J Ethnopharmacol. 1995 Jul; 47(3): 125-8.

Wasm: a traditional method of healing by cauterisation.

Ghazanfar SA.

Department of Biology, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.

Wasm or kaii is a traditional method of healing by cauterisation. This form of healing, known to the Egyptians and pre-Islamic Arabs centuries ago, is still used in the Sultanate of Oman today. In Oman, cauterisation is performed by traditional healers. It is generally thought of as a special healing system which is used for particular diseases and on occasions when modern medicine fails to cure. The instrument for cauterisation is usually a metal rod, pointed at one end or often bent at the top into a crescent shape. Different parts of the body are cauterised for different ailments and diseases.