Traditional method 'Gurah', a breath of fresh air for many

By Tarko Sudiarno and Nugroho CH

YOGYAKARTA (JP): For many Javanese, gurah is a means to cleanse their respiratory system of what ails them.

In Javanese, gurah means to rinse; in the healing process, a practitioner treats his patients by assisting them to expel mucus through the nose and mouth.

The revitalized patient is supposedly blessed with a clear voice, and the method has long been favored by singers and orators.

Giriloyo, which is located 20 km south of Yogyakarta, has long been associated with the gurah healing method, with many practitioners promoting special skills they claim to posses.

Mohammad Hisyam, 56, a direct descendant of Marzuki from the first-generation gurah healers in the village, has the most patients, who include ordinary people, celebrities, and even government officials, in the village.

He claims to have treated such noted figures as singers Nicky Astria, Dorce Gamalama, Renny Djayusman, as well as actresses Widyawati, Silvana Herman and Elma Theana.

Apart from celebrities and officials, Hisyam also treats qori and qoriyah, Muslims who study reciting the Koran and wish to produce good tones while reciting the holy verses.

Gurah is performed by dropping an extract from the Sirgunggu tree into a patient's nostrils. The patient is treated lying down, told to inhale deeply and then exhale slowly. Then, inhale again and hold his or her breath. At this time, the plant extract is dripped into the nostrils, with Hisyam praying before the person is treated.

Then, still holding the same breath, the patient must swallow the extract. The patient then has to lie face down; 10 minutes later, great amounts of mucus will come out of the nose and mouth. This process lasts about one-and-a-half hours, during which time the patient, still lying face down, is massaged.

Hisyam said removing the mucus led to loss of all the impurities from inside the body. The method is good for smokers and people with allergies, migraines, sinusitis and asthma. And to get the best results, it must be repeated after 10 days.

The practitioner also advises heavy smokers to regularly undergo the treatment.

"The lungs of a heavy smoker are usually stained by nicotine and this process is needed to keep the lungs free from nicotine," Hisyam said.

True

But is it true that a gurah treatment can remove nicotine from heavy smokers' lungs?

According to ear, nose and throat specialist Soepomo Soekardono from Gadjah Mada University, there has been no in- depth study made of the treatment.

"Scientifically, once nicotine gets into the body it is very difficult to remove because it has formed a reaction with some body substances," he said.

However, he did not deny that the "dust" on the respiratory tract could be removed from the body along with the mucus. As the residue is removed, the function of the hairs inside the nostrils will be maximized as they can fully push dirt into the throat to be later moved into the stomach and then destroyed by the secretions there.

Tales about the treatment's healing power prompted the university's ear, nose and throat department to conduct a study at Hisyam's consulting room from October 1996 to March 1997. Evidence of the study -- a certificate signed by the head of the university's ear, nose and throat department, Ketut Losin -- hangs on Hisyam's wall.

"However, we have yet to make a definite conclusion about the benefits of gurah. Further study is still being conducted," said Soepomo, one of the researchers.

Scientifically, the sirgunggu (Clerodendron serratum spreng) tree contains saponin and tannin. Saponin encourages the production of mucus because it dilates the blood vessels.

"That's why a patient with sinusitis will feel relief as the mucus can easily flow through the dilated blood vessels after application of the extract," Soepomo explained.

He said a patient would be in no danger when mucus left the body in large quantities over a relatively long period of time.

"The mucus that leaves the body is, at most, less than one liter. And Hisyam is really skilled. Before and after the gurah process, he always asks patients to drink. This shows that he can think scientifically. His logic is that the liquid that leaves the body must be replaced," Soepomo said.

Caution

Although no patients have complained of any bad side effects from this healing method, Soepomo advised patients with asthma or heart problems not to try it. The reason is simple.

"Someone having an asthma attack finds it difficult to breathe. Gurah could be fatal for the asthmatic because during the cleansing, the nose will be filled with mucus," he said.

As for a patient with heart problems?

"When you take gurah, a lot of mucus leaves your body. Then you must lie face down for a relatively long time. A heart patient could go into shock," Soepomo said.

The Gurah healing method has brought prosperity to the Giriloyo villagers, prompting others to offer their gurah healing treatments.

The treatment fee is not fixed by the gurah practitioner. Usually, the fee ranges between Rp 10,000 and Rp 20,000 per person. Then another Rp 5,000 to Rp 7,500 for the masseur. In some cases, it is left to the patient to determine the fee.

Tight competition among gurah practitioners has made some of them offer "alternative gurah" treatments. Alternative here means that some add honey to the extract while others even add chili for more potency. Some healers have put the extract into capsules as a practical measure for busy consumers.

The emergence of alternative methods of gurah treatments makes Soepomo worried about the patients' safety.

He said Hisyam's traditional method was scientifically safer than "alternative" methods -- one of the reasons why the university conducted research at his practice.

"When you swallow a capsule, the process becomes systemic because the capsule will be digested in the stomach and the contents will be circulated by the blood throughout the body. If there is an adverse side effect, it will be more difficult to handle. But if the extract is dropped into the nose, an adverse side effect can be immediately dealt with because it only affects a localized area."