Doctors join attack on fish medicine

The Times of India
Friday, May 27, 2005

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.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1123680.cms

- - - - - - -

Posted on 5/27/2005 11:32:49 AM PDT by Red Badger
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
End of forwarded message

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

Hindu Holocaust Museum
http://www.mantra.com/holocaust

Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org
http://www.hindunet.org

The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate

The terrorist mission of Jesus stated in the Christian bible:

    "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not so send
peace, but a sword.
    "For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in
law.
    "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
- Matthew 10:34-36.

    o  Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the educational
purposes of research and open discussion. The contents of this post may not
have been authored by, and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the
poster. The contents are protected by copyright law and the exemption for
fair use of copyrighted works.
    o  If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely not be read,
considered or answered if it does not contain your full legal name, current
e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice telephone number.
    o  Posted for information and discussion. Views expressed by others are
not necessarily those of the poster who may or may not have read the article.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This article may contain copyrighted material the use of
which may or may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This material is being made available in efforts to advance the
understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic,
democratic, scientific, social, and cultural, etc., issues. It is believed
that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without
profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included
information for research, comment, discussion and educational purposes by
subscribing to USENET newsgroups or visiting web sites. For more information
go to:  http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this article for purposes of
your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.

Since newsgroup posts are being removed
by forgery by one or more net terrorists,
this post may be reposted several times.