HERBAL MEDICINE

At the entrance of Redemption Market on West Street, downtown Kingston, is Natricia ‘Diane’ Thompson’s stall from which she sells herbal medicine.

“A years me a help people with them sickness and help them live a healthy lifestyle. Whole heap a people come to me for herbal treatment. Me help people with lupus, syphilis and all type a infection,” she told THE STAR yesterday.

The 38-year-old said she has, though her medicine, brought near-death persons who suffered from cancer and other serious illnesses back to life.

“Nuff time me see patients who say dem have surgery to do and when me done with dem, all dem doctor marvel. My treatments are natural and affordable. For persons with syphilis, me

recommend dog blood, guinea hen weed, mandrake and red water grass among other things. For asthma, its eucalyptus, seaweed, vervine ... all a dem deh good fi it,” she said.

Diane has been in the herbal business for little more than 16 years, a trade she inherited from her foreparents.

“It’s from me great-grandmother days, and she pass it to on to me mother. Me have a lot a family a town who in this business. Me have a nice auntie a Cross Road name Princess,” she said.

TREATING HIV

As she explained the uses of each bottle of herbal tonic, Diane boasted about their effectiveness.

“I have four persons that I am treating for HIV, and so far, dem a take dem medicine and a gwaan good. Ask anybody bout Diane in downtown, and them will tell you bout me and the tings dem,” she said.

Diane has never had a nine-tofive because her herbal business, she said, has been making enough to support her family for years.

“This a what me do and take