We will all remember him in different ways. His departure, caused by pneumonia, will always make me to remember my maternal grandmother, an influenza and pneumonia freak who did not mind a poisonous medicine for as long as it would protect her against these two dangerous breathing diseases. Can anyone blame her? She was born in 1909 and only a few years old when a major outbreak of influenza in Nigeria killed her father. Her mother was pregnant. In those days, there were no scan machine to foretell how many babies were coming or their gender or if the baby in the womb was well positioned. My grandma was Sarah Kehinde Olunaike, of Isonyin, near Ijebu-Ode. She was a twin, and about seven years, an older sister of Alphaeus Taiwo Olunaike, the now celebranted “Baba Alajo Shomolu” who was the first in a set of triplets who would become younger sibling of my grandmother. She had an older half sibling called Elijah. Their mother shocked Isonyin community with the birth of the triplets! Where was a father to look after Elijah, the twins and, now, the triplets? So, the elderly men in the family buried alive the last to come, sparing Taiwo and Kehinde. My grandmother grieved… and went at sunset to exhume the baby. Alas, she found a corpse!
Memories of these events tormented her till she passed at 69. In Nigeria, this one was associated with the underground tasting in the Sahara Desert by France of dangerous bombs.
Many people died again of breathing difficulties. Everyone must then have developed his or her escape route models. My grandmother’s terrified me, even as a Highter School Certificate (HSC) holder of Igbobi College in 1969, literate enough to know from the label of her favourite medicine that it was contra-indicated for oral or internal use.
Influenza, also called flu, and pneumonia, like asthma, bronchitis and sundry other conditions, inhibit inflow and outflow of air into the human body, causing oxygen deficits which, in turn, cause other ailments and may even kill brain cells. My grandmother’s recipe against them all was a popular proprietary medication for strains, muscle pull or congestion within tissues called Sloane’s Liniment. It was a congestion dispersant and a circulation mover meant, strictly, as per the label, for external use only. My grandmother was a defiant woman in this regard. She dispensed Sloane’s in a table spoon and placed a cube of sugar in it. The sugar absorbed the Sloane’s, and chewed it and then washed everything down with a glass of water. My brother, Architect Tunji Kusa, confirmed to me this week that she gave him and her other grandchildren this medication. They lived in 12, Odunukan Street, a swampy area of Abule Ijesha were the floor and walls of a house were often moist during rainy seasons, and children often went down with cold, pneumonia and convulsion, sometimes dying. I must confess that I took this recipe from her a few times whenever I experienced chest pains or aches, and I remembered those stories of those who had gone by, as Pope Francis has now gone, yielding to pneumonia. More dreadful did this disease sound then to me because it was one of the diseases my Health Science class studied for West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) in 1968.
In the last 15 years or so, I have been acquainted with several persons taken away by pneumonia. One of them was an elder cousin of mine. Another was a gentleman in Surulere, Lagos, who was in his eighties, like Pope Francis. He walked unheeded into the hospital for an evaluation of his breathing concerns and ended up with an oxygen device in his nose. What I have discovered in many hospital treatments of pneumonia which involved the use of oxygen masks was that there were different treatments for the poor and for the rich. My cousin, like this gentleman, and other patients who are ignorant of this are admitted into the general ward. Others who can afford Intensive Care Unit (ICU) wards are admitted there. The oxygen mask in the general ward is antagonistic of the comfort and wellbeing of the patient.
My cousin pulled out her mask, saying she preferred to die. The gentleman did likewise. His daughter, very devoted to her parents, have not forgiven herself till this day for her ignorance, although she is in her sixties.
Sloane’s liniment
I began to pay serious attention to Sloane’s Liniment in 1980 when my grandmother developed a lump in the right breast which turned out to be cancerous, and she died. I wondered if this liniment had a hand in her death or if the culprit was a taste enchancer I which just hit the market and she sold and consumed. There was not much information in those days, but, today, Sloane’s may stand discharged, if not acquitted.
An internet source says of Sloane’s…
“Sloane’s Liniment is a topical pain relief medication. It is applied to the skin to relieve muscle or joint pain caused by strains, sprains, arthritis, bruising, or backaches. The active ingredient is usually capsaicin, which is derived from chilli peppers”.
The user is advised to…
“Avoid contact with eyes, mouth, or sensitive areas and to wash hands thoroughly after application”.
Regarding its toxicity, an internet source says…
“Ingesting Sloane’s Liniment can cause severe symptoms due to its active ingredient, capsaicin. Possible effects include:
Severe burning sensation in the mouth, throat, or digestive tract, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea, coughing, difficulty breathing, or wheezing”.
