> A universal antidote?

A local doctor has discovered what he claims to be the world's first universal antidote, which can cure a person of any side effects due to the presence of chemically-made or natural poison in the human body.

Dr Patau Rubis claimed that the herbal antidote, derived from various leaves from the jungle and based on the traditional Bidayuh healing practices, could cure anyone who have been attacked or bitten by poisonous snakes, insects, bees or wasps or those who accidentally drink chemically-made poisons such as paraquat and weedkiller.

"I have personally saved two people from weedicide poisoning and my friend, a Bidayuh traditional healer, had already saved two from paraquat poisoning," he told a news conference here.

He said that presently, in modern medicine, different antidotes were given to patients suffering from the side-effect of poisoning, based on their medical needs.

"For example, for snake bites, the patient will be given an anti-venom while in other cases like paraquat poisoning, a different medicine will be given to cure the patient but this universal herbal antidote can cure any similar cases. There is no need to look for other medicines,"he said.

The 62-year Dr Patau, a qualified medical doctor now in the midst of documenting Bidayuh traditional healing practices for medicinal purposes, said it was high time to protect the ingredients of many traditional healing practices in Sarawak to preserve them for the younger generation to do the research and market them commercially.

"One cup of this herbal antidote has relieved four people from snake bites, wasp and caterpillar urine," he said, adding that his daughter, who was bitten by unknown "agent" on her left arm that caused itchiness on her skin, was cured with only one application of the herb on the bite mark.

Refusing to divulge the details of the ingredients for fear that outsiders will try to patent it, he said he had written to the Sarawak Health Department to conduct research on the herb and proposed that the Bau Hospital be the research centre.

"I would like to try to help more people, while trying to find ways to protect the intellectual property for all who have and will contribute to a proper development of this herb into a patent label which can be marketed to benefit more people," he said.

He said those interested to help him in his work on the herbal universal antidote can contact him at 0168886251 - Bernama.