Sunday,  November 12, 2000		Article

EARTH is one of the five natural forces or elements or the pancha mahabhoota, the other elements being Water, Fire, Air and Sky or Ether. Indians and people of many other great world cultures from time immemorial have worshipped all these elements. While Fire, Air and Sky are worshipped in the male form, Earth and Water are worshipped in the female form. The reason for this is obvious: mud and water nourish all living things, in the same way that a mother does. Which is also why we call her Mother Earth.

All these elements have healing powers and are employed in drugless therapy, naturopathy, in some form or the other. Among them, mud therapy holds the pride of place. The Rig-Veda and Atharva Veda have given extensive coverage to the properties of mud and its efficacy in curing diseases, especially of the skin. One can assume that mud therapy is as old as these scriptures.

It is for its life-giving and life-sustaining qualities that Earth is revered by not only Easterners, but also Westerners. If one were to observe certain rituals that are performed routinely, this would become apparent. Touching the forehead to the ground, is one such ritual. One must have seen many sportsmen, even from western countries kiss the earth, after winning a game. The first thing that Pope John Paul II, did on returning to his native Poland, after assuming Papal office, was to kiss the earth after alighting from the aircraft.

Mud holds a prominent place in many Hindu rituals. For instance, earthen pots and lamps are indispensable in all religious rituals. A careful study of the traditional rituals practised by various cultures would make it apparent that they have a slant towards health, hygiene, prevention and cure of diseases.

Till today, pilgrims walk barefoot to places to worship. This is an excellent example of mud therapy. In many temples in the South, pilgrims roll on the ground as they do parikarma, as a form of penance to ward off evil and cure diseases. As the body comes in contact with the earth, the electro-magnetic properties of the earth revitalise the exhausted body and mind, thus effecting a cure, which may sometimes appear miraculous.

Even animals, especially cattle and goats, lie on the earth whenever they are tired, and get refreshed in a short while. Even dogs roll on the earth, giving themselves a refreshing ‘mud bath’. Buffaloes, caked in sticky mud, are a common sight in villages. Not only do they wallow in water, but also in wet mud for hours. The wet and sticky mud prevents their thick skin from cracking in the heat. The same mud therapy can be used with great effect on human beings too, but care should be taken to see that the mud used is clean and free from contamination.

Herbal medical practitioners used mud to great effect. Even today, traditional practitioners of herbal medicine only use mud pots and containers to prepare herbal medicines, because mud enhances the curative properties of the herbs. Earthen containers containing herbal medicinal preparations are sometimes even buried underground for specific periods in order to get the maximum benefit of earth in curing certain incurable diseases.

Cooking and storing food in such containers is also recommended for the same reason. Water is still stored in earthen pots in our country despite the invasion of water coolers and refrigerators, because the water stored in earthen pots are not only naturally cool, but also imbibe the magnetic quality of the earth of which they are made.

The energy generated by the magnetic forces of the earth has the property to regenerate the degenerated discs of the spinal column.

Tribals in Africa and the tropical jungles cover their bodies with mud to prevent stings from insect and bites of poisonous reptiles.

Mahatma Gandhi was a great advocate of naturopathy and especially recommended the use of mud therapy to cure various disorders. He established a nature cure centre at Uruli Kanchan near Bombay where patients suffering from various diseases are treated through naturopathy even today.

The therapeutic value of earth or mud, especially its properties to keep the skin clear and blemish-free, is immense. Sadhus of India anoint their bodies with earth before taking a dip in the rivers. This treatment is now practised in elite beauty parlours, in the form of mudpacks, which are used to firm up sagging skin and give sparkle to the skin. Various types of mud like China clay, Multani clay, red and black clay, silt and sand are used in treating a host of diseases. Mud and sand baths are given to the whole body to treat certain diseased conditions. Dead Sea mud, which has many minerals, including sulphur, is used specially in treating skin disorders as well as joint pains.

The antibiotic properties of mud are remarkable. The positive ions of toxins in the human body can be attracted by the negative ions found in the clay, which are then absorbed to relieve congestion and inflammation.

The beneficial effects of mud on the human body are numerous. If one were to explain them scientifically, one can say that mud therapy in any form is effective in the functioning of leukocytes, phagocytes and the function of serums. The immuno-biological activity of mud, helps arrest diseases and promote health. Its bio-stimulating effect acts upon the vegetative endocrine system. This effect, in turn, is felt on the physiological and immuno-biological function of the connective tissue. Mud packs applied over the heart for 10 to 15 minutes at a time strengthen the heart muscles and relieve tension.