Tandog. In the Philippines, the word "tandog" in places like Central Luzon usually refers to a folk medicinal item used for dog bites. Personally, I do not know where the tandog name comes from, but as Filipinos always like to play with words, it may actually be short for "tanngal dog," which in full English would mean "remove dog." It's just my theory which may or may not be true.To use a tandog, it must be placed directly over the bite wound, and as traditional folk belief would have it, it would stick to the skin and draw out any infection or poison that's present, thus saving the victim from often fatal diseases like rabies. It won't stick if there is no poison. Although this item can be rare, it can be bought from traditional medicine stalls in local markets or near churches.
But what really is a tandog? What is a tandog made of? A tandog is usually small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It may be flat and smooth on one side and rough on the other. At first glance, it would appear to be a flat gray piece of stone, but if you look closely, you'll see that it's really a piece of animal bone or part of the horn of a some animal like a carabao or local water buffalo. It's gray because it's likely been fired or heated over glowing embers to give it an ash-like consistency while still holding it's shape - charred in other words - but not charred black, only charred white.
The tandog pictured here was bought from a local market in the province of Batangas in Southern Luzon from an elderly woman, who, when asked what it was called, said she couldn't recall the name of the item. She only knew what it was for. A tandog is often part of a folk healer's or albulario's arsenal. The Tandog is often confused with the bato balani, which is a loadstone or magnetic stone.
