South African Herbal Fever Cure

Many different cultures in the world have been known to use traditional medicines for the cure of common illnesses. The countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa have been using traditional remedies for hundreds and thousands of years for basic health-care needs and 80 percent of the population of African countries uses traditional medicines. The basic treatment for high fever in 60 percent of the children, particularly in Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Zambia, is with the use of herbal medicines at home.

Devil's Claw

• Devil's Claw is the secondary root of Harpagophytum procumbens. It is an African herb indigenous to the Southwest African desert regions and is used to treat a number of illnesses such as stomach upsets, fever, rheumatic pain and birthing pain.

Rue/Wynruit

• Rue is a perennial plant, and in South Africa, rue decoction is a popular remedy for the treatment of scarlet fever and typhoid fever. Juice from the rue leaf is also used for the treatment of convulsion and epilepsy in children.

Valerian

• Valerian is a native herb of South Africa, Europe and some parts of Asia. It is considered a substitute for Tylenol and hence a remedy for fever. It also relieves stress-related anxiety, menstrual and stomach cramps, insomnia and migraines. It is available in tincture, tea and pill form.

African Wormwood

• Also known as Artemisia afra, this is a traditional herbal remedy in South Africa used for its relaxing and painkilling qualities. It is used to treat a number of ailments such as coughs, colds, influenza, headache, fever, colic, earache and malaria. The herb is available for use in a number of forms including body washes, lotions and tea.

Imphahla

• Imphahla is an evergreen bush shrub that looks like Christmas holly. It is used by boiling the leaves and bark in water to make a decoction which can then be either taken as an injection, enema, or drunk in small quantities three times a day to relieve fever and coughing.