I Am a Witness - Natural Cures Work

Some people are skeptical that things directly from nature - oils, leaves, seeds - really do any good - or that they can be used on a large scale.  Yet that is what we are proposing for The Neem Initiative.

But I have to tell you, I had an experience in Uganda earlier this year that taught me a great lesson about natural remedies.  I had been in country for nearly two weeks when I developed a deep bronchial cough.  It was agonizing and painful - and loud - and disruptive.  I had taken every cold,

Dr. Obadiah and his magic cough elixir

cough and decongestant pill in my extensive self-medication inventory, but nothing worked.  Then, one day, while walking through a bit of jungle looking for chimpanzees, I notice my son Obadiah gathering things from trees and digging in the ground. 

About ten minutes after we returned to our guest house, he presented me with a Fanta bottle with some orange liquid in it.  "What is this?" I asked?  "It will cure your cough," he said. "Drink half now and half in the morning.  Drink it all."  I tasted it and made a face at the bitterness.  "I will add more honey," Ob said.  "How did you know how to make this?" I asked.  Ob, who has been to veterinary school said, "I am a large animal expert.  And you are a large animal."  Of course.  I drank half the goo.  It didn't taste too bad.  The best part was, about two hours later, the cough was gone and I was able to sleep through the night.  I drank the rest in the morning and the cough never returned.

 "Ob, what was in that magic elixir?" I asked.  He replied: "Orange leaf, lemon leaf, ginger root, honey and some other stuff."  I didn't ask about the prep area.

I was impressed with the home remedy.  But the thing that sealed it was later, in Kayanja Village, the men were showing me their agriculture experiments when we came upon a small tree.  "The bark from that tree cures prostate cancer," one fellow said.  "WHOA! I said.  Are you sure?"  Yes, he said, "They grow it abundantly near here.  The French grind the bark and make a product called Tadenan.  You can buy it on-line.
So... if Neem prevents and cures malaria and Tadenan prevents prostate cancer and Ob can keep me from coughing, I'm set for life.  What about you?