Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Traditional medicine and lead-containing preparations in Nigeria
Public Health, Volume 98, No. 1, Year 1984
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Traditional medicine, its preparations and practices, plays a major role in the health care of the community of Nigeria. In many cases the native doctor ("Babalawo") and the local herbalist ("Eleweomo") are the only practitioners available for the treatment of illness. Even in the towns where allopathic medicine is available the limited facilities it offers make many patients rely on traditional methods. Little is known of the pharmacological action of these traditional remedies which the native doctor prescribes. Our own studies have concentrated on the metal content of such materials. Here we report on the material known as "tiro" which is used for the treatment of eye infections and disease as well as an "eye cleaner" and cosmetic. On analysis we found that all samples of tiro measured contained lead ranging from 12·8 to 81·1% (w/w), with a mean concentration over all samples determined of 50·1% (w/w). In addition, it was also found that tiro is used by some members of the Nigerian community in Britain and is brought in in decorative containers as a gift. The extent of use in this country still remains to be determined, however. The use of lead-containing preparations* in traditional practices presents a significant health hazard to a substantial section of the world's population. We suggest urgent steps are required to encourage governments to establish education programmes to eliminate this avoidable source of morbidity among their populations. © 1984 The Society of Community Medicine.
Authors & Co-Authors
Healy, Michael A.
United Kingdom, Nottingham
University of Nottingham
Aslam, Mohamed
United Kingdom, Nottingham
University of Nottingham
Bamgboye, Omolara A.
Nigeria, Ilorin
University of Ilorin
Statistics
Citations: 31
Authors: 3
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/S0033-3506(84)80056-6
ISSN:
00333506
Research Areas
Environmental
Health System And Policy
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Locations
Nigeria