Maung Yaun Nwe - Practical Traditional Medicines and Methods

Karam

"The white incense is the best."

The moon is above the cape.

Happy birthday

It's beautiful.

Because it is a gene, it is not a time to be afraid.

The flying crickets are chirping.

"Beginning to bloom"

The lovely young leaves of the palm tree bloom in the late summer and early fall. At that time, fragrant plants such as sandalwood, akyaw, and karamet are floating in the air and are fragrant, according to the famous Burmese poets. The word 'karamet' is said to be a "Pashu" word. The Hindus call karamet "Karabat (ຕາວາຍ)". In English, it is called 'Sandel Wood'.

Karamet is not a rare item, and is found in homes in rural villages as well as in big cities. It is even referred to as “Karamet for women’s lives,” indicating that Burmese women use it as a valuable medicinal product.

Karamek is one of the five spices commonly used by the Burmese, along with red frankincense, white frankincense, akyaw samma, and karamek. The Burmese use karamek not only as a perfume, but also as a medicine.

Caraway is used in blood-thinning medicines, especially those that calm the heart, and as a single medicine. Caraway is especially used in combination with other medicines and in various forms of laxatives.

Two kinds of karma 

There are two types of karamak: Myeik karamak and Taung karamak. Both are fragrant, but botanically they are not the same species. Myeik karamak is a large plant, while Taung karamak is a medium-sized plant. Both types of karamak grow in Myanmar. They grow in abundance in Tanintharyi Region.

Myeik Karamek

The Karamek tree is about forty feet tall. The leaves are large and drooping. The leaves are flat and large. The leaf edges are small and pointed. It is umbrella-shaped. The leaf veins are prominent. There are fine hairs on the underside of the leaves. The Karamek flower is long and brownish-yellow. It blooms more on cool nights. The Karamek flower dries like a star, but its fragrance is always strong. The Karamek fruit is a winged fruit and contains one seed.

South Karamek

There are several varieties of the South Karamak tree, including “Sandawa Pin”, “Mawtseo Pin”, “Mweik Pin”, and “Pawtkaew Pin”. The flesh is fragrant. The leaves are light brown and fall off in large, irregular flakes. The leaves are covered with velvety hairs when young, but are hairless when mature. However, white scales can be found on the upper surface of the leaves. They are five to ten inches long. The petiole is one to two inches long. The fruit is a capsule or a drupe, half-submerged in the calyx.

The skin of the mountain karamak is dark brown. However, it is lighter in color than the Myeik karamak, and is like the color of white incense, so it is also called "white incense". The skin of the mountain karamak is "bitter, sweet, and cold". Its taste and aroma are similar to the Myeik karamak.

Herbal medicine

The color of the Myeik Karamek is dark brown. Some people also call it the Turtle-Thai Karamek. When the flesh of this Karamek is rubbed on the skin, it leaves a faint scent, so some people also call it the “Bathed Karamek”.

Of the two types of karamak mentioned above, the brown-skinned Myeik karamak is said by great Burmese healers to be more medicinal than the Taung karamak.

Extraction of karma 

There are two ways to get the karamet tree: “human killing” and “divine killing.” The human killing method is to cut down the karamet trees in the forest and leave them there. The large karamet trees that have been cut down are left in the forest as they are. After about three years, they go back to the forest and cut down the karamet trees to the desired size. The karamet tree is said to “the longer it rots, the more fragrant it becomes.” This means that by leaving the karamet tree in the forest, the flesh gradually decays due to water and sun. The karamet tree is said to become more fragrant as it decays. The “divine killing” tree is a tree that has grown old and died on its own. If you find such trees, they are more valuable. They are said to have a stronger fragrance.

Honor and taste

Myeik Karamek and Taung Karamek are “bitter, sweet, pungent, and fragrant,” so they can treat wind, phlegm, and gallstones. Karamek has a “pungent, spicy, and bitter” taste. So they calm bile and phlegm. Since they are slightly hot, they calm wind.

Traditional medicine 

(1) If it is an abscessed wound, wash the wound thoroughly with water and apply the ointment daily. The wound will heal quickly.

(2) If you are experiencing premature graying of hair or hair loss, boil the fenugreek seeds, add a little salt, and drink a teaspoon of the mixture before going to bed. This can prevent graying and hair loss.

(3) Those who have palpitations and blood pressure should apply the blood of Karamek to their entire body after bathing every day. Then, drink one teaspoon of the blood of Karamek every day. The disease will be cured.

(4) If you have small or large pimples and they itch, mix a paste of turmeric with salt and apply it all over your body after every bath. It will heal quickly.

(5) If you have a severe fever, mix two types of blood-thinning medicine and green leaf juice and apply it frequently. (Before applying this, first wash the patient with this solution. Then cover him with a thin cloth. This will reduce the body temperature. If you do not have green leaf juice, you can also use rice water.)