On Wed, 24 Apr 2002, santoshhelekar wrote:
> The discovery of antibiotics and their rational use in modern > treatment is a pivotal event in the history of our civilization. That > single event has contributed to the increase in our life expectancy > more than any other event. Home remedies and other kinds of quackery > have existed since the Stone Age. All they have done realistically is > provide us with some interesting (and in some cases somewhat > compelling) anecdotes. They have contributed diddly-squat to human > health on a global scale. I would tend to agree with Santosh on this. Being a latecomer to this discussion, let me digress the topic a bit by offering some insight into how these home remedies differ from region to region. Being of North Indian extraction and settled in Goa, I have discovered quite a few differences in outlook when it comes to these home remedies. North Indians typically have the chapati or roti as their staple diet, while South Indians and Bengalis have rice as their staple diet. Whenever anyone is sick with fever or an upset stomach, the first things North Indians are told to avoid is rice. When it comes to South Indians and Bengalis, they take the opposite position and avoid consuming any chapatis. Food poisoning as a result of eating fish never exists in Goa, Kerala or Bengal, but for North Indians, food poisoning is *always* the result of eating fish, never mind even if the fish was eaten weeks ago. I have noticed that many North Indians avoid eating rice at night, and claim that it causes indigestion. Never seen any South Indian ever complain of that, and they eat it 24/7. For skin diseases such as rash, there is a tradition among the people of South India to use the water of boiled rice to cure it. North Indians tend to use the water of boiled Masoor Dal with a little turmeric as a cure. Once I had an extended stay in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. There I discovered that the secret to a healthy life is to have a glass of fresh camel's milk daily. For those who have not been near camel's milk - well, it stinks! In conversations with Sindhis from Pakistan, they also tend to hold that same belief. Ask any person from the UP/Delhi/Haryana area what the secret to a healthy life is, and their answer is a glass of fresh goat's milk. Then there is the French secret of healthy life - a glass of wine everyday. I don't think many in the Muslim world share that belief. Then there is the Muslim misbelief that strength comes only through eating meat, and that also, the redder it is, the stronger you get. Of course I am sure that Hindus would have appropriate generalizations as well when it comes to meat. Another misbelief prevalent in North India is that by eating rice you get lazy and fat. A common remark I have heard justifying this belief - "dekha nahin tumne key bangali log kitney kaamchor hotey hain?" For the North Indians, eating chapati/naan/parathas makes you hardworking and strong. To end, let me relate the best of 'em all. North Indians and Pakistanis have discovered the secret why Bangladesh has such a high growth rate in terms of population. Well, believe it or not, but it is in the fish. Apparently, because you eat fish, you tend to have more children. Go figure! -- Tariq Siddiqui [ This Space for Rent ] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
