Guinea worm, also known as Dracunculus Medinensis and Filaria Medinensis is found in India, the Middle East, Africa, Brazil and the islands of Caribbean. The worm (the female of the species) attains a length of up to four feet. It contaminates the skin through the drinking water. It causes no trouble after its ingestion but after a year it approaches the surface of the body and causes a local painful swelling which is usually accompanied by fever.

Treatment for Guinea Worm Disease:

When the boil infected by the guinea worm bursts, a thread-like filament appears and if it is broken it leads to intense pain. Attempt should be made to lift it without breaking. It should be wound round some thin, long object and quietly pulled out of the wound. When the thread makes its appearance, it should be smeared with oil and fomented with warm gigantic Swallow Wort (Akh) leaf bound over it.

The root of Bishapra should be ground in the juice of the leaves of the same herb and bandaged over the spot.  The central portion of the Peacock Feather (moon like structure) should be cut into small pieces with a pair of scissors, mixed with 10 grams of Jaggery and made into pills of the size of Wild Berries. One pill taken every 24 hours provides relief and also acts as a prophylactic.