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its resemblence to a burn. The treatment is rubbing with cocoanut- or garu-oil.
Budōʾ or leprosy is also called the "evil disease", peunyaket jheut. Lepers are avoided as much as possible in Acheh, but they are not always collected together in separate gampōngs as is done on the N. and E. coasts.
The raseutōng, a sore on the nose believed to be caused by the bite or the egg of a small insect which haunts the flowers of the pandan (seukè) is regarded as incurable and deadly.
Beri-beri.The proper Achehnese name for biri-biri (commonly known as beri-beri) is difficult to ascertain, since this disease, at all events in the form it now assumes, appears to have been formerly unknown in the country; it is identified sometimes with one and sometimes with another familiar Achehnese complaint that happens to bear some resemblance to it. It is thus usually designated by the name biri-biri, which has been only comparatively lately introduced into Acheh.
Some assert that the proper name is baruëh or charuëh, and prescribe rubbing the body of the patient with the leaves of the baruëh-tree[1] chopped fine and mixed with vinegar, or a draught composed of the sap of these leaves mingled with water.
Others say that badōm, a light form of dropsy, and basō, the more severe stage of that disease, are really identical with biri-biri. The opponents of this view, on the other hand, allege that in badōm and basō the patient does not suffer at all from difficulty in breathing, as is the case in biri-biri.
Elephantiasis of the calves, accompanied by difficulty in walking, is called untōt, and has been indigenous in Acheh since ancient times. Recovery from this complaint is despaired of, as is also the case with burōt, under which are included both hernia and all other diseases which cause enlargement of the scrotum. A popular proverb, illustrating human endeavours after greatness, says that there are two classes of men who unlike the majority of their fellow-creatures, are ever striving to become less than they are, namely those who suffer from untōt and from burōt[2]; the allusion of course being to their efforts to reduce the swellings caused by these diseases.
- ↑ This view is perhaps simply due to the similarity of the names; many like instances are to be met with in native physic. We have already noticed an example of this in Achch, in the treatment of the disease known as leuki with a twig of the bush of the same name.
- ↑ Nyang keumeung keuchut dua dròë ureuëng; siuntōt ngòn siburōt.
