LEAVES FOR BERTUNGKU

One of my colleagues gave birth last week and she contacted me to ask if the Herb Garden has the mengkudu and pandan plants.  She had wanted to go get the leaves herself but I decided to get them for her on Sunday morning.  She might not know where the plant was.  The branches of the one at the front of the garden had been recently cut and there were no leaves.  There was another at the back of the library.
In Malaysia, the Malay ladies use the leaves for a traditional treatment called bertungku. Bertungku is a traditional Malay compress technique used to compliment any form of massage especially Malay traditional massage. Bertungku is done with the use of heated river stone or iron cast equipment as the compress.
Besides mengkudu and jarak pagar leaves, sirih and lengkuas leaves can also be used.

Pandanus leaves

Mengkudu leaves

Jarak pagar leaves can be used instead of mengkudu leaves.

Pandan, mengkudu and jarak pagar leaves which can be used for bertungku.