By Mursidi Murah

Our elders have taught us many things and have created a base for us to build our knowledge upon. Some knowledge though can be considered suspect and more than a little wacky... This is especially true in some of the "cures" that they have prescribed to us over the years... Here are five of the more interesting prescriptions...

1. Cavities.

"If you have cavities, " says my grandmother, "get a matchstick or any other available wood piece and stick it into your cavity. Then break the thing off... Make sure you stuff the hole fully. Then top it all off with a pinch of salt. If it hurts, then it's working."

2. Bump on the head.

When I was little, as little ones were, I get lots of bumps on my head and an interesting "cure" for it would be a lock of my mum's hair... She would grab a handful of her head-hair and rub it vigorously on the bump. It would initially hurt but the pain would subside...

3. Open wound.

Ground some coffee beans, preferably fresh ones (though instant coffee is fine...), and just slap as much on the wound as you possibly can. Then wrap the whole bleeding mess with a piece of cloth. In theory, the bleeding will stop and it'll heal...eventually...

4. Bee sting.

When stung by a bee, scrape off some of the gook off your teeth and spread it onto the bite. Make sure the gook enters the broken skin. This "cure" might not apply now, though, as we now have better oral hygiene...

5. Acne.

During your shower, wash your face as usual. Then to end your shower, wet your underwear and wipe it all over the areas where acne is prominent. My mother has practiced this since her childhood and she never has acne...

6. Eye infection.

If you have a red eye from an eye infection fear not, a simple cure resides in you... Next time you feel like going to the toilet, cup some your your pee and wash your red eye with it. My mum swears on its effectiveness...

N/B:

Most of these "cures" are handed down from generation to generation here in South East Asia. The only ones I can fully attest to its effectiveness would be the cures for a bump on the head and the bee sting. The others...well, try it if you dare...