282. Bakweri Traditional First Aid Treatments.
The elder brother of my maternal grandmother, Mbamba Kwaonge Etone of the village of Likombe situated about 2-3 kilo metres north of Sachenhofen Plantation had good knowledge of several medicinal plants. He was NOT a traditional Doctor.
Nonetheless he used his vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and medicinal barks of trees in treating and effectively curing certain diseases. I remember how he used to distribute medicinal barks of trees to members of his family at Sasse, Great Soppo, Wonduma, Wokpwae and at Wonyavio where my maternal grandmother lived.
Fifty five years ago Mbamba Kwaongo gave me a list of medical plants and the illnesses that each plant cures. I am still maintaining the list in a note book. The list has been very helpful to me. I am not a Doctor so I avoid making the prescriptions of Mbamba Kwaongo public.
Vakpwe in our villages, particularly farmers and hunters are familiar with several medicinal plants and the illnesses that each plant cures. I therefore suggest that every Mokpwe should endeavour to acquire from members of his/her family or from reliable persons names of medicinal plants and the illnesses that each plant cures. Such knowledge is without doubt useful, at least, as First Aid measures “Where there is no Doctor”.
Here are the names of a few of the frequently used herbs/plants:
Ndototo
Litine
Ewula fako
Lisefo
Eliva-liva
Iva-ngowa
Gbassa
Tatuwe.
Tambi.
Sombo-loko
Esosa Mai-ja
Lisinge-singe.
Ndombo.
Mokoo-ko.
Isu-se.
Veyali ve Ijoka Mokpwe (Leaves of Ijoka Mokpwe plant).
Veyali ve Wokeku (leaves of a fruit tree called Wokeku)
Lingala.
vefuma ve Nyo-finya and its leaves
woo-ngo
Barks of Mokamu
Barks of Gbwangu
Also used as medicine are:
Mimba (Palm wine).
Maliva ma Mbuwa (rain water)
Maliva ma Mowanga mo likao (liquid inside a coco-nut).
Maliva ma Mwanja (seawater).
Maliva ma Monda-ndo-wani (liquid from crushed stems of “monda-ndo-wani”)
Ijoka Mokpwe..
Mbongo.
Ekee-nju.
Mbanda.
Mawuja (palm oil)
Mbiya fenya (palm nuts that have not been boiled)
Manyanga (black oil extracted from palm kernels that are boiled without water)
Matofe (when oil has been extracted from boiled palm nuts, the outer part of palm nuts becomes known as “matofe”. Dry matofe is used for starting a fire.
Liwu (wood ashes from a fire-place used for cooking).
Nyaa-nga (sand, particularly soft sand like the sand at the seashore in Victoria (Limbe).
Oma nanu.
Imba Mbua Ndoko.
Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa
Tel/Fax: 33-32-25-35
Mobile/Cell: 79-73-47-14
Website: http://www.mbuandoko.com
Comments