The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Black pepper (Golmorich) is one of the most popular spices in our country. It largely grows in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaya and other south-east Asian countries. Compared to Malaya, Cambodia and other countries, black pepper (Golmorich) yield in India on the whole is poor. The same case is in Bangladesh. Its weather does not favour to yield high quality pepper in this country. It is nearly globular in shape, about 4-5 mm. in diameter with a characteristic coat with deep set wrinkles. Black pepper consists of the dried, fully developed unripe fruits. On the other hand, white pepper (sada gol-morich) consists of dried ripe fruits, freed of their pericarp.

Botanical name of Golmorich is Piper nigrum. Pepper fruits are used mainly after drying as black pepper and after processing into white pepper. Black and white pepper are among the major condiments employed for seasoning freshly cooked and prepared foods. In USA and other western countries they are used mainly for preserving meat. Over half of the American consumption pepper is reported to go into the meat industry for curing and preservation of meat. The whole fruits are added to pickles, certain types of sausages, etc but the bulk of the products is generally ground before use.

Black pepper is mostly used for its characteristic delicate penetrating aroma and pungent, biting taste. White pepper has a similar flavour, but is less pungent. On grinding white pepper yields a product low ash and fibre contents and very little pungency. Pepper owes its characteristics pungency and aroma to its oleoresin which can be obtained by extracting the crushed, not fully ripe fruits with volatile solvents. The characteristic aromatic odour of pepper is due to the presence of a volatile oil in the cells of the pericarp.

Starch is the predominant constituent of pepper. In accounts for 34.1 percent in black pepper, 56.5 percent in white pepper and 63.2 percent in decorticated white pepper. Analysis of black pepper gave: moisture 13.2; protein 11.5; fat 6.8; fibre 14.9; carbohydrates 492; mineral matter 4.4%; calcium 460; phosphorus 198; phytin phosphorus 115; iron 16.8; ionisable iron 3.2; thiamine .009; riboflavin 0.14; and nicotinic acid 1.4 mg 100 g; vitamin A value 1800 I.U 100 g (Nutritive value of Indian foods, 65,101, 131, The Wealth Of India, Raw Materials)

Medicinal Properties: The fruit is pungent, bitter; hot, anthelmintic, alterative; useful in "kapha" and "vata", asthma, pains, diseases of the throat, piles, urinary discharges, ozoena, night blindness; increases biliousness; brings on sleep and epileptic fits (Ayurveda). The fruit has a sharp, pungent, slightly bitter taste; carminative, bechic, aphrodisiac, purgative, alexipharmic; useful in toothache, inflammation, pain in the liver and the muscles, diseases of the spleen, eructations, leucoderma, lumbago, chronic fevers, paralysis; facilitates menstruation; dries the humours of the body (Yunani).

Pepper is much employed as an aromatic stimulant in cholera, weakness following fevers, vertigo, coma; as a stomachic in dyspepsia and flatulence; as an antiperiodic in malarial fever; and as an alterative in paraplegia and arthritic diseases. Externally it is valued for its rubefacient properties, and as a local application for relaxed sore-throat, piles, and some skin diseases. In China, pepper is considered an energetic stimulant, diaphoretic, and carminative. It is used as a cure for dysentery in Cambodia. Black pepper is sometimes used by Malay women as an abortifacient (Indian Medicinal Plants, (Kirt. & Basu, III, 2134).

Medicinal Values: Sanskrit authors describe black pepper as acrid, pungent, hot, dry, carminative and useful in intermittent fever, haemorrhoids, and dyspepsia. It is generally prescribed in combination with long pepper and ginger, under the name of trikatu or the three acrids. Dutt states that very few Sanskrit prescriptions are free from these three, which, however appear frequently to be added without reason, and sometimes only for the sake of rhyme. Externally it is used as a rubefacient in alopecia and skindiseases (Mat. Med. Hind). Dymock informs us that Muhammedan writers describe the spice as deobstruent, resolvent, and alexipharmic. It is prescribed by them internally as a nervine tonic and applied externally in paralytic affections, while in toothache it is used as a mouthwash. It is esteemed as a tonic and digestive, and is believed to be diuretic, emmenagogue, and a good stimulant in cases of bites from venomous reptiles.

In modem Indian medicine the properties assigned to the drug by Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic writers are still believed in. It is much employed as an aromatic stimulant in cholera, weakness following fevers, vertigo, coma; as a stomachic in dyspepsia and flatulence; as an antiperiodic in malarial fever, and as an alterative in paraplegia and arthritic diseases. Externally it is valued for its rubefacient properties, and as local application for relaxed sore-throat, piles, and some skin diseases. According to Dymock, abortive pepper-corns known as poklimiri, have long been known and used by the Hindus. Garcia d'Orta notices them under the name of "Canarese Pepper" and observes that they are valued by the natives as a medicine to purge the brain of phlegm, to relieve toothache.

Pepper was the one of the earliest spices used in Europe, both as a condiment and medicine. In the fourth century B.C. Theophrastus noticed two kinds of pepper, probably the black pepper and long pepper of modem times. Dioscorides knew pepper to be a production of India and was acquainted with white pepper. Pliny, Arrian and others also mention it (Pharmacographia). Many writers of the early middle ages refer to the spice, all describing it as coming from Male or Malabar. Perhaps the earliest to accurately describe the extent of its cultivation and uses was Linschoten, whose friend and commentator Paludanus enters into a long dissertation on its medicinal virtues. "It warmeth the mawe", he writes, "consumeth the cold slymenes thereof, to ease the payna in the mawe which proceedth of rawnesse and winde, it is good to eat five pepper cones everie morning. He that hath a bad or thick sight, let him use pepper cones, with annis, fennel seed and cloves for thereby the mystinesse of the eyes which darken the sight is cleared and driven away". But in modem European medicine it is very little used, being rarely prescribed except indirectly as an ingredient of some compound preparation.

Special Opinions: "Made into infusion and given in colic and cholera" (Surgeon H.D. Masani, Ighghdf, Bo.N.I., Karachi). "Stimulant, carminative, antiperiodic; dose 5 to 20 grains; used in intermittent fever debility, haemonnoids, prolapsus ani, gonorrhoea and cholera" (Chunna Hall Hospital Assistant Subbulpore). "It is used extensively as an external application to inflammation".(Civii Surgeon S. McConaghey, M.D., Shajahanpore). "A very strong decoction of pepper given in that stage of cholera in which all vomiting and purging ceases and the abdomen becomes tympanitic affords great relief (Surgeon Major D.R. Thompson, M.D., C.I.E., Madras). "Valuable carminative and stomachic, highly useful in indigestion and dyspepsia. Forms a useful ingredient in tooth powder" (Assistant Surgeon S.C. Bhattacharji, Chanda). "Black pepper powder mixed with ghi is said to be a useful application in cases of urticaria" (Surgeon Joseph Parker, M.D. Poona). "Used as antiperiodic, also in haemorrhoids and cholera" (Assistant Surgeon Nehal Sing, Saharampore). "It is a useful application to boils and pimples. It is carminative, antacic and stomachic, and is used in dyspepsia, diarrhoea and indigestion" (Brigade Surgeon T.H. Thornton, B.H., M.B., Monghyr). "Aromatic, stimulant and stomachic. Combined with calumba and bismuth it is useful in dispepsia also with asafetida and camphor in the flatulent of dyspepsia" (Civil Surgeon S.M. Shircore, Murshedabad) (Dictionary of The Economic Products of India).

Syful Islam

Syful Islam

Stigma towards HIV-positive people emerged as challenge to the global efforts to combat the deadly disease of AIDS.

"Stigma towards HIV-positive person needs to be countered to overcome the threat of AIDS," global health practitioners say.

In Bangladesh HIV/AIDS patients and their family members are also victim of stigma, said Raju Rozario, executive director of the Mukto Akash, an organisation working with the HIV positive patients.

He said recently an English daily published the name and particulars of a sex worker who have been found infected with HIV positive virus.

"The sex worker has a 10 years old daughter who might face difficulties in the future as the case is being documented and our society is still much conservative," he said.

The recent UNAIDS survey report shows that global AIDS numbers have dropped dramatically, but in Bangladesh the number of HIV/AIDS patient raised alarmingly.

According to Ibekwe Ogochukwu Alexander, Southeast coordinator of association of positive youths in Nigeria, an Indian soldier discovered that he is HIV-positive and was forced to deal with the termination of his services.

An HIV-positive pregnant woman from West Bengal has a sticker plastered on her forehead by hospital staff resulting her to be isolated in the ward and refused the urgent medical attention she needed.

A couple was stoned, branded outcast by the community because they are HIV-positive. A HIV-positive woman aborted her own baby because hospital staff refused to assist her. This intense stigma can be painful to endure.

Nigeria now ranks second among nations with the largest number of people living with HIV. Taking the optimistic arithmetic apart, the experiences of ordinary people living with HIV tell another story. Stigma and not surveillance, is the biggest problem.

A 25-year-old boy from Obosi Anambra State committed suicide to escape the stigma piled on, because of improper counseling during testing.

Private hospitals and laboratories pose a big challenge in compacting

HIV/AIDS related stigma in the rural area of Nigeria. Not only that some of them do not have up to date equipment in diagnosis, they are lacking information about HIV/AIDS whereby causing psychological trauma to any body that passes through them which might result to suicide mission.

Tracking stigma is hard and its impact even harder to measure. There is a need to generate data on stigma by including surveys on HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Overall acceptance measured through indicators like willingness to care for a positive person or accept a positive person, even associate with a positive person is also needed.

Those vulnerable to and are experiencing social stigma and discrimination will be puzzled if they were told that awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS is higher than before. Awareness is not being translated into tolerance or shedding of stigma.

Protection against HIV and preventing its spread is certainly a key message, but protection using stigma and alienation will go nowhere. It is always challenging to fight for legislation and better policy outcomes. Nigeria is working on a law against discrimination of HIV-positive person. But laws and policies cannot be substitutes for a humane approach.

David Hill

The strategy to prevent hundreds of millions of people dying across the globe from the Avian Flu pandemic is totally flawed. This reliance that governments around the world have placed on predominantly vaccination (cure) only is a decision that history will record as one of the most insane and insidious decisions that has ever been taken by our political leaders.

This assertion is based upon the facts that the eventual human-to-human killer virus that will emerge will be a new strain due to the fact that viruses constantly mutate and that owing to the initial incubation period for bird flu to show its ugly face, the virus will have spread like wildfire across the world through millions travelling internationally on a daily basis. Indeed, the avian flu strain is 20 times more virulent than the 1917 Spanish flu that killed between 50 million and 100 million people, but where this time, literally hundreds of millions will literally perish with this ill thought out strategy by our political leaders and governments.

What should have been undertaken is that this highly contagious disease should have been addressed at its source (prevention) and where history again will confirm this eventual conclusion. Unfortunately by then, this terrible event will have taken place. Governments should rethink therefore before it is too late and adopt predominantly a 'field' strategy, for this is the only strategy that will work and stop the unimaginable happening. Governments have been warned continuously, but where they do not wish to listen due to the powerful overtones delivered to our political leaders by the giant pharmaceuticals in their quest for profits (or selfish greed dependant on which point-of-view one wishes to take).

One has to remember also that since 2003 the human mortality rate through the bird flu virus has been 62% and where only 38 people on average out of every hundred has survived. Overall therefore it has to be said that these vast profit-orientated pharmaceutical companies have not stopped any of these deaths through their highly expensive drugs and where things will be no different when the eventual pandemic arrives.

It is hoped therefore that for the sake of humankind, that a major sea change takes place within the thinking of our political leaders in 2008, from one of cure to prevention, and before time literally runs out on us all. These are not fear factors but factors derived from pure logic and facts determined by some of the leading authoritive thinkers on the subject.

(The writher works in the World Innovation Foundation Bern, Switzerland)