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'Mi have roots fi everything'

For the best herbal or roots wine from the Cockpit Country, you need not look further than the healing beverages made by 'Ras D' from Alps in Trelawny.

The 59-year-old herbal man, whose given name Delroy Scott, has been making roots tonic and drinks for the past 10 years, trying to put his fellow Jamaicans on a path to recovery.

"You have roots weh cleanse organs such as lungs, heart, liver, blood, spleen, colon, prostate, (and treat conditions like) asthma, cold and more; so you have a more relaxing system than before," Ras D told the WESTERN STAR as he sold his wares at his usual spot in the rural district.

"Really, more time sickness will reach people, and so I then began to study about medicine and herb. I got lots of herbal books, so I study the books about the healing effects. I discover that the medicine that we need is all around us. So all we have to try to do is to prepare them," he added.

Ras D explained that he spends the time farming and procuring the ingredients, such as 'bitters', 'nerve wiss' and more, which are needed for his special brews.

His roots drinks have become quite popular in the community as well as among passers-by.

"Every day I out here selling my roots. People stop and buy because they find out that the roots carry the natural stuff more than the chemical stuff. The roots just natural, because I even use rain or spring water. Don't trust sodawater, because it carry a thing that deteriorate the blood system," Ras D explained, noting that the Cockpit produces the best herbs.

- O.H.