Their own health heritage is vast - Cough

When we go to the 'poor' to help ... we also need to think 'what help'.  Regarding health, today they are getting more and more dependent on allopathy. But, even today ...

" Cough
• Thummi flower (Leucas aspera) juice with salt and pepper addresses musari cough.
• Karpooravalli (Anisochilus carnosus) leaf is roasted on a pot shard and the juice is squeezed out and given internally with salt. Or the leaf is chewed with salt.
• Eashwaramma’s father-in-law’s persistant cough was addressed by eating a fry of raama mulaka fruits and nalleru (Cissus quadrangularis) chutney ground with castor oil and jeera.
• Curry leaves and turmeric are mixed in water, and the steam inhaled. This ripens colds and roughness in throats
• Gilledu (Calatropis gigantica) milk and turmeric is rubbed on the depression in the neck for a dry cough.
• For a cough due to ‘chirunalika perigedi’ or ‘enlarged small tongue inside throat’, ‘entikulu perikedi’ or ‘pulling hairs’ is done. A few hairs on top of the head are jerked.
• For a dry ‘kasa-kasa’ cough, Sankaranna advises rubbing the headache liniment ‘Zandu balm’ on a betel leaf and eating it.

For infants with congestion and cough
• Raama mulaka (Solanum xanthoporum) seeds are rubbed on the top of the head after applying castor oil and a regi leaf is pasted over it to address congestion.
• Kalaakulu, or various leaves like neer saambraani (Bacopa monneri), kuntaginjeeraaku (Eclipta prostrata), bokkini aaku, and tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) or kukka tulasi(Ocimum americanum) are crushed, the juice squeezed out, and given in a paalaadai, a small cup with a sharp end to pour medicines into a child’s mouth. This is usually given only after three months.
• Vasantaalu is prepared by mixing turmeric and a little lime in water. It is put on an iron sickle or pot shard and heated till it bubbles and is given internally. This is for slightly older children. Or turmeric and lime are mixed in water and a heated potshard is dropped in.
• A goda penku, or potshard, is put into the fire and when red hot is dropped into the milk mixed with turmeric and lime. It bubbles with a ‘bosa bosa’ sound, and is given internally. This is given to infants. It ‘ripens’ a cold.
• Thummi (Leucas aspera ) flowers are crushed, tied in a cloth, and put in milk and given. If the congestion is ‘rommu padisam’ then the milk is mixed with salt and pepper. This may.
• Uppulu leaves are boiled in castor oil and given to infants. This may cause a purge and it clears the cold. Juice of uppulu leaves is also given to month old infants.
• Ragi (Elucine coracana), horsegram and turmeric are ground or chewed on the tip of the tongue till a loose frothy mass is got. A flat pat is made of it and put on the depression on the top of the head, and covered with a leaf. Ragi paste by itself, or mixed with turmeric and mother’s milk, can also applied on the top of the head and a regi (Zizyphus jujube) leaf put over it.
• Castor oil is applied on the head and a regi (Zizyphus jujube) leaf is stuck over the head. In earlier days, castor oil used to be boiled with turmeric and kept for infants.
• Vomam (ajwain) is ground with turmeric and applied on nose, forehead, nostrils and throat.
• Juttipaaku milk, mixed with vomam (Carium roxburghiana) and kasturi pasupu (wild turmeric) is rubbed over the forehead and nose of the infant. Sometimes the juice is warmed with turmeric.
• Turmeric is boiled in water and pasted over the head, or kasturi pasupu is applied over the head. Musaambrani and kasturi pasupu (wild turmeric) are also mixed in breast milk and applied over the forehead which helps the cold to mature.
• Sometimes, a hot water head bath is recommended for three days in a row which will help the cold to mature.

Chinnapaapakka had never taken her five children to the doctor. For coughs and colds she managed with various recipies."

What is our role ? it needs continous introspection ...