How ‘Oddo leaves’, Lizard Peppersoup and hot metals were used to cure ‘ámá’ abdominal distention
The use of oddo leaves, lizard peppersoup and hot metal treatment in the preparation of oral medication for gastrointestinal diseases such as abdominal distention and others such as pneumonia remains one of the earliest breakthroughs in alternative medicines amongst the Enuani people of Delta State.
The potency of the herbal treatment heralded a decline in infant mortality.
However, still shrouded in superstitious beliefs, many have abandoned the practice and resorted to proven medical treatments and recommendations.
“Oddo” is a creeping plant that produces milky liquid content and is utilised in the preparation of herbal medications for several other medical conditions such as cough, and even the spiritual implications of confessed adultery. One cardinal rule that applies in the use of oddo in treating abdominal distention is that the person who harvested it must remain silent from the point of harvesting till it is handed over to the herbalist who would use it for the preparation. The plant is renowned for its law of silence.
On the other hand, a lizard peppersoup can be prepared pounded for the child but it must be a juvenile lizard popularly called “nwatiti”. Some of you reading this post have eaten nwatiti to stay alive. LoLzzzzZ!
The last of these options is the use of hot metal treatment or razor blade incisions on the stomach of the patient before rubbing the affected area with the herbal preparation to soak it in.
Some adults who went through this last process during their childhood are left with very bold scars that remind their how sick or healthy they were as children.
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