Posted on 05/27/2005 11:32:48 AM PDT by Red Badger
HYDERABAD: The asthma fish medicine mela, for decades an annual fixture of the Hyderabadi summer, is coming under attack from a coalition of rationalists, scientists and allopathy doctors. On Thursday, almost a fortnight before this year's chapter, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has entered the fray and demanded a ban on the medicine, which is shoved into the mouth of a live fish and administered to asthma patients.
Lakhs of people come to Hyderabad on Mrigasira Karte day (this year, June 8) in the belief that the medicine, which the Bathini Goud brothers claim is a family secret of 147 years, is a wonder cure for asthma.
The IMA said there is no evidence that the medication has ever given total relief to any asthma patient. In fact, the swallowing of a live fish could cause contamination leading to respiratory infections, it said.
IMA secretary (Charminar branch) and chief surgical gastroenterologist Dr C L Venkata Rao said the doctor's body had conducted tests on 150 patients who had taken the fish medicine last year, and found that none of them was cured of asthma. Six patients in fact developed throat infections and three others developed respiratory complications due to the growth of staphylococcus bacteria in the respiratory tract, he said. Dr Venkata Rao questioned the huge amount of money and material spent by the government each year in supplying lakhs of murrel fingerlings to patients and making other arrangements for the mela. "A government headed by a medical practitioner ( Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy) ought to know better," he said.
The IMA member pointed out that the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) had also tested the fish medicine last year and found it bereft of any property to cure asthma.
Other doctors agreed with Dr Venkata Rao's contention. Dr C Eashwar Prasad, assistant professor at the AP Chest Hospital, said throat and respiratory infections are likely to occur when the medicine is administered in this manner. Interventional pulmonologist Dr A Jayachandra said that by dipping their fingers into each patient's throat, "the Bathini brothers only spread infection."
Dr B Shyam Sunder Raj, chief pulmonologist of a super-speciality hospital, asked why murrel fish are used to administer the medicine when the Bathini brothers have themselves admitted that jaggery could be used with the same efficacy.
My bold inserted.....
Ick.
:)
This really IS a fish story!
Ick-theology.....8^P
Ha!
"something smells"
That's cause it's a suppository.
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