External Uses Of Garlic.

Written by G. C. Ihesie 

GARLIC is botanically known as Allium sativum. It belongs to the family of plant known as Liliaceae- a family of plant that includes leeks, onions, chives and shallots.
  It grows all over the world- in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, tropical Africa, Asia and the Americas.
  Garlic, like onions, has powerful aroma and pungent taste, and for thousands of years, it has been used in medicine and to flavour foods.
  In most traditional societies of the world, garlic was regarded as one of the oldest ìwonder drugsî and among all herbs, a ìcure-all.î
  In ancient Egypt, garlic was highly honoured because the builders of the Great Pyramid were fed daily with garlic to keep them healthy and free of diseases.
  It was on record that in the ancient times, garlic was used in curing a variety of diseases, including lung and respiratory system disorders, epilepsy, intestinal worms, digestive disorders, fever, skin diseases and in the healing of wounds, etc.
  It was a popular belief that the horrible plague that ravaged Europe during the Middle Ages did not affect those who ate garlic daily.
  In traditional folklore, garlic was highly credited with the ability to ward off diseases. For example, a peeled garlic clove placed in a sick patientís room or placed under the pillow of sleeping children was believed to ward off diseases, negative energies and evil spirits.   
  Garlic powder can be sprinkled throughout a dwelling place to help dispel dark, harmful and inimical forces.
  Also, it can be sprinkled around cows, horses and other livestock to protect them against attacks from inimical bats and to drive away serpents and scorpions.
  It is also a common belief that wearing necklace made with 13 cloves of freshly peeled garlic for 13 days, after which the garland is thrown behind, helps to protect against hepatitis.
  It is interesting to note that modern-day scientists have investigated some of these so-called ancient ìmedico-magicalî effects of garlic and surprisingly found them to be true.
  In fact, it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that garlic indeed helps to protect and guard against physical, emotional and mental disturbances.
  It was in the mid-19th century that Louis Pasteur first studied the broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects of garlic.
  In the Second World War, physicians disinfected and treated soldiers’ wounds with the solutions prepared exclusively with garlic.
  It is also on record that when sulfa drugs and penicillin were scarce, they used garlic successfully in preventing septic poisoning and gangrene.
  During the First and Second World Wars, garlic was called ìRussian Penicillin.î 
  Furthermore, a Russian professor, in his research work, discovered that garlic emits an unusual type of ultraviolet radiation called Gurwitch rays or mitogenic radiations, which stimulate cell growth and activity and have been found to have a generalised rejuvenating effect on the body. (
  So far, analysis has shown that garlic contains more than 200 different phytochemicals, and many of these compounds exhibit favourable and positive biological activities on human health.
  However, allicin- the sulfur compounds that give garlic its repulsive odour or smell- is also responsible for most of its healing properties. 
  Therefore, the so-called ìodourless garlicî may not work as the intact raw and whole garlic, which contains alliin (an amino acid) and an enzyme known as alliinase.
  When a clove of garlic is crushed, the alliin and alliinase are exposed and they immediately react together to form the pungent allicin, which is said to give garlic its anti-microbial (antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiseptic and disinfectant), anti-inflammatory and other therapeutic properties.
  Health researchers believe that microorganisms do not mutate or develop resistance when repeatedly exposed to garlic, and the pungent allicin is stronger than penicillin.
External Uses Of Garlic
EXTERNALLY, garlic is used as rubefacient, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent, and as a disinfectant and vesicant.
  A paste made by crushing cloves of peeled garlic can be rubbed on the affected parts of the body, on insect bites, scorpion stings, dog bites, warts, ringworm and scabies on the skin, in case of light burns to help regenerates the damaged skin, or rubbed on the gum as a temporary remedy for a toothache.
  Garlic paste can also be applied directly as plaster or poultice on ulcerated surfaces, sores or wounds, on indolent tumours, scrofulous sores, abscess, boils, carbuncles, athleteís foot and to soften and remove calluses or corns.
  A clove of peeled garlic can be inserted directly in the rectum in cases of pinworms or introduced into the ear passage to help relieve earache.
  Sniffing or deeply inhaling crushed cloves of fresh garlic will help relieve drowsiness almost immediately.
  As a rubefacient, garlic can be applied locally or rub vigorously on the affected area to help relieve paralysis, sciatica, neurological and arthritic pains.
  It is important to note, because of the rubefacient action of garlic, if applied directly on the skin or left on the skin as plaster, compress or as poultice for too long, it can produce a blister or dermatitis in some people.
  In such cases, the garlic paste can be mixed with honey before the external application.
Garlic Enema
A PASTE is made by crushing one to two medium-size bulbs of garlic. Then, the paste is mixed with and extracted with one litre of warm water and can be applied as enema, in all kinds of microbial infections (bacterial, viral or parasitic) of ear, nose, throat) for checking cold, fits of intermittent fevers, etc.
Garlic Infused Oil
GARLIC-infused oil is made by crushing up to 10 cloves of peeled fresh garlic and steeping this in a jar containing º cup of Olive oil for seven days. After straining, the garlic-oil mixture is bottled and labeled.
  Alternatively, garlic oil ointment can be prepared by mixing one tablespoonful of finely crushed garlic paste and three tablespoons of olive or coconut oil. The mixture is then refrigerated and can be applied directly on the skin when needed. This preparation can last up to four weeks when placed in the fridge.
  Garlic infused oil or garlic ointment is perhaps the most popular means of using garlic externally or topically in the following conditions:
Skin Disorders. Persistent skin infection, irritation and rashes caused by bacteria or fungi. Infection of the genital area like Jock itch, vaginal or rectal yeast infections, eczema, acne, psoriasis, varicose vein,  HYPERLINK “http://e.tc” #e.tc.
Insect bites, bruise, cuts, wounds and sores.
In cases of light burns to help in healing the burns and in regenerating the damaged skins.
Hair problems. Ringworm of the scalp, dandruff and baldness.
Respiratory tract problems. The garlic oil ointment is rubbed on the chest to help relieve congestion, chest cold, and pneumonia and on the nostrils in cases of sinus infections.
Ear problems. The garlic oil can be used as ear drops at night (plugging the ear with cotton wool will help) to relieve earache, poor hearing, tinnitus (noise in the ear), dry and scaly condition of the out ear.