Musa sapientum Anhang

[Prof Dr Prakash Vakil]

Banana is probably the world's most popular fruit. They grow in tropical countries where bananas are readily available.

But, now with the fast transport systems, banana fruits can be purchased everywhere, even where they cannot grow.

The macrobiotic Japanese theory suggests that one should eat only those vegetables and fruits which grow in the place where the consumer lives. It is difficult for the author

to find out the bad effects of this particular fruit on individuals who consume imported bananas.

In India people believe that consumption of banana causes and aggravates phlegm. Patients suffering from bronchial asthma and U.R.T.I., etc. avoid eating this fruit.

In practice, also physicians come across a number of patients who attribute aggravation and causation of their symptoms from eating banana. The author thought of studying such effects and after carefully conducting the proving of the fruit, finally introduced a remedy prepared from the banana into the Homoeopathic Materia medica.

There are about 150 types of banana plants. In the cultivated varieties fertilization is not necessary therefore the banana which is commonly available has no seeds.

The wild variety may contain stone like black seeds. The banana fruit is botanically classified as berry of a capsule. It is rich in starch, carbohydrate and vitamin A.

It is a good source of potassium.

Information from Ayurvedic books

In India, there is a common belief that banana is the food of celestial beings.

Ayurveda forbids banana in phlegmatic disorders such as bronchitis, asthma, tuberculosis. Eating a cardamom after eating banana prevents the bad effects of banana.

For chronic bronchitis eating two cloves and five corns of pepper which are left inside a banana overnight; is found to be effective in curing the disease. Taking banana with

a glass full of milk at bed-time cures constipation, insomnia, bleeding piles, sprue, coeliac diseases, etc. and makes one to live healthy, strong and long. Application of the pulp is also recommended in many skin conditions like acne, wrinkling of skin, blackheads etc. It is known to increase weight, worms, sluggishness and sleep.

A ripe banana every night can cure one of spermatorrhoea, premature ejaculation and functional impotency. Further, the red variety is considered to antidote the bad effects

of the green variety and vice versa.

Other known medicinal uses of banana

Seeds of banana are considered to be curative as well as prophylactic in small-pox. Banana is a good tonic food for all age group of patients as well as healthy persons.

It can be safely given to infants. Pregnant women will find a good source of folic acid and iron in banana, with milk it can help to heal and cure gastritis, hyperchlorhydria, peptic ulcers - even those caused by stress or by some drugs like aspirin. It can be safely given to patients suffering from some acute infections like tonsillitis, hepatitis, typhoid, dysentery, measles etc. Banana is well tolerated by diabetics when taken in moderation. It can be safely taken by an obese person instead of sweets and carbohydrates.

As it is free from cholesterol and a medium size banana contains only 0.2g of largely unsaturated fat;

American Food and Nutrition Association: a simple diet in patients who have had recent myocardial infarction and also in patients suffering from hypertension and congestive cardiac failure. It is useful in patients suffering from scanty urine, cystitis, pyelitis etc. but is contra-indicated in patients suffering from renal failure because of its high potassium content. Modern researches confirm that some persons can be allergic to banana so they must avoid banana.

Kent's Repertory of Homoeopathic Materia Medica:

Aversion to Banana: Elaps.

Desires Banana: Ther.

Other books: Aversion to banana: Bar-c., Elaps.

Aversion to plums and banana: Bar-c., Elaps.

The study was carried out in three phases, viz.

1) Proving of banana

2) Study of patients getting aggravated from banana and giving banana to patients suffering from respiratory and other problems and observing them.

3) Prescribing the remedy on the indications collected from the above.

Studying the patients in this way their clinical desire/aversion/aggravation/amelioration for/from banana were also found.

1) Proving of banana:

Banana is a very common item of daily food like salt so the proving was carried out by giving more number of bananas to provers. It was not possible to keep the provers

only on banana. The provers comprised of both the sexes. The youngest prover was five years old and the oldest was twenty-six years old. 16 provers were made to eat

6 bananas daily for a minimum of seven days. All the norms which are laid down for conducting a proving like selecting healthy provers, instructing them to avoid any food-item having medicinal value etc. were observed. Besides some common investigations like routine blood, urine and stool examinations were also carried out in most of the cases before commencing the proving and when provers developed some symptoms. Use of some modern technologies like taking photographs of some visual conditions, audio and video-recording of sound and conditions were also carried out.

Some provers produced symptoms in just 2 - 3 days whereas some produced mild symptoms after 5 - 6 days and symptoms of greater intensity after 10 - 15 days. In some provers bananas were continued till the symptoms were unbearable. It was not possible to carry out proving with double-blind method when giving banana-fruit.

Later on proving was also carried out in D 6 and D 30 potencies. Here; it was possible to carry out the proving by double-blind method. Symptomatology obtained is recorded under observations. Provers who were given placebo first were given potentised remedy later on to observe the difference in the symptomatology.

