Following concerned friends´advise, I went back to the Men Tsee Khang Tibetan clinic in the village. I show the doctor the toe and he prods it a couple of times and then takes nine different pulses from my lower arm. He writes out the prescription which I take to the pharmacist´s counter.
Some of the six medicines he has prescribed what looks like old friends (little brown pastels that I took for my persistent cold), but I am given a couple of new things as well. One is a salmon pink powder that I need to take with warm water after lunch, and the other is known as Rinchen Jumar 25.
This is known as the Precious Pill and contains 25 different ingredients including coral, pearl, lapis lazuli, saffron, nutmeg, crocus and sativus linn (I thought this one might be a cannabis derivative, but it transpires that it is a Japanese radish). The pill was first formulated by the ancient Tibetan physician Shasandhara Lakhsmi who himself was a great advocate for this wonder-pill.
It suggests in directions of use that it is beneficial to repeat the mantra of the medicine Buddha “tadyatha aum bhaishjya maha bhaishjya raja sa-mud ga-te svaha,” but I am not sure I can even get my tongue around this one.
I have been given complex instructions to take the various medications throughout different times of the day and night for a week. I am told not to drink too many cold drinks and to avoid tomato ketchup.
It must be a Precious Pill as I am charged a hefty RS230 (US$5).
That toe looks nasty. Remember, if you forget the mantra ONCE it will get worse!
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