Ath Beheth Mangusawa of the Hela Weda Athpotha

This is part of our series on using Sri Lanka’s herbs for everyday use for better health. We will be using diverse books and advice from indigenous doctors for this series. For the first weeks, until we complete much of the book, we will focus on the publication Hela Weda Athputha authored by Ayurveda Shasthri, Ayurveda Doctor Palitha Shri Gagana Arachchige and published by Dilmah Conservation.  In the past weeks we focused on Kenda varieties for diverse medicinal use

(http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-706934; http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-707275; http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-705604; http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-705276).

We also featured easy to administer home remedies for minor ailments mentioned in the book under the theme Ath Beheth Manjusawa (http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Ath-Beheth-Mangusawa-of-the-Hela-Weda-Athpotha/10523-708584, http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Kola-kenda-broth-and-Ath-Beheth-Mangusawa-of-Hela-Weda-Athpotha/10523-707616).

Below is the continuing series on the Ath Beheth Manjusawa (cures that could be prepared and administered for minor ailments prior to seeking medical treatment).

Treatments for earache

Following is the Athbeheth treatment for ear-related ailments:

• Grind the traditional way and take in equal proportion the juice of raw ginger (amu inguru), juice of waraka leaves, juice of murunga flowers, bees honey, gingerly oil. Heat these under mild fire and after it is cooled pour two to three small drops into the ear. 
• Mix the bark extracts of the murunga tree with gingerly oil and apply around the ear.
• Take the tender leaves of the nika tree, heen undupiyaliya, red onion, siyambala leaves and grind them, binding them into a small cushion like manner (called pottaniya in Sinhala), boil in (in the wanduwa the traditional way) and place around the ear.

Following are the oils that can be used for earache:

• Divyanganadhi Thailaya (apply on either side of the ear) 
• Sarvavishadhi thailaya
• Nirgundyiadhi thailaya
• Mustard oil 
• Cinnamon oil

Treatments for eye-related ailments

For eye-related ailments it is important that only those perfecting the treatments for eyes are sought after. When administering home-based treatments for emergencies connected with the eyes it is important to note that only the purest and most authentic of the ingredients recommended are used. 

The person administering these cures and handling the related ingredients should be very mindful of his/her personal hygiene. The ingredients used should be fresh and used immediately when prepared for treatment and not kept for later use. 

Following are treatments for eyes being sore and red, tearing, scratching and scabs around the eyes:

• Cut the thambili fruit (king coconut) and place some saman picha flower buds inside and close the thambili fruit with its cut off covering. Keep this overnight in a cool place. Use a few drops of the picha flower infused thambili water on the eyes. 
• Cleanly grind to pulp komarika, aralu and sukiri and put a few drops onto the eyes. 
• Wash eyes with water in which kohomba leaves, siyambala leaves and lunuwila have been boiled.
• Wash eyes with tender leaves of the bobu plant. 
• Use a few drops of fresh mother’s milk onto the eyes
• Wash eyes with water in which delum leaves and saman pichcha leaves have been boiled. 
• Wash eyes with Rasakinda leaves.

Treatment for eyes which have suffered bruising as in a fall (thalima):

• Take young puwak flowers and grind with raw turmeric and place the juice extract into the eyes.
• Place on eyes extracts of young kohomba leaves, karalheba leaves and mixed with turmeric. 
• Wash eyes with the water in which the young bobu leaves have been boiled. 
  
   

For tiredness of the eyes:

• Dip some clean cottonwool into thambili (king coconut) water and place on the lids of the eyes.
• Place the pulp of komarika n on the eyes. 

Place cucumber pulp on the eyes. 

For stye on the eyes:

• To dip tamarind seed (siyambala) in water or mother’s milk and apply on the stye.
• To crush cyperus rotundus (kalanduru) and mix with cool water or mother’s milk and apply on the stye.
• To crush chrysopogon aciculatus and apply its juice on the stye in the morning hours. 
• To apply the urine of a small boy on the stye.

(Some of these are cures that fall into the category of Kem Wedakama in Sri Lanka that households depended on for centuries).

Treatment when eyes suffer burns:

• Placing few drops of mothers milk on the affected eyes
• Crushing coccinia grandis (kowakka) and placing few drops in the eyes
• Crushing maduruthala leaves and placing juice in eyes mixed with mother’s milk 
• Crushing young diyamanthi leaves and applying with coconut onto the eyes. 

Treatments for dental ailments 

Toothache:

• Applying the akmella flower on the place where the toothache is (this plant is called toothache plant and the scientific name is akmella oleracea). 
• Chewing on twigs of jasminum officinale (saman picha).
• Crushing cloves and applying on the root of the teeth.
• Mixing salt and vinegar and applying on the root of the teeth.