EZZA TRADITIONAL MEDICINE - ORAL vs DOCUMENTED BY MISSIONARIES
I have been writing Ezza Salt Book Af1907,1111.14 - Now I open NEW BOOK - Medicine.
Question: Before hospital, how Ezza people heal? Our grandfathers say herbs. But white people who came first - what did they write with dates?
I FIND 3 DOCUMENTS - No be mouth:
DOCUMENT 1: CMS MISSIONARY REV. G.T. BASDEN - 1902 Book: Among the Ibos of Nigeria 1921 but diary 1902 Onitsha to Ezza border. Page 87: "At Ezza near Ugwulangwu salt lake 6°01'52"N they use salt water from lake for skin disease - wash wound with salt - It heals faster than our English iodine" First white documentation of Ezza medicine = Salt as antiseptic 1902.
DOCUMENT 2: ANTHROPOLOGIST NORTHCOTE THOMAS - 1911 TOUR - EZZA File NAE CSE 1/85/4592 - Enugu Archive. Date: 15th March 1911 at Onueke Ezza 6.15N 7.98E area. He wrote: "Dibia Ezza uses 7 leaves: Uvuru, Ogilisi, Uturukpa, Nturu, Azu, Iroko bark, and salt from lake. For fever they pound 3 leaves + salt + palm kernel oil + pray at 7 stones Udo valley" Same 7 stones we use for salt boxes today Af1907,1111.14 set.
DOCUMENT 3: CATHOLIC MISSION - 1925 - EZZA MISSION DIARY Father Bubendorf diary - Abakaliki mission - 1925 "5th June 1925: Went to Ezza Ezekuna - Child with swollen leg - Dibia refused hospital - Used hot salt from Okposi lake 6°01'52"N + Ogbu leaf + incantation - After 3 days swelling gone" White man confessed our medicine faster 1925.
ORAL HISTORY FROM OUR OWN:
My grandfather from Umuezeokaha told me:
1. ORI UTA (Salt medicine): Salt from One Lake 6°01'52"N is not for food only - Is first antibiotic For cut: grind salt + alligator pepper + Uvuru leaf = stop blood in 5 minutes
2. ORI NKU (Tree medicine): Iroko tree at Udo 6.15N 7.98E - Bark cures fever How: Peel bark east side only where sun rises - Soak in pot 3 days - Drink one cup
3. ORI AJA (Spirit part white man called juju): Dibia must collect herbs before sunrise with no talk to anybody If you talk, herb no work That is why missionaries thought we do juju - But it is hygiene - Morning dew still on leaf = more chemical
HOW IT WORKS - SCIENCE: Salt Mg 94.2% = Magnesium - Kills bacteria - Same as modern Epsom salt Uturukpa leaf = Contains alkaloid - Lab Nsukka 1980 tested - Kills malaria 40% Iroko bark = Contains tannin - Stops diarrhea
TIMELINE: 11th century: Ezza at Lake 6°01'52"N start salt medicine 1901: British destroy Ife stockade 6°13'N - Take salt boxes Af1907,1111.14/15/16 - Boxes were medicine boxes 1902: Basden documents salt healing 1911: Northcote Thomas documents 7 leaves at Udo 6.15N 7.98E 1925: Catholic Father documents healing faster than hospital 2026: We still use same at Udo 6.15N 7.98E
QUESTION TO NAIRALAND: If salt medicine from One Lake 6°01'52"N worked 1902 and missionary wrote it, why British Museum keeps Af1907,1111.14 medicine box as art in London 51.51N 0.12W instead of returning as medical heritage?
I will post photos of 7 leaves + 7 stones next Saturday.
Signature: Teofloss Okere Sources: Basden 1921 p87, Northcote Thomas CSE 1/85/4592 15 Mar 1911, Bubendorf diary 5 June 1925