Symptom which were found in 5 or more than 5 provers have been written in bold letters. Symptoms found in 3 or more than 3 and less than 5 provers have been underlined.

2) Banana and patients:

A number of patients with respiratory problems reported aggravation from banana. This may be due to the fact that people in India have been under Ayurvedic treatment for some or the other problem sometimes and Ayurveda forbids consumption of banana for certain conditions. But aggravation was also noted in many patients and many of the observations made in the Ayurvedic-books were confirmed. A few patients also reported relief in the intensity of their symptoms with banana fruit.

It was decided to study the effect of banana-fruit on patients suffering from various problems in a systematic way. 12 such patients were selected. 5 patients had respiratory problems. They were better with Homoeopathic medicines but when bananas were given they were not receiving any medicines. 2 patients were underweight, one patient wanted to lose weight, one had a rheumatic problem, 2 had skin problems and one had a neurological problem. All these patients were made to eat 6 bananas per day when they were not receiving any other Homoeopathic medicines.

Their symptoms were recorded before and after banana.

Symptomatology obtained in this particular way which matched the symptomatology obtained from the provers have been marked*.

Symptomatology found only in the patients are marked .

3) A medicine prepared from banana -fruit was administered to 15 patients on the symptomatology obtained from 1) and 2) and the symptoms which disappeared have

been marked by 2 sidelines - . These patients included acute conditions, sub-acute and chronic conditions.

Symptomatology collected from the provers

This remedy should be useful in complaints that constantly change from one organ to another; one place to another, shifting, fleeting in 3 to 4 days time. Acute subacute and chronic problems. Viral conditions like Mumps with or without metastasis, common cold, influenza, Bacterial conditions like Rheumatic fever and also other conditions like systemic Lupus Erythematosus etc. Lowered resistance of an individual when he/she is likely to get repeated viral infections like AIDS, Leukemia etc. It should be useful in Allergic Rhinitis, Pharyngitis, Laryngitis, Uvulitis, Parotitis, sinusitis, Bronchitis etc.

Repertory:

Mind: Weeping mood - cried because teacher scolded her.

Prefers solitude. Restless because of physical ailment.

O/E Involuntary sighing

Feels active and energetic mentally initially later tired and sluggish.

Fears something physical will happen. Anxiety* > eating. Feeling of insecurity. Feels exhausted physically and mentally.

Irritable. Wants to fight for justice. Cannot bear injustice. Fear of dark and unknown people.

After a practical joke felt very sad and benumbed, did not know what to do, after that cried for about half an hour and felt much better after that. Brooded over it and felt like

crying whenever someone mentioned that or if someone looked at her and said "Cry".

Homesick. Normally she would not react like that. Pessimistic thoughts and broods over the same. Does not want to be disturbed that time. Wants solitude. Does not like sympathy or help.

Irritability has gone. Does not get irritated as before - tolerance has increased. Irritable on the 4th day. Confused. Absent minded. Feels sad and frustrated about trivial matters or she does not known as to what exactly is wrong - feels she will go insane and loathes life. Has become tolerant. Normal > Slow and sluggish.

Head: Occipital throbbing headache if sleep disturbed > hard punches on head.* Throbbing headache on vertex as soon as head touches the pillow at night (bearable) which disappears when waking up.

Eyes: Dryness of lateral part. Watering < draft with cold feeling in eyes.

O/E Slight congestion lower eye-lids. Dark rings around eyes reduced;

Watering of eyes when sneezing and coughing – eyes burn.

Redness of left eye like phlyctineural conjunctivitis.

Nose: Dryness.

Sneezing -morning after getting up, afternoon and evening -two sneezes at a time-morning and evening -10 - 11 h. and 16 h.

Running of the nose after getting up in the morning. Obstruction of nose < morning.

Nasal discharge watery/yellowish/brownish/bland. Thick brownish in the morning changing to pale yellow in the evening

Ears: Blocked feeling in both the ears.

Pricking pain in ears -more in right ear > occupied < sitting idle, pressure, draft.

Mouth: Dryness. Pain at right submandibular region.

Tip of the tongue burning. Glossitis. Thick coating.

Two mucus stripes, normal > yellow coating posteriorly in a triangular form almost like a stripe over white coating and red tip.

Stringy saliva. Right parotid swollen

Throat: Irritation in the morning - has to clear the throat often which >

Dryness of naso-pharynx> drinking water.

Phlegm drawn from posterior nares < morning -discharge light yellow

Expectoration only morning - yellowish-white lumpy.

Hoarseness < morning after 10 h. - can talk louder but voice breaks when she tires to talk softly.

Pain in throat < morning, empty swallowing > tea, warm drinks. *Pain in throat as if something stuck at two places under the submandibular lymph-nodes.

