Natural remedy for dysentery involves a fasting therapy and should aim at the removal of the toxins from the system. The patient should fast as long as acute symptoms are present. During the period of fasting, only orange juice and water should be taken. In the alternative, the patient should subsist on buttermilk till the acute symptoms are over. Butter milk battles offending bacteria and helps establishment of helpful micro-organisms in the intestines. The patient may be given small doses of castor oil in the form of mixture. In addition to administration of castor oil, the mechanical exclusion of accumulated poisonous matter should be attempted by giving very low pressure enema, admitting as much water as the patient can tolerate.
Complete bed rest is advisable as movement induces pain and aggravates distressing symptoms. A hot water bag may be applied over the abdomen. After the acute symptoms are over, the patient may be allowed rice, curd, fresh ripe fruits, especially bael, banana and pomegranate and skimmed milk. Solid foods should be introduced very cautiously and gradually according to the pace of recuperation. Flesh foods of all kinds should be avoided in future as far as possible. Other foods which should be avoided are tea, coffee, white sugar and white flour and products made from them as well as alcohol in all forms. Foods which have a detoxifying and cleansing effect upon the intestines on their passage, through, such as fruits and vegetables, are most vital to a future dietary.
Among specific food remedies, bael fruit is, perhaps, the most effective in the healing of dysentery of both the varieties. Pulp of the fruit mixed with jaggery should be given thrice daily. To deal with a chronic case of dysentery, unripe bael fruit is roasted over the fire and the pulp is mixed with water. Large quantities of the mixture so made should be administered with jaggery. The pulp of the unripe fruit mixed with an equal quantity of dried ginger can also be given with butter milk. The use of pomegranate rind is another effective therapy for dysentery. Lemon juice is very effective in dealing with ordinary cases of dysentery. Other remedies considered useful in the treatment of dysentery are the use of small pieces of onions mixed with curd and equal parts of the tender leaves of the peepal tree, coriander leaves and sugar chewed slowly.
