Herbal mixtures boom

Often times, people interchangeably use traditional medicines for herbal medicines. Traditional medicine is like the mother of all, while herbal medicine is a category under it.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional medicine is the total sum of the knowledge, skills, and other practices based on theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, weather explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.

While on the other hand, herbal medicine or herbalism is a medical system based on the use of herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparation and finished herbal products that contains as active ingredients parts of plants or other plant materials or the combination.

Herbal medicine, is as old as the existence of man, and has been used to cure various life threating ailments in all parts of the world even before the discovery of most modern medication. Though modern health care system has been in existence in recent times, herbal medicine has continue to gain acceptance especially in the rural areas, where access to health facilities, health centers, personnel and equipment are inadequate.

As estimated by WHO, more than 80 per cent of Africa’s population and over 50 per cent Nigerians depends on the various forms of traditional medicine with herbal medicine inclusive, yet most of these herbal healers are not officially recognized.

Undoubtedly, Mrs. Ramot Hamzat, a herbalist or locally referred to as ‘ Alagbo’, who has been practicing for over two decades bares her mind on this fact in an interview with The Guardian at her shop at the Isolo market in Lagos state. Hamzat disclosed that, most of her patients have visited the hospital before they resort to her place due to persistent of their conditions.

As a graduate of The Apata Memorial school, Mrs. Hamzat spoke both English and Yoruba, saying that on a daily basis, she sells herbs to customers who know what they want to buy and as well treat people with various ailments, ranging from malaria, typhoid, diabetes, pile, waist pains, rashes, low sperm count to types of infection like gonorrhea, syphilis and toilet diseases.

She also offers both anti-natal and post-natal services to both pregnant and nursing mothers. She added that, infections, malaria, typhoid, piles, waist pains and rashes are the most treated ailments on daily basis.

Hamzat further explained that these herbs are prepared in to various mixtures which take forms such as powder, liquid, or fresh leaves, and are mixed or dissolved in diverse solvents ranging from water, the most common, to alcohol, and soft drinks like Coke and 7up.

She revealed to The Guardian that, though passed on to her by her mother of blessed memories, others are brought to learn from experts like them for a time duration just like applicable to other professions.

But was quick to add that the time duration depends on the individual, but cited two years in most instances. The sources of these herbs and other herbal materials are from different towns like Saki, Ogbomoso, Ijebu, Ilorin and Abeokuta where there are still forest reserves that house all kinds of herbal plants.

As a practitioner for almost twenty five years, she also pointed out that, many people of different caliber patronize them, and most of the rich who prefer to be attended to in confidence, pay for home services to be delivered. Most of these ‘ rich’ folks buy in bulk to even send to relatives abroad, she said.

In the course of the interview, many customers and patients with various ailment were attended to, with some been diagnosed before treatment administered. Speaking to some of the patients The Guardian met there, most of them testified to the potency and affordability of herbal mixtures.

A mother of a two-year-old baby, whose baby was diagnosed of ‘ malaria parasite’ by tasting her palms said, “ I was at the hospital last two weeks and my baby was given eight injections and drugs for a week, but I have not seen any changes that is why I brought her here”.

Another patient said, “I react to tablets during pregnancy, so I resort to taking herbs during my anti – natal and my doctor at the hospital is aware”.

While observing, she told some patients who opened up on taking drugs to take their herbal mixtures 3 to 4 hours after taking those drugs given to them at the hospital.

She attested that most of the patients The Guardian met there were not first comers, and that they come as at when health care is needed, just as one goes to the hospital.

When The Guardian inquired about any record of causalities, she answered yes, but it was not fatal, and further explained that some people do not open up on taking other antibiotic, while others do not follow instructions on the usage of the herbal mixtures.

Pointing out the issue of dosage and expiring time of these herbs as a major challenge, the government through the Elewe Omo Herbs Sellers Association of Nigeria where she is a member has been educating them on standardization of their dosages, hence they now use ‘shot’ glasses, table and teaspoons, she said.

I see my self as a doctor or a nurse, who seeks the wellbeing of my patients, she said, hence I entreat them not to take overdose of the prescribed measurement or report any case of side effects.

More so, I use my children and myself as experiment on some herbal mixtures to identify the possible side effects. And just like any other drugs with expiring dates, these herbs to have expiring time too.

When they begin to produce powdery substances, it is an indication of expiring. Mrs. Hamzat confirmed the said principle advantage of herbs to be their complexity, since medicinal plants contain a wide array of chemical compounds, which gives them versatile therapeutic powers.

That’s why you found one herb working to cure more than one ailment. Asking if they encounter any sort of problem with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), she responded by saying we do not package or bottle labeled herbal mixture for sale, so we do not have any problems with them. She said the government does not support them in any form despite lots of promises.