“Scorpion bites – find the bugger that got you, pinch off his tail and eat him.”
We have all heard the old saying ‘starve a fever, feed a cold’ (or, is it the other way around?). And, as you can imagine, here in this area, there are many cures and sayings. Trying to research all of the cures can be rather mind boggling, but, after a conversation with Margo (long time resident and a life-long believer in the natural medicine) and Ana (visitor to this area for the last twenty years) here are a few remedies for those world wide infirmities, as well as some pretty strange ones too!
Colds and general throat problems – Hot cinnamon tea with lemon juice and an aspirin, or, if you are of age a dash of brandy, tequila or mescal. Drink the tea at night and wear cotton pajamas to bed.
High Fevers – An overall body rubdown of mescal, if it is a case of dengue, Margo says ‘keep your body moving’, resting in one place will only let the ache settle in deeper… and keep rubbing down with mescal.
Heat Rash – Cornstarch, brand-name ‘Maizena’, mix it in a little water, forming a paste and apply to affected area two to three times a day….
Eye infections – Manzanilla tea, boiled through a good cheesecloth,cooled and then applied as an eye wash, flushing the infection out of the eye, supposedly good for pink eye as well….
Toothaches – for children, a ground up clove rubbed on the affected area – for adults – a mescal mouth-rinse…
Scorpion bites – find the bugger that got you, pinch off his tail and eat him, or if you are not a fan of this cure (which does work), an immediate cold shower, with a large intake of tequila or mescal…
Bruises and general body swelling – arnica montaña – the leaf of a native plant sold in the market by Don Celi (ask for him near the dining or fonda area of the market). Don Celi sells the chopped leaf for boiling into a tea for soaking the affected area or in pill forms. Ana told me that she was once hit by a bicycle messenger boy in NYC. She was badly bruised and swollen and took the arnica montaña pills in 15 minute intervals for 3 days. Her pain and swelling vanished, to the chagrin of her lawyers who kept hurrying over to take pictures of the affected body areas.
Abrasions and cuts – pabillo plant, a true natural antiseptic, wash the leaves, then boil them into a tea add a pinch of sea salt and then apply the mixture to the affected area. Should heal cuts and abrasions quickly and effectively.
Last but not least, the strangest of all Zihuatanejo cures: Apparently there is a worm, called the aglómo, found in the jungles out of town (way out of town!), whose urine is horribly poisonous to the human touch (flesh-eating). The worm can be identified by its white eyes that glow in the dark. After coming in contact with the urine of the worm, *****an extremely rare occurrence****, a small pimple forms, which first itches and then turns into a large boil, after popping, a hole begins to form. If this occurs on top of bone, the pain is ten-fold. If not treated, the affected area can turn gangrenous. The cure for this cannot be found through Western medicine. The leaf that the worm feeds on is the only cure. The leaf is also named aglómo. After finding the leaf, it must be washed and boiled and then placed directly on top of the area for a period of three to five days. The wound goes away, much to the consternation of medically trained doctors. Just ask Isabel at Coconut’s about it…..
So there you have it. If you are tired of antibiotics, trips to the doctor, and filling out insurance forms, try out some of the above and see if you agree.
-February 2000
