HOME      •      SEARCH      •      EMAIL    •     ABOUT

Usog is similar to "bales" in its presentation as abdominal distress, usually as o flatulence or abdominal distention, sometimes with severe nausea and fever.
Like bales, it may be attributed to the body's reaction to "verbal missile," usually a benign and favorable greeting or comment, like: "You look good today." "What a pretty child!" "Your hair looks nice." The verbal antidote "Puwera usog!" is commonly used as an initial countering therapy, sometimes as a preventive utterance when usog is suspected to be likely.

Sometimes, usog is attributed to the inhaling of "alimuom," the sulfuric odorous heat vapors that come from the surface of the earth, especially after a rain.

Some give attribution to a "bad or evil wind or air" (masamang hangin) that emanates from someone who is supernaturally endowed with such an ability to cause ill health through verbal utterances.

Home remedies, usually done by the parents, abound. One consists of applying warmed poultice of mamin leaves, mixed with a little coconut oil, to the abdomen. Sometimes, coconut oil alone, anointed on the abdomen or forehead will suffice. Some may try a bulong or an orasyon, from a personal treasury of collected prayers or through consulations with a local healer or someone knowledgeable or more accessible in the immediate neighborhood.

A punso, common in the Tagalog rural landscape and mythology, is believed to be inhabited by "nunos" (dwarfs) and reckless and disrespectful disturbance of his habitation could invoke his ire and cause a sundry of rural maladies.

Another is the burning of a clump of wet earth, preferably taken from the "punso" (an mound of earth believed to be habited by the "nuno") placed on a half of a coconut shell, placed on a fire and heated to the point of embers. The embered earth is then doused with water to create the cloud of smoke which is made to engulf the patient. The use of the smoke is similar to that in "suob."

Failure of the verbal antidote and home therapies will warrant a visit to the albularyo. The healer will often suggest a whole body application of "nga-nga" (a chewable mixture of bunga [betel nut], apog, lilit leaves, and tabakong intsik) or pinniing of an "unton" (A small pouch, usually about an inch square and red, filled with any of a variety of materials, like: tree bark, sili leaves, seeds, grain, Chinese tobacco, carabao horn, etc. that is pinned on the shirt). (See: Bales)

Bales  Pasma
Bangungot Rabies
Beke (Mumps) (Suob) Post-Natal Care
Hika (Asthma) Tabang
Nabarang  Usog

HOME      •      SEARCH      •      EMAIL