect for plants, animals and all people brings peace.

People who live in peace with them have more resistance against diseases.

Different doctors and especially Dr. Bach (Flower Elixir Therapy) found a relationship between plants and people’s behaviour of jealousy, acquisitiveness, distress, sorrows, etc., and illness.

Respect is the first rule to prevent and avoid violence.

10. Positive way of thinking

Life is a succession of difficulties and at the same time a challenge to be resolved.

A person who tries to stay as an optimist has more energy and the living atmosphere is much more pleasant.

Different alternative medicines promote positive thinking as the basis to stay healthy.

11. Stress

There are different causes of stress as: extreme physical danger, financial or health problems, overloaded work and many others.

Stress is a part of the human condition and maintains alertness for life.

Too much stress puts the body under continuous tension and is the cause of different diseases, as heart problems, high blood pressure, sleeplessness, psychological diseases, etc. Organise your life without stress.

12. Insomnia

To stay healthy and energetic people need sleep. Some vital functions of the body can only be carried out when people are sleeping.

Studies have proven that people should sleep in a calm, silent and dark environment to have maximum benefit of their sleep.

Children need more sleep than adults and should have at least 9 hours of sleep if not they have less resistance against illnesses. This is one of the rural problems in Uganda where there is no special culture to force children to go to bed.

Always sleep on a mat, never on a cold floor and always, if possible, under a mosquito net. Mosquitoes are very active especially at night.

13. Family planning

The overpopulation is the first origin of the world pollution just because everyone is polluting. As the world pollution is the biggest worry for the survival of the planet, we should start having a world vision and fewer children.

At household level too many children force parents to live with stress, financial worries, health worries, food worries, home space worries, plus fatigue and health problems for the mother.

14. Sexual behaviour

Human beings are different from animals and having sex has other significance and specific rules. For two reasons: first: to avoid sexually transmitted diseases as syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV/AIDS and furthermore; to respect your partner.

Avoid pregnancy in young girls and still breast-feeding mothers.

15. Electronic radiation

Each electronic gadget delivers radiation that in most cases has an unknown influence on the body. The first radars were sending waves that turned in a wrong direction and that were one of the causes of forest diseases.

When the mobile phones came, bees were completely disoriented and didn’t find how to get back to their hive easily.

Children who play a lot with electronic games, as game-boys‚ are more prone to epilepsy attacks.

To avoid these radiations, one must disconnect completely his electric devices (radio, television, telephone and computer) and cover them with a cloth after using them.

16. Vaccinations

Vaccinations have proved their efficiency to avoid epidemics and some illnesses.

You have to know that many vaccines are propagated on cancer or ill cells and those are injected into the human body. Every vaccination is an aggression that changes the nature of the human body. Naturopaths believe that this can be the cause of different allergies, asthma and other body reactions.

17. Physical exercise

This must sound a little strange for farmers and rural people who are doing much physical work as walking and agricultural practices. It isn’t for those who are sitting in offices all days. There is a correlation between mind and body and when this balance is not there, people become ill.

Botanical Glossary

Botanical name of the plant

The only recognised way of nominating a plant is using the scientific name also called the botanical name. The scientific name is always in Latin and is composed of 2 parts: the first part indicates the Genus and the second part, the specific epithet, indicates the Species.

Synonyms

Each plant has only one valuable scientific name, some plants have synonyms, the synonyms names have historical background and has been superseded by the actual name and are not more valid. Example the valid botanical name for the African plum, is Prunus africana, before it was called Pygeum africanum, still many people are using the old synonym name for this tree.

Family

A plant belongs to a plant Family; a number of similar plants belong to the same Family. Example the Prunus africana belongs to the Rosaceae family (the rose family)

For easy understanding you can compare the following: The Family of the plant is equivalent to the Clan in Africa. The Genus of the plant is equivalent to the Family in Africa. The Species of the plant is equivalent to the Members of the Family in Africa.

Species:

Prunus africana

(The African plum)

Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)

Genus:

Prunus

(Plums)

Species:

Prunus africana

(African plum)

Prunus domestica

(Common plum)

Prunus cerasus

(Cherries)

Author

Prunus africana

(Hook. f.) Kalkman

Prunus domestica

L.

Prunus cerasus

L.

The word or abbreviation after the Species refers to the person, the author, that first described that plant in Latin. Example L. following the botanical name stands for Linnaeus who developed the binomial (two words system) system first and described many plants.

