God decides to teach Moses the healing arts, of which God has some small expertise.
This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
Catch two birds and kill one over running water. Dip the living bird in the bloody mess, and shake the living bird over the leper 7 times, sprinkling the blood. The blood from the dead bird seems to do the trick; however, one must be careful not to get any of the blood from the dead bird unto the leper which hath not ran upon the living bird (make sure it is shaken off of the living bird 7 times).
This method that God invented is still considered to be one of the best cures for leprosy. It also works for eczema and psoriasis (do not let the wings of the live bird touch the leprotic lesions). For severe ringworm, mix the bird blood with sliced mushrooms, and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes. Just before removing from heat, a small amount of dry red wine may be added to the mix. Alternatively, the wine may be daubed on the tip of the ringworm sufferer's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the big toe of his right foot, making sure to then break the bottle over the little toe of his left foot...
Hmmm... Sounds like witchcraft to me, for which, a lot of women were grilled to a charcoal finish for similar "cures". All of course "in the name of god".
dispatches.azstarnet.com
<snip>
For other curanderas, their calling is one of a yerbera -- an herbalist. Some are deemed arbolarias, or village healers specializing in doffing witchcraft and untangling evil work of sorcerers and brujas (witches). Still other curanderas become parteras, or midwifes. This afternoon, Doña María, a yerbera, asks me if I believe in spirits.
"If you don't, this won't work," she warns.
Unsure, I tell her I do.
In her gray sweatshirt and new black Nike high-tops, Doña María evokes little mysticism. She sifts through a Tupperware bowl filled with chicken eggs and picks up a large brown one. Shaking her head, she sets it back down and opts for a white egg.
"Stand up," she orders. "Close your eyes."
Doña María chants, gently rubbing the egg along my shoulders, neck and arms. She repeats a mixture of Catholic prayer and ancient Mayan song. Five minutes pass. Ranchera music pipes in the distance.
"Take a deep breath and blow on the egg three times," the doña says.
"Ha!" she sounds, cracking the egg into a champagne glass filled with thick, clear fluid. The bad spirits, she tells me, are trapped in the clotted yolk. The good spirits envelop them in the egg white.
"Your jaw," she continues without touching me, "is out of alignment and causes you frequent pain."
Last month, my doctor diagnosed me with a form of temporomandibular joint syndrome, a degenerative joint disease more commonly known as TMJ. The condition causes frequent headaches.
<snip>
Other treatments for psoriasis:
nih.gov
Eczema:
allergyasthma.com
store.yahoo.com
Leprosy:
tlmi.org
Found an interesting parallel between leprosy [a skin/nerves disease], and godprosy [leprosy of the mind]
What is leprosy?
Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacteria leprae. Most people have a natural immunity to the disease, and those that do develop leprosy can be cured with modern Multidrug Therapy treatment (MDT). The leprosy germ affects nerves which lie near the skin, and, untreated, this can lead to a loss of feeling in the affected parts of the body. Most at risk are the hands, feet and eyes/face. Because the person affected with the germ cannot feel, wounds or other injuries go unnoticed or untreated. Life-long care of anaesthetic limbs is one of the greatest challenges faced by people affected by leprosy, and neglect can cause damage so severe as to cause partial paralysis, such as clawed fingers or lagophthalmos (an inability to blink, resulting in corneal ulcers, and, if untreated, blindness).
Who gets leprosy?
Most people affected by leprosy live in developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Leprosy is a disease of poverty, and it tends to spread in areas of malnutrition and overcrowding. Leprosy is most prevalent in India, Brazil, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indonesia.
Is leprosy curable?
Treatment involves using three antibiotics Dapsone, Rifampicin, Clofazimine, which are very effective in getting rid of the germs. This treatment is called Multidrug Therapy (MDT). Mild, non-infectious cases of leprosy need to take treatment with two drugs for 6 months. More severe infectious cases take three drugs for 24 months.
Explain to me again why people become disabled
The leprosy germ likes the cool places in the body particularly the skin and the surface nerves. This makes it a very visible disease, starting with patches on the skin. It may also damage nerves in the face, arms and legs. No one likes being disabled let alone having crooked hands, a nodulous swollen face, or sores on their hands and feet. It is visible disability or deformity that leads to much of the fear and stigma from which people affected suffer. This leads to feelings of fear and shame which may mean that these sufferers neglect to come for treatment at the start of the disease, and only come when then already have nerve damage. The Leprosy Mission aim to help break this vicious circle by by implementing health education programmes and disability prevention and self-care training for patients.
Damaged nerves results not just in paralysis but also in loss of sensation. MDT cannot reverse nerve damage. Loss of sensation in hands, feet and eyes means that everyday activities are fraught with danger; - burns go unrecognised, wounds untended, stones in shoes, and grit in the eyes are both undetected and untreated. The end result can be loss of sight, fingers and feet.
What is Care after Cure?
The total number of people affected by leprosy, which includes not only those on treatment, but also those who have finished their treatment but who still have disability, or are stigmatised or suffering socially remains very high, at around 5 million.
People affected by leprosy need holistic care and not just medicine. TLM programmes aim not only to bring treatment, but to help those affected cope with their diagnosis, disability and social isolation with love, care and rehabilitation.
Ringworm:
astdhpphe.org
Ringworm
is a contagious fungus infection that can affect the scalp, the body, the feet (athlete's foot), or the nails.
People can get ringworm from: 1) direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or pet, 2) indirect contact with an object or surface that an infected person or pet has touched, or 3) rarely, by contact with soil.
Ringworm can be treated with fungus-killing medicine.
To prevent ringworm, 1) make sure all infected persons and pets get appropriate treatment, 2) avoid contact with infected persons and pets, 3) do not share personal items, and 4) keep common-use areas clean. |
