DR. BANJI FILANI

 

Herbs for life or death?: ‘Herbal medicine is neither dangerous nor fetish’

Dr. Filani

Dr. Banji Filani of Sound Health Centre spoke on the safety of herbal concotions.

“Herbal medicine is neither dangerous nor fetish. The problem with people is that anything traditional is attributed to fetishism.

They use it in China and bring it here; we don’t question that (examples are Tianshi and Tasly Kasly products), but because it is ours, people think it goes with fetish power.

I am a Christian. I was brought up a Christian, I know nothing about incantations. Take for instance, bitter leaf. Many don’t know that it has the power to treat some ailments. Bitter leaf can cure diabetes and cleanse the blood. You don’t need to chant any incantation for it to work.

The same goes for other herbs. It is only that most times you have to put two or more together for them to work effectively. Another example is the mango tree. Nothing is useless in a mango tree; even the mistletoe you find on it is for curing hypertension.

Everything is not a matter of using herb; we can easily tell you what to eat and what not to eat (diet and nutrition) and that alone may be the cure of ailments. So, as a Christian, I am a member of the Christ Apostolic Church, the church of Baba Sadela.

I only believe in treating with natural herbs, not attaching anything spiritual to it. Another example is the common maize we eat. The botanical name is sea maize. Those string-like things that come out with corn that many people remove while eating the maize has curative content to treat hypertension, diabetes and even oedema.

Therefore is no incantation needed in herbal practice. One only needs to know what and what to put together. Herbal practice is simply the use of herbs for treatment. Nothing more, nothing less. Herbal medicines, also called botanical medicines or phytomedicines, refer to herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants or other plant materials as active ingredients.

The plant materials include seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers. Many drugs used in conventional medicine were originally derived from plants. Salicylic acid is a precursor of aspirin that was originally derived from white willow bark and the meadowsweet plant (Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. Quinine and Artemesinin are anti-malarial drugs derived from Cinchona pubescence Vahl bark and Artemisia annua L. plant, respectively.

Vincristine is an anticancer drug derived from periwinkle (Cantharnthus rosues Linn. G. Donn). Morphine, codeine, and paregoric, derived from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) are used in the treatment of diarrhoea and pain. Digitalis is a cardiac glycoside derived from foxglove plant (Digitalis purpurea L.) an herb in use since 1775.”

On those who suffered bad fate in the use of herbs: “They are just unlucky. It is either they took an overdose, a wrong prescription or an expired mixture. There are fake traditional doctors just as we have fake orthodox doctors. Nigerians should beware so as not to fall into wrong hands. Practitioners who have good reputations would never want to do anything that will tarnish their names and good records.

It is risky to patronise unknown practitioners who may not be reachable should there be any negative development on the drugs you have been given. If you go to a hospital and a negative development emerges,

I am sure you will go back to complain. But if you have gone through some prescriptions by some unidentifiable personnel, you will be blamed by all and you will blame yourself for whatever happens. The same rule is applicable to us.”