FROM COLOMBIA: A LOOK AT THE EVIL EYE The evil eye; It is considered by some as a sociocultural disease, in which converge

indigenous beliefs with the Spaniards who colonized this land. A tour of the stories According to ancient beliefs, the person capable of transmitting the evil eye came to have such power that even not could look in a mirror, or on the water, or any other surface which reflect his face because it could do harm to itself. According to tradition, the power of the evil eye you have people with much energy in his eyes and, most of the times, with a physical configuration peculiar, like e.g. humpback, bizcas, deformed or extremely ugly. You can recognize an individual capable of transmitting the evil eye, because their eyes after setting insistent in something or someone, so begin to mourn inexplicably and ails les a very sharp pain. However, it is believed that those who have this peculiar and dangerous look are not aware of this. A very widespread misconception in our region of the Colombian Valley is that the look of a pregnant woman in menopause or menstrual period also has this evil power. However, the evil eye not related only with the look, but that there are cultures who attribute it to the touch and breath. Origins This belief has existed in all places of the world, even in the most ancient cultures; references in this regard are found already in Athens and Rome. Today, the evil eye is an idea which is considered to own the popular sectors or social groups that maintain elements of traditional and cultural values of their areas of origin. But it is also undeniable that this belief persists in other social strata. Classes of 'evil eye' It considers that there are three different classes. First of all the 'eye of bobo', so called because who presents don't realize what's happening to her around and remains in a kind of limbo. It also presents the 'hairdryer eye', that stands out because the victim loses a considerable amount of weight each day. Finally there is the most dangerous of all. It does not have a special name, but it is said that the child has ruptured the 'gall' and why vomits a green substance; If the patient does not receive a prompt and appropriate attention you can die in less than 24 hours. According to people that they claim to treat such cases, the best way to ensure that a child has been a victim of the evil eye is measuring your two legs, if one of them is significantly longer that the other is no doubt that the 'wrong' is present. Similarly, this disease is characterized by a persistent crying, fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhea, green color and odor.

Amulets and contravenes An example of amulets is the 'coral', kind of necklace that is placed in the wrist or ankle of children to protect them from the evil eye. In ancient times, it was customary to prevent evil, load figures that they symbolize the genital organs, as if evil eyes destroyed; sexuality is the protective as giver of life force. When these amulets fail, and disease occurs, healers used treatments such as the incense and the baths of Penny royal, paico and yerbabuena, after praying certain secret prayers. In addition, is recommended for the patient drink water of roasted rice and serum. Medical point of view For its part, the pediatrician Jorge Garcia argues that symptoms which are attributed to the evil eye are, most of the times, a typical case of gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and the intestines due to various causes, including an infection caused by viruses, germs and parasites. The test is, say physicians, on the fact that the treatment the'healers' recommended for this disorder is very similar to that recetara any traditional doctor, and which consists, in addition to providing proper antispasmodics and intestinal antiseptics, at rest and that the patient eat a bland(mushy) food and liquid diet for three days. 'What happens', says pediatrician Humberto Rey, ' is the traditional doctor manages a scientific language within a society, in its vast majority, has no a scientific attitude towards life; Instead, it presents a strong orientation towards magic. For this reason, the person who believes in the evil eye looking for someone to speak in their own language and give the solution expects '. For his part, Dr. Jaime Rodrguez, Professor in the Department of Social Medicine of the UV, says: ' the evil eye is a species of energy imbalance suffered by the patient for reasons unknown to traditional medicine; that is why alternative medicine is used to achieve a good result '. The evil eye is, without doubt, a phenomenon that arouses the most diverse interpretations. But what cannot be denied is that the eyes have a very special power. The 'evil eye' has the same obscure origins than the spell, the spell or enchantment. For this reason man seeking to combat them, with a series of amulets or practices provided by what is considered 'white magic'.