Diet is of utmost importance in the treatment fo malaria. To begin with, the patient should fast on orange juice and water for 5 gto 10 days, depending on the severity of the fever. The warm-water enema should be administered daily during this period to cleanse the bowels.
After the fever has subsided, the patient should be placed on an exclusive fruit diet for further three days in this regimen,-he should take three meals a day, at five-hourly intervals of fresh, juicy fruits like orange, grapes, grape-fruit, apple, pineapple, mango and papaya. Milk may be added to the fruit-diet after this period and this dietary may be continued for further few days. T-hereafter, the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet of natural foods, consisting of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits, with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw vegetables.
The patient should avoid strong tea, coffee, refined and processed foods, fried foods, condiments, sauces, pickles, white sugar, white flour, and all products made from them. He should also avoid all meats alcoholic drinks and smoking.
Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of malaria. One such remedy is the use of grapefruit (chakotra). This fruit contains a natural quinine. This substance can be extracted from the fruits by boiling a quarter of the grapefruit and straining its pulp.
Lime and lemon are beneficial in the treatment of quarten type of malaria fever. About three grams of lime should be dissolved in about 60 ml. of water and juice of one lemon added to it. This water should be taken before the onset of the fever.
Cinnamon (Dalchini) is regarded as an effective cure for all types of colds, including malaria. It should be coarsely powdered and boiled in a glass of water with a pinch of pepper powder and honey. This can be used beneficially as a medicine in malaria.
Other Measures
The best way to reduce temperature naturally, during the course of the fever, is by means of the cold pack, which can be applied to the whole body. This pack is made by wringing out a sheet or other large square piece of linen material in cold water, wrapping it right round the body and legs of the patient and then covering completely with a small blanket or similar warm material.
This pack should be applied every three hours during the day while temperature is high and kept on for an hour or so. Hot-water bottles may be applied to the feet and also against the sides of the body. A cold pack may also be applied to the throat.
Prevention
The preventive aspect in malaria is as important as the curative one. The best way to protect against malaria is to adopt all measures necessary for preventing mosquito bites. For this purpose, it is essential to maintain cleanliness of surroundings, environmental hygiene and to eradicate stretches of stagnant water. As the mosquito generally perches itself on the walls of the house after biting a person, it would be advisable to spray the walls with insecticides.
The leaves of holy basil (tulsi) are considered beneficial in the prevention of malaria. An infusion of some leaves can be taken daily for this purpose. The juice of about 11 grams of tulsi leaves, mixed with three grams of powder of black pepper, can be taken beneficially in the cold stage of the malaria fever. This will check the severity of the disease.