GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — In the herb shop run by Murad Helou, hundreds of different herbs can be found. Helou's shop is located in al-Zawiyah market in the center of Gaza City, and it only takes a few minutes for herbal prescriptions to be prepared.

Helou, 62, who never went to college, has been practicing what is known as herbalism since he was 14. He learned the profession from his father, who in turn learned it from his grandfather.

Helou told Al-Monitor about a patient who had just bought an herbal medicine to get rid of his intestinal parasites. “He resorted to an herbal solution to get rid of the worms that are causing him constant abdominal pain and anemia in the long run, as he could not afford to buy expensive chemical drugs sold at the pharmacies.” Helou said that more and more patients are visiting his shop to buy herbal medicine.

He explained that the herbal medicine he prepared for the customer cost him about $1 and is a powder made of pumpkin seeds, garlic and carrot seed paper. The powder should be added to 1 liter (4 cups) of boiling water and drunk hot. “Having this hot drink on a daily basis for two weeks will certainly kill all the parasites,” Helou confidently said.