Now, we know that Sloane’s is derived from chilli pepper and, so, should not be overdone on the skin. I sometimes take 100 units of cayenne pepper or grains of alligator pepper also called Grains of Paradise along with herbal medication for any part of my body I am tending. These may be supplements for the brain, Edible Eye Care for vision or Edible Prostate Care, supported with Garlic Gin, oil extracts of garlic, ginger and black seed. The pepper supports circulation and delivery. Sometimes, pepper gluttony is the experience in the anus. On such occasions, I wonder what may have taken place in the kidney or if the blood became too thin and was escaping from the blood vessels with dire consequences.
Influenza
This disease is caused by influenza viruses..A, B and C, and is generally known as a “Flu”. The infection causes cough, fever, stuffy or running nose, sore throat, muscle and body aches, respiratory troubles, including pneumonia. The disease kills more persons under five years old and over 65. Also susceptible are persons with weak immunity or underlying diseases such as diabetes, heart and lungs disease, bronchitis, bronchiectasis. Also troublesome can be Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome( ARDS) and, of course, opportunitic agents such as bacteria and fungi.
This disease is contagious and easily contracted through droplets of infection or cough or contact with infected hands or personal effects.
Remedies
The flu is largely a cold climate problem, and this may be why it caught Nigerians off their guards when it struck our warm climate country. The flu sometimes strikes some persons during the rain or wet season with its semblance of cold. Whatever it is, there are now some remedies against it, irrespective of belied that viruses are untouchable by pharmaceuticals. What can Mother Nature not vanquish?
To start with, we must return to the new biology of health. It teaches us about microzyma. This is a microrganism in every cell, plant, animal or human. It is neutral and inactive when the cell is alkaline at about 7.34 pH. below 7.0 pH, microzyma devolves first into bacteria,then viruses and, later, fungi or mold. Only reversal to alkalinity may, therefore, vanquish viruses, including those of influenza.
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Lime juice
It taste acidic at pH below 4.0, but yields alkaline salts after metabolism. So do lemon Juice. As an acidic citrus fruit with a high Vitamin C and Citric Acid content, lime Juice has been shown to disrupt the molecular structures of viruses, thereby preventing their replication and survival. Asians eat lots of lime leaves in soups and foods. We hardly do in Nigeria. Only few persons here are aware of the medicinal benefits of lime peel and orange peel. Both are anti-inflammatory, rich in flavonoids and limonenes for boosting immunity. Aren’t inflamation and immune deficiency some of the troubles which aid or support Influenza? Some studies have shown that lime leaves are, therapeutically, important as lime peel and the juice. When my house back garden is filled up, i planted lime trees in the front house flower pots. Some rascals stole the limes. I laugh! They do not know I planted them only for their leaves. I dice fruit, peel and leaves in a large fask, a gift to me from my sister, Mrs Yemisi Amaku, and her husband, Michael. I remember them whenever I pour myself a glass, to go with a meal or drink in the dead of the night when I rise to wee.
Zinc
It is an immune booster, as is evident in the use of Zinc Lozenges against sore throat, and support for the thymus gland to produce more fighter T-4 cells. It is also reported to inhibit virus replication, especially when taken in early stages of flu. There are about 250 health benefits of zinc which cannot be listed here.
We have all heard about Vitamin C and immunity, of how 500mg per day may double immune count, of how larger dosages have been used to neutalise snake bite poisons, and of how Dr Linus Paulin, who won the Nobel Prize two times for his work on Vitamin C, recommends between 3,000-6,000mg every day for therapies while Orthodox medicine raises alarms and prefers only 60mg.
Echinaca extracts are popular in Europe for colds and other uses. It is believed to be immune boosting and anti inflamatory.
Garlic, the poor man’s Penicelin, according to Russians, has undergone such transformation in the hands of Kyolic proprietary blend that makes it about 50 times more powerful than the natural variety. Thus, when I think of Garlic, Kyolic Garlic is my first choice. They are about 20 brands of Kyolic, each targeted at a particular health problem. So, we have Kyolic for effective and efficient blood circulation ( Kyolic Circulation),Kyolic immune for immune boosting (Kyolic Immune), and such others as Kyolic Heart support, Kyolic Cardio.Vascular, Kyolic Stress and Fatigue, Kyolic Probiotics e.t.c. What they Kyolic people do is that,having achieved a spectacular garlic proprietary brand they call KYOLIC, they complex it to the best researched and welll known ingredients useful for particular ailments. Thus, Kyolic Circulation comes with Kyolic, Cayenne pepper, hawthorn berries and Vitamin E.
Pneumonia
This is a wise terrain of respiratory system misconducts the end of which even expert physicians may not know as the frontiers of knowledge in medicine keep expanding. Nevertheless, it is known that the average human has about 300 million air sacs in two lungs which are affected in varying degrees by pneumonia. The air sacs, called Aveoli, are moist Chambers through which oxygen in the air we inhale is absorbed and sent into the bloodstream for use by all cells in the body. The alveoli also facilitate the absorbtion and excretion of carbon dioxide in the spent air we exhale. In pneumonia, there is a build-up of fluid in these air sacs which makes absorbtion of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide difficult. Without enough oxygen in the body, we becomes the de-energised, weak and may begin to die instalmentally. Thinking may become sluggish and cognition impaired. The breath may become rapid in efforts to procure more oxygen and to eliminate carbon dioxide build-ups. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of the metabolic process which produced energy and is, therefore, a poison of sorts.
