How Yoruba Man Told Me That He Uses This Plant to Treat Toilet Disease

As I was returning home, I noticed a boy picking some plants near our newly planted estate orchard. By the time I parked the car, the boy had finished fetching what he needed and had joined his father, who was waiting by the roadside. I greeted them and wanted to know what they would do with the leaves/vine the boy was holding. The plant is called bitter apple, aka bitter melon, aka bitter gourd.

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The local name here is garafini.

The number one reason I disliked this plant was that, for some reason, we associated it with snakes when we were children. The second reason is that it smells awful.

“We use it for medicine,” the father said. “Impressive. What does it treat?”

“Toilet disease and jedijedi,” he said.

What he described is hemorrhoids aka piles.

“How do you take it?”

“Wash the leaves the first time to remove dirt. Then wash it the second time and squeeze it. Drink the water once a day for four days,” the man said.

But what he said next surprised me. “After the fourth day, go to the hospital and do a test!”

What confidence! I know there are thousands who suffer from the two diseases he mentioned especially due to our sedentary lifestyle.

Even though I don’t see myself taking it anytime soon, I have a renewed respect for bitter melon.

When I told my farm manager (a Nupe man) about it, he said that he knew a rabbit farmer who feeds it to his rabbits.

PS: As usual, consult a healthcare professional before taking herbs.

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