Bush Medicine

    

{view from our back veranda}

Matthew has been sick for a while (coughing until he throws up). So yesterday I took him to town to see the doctor. He is an excellent doctor. The more I see him the more I like him. He diagnosed Matthew with a sinus infection (no biggie). He gave him an antibiotic and we were on our way. Silas, Isaac and Evie had the same cough but not nearly as bad. He said don’t worry about them unless it got worse (which I totally agree with).

     My buddy Miani comes by and hangs out several days a week and he has been very concerned about their coughs. So, he decided to bring them some bush medicine. “Some what?” you ask.

     PNG is an amazing place. It is one of the most botanically diverse places on earth. So, the people here have developed a massive list of cures derived from these plants.

     Doctors and researchers come here regularly to learn about these cures. There was a doctor who came to stay in Songum who studied all the cures and plants there.

     Because Tok Pisin is a trade language it is far from exact. I don’t yet understand the local language, Nobnob, so I’m not really sure what exactly he brought. In Tok Pisin he called it “kol lip”. This just means leaf for a cold.  

     Anyway, these are the instructions I received for its use. First, you must cook it over an open fire ( the gas stove in our case, white skin style). When it has changed color and become soft you must wash it. Once you are done washing it you squeeze the juice out of it into a spoon and drink.

     As you can imagine I was a bit apprehensive about this since up until now I had been told and had told my children not to eat plants that you don’t know. I finally decided that Miani and his family weren't dead so it must be alright.

     Isaac was the first guinea pig, I mean patient. It was remarkable how well it worked. Silas was coughing like crazy this morning so he got a dose. And just now Matthew was coughing like crazy so I gave him some. It seems to have worked miracles for all of them.

    I am a firm believer in bush medicine. It is awesome. Lets go eat some weird plants!!!

matt