In the days of my grandmother, knowledge of what was happening in the body of a Pneumonic persons was scanty. In their ignorance, they attributed pneumonia to COLD in the system and sought to dispense it in various ways. Although some persons like my grandmother went to the extreme with remedies such as sloan’s liniment, almost every aging or aged persons had a plastic hot water bottle at the ready. This was filled with boiling water, capped and lain on the side of the chest where discomfort was felt. I have one made in England. I emphasis the country of manufacture because it is better quality than China- made brands found everywhere today which easily give way in the neck region and is, thus, a waste of money! Medical science is on the trail of the ldea of a COLD orgin in attempts to link Hypothyroidism or under-active thyroid gland with this condition and such others as Congestive Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), for example. Indeed, cold impacts sluggishness, accumulations, weakness and other infarctions. Thus, the use of Potassium Iode remedies for the condition is often suggested. However, studies which link hypothyroidism to pneumonia are few and inconclusive.
Today, it is widely acknowledged that a weak immune system and some underlying ailments may pave the way for pneumonia onset. On the fertile grounds then come bacteria, viruses and fungi of all sorts. Their ranks may also be enlarged by environmental pollutants, de-oxygenated environment e.t.c. A woman in her thirties I watched over from her respiratory system challenged through health education is a case study here. She lived in a single room tenancy, cooked in this room, rid this room with chemicals mosquitoe sprays, and went to bed every night with an only window locked to protect her privacy. She was on Ventoline when I became acquainted with her. She coughed as though infected by tuberculosis, and could not stand a drop of rain water on her body without sneezing, wheezing and coughing. The Ventoline was sometimes too strong for her, almost arresting her breathing. Today, she has reversed all of these on herbal remedies and even liked to plant yam heads in the garden during rainfall!
Herbal remedies
Oxygen inhalation through the oxygen masks is still popular in hospitals during emergencies. The Nigerian market tried oxygen tablets for a while but gave it up on account of their scarcity and cost. The Vogue now is the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber. This is like a box in which someone is locked up to absorb oxygen through the nose, eyes, ears and skin.
Since pathogens and their toxins are involved, causing inflamation especially, they have to be dealt with. The remedies suggested for influenza may help as well. A hydra-headed situation is going on here, though. So, bigger punches may be required. Barberine-containing herbs such as Golden Seal Root are indispensable because they spare no germ. Mango seed kernel is also wonderful in eliminating becteria , fungi and viruses. I learned from H.K. Bakru’s foods that heal that Indian women use it as contraceptive. They massage the powder deep in their bodies before intercourse. The powder kills Sperm Cells. If it does, what else would it not kill, I reasoned.? So, it has helped many women with seemingly incurable vaginosis, Candidiasis and other vaginal challenges. Interestingly, some women now use it as tea or add it to their meals in the understanding that it may help them to shrink or eliminate uterine fibroids. This is against the background that surgically removed uterine fibroids are regrowing because one of the underlying root causes, Microbials infections, was not address by these surgeries.
Garlic, Kyolic and Garli Gin were mentioned earlier. The oils of garlic, ginger, Black seed and super strength Oregano helped me recover from COVID 19 impact. My experiences are shared on facebook ( at John Olufemi Kusa) under the title COVID-19: look alike symptom join the lexicon. Medicinal oils are fabulous healers even in log jams. Have you not experience a key which would not turn in the lock suddenly do after it is dabbed with oil? Why do we grease machines and protect motor vehicle engines with engine oils?
In pneumonia and COPD, there are many lock jams in the respiratory system. There is inflamation, mucoid blockages, debris blockages,fluid invasion of air passages, narrowing of air passages by constracted nerves which do not relax. In the book anoint yourself with oils, the importance of oils as medicine is well driven home. In Christian scriptures, we learn of how Mary and Martha always massaged the tired feet of the Lord Jesus with oils. And Prophet Mohammed? May the Peace of Allah be upon him where ever he is. He taught us about Black seed and promegranate oils! We should not wait until Pneumonia or COPD or other respiratory system challenged strike before we add these gifts of Nature to our diet. Our environments is filled with pollutants. We inhale smoke when our neighbour starts his or her car in the mornings or fills electricity generator tank. We inhale smoke in traffic. Do we know what the dust everywhere, including in our homes, is laden with? Many of us do not exercise. It is said we do not use more than 40 percent of our lung capacity. Any part of the body not exercised weakens and dies. These are some of the predisposing conditions in influenza, pneumonia, COPD and cold. Good bye, Pope Francis.