O/E Uvula inflamed, elongated, red spots on uvula. Inflamed uvula shrunk so much when proving potentised remedy that it almost disappeared.

Painless pharyngitis (Sore throat - Bapt.). Pain only when empty swallowing. After 3 weeks of banana another attack of pharyngitis but this time it is painful + cough - < lying

down on back, > turning to left. Tickling in pharynx. Expectoration yellow sticky, stringy.

O/E Submandibular lymph nodes tender; more on right side. Pharynx congested. -more on left side

Stomach: Appetite Increased. normal""> Can eat regular meals inspite of having 6 bananas per day. Eats more than before.

Thirst Increased-little quantity often / large quantity often -violent thirst

between 14 – 16 h. while having food needs 3 to 4 glasses of water.

Decreased- aversion to cold water- feels chilly. Desires: Rice, tea. Desire for sour less.

Abdomen: Pain in epigastric region after eating - started at 19 h. after chicken -pain coming suddenly and going suddenly –

O/E Tenderness in Epigastric region, RHC, LHC, RIF. Right side

tympanitic. Lower abdomen tympanitic. Bilious vomiting every other day in the morning; alternating with loose stools with mucus. -OE Tenderness RHC - ?

Amoebic hepatitis. Used to get eructations-stopped. Pain at one spot between epigastric region and left hypochondrium. Does not feel weak inspite of

vomiting and diarrhoea. Eggs used to aggravate in her childhood - it started again - pain in abdomen and vomiting. Eructations stopped.

Rectum: burning in anal region when passing stools. Burning in anal region before passing stool in the morning; > passing flatus. normal"">Loose stools every alternate day with mucus. -alternating with bilious vomiting in the morning. Passing flatus increased. normal"">Flatulence lower abdomen. > passing flatus. -feels she will pass tool when passing flatus.

Stool: Offensive -semisolid twice daily -

Male organs: Frequent erections.

Female organs: Menses got delayed by six days. Menses early by 4 to 5 days. Or 10 days. Flow scanty -used to be for 4 to 5 days - now it has almost stopped on the 3rd day. Used to get pain in both the legs -now only left leg; hip to knee portion only. Leucorrhoea in the evening, profuse for a few seconds.

Cough: constant cough

suffocative cough, dry cough 1 to 2 bouts at a time > open air

< night 21.30 to 23 h. > drinking water. Sugar, sleep *3 to 4 paroxysms- < 19 – 20 h., expectoration white frothy-pain in head or abdomen

when coughing expectoration. Yellow expectoration. Brownish easy salty expectoration normal"">Drawing from posterior nares.

Burning pain at one spot on the left side of the chest. 5th intercostal space.

O/E A few rhonchi at left base

Neck: Tenderness right side.

Back: Pain at coccyx - cannot sit. Pain burning at one spot right scapula.

Limbs: Tenderness of cal muscles relieved. Pain in calf muscles on exertion - one month after stopping bananas. Pain in sheen of tibia;

“As if the legs would get separated” > elevating the legs.

Sleep: Increased -drowsy all day - 12 to 13 hrs/day –cannot concentrate in the class.

Feels fresh when he/she gets up. Previously sleep used to be disturbed at slightest noise; now it is undisturbed.

Sleeps under a fan and covers her whole body.

Wakes up as if someone called him very loudly; starts looking for that person but cannot find him and yet cannot believe that it happened in a dream state.

Sleep disturbed -wakes up every half hour but can go back to sleep very easily.

Dreams: Snake around her leg.

Many snakes sitting in front of her, Monkey in the house three to four cobras sitting by her pillow - wakes up frightened *Previous business. Of cars - he is

driving a red car. Of daily events. Frightful.

Skin: Peels off. *Hyper-pigmented, dark spots which were left after Lichen planus faded. *Pellagra started clearing up. Skin outer of the heel became thick and rough like corns. Increased sweat -on soles, *-on palms, -back with feeling of heat, forehead. Perspiration decreased on palms and soles which he used to get before.

Fever: 99° F Feverish feeling. Fever starts in the morning with sore throat.

Generalities: Was chilly before; now wants slow fan. Does not want fan. > Open air.weight increased

by 1 Kg. in 10 days.

Complexion changed-fair. Great weakness < slightest exertion > eating. Symptoms which some and go rapidly, followed by new symptoms - of trivial nature but

irritating. Frequent viral infections. Lowered resistance. Had a fall 20 days back but is getting pain now.

Modalities: < Morning. > Open air.

Antidotes: Carb-v. Coc-c. Ferr-met.

Follows well: Ars.

Investigations: Lymphocytes increased from 36 to 63 %

Eosinophils increased from 8 to 20 %

WBC same. WBC increased from 5500 to 12500. Hb increased by about 3 gms. in 3 weeks. ESR reduced. ESR normal"">increased. Sickle cells found

Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum