Traditional Healer Remedies from Zaire (D.R. Congo)

In the early 1990’s a group of Traditional Healers in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) compiled a series of pamphlets in their native language describing their previously ‘secret’ treatments for various ailments. Having met during Dr. Sherri Kirkpatrick’s time training health workers in the villages of Zaire, these writings were given to Dr. Kirkpatrick with the request that she help them assess the effectiveness of their interventions.

These pamphlets were translated as closely as possible into English, using herbal books and descriptions of traditional medicine plants to identify and translate local species. The translations below are electronic reproductions of the originals, with spelling and grammar retained as originally written.

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
A series of pamphlets describing Traditional Healer Remedies & Philosophy,
written by Traditional Healers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Chapter 0 – Foreword, Precautions, and Treatments

Chapter 1 – Treatments using Euphorbia, Papaya and Onions

Chapter 2 – Demons, Spirits and Ghosts

Chapter 3 – Rectal Pain, Pain in the Placenta, Impotence, Uses of the Mupapi Tree

Chapter 4 – Malnutrition, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Uses of the Lemon Tree

Chapter 5 – Headache, Chest Pain, Blindness, Backache, Uses of the Kalayi Tree

Chapter 6 – Chronic Vaginal Discharge, Severe Menstrual Pain, Fever, Jaundice

Chapter 7 – Malaria, Male Infertility, Prolonged Vaginal Bleeding, Cancer of the Cervix