“Kem” Methods used by Sri Lankan traditional agricultural communities
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"Kem" method used to cure for Stye in eyelid
When someone notice a stye in an eyelid, it is said that dropping a bit of salt into a pot of water by saying “Naganeta Pogane” (in Sinhala) and facing back to it will cure the infection. Another belief is to pick up young leave of grass with bubble of water early in the morning and drop water bubble into infected eye. Further, peasants have some experiences to cure stye by washing it from water with young leaves of saman pichcha or Siyambala or Undu piyaliya.
“Kem” to cure old Katu Pilika or cancer (කටු පිලිකාව) created due to spine of tree went into a body
This incidence is mostly happened on the feet of farmers who are working in the fields. Due to their negligent of such incidence, the place where spine has been stuck will become a cancer. Rural farmers use to follow one method of kem to cure such cancer by using local items. A small piece of white rock (quartz), a bit of salt, and a coconut shell with small hole are required for this curing method. According to farmers, at the first step, they need to warm a piece of rock and immediately drop salt water into the heated quartz. Then, it should be covered with a coconut shell with a small hole and keep spot of cancer to cover the hole several minutes. Evaporation that sprung from the rock will touch directly to the cancer of foot. Several days later, katu pilikava will be vanished.
To remove a spine in the body
When a small spine has gone through the body, villagers use a spine of orange tree to full out it. If it was unable to take out the spine three medicinal items are used to keep the place found the spine trace. Without knowing to others, an adult finds the piece bud of pineapple and a bit of raw turmeric to pound them together and keep the place where the spine is at the night. Next day morning, they can see that the spine is came out of the body.
The Kem to be used to chase fly the paddy fields
There was a famous kem belief to flee fly who damage the rice plant and unmatured grains. For this task, owner of the paddy field got up early in the morning before crows awaken and walks to the filed without speaking to any body with bucket of ashes. He has to go directly to the field with naked. Then, he sprays the ashes to plants and return not knowing to others. The believe is protecting the field from the fly.
To push out the Devil Bird or Ulama from the village
The Devil Bird or Ulama cries at the mid night very loudly. Villages are frightened by Devil birds sounds. They believe that the Devil Bird’s sound will fetch a worse thing near future to the village. Therefore, they do not hear it again. The Kem to use to drive away the devil bird from shouting is to follow the following action. A man to take stick and keep it on the back. Then he has to keep it firmly with two hands and say that “I am not alone, please be silence”. The villages hope that the bird will fly away to another place.