Dr.K.VEERAMANI
Like old wine in a new bottle, many drugs have crept into pharmaceutical world with fake labels full of scientific explanations and directions. Genuine Science is being replaced by pseudoscience (fake science). We should beware its harmful effects. Dr. Satva, an eminent professor of Anaesthesiology
has published a book on Pseudoscience, alternative medication and superstition. It is in the form of conversation. The translated version of this book
in Tamil is available. I read it and now I share my views with our readers.
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Avoid medicines the effects of which have not been proved. Stay away from misguiding methods of treatment. Always rush to a reliable medical
practitioner when you are in trouble. Selfmedication is harmful, indeed. An ENT specialist who was above 70 once suffered owing to a block
in the urinary tract. His condition worsened when there were other complications in his body, since he just could not urinate.
When he contacted a doctor over phone, he advised him to stand erect and jump 15 to 20 times like a skipping exercise. The ENT specialist
jumped five or six times. The advice worked. He was able to urinate. But was it a sensible treatment?
Dr. Keshav Vani, a Urologist serving Max Super Speciality Hospital and Dr. Vikram of the Nephrology Department say that the ENT specialist risked his life when he followed the advice to jump repeatedly with a swollen abdomen. That could have led to bone fracture and other multiple complications, since age takes
its own toll.
A web-site called “The Quint” consisted of the views of Dr. Keshav and Dr. Vikram. They comment in brief that aged people should rush to reliable doctors instead of following such perilous advice. I read another invaluable book by a researcher under the title “GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL”. It is about genuine science. It discusses modern medical treatments available today. It says advancement in science and the world of medicine have caused a decline in mortality rates and a steep rise of population. Average life span of Indians was 31 years in 1947 but it rose to 68 in 2015 as per researches.
Recently I read a book – ‘Nutritional Value of Indian Foods’ published by the Indian Council of Medical Rearch (ICMR). A segment of that book describes how good bananas/plantains are for our health. 100 gms. of banana contains calcium, sodium and phosphorus in good measure. Several kind of bananas are available. They satiate hunger and help us get rid of constipation. Fruits and vegetables are an ideal option for medicines. Dear readers, stay away
from pseudoscience. Just ignore if some one advices – “Heal thyself”. That would be double trouble.