Common names

The Vernacular name or Common name, is the name in the language of the country or even the name in the local language. Example the local names recorded for Prunus africana in Uganda are: Prunus, Pygeum (English). Mueri, Red Stinkwood (Trade name). Ntasesa, Gyabazito, (Buddu), Ngwabuzito (Buddu) (Luganda). Chiramat, Chirumandi, Gulumati, Gumwirumari, Namwini (Lugisa). Mukumbo, Mumba, Omumba, Musuba (Lukiga). Engothe, Ngoti (Lukonzho). Mugote (Runyankole). Ntasera (Runyoro). Oromoti (Sebei). Ngoti, Engote (Rutooro). Many names exist for one plant, this is exactly why one botanical name is being developed, so we are sure we are talking about the same plant.

What is a medicinal plant?

A medicinal plant is a plant with specific active ingredients or components in treatment of illnesses.

Those active components are different in the different parts of the plant, are different according to the age of the plant, are different according to the time of the day plant is collected. In the same plant species, the concentration of active components are different according to the climate, soil, altitude, agricultural practices and others as: harvesting, drying, transporting, storage, processing, packaging.

Description of the plant

A plant can be annual (life period is 1 year), biennial (plant is living 2 years and usually is flowering the second year) and dies after having given seeds; or perennial (is living for 3 or more years) and continue growing after flowering and having given seeds.

Basic parts of a plant

The different parts of a plant are: root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed.

The root can be a tuber, bulb, rhizome or common root.

The stem can be a stem or a trunk with branches.

The trunk has a bark and under the bark a second bark.

The leaf starts as young bud. A leaf can be simple or have different leaflets in case of a compound leaf.

The flower is composed of by a calyx a corolla and the male and female flower parts. The calyx provide the sepals, the corolla the petals, the male parts are the stamen with pollen and the female parts are the stigma with an ovule that will give a fruit and then seeds.

All those indicators are necessary to describe a plant.

Trees or shrubs can be:

Deciduous: tree that loses his leaves at the end of the growing season or in dry season

Persistent or evergreen: tree that doesn’t lose his leaves at the end of the growing season: the tree has always leaves

Bisexual: male and female parts present in the same flower

Hermaphrodite: separate male and female flowers on the same plant

Dioecious: tree has only male flower and another only female flower

Leaves can be:

Bi-lobed: they are deeply divided in 2

Bipinnate: when 1 leaf has different leaflets

With glandular hairs: hairs terminated by very small glands, often sticky to the touch

Glabrous: hairless

Oblong: leaf with approximately parallel sides

Ovate: leaf is egg-shaped, with the broadest end towards the tip

Pubescent: covered with short soft hairs or down

Smooth: leaf with even and continuous margin, lacking teeth or lobes

Inflorescence: the flowering part of the plant

Bract: a small leaf-like structure in the axils of which starts a flower or a branch of an inflorescence

Cymes: an inflorescence in which the first flower to open is the terminal bud

Panicle: an inflorescence with axes that continue to grow and do not end in a flower

Raceme: inflorescence in with flowers are borne on stalk, along unbranched axis, lower flowers opening first

Spikes: inflorescence with flowers without a stalk, along unbranched axis and where lower flowers are opening first

Stems and parts can be:

Axils: place between the stem and the branch or leaf growing from it

Nodal swellings: joint, point on a stem at witch a leaf will grow

Petiolate: having a petiole or stalk

Stalk: supporting stem

Succulent: plant with fleshy and juicy leaves and/or stems

What you should know before collecting plants for home use

Don’t collect plants growing in polluted places, like roadsides, borders, factories and places where farmer use pesticides and chemicals on land and animals.

Collect only healthy and clean plants.

Collect plants when the weather is dry and shiny, not after rain.

Most plants contain more active properties in the late morning.

You should be sure to able to identify the right plant.

You should know which part of the plant you need.

Don’t mix different plants in the same bag when harvested.

Don’t destroy the plant. If you need the root of an annual plant, don’t take away all the plants. Some plants should be left over to produce seeds. When the plant is a perennial plant, use only a part of the roots or the secondary roots.

The roots or rhizomes of an annual plant can be collected when the plant starts dying or loosing its leaves. For a perennial plant it is better when the plant has already had 2 or 3 seasons. After harvesting you should wash them well without brushing.

Most flowers should be picked before they are completely open.

Most leaves have the highest active properties just before the plants start flowering.

The best time of collecting stems is just after the leaves appear till before flowering.

The best time of collecting the bark is dependent on the age of the tree and is different for each tree species.

