This post is about medicine folk. As I child I was a short and skinny, and my parents thought there was something indeterminably wrong with me. Various experts were consulted. A Hakeem was visiting Loughborough Road Mosque, and we dutifully went to see him. The Hakeem diagnosed a generic liver ailment, and gave some kind of sweet fig-based paste. On comparing my medicine with that of my cousin, we concluded the Hakeem dispensed this same medicine regardless of the ailment before him. (These childhood visits to medical experts continued until a gentle paediatrician, with the aid of growth charts, diplomatically explained that I was short because, erm, my parents were short)
However, Hakeems were statistically a rare occurrence. In practice we also had herbal and traditional food-based remedies. My mother would cook strong curries with exotic spices to ward of colds and flu. We knew about the benefits of turmeric before we were told it was good for us. In addition to food-as-medicine, my father also had a prized copy of ‘Tibe-Nabvi and Jadeed Science’ – Medicine of the Prophet and Modern Science’. We consequently ate a lot of Olive Oil, before the River-Cafe-walas made it popular.
For the sake of balance, I should make reference to another medicine man, a friend of my family. In central Mumbai he had a very ingenious* line in wealth redistribution. He would take free sample drugs from medical reps and crush them into powder, and mix them into a generic pink chalky base. Wealthy clients inadvertently subsidised those unable to pay, equalized by the uniform brown bottles filled with pink medicine. My two visits, for completely different ailments, resulted in the same tasting medicine. The Pink-Medicine-Doctor of Mumbai was probably the most cost-effective and efficient MD in the whole of the subcontinent. His son is now a radiologist and avoids pink at all costs.
Finally, in terms of medicine folk, there is however, one topic that I have been resisting ever since I have been blogging: My antipathy to homeopathy, perfectly illustrated in the video below http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy#Medical_and_scientific_analysis
(stethoscope wave to Dr M)
Homeopathic A&E
*or, as he would say, indi-genius
Never the same beard twice – genius!
That sketch was hilarious! Reminds me of an article I read in the paper a while back about an acupuncturist going out to Gaza to help trauma patients through Traditional Chinese Medicine and Crystal Healing :/
If there is a problematic legacy of childhood illness for me, it is that I still attempt to cure myself with Lucozade, regardless of the symptoms. My wife protests, but I tell her it is what my mother used to give me. Though I fear I have forgotten all the pills and syrups.
Very funny post. And the video – hilarious.
I find it amazing, though, that so many people – who otherwise appear fairly ‘normal’ and ‘sane’ – swear by homeopathy. How come they don’t realize it is what it is?
Stethoscope wave back! My abreaction to homeopathy is based on personal experience. I was in Bangladesh with the world falling out of my bottom. My uncle dabbled in homeopathy and decided to give me some. It didn’t work and I remember rushing to the toilet in agony. The toilet was an oil drum with an old brick outbuilding above it. As I crouched and tried not to vomit at the sight and smell from below, I grabbed onto the wall for safety. The brick came off in my hand…but luckily I didn’t have to enact a scene from Slumdog Millionaire.
What I want to know is why all the homeopathy lovers bring up an anecdote about a horse being cured.
Homeopathy is easy: just get a bottle of Evian and relabel if Nux icum, eg if you have asthma, the remedy will be called Nux Wheezicum and it’s sure to eventually work. Naturally, one should ascribe some spurious Islamic connection to the practice and appear smug.