Throughout the Isaan natural holistic medicines which have been used for centuries often contain ingredients which may surprise and are sometimes totally misused. Partly due to the blind faith of the uneducated and the desperate desire for an unaffordable cure the healing powers of some ingredients are, at the best, abused.
In no way do I claim to have even a mediocre knowledge of things medicinal. However, I am certain that the possible healing properties of a freshly plucked eucalyptus leaf will not be found in a dried piece of hardwood (eucalyptus or not) which has been part of some ramshackle building for twenty years or more.
An examle of this abuse was perpertrated on an old lady, barely able to walk unsupported, undertaking a tiring trip to visit a local "doctor". This so called "doctor", on discovering the old lady had no money, simply told her to infuse, into her morining tea, shavings from an old piece of wood found lying in the "doctors" yard. Even worse was the fact the wood still had rusty nails protruding from it which had recently attached it to side of a ramshackle shed now used to house the family poultry. The sad side of this story (which I had the displeasure of observing) is that the old lady desperate for a cure for her aches and pains took the wood home and began paring off slivers for the next mornings tea.
Luckily, at some time during the night the offending piece of wood accidently became part of the cooking fire. The following day the old lady was taken to the local hospital where she was given medicines that may not have cured her ailment (I was not there long enough to find out) but most certainly eased her immediate pains.
Harbouring a mild dislike to unnatural western miracle cure alls, I was a little taken back by the obvious deception played out by the charlatan in the name of natural holistic medicines. Like many westerners who come to live in the Asian world a slow acceptance of the "alternative" medicines has begun to infiltrate my western upbringing. One of my favourites introductions on the subject can be found at the Tao Mountain.