When a tree is deciduous and loses its leaves, pick the leaves when they are completely developed and when there is much sap.

Most plants can be used fresh or dry, there are exceptions and some can only be used without danger dry or only be used fresh.

What you should know before drying medicinal plants

Don’t dry the plant directly in the sun. (Exceptions: Artemisia annua)

Dry the plants in a well-ventilated and dust-free place.

The plants should never be spread directly on the ground, but spread on a clean cloth or on shelves.

You must lay them in thin layers and (turn) look after them every day.

Don’t bring your medicinal plants in contact with printed-paper or newspaper; they contain dangerous chemicals.

Leaves and flowers can be dried without cutting in pieces.

Roots are washed, but not brushed, and cut in small pieces. The drying process of most roots can be started in direct sun and finished in shadow.

Once the plant is really dry, and contains less than 10% of water it should crack in your hands; you should put them in a glass or ceramic container. Plastic containers can be used if there are no glass or ceramic containers.

Don’t forget to label those containers with: plant name, date and place of picking.

Those containers should be placed in a dark, cool and dry place.

Dependent on the percentage of moisture, these dry plants can be kept for 6 to 12 months. Roots and bark can be kept longer then leaves or flowers.

Use of the plant

The use of a plant preparation is classified:

Free use and without danger: the plant has no side effects or contraindication.

With precaution: there are some conditions to use this plant. Some parts of the plant may be toxic, or the dosages are very specific and must be exactly measured, or the duration that this plant can be used is limited, or cannot be taken by pregnant women. Those plants can be used without risk if the given warnings are respected.

With danger: the plant is toxic and can only be used by experienced healers. The plant has side effects and is dangerous for the health if not properly used and prepared.

Medicinal glossary

Standard measurements to prepare recipes:

Handful:

One handful usually used for fresh leaves, is what you can keep in one hand when you keep it downwards, it corresponds with 20 to 25 millilitre (ml) of fresh plant material.

Cup:

One cup here we are speaking about those Ugandan plastic cups, they are equal at half a litre of liquid.

Glass:

One glass are the glasses used in the restaurants and are the glasses made out of real glass (preferred to plastic), usually they correspond from 200 to 250 ml.

Teaspoon:

One teaspoon filled with liquid or dried powder correspond to 5 ml.

Dessertspoon:

One dessertspoon filled with liquid or dried powder correspond to 10 ml.

Tablespoon:

One tablespoon filled with liquid or dried powder correspond to 15 ml.

Water bottles

The plastic water bottles are one litre or the small ones can contain half a litre of liquid, verify the label to be sure of the quantity.

Preparations Methods

Pure Juice

After washing the fruit, root, leaf or any other plant part, crush the parts by using hand, pestle or other tools (blender), then strain to obtain the juice.

The juice is the liquid from the plant or fruit without adding any other liquid (e.g. water) or substance (e.g. sugar).

Infusion

Prepare the part of the plant (most used are the soft parts of the plant like: flowers and leaves (dry or fresh) in a container (tea pot) and pour boiling water over them. Cover the container and wait 10 to 15 minutes before straining, that is what we call let it infuse for 15 minutes. From there the name infusion, this method is different from boiling the substance and the water together. (decoction).

Decoction

The decoction preparation method is mostly used with hardy parts of the plant like roots, bark or seeds but can also be used with the soft parts. You add the plant parts in a pan with cold clean water and place on a small fire. Let boil for 3 to 15 minutes depending on the recipe. After boiling cover and wait for 5 to 15 minutes before straining.

Cold Extract with water

This is a process where you soak the plant parts in water for 12 hours if the plant parts are soft (leaves) and for 24 hours if the plant parts are hard (bark, seeds, roots). The whole process is done without boiling, in a cool and shady place. Then you strain. This method prevent that excessive boiling destruct the active ingredients.

Cold extract with alcohol or oil

Using oil or alcohol instead of water as extracting substance in the above described method can also obtain a cold extract.

Powder

All plant parts can be transformed into powder be sure they are very dry, before you can pound or ground and sift them. Store powder in a dry and dark place, in a closed container.

Syrup

To make syrup take juice, decoction or an infusion that you boil with the same volume of honey (preferable) or sugar, on a very soft fire, for a long time. The time of boiling is important to preserve the syrup, but is different from plant to plant.

Extract (Industrial)

Industrial extracts are not considered home remedies, it involves advanced techniques to obtain the essential oils from the plants, like distillation.

Liniment

Liquid or lotion, especially made with oil, for rubbing on the body to relieve pain.

Tincture: