RamkKasturi's-Asthma An Alternate Ancient Medicine Still Promises Relief

By ramkkasturi

Charminar

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fish medicine being given

Children too join it

Asthma Fish Medicine survives controversies

Asthma is a subject that has been written about extensively. This is a reflection of the inconvenience the patients experience. The problem can assume serious dimensions and result in death too.

There are about 5000 deaths from asthma in US and 500 in Canada.

The projections of asthma incidence based on the prevalence rates are alarming; 18 million in US, 2.0 million in Canada, 68 million in India, 83 million in China are estimated to suffer from asthma.

Asthma, the inflammation or swelling, is a response of the body to injury or infection. The inflammation subsides when healing is complete. Sometimes the healing causes scarring. When the healing does not completely resolve on its own recurring attacks may occur. In the long term this may lead to permanent thickening of the bronchial walls called “air way remodeling”

Therefore the goals of the asthma management according medical experts would be to reduce the reactivity of the air ways and prevent “air way remodeling”. It also helps to keep the patient away from the irritants that cause the reaction.

Though asthma is common condition affecting many people, it does not affect them all in the same way. It causes varieties symptoms based on the severity. This can be interpreted to mean that not all asthmatics need the same type of treatment and medicines found effective in a patient could prove ineffective in another case.

Broadly, the types of medicines available in the modern allopathic medicine for asthma fall under the three categories

Relievers- which relax the bronchi when a person has difficulty breathing

Preventors- that prevent the inflammation of the airways

Protectors that act similar to relievers but over a longer period

Medicine

The Ancient Fish Medicine for Asthma

There are many alternate medicines available but one alternate medicine that is drawing people from all parts of the globe is the Fish Medicine administered to a modest estimate of 100,000- 150,000 patients each year, has been drawing the attention of many for some years now. This medicine’s formulation is known only to Bathini family of Hyderabad, that has inherited it from their ancestors. The family continues to administer the medicine even today as a social service without any charge for the medicine (except approximately Rs 5 in Indian currency, for the fish which is equal to 10- 11 cents in US money). The medicine is administered just once each year, some time in June. The exact date for each year is fixed based on regional calendar and the appropriate astrologically optimal time. The date will be announced each year but is always around 7-10^th June.

An yellow paste prepared each year freshly in pure holy well water is administered using a peculiar mode delivery, by putting in the mouth of murrel fish(channa Sp/ Ophio cephalus, 2-2.5 inch long) grown and transported in chilled conditions. The patient is expected to swallow the live fish which gets through the phlegm in and delivers the medicine in the stomach.

Sounds scary and different?- ask the huge groups who come and desperately wait in the venue hoping to get relief after this last hope having tried everything else. They arrive well in advance and wait. Reports say that no one goes without the medicine.

Patients interested in trying this need to go to Hyderabad, the capital of the state Andhrapradesh, in India. The medicine cannot be bought in any shop even in India and is not available any where else. Though alternate fish medicines are available, the authentic fish medicine is the Bathini medicine. As always spurious medinces and imitations and controversies are there. The Bathini Fish Medicine is administered at the venue, exhibition grounds. The patient pays Rs. Five towards the cost of the fish at the counters to enter and join the lines.

Taking the Medicine once is not enough. Bathini medicine is administered for three consecutive years, which requires that the patient should go to Hyderabad each year around June 7-8 (Mrigsira karti ). There is a very strict dieting to be followed for 45 days after the medicine is administered. The diet calls for eating specified vegetables, roti (Indian bread) and also using only cows milk and yogurt made at home as specified in the dieting instructions.

Most of these materials are now available in super markets overseas and also in Indian shops as well

Does it work? The Allopathic doctors and rationalists doubt the efficacy of the medicine. They have challenged it in the court too. The patients say it works and they are happy. They are visibly irritated by those who seem to come in their way to relief. The past patients included people from India, USA, Britain, Middle east, and Lebanon.

There is literature on it in British Medical Journal. The links are given below for further reading.

Some suggest that it may contain some allopathic medicines but the results were negative. It was tested by Indian Institute of Chemical Biology for Albutril, Formaterol, anti-cholinergics and the presence of the other steroids in the medicine.

There was a petition in the court against the medicine but the patients are not interested in it. Their faith seems to come from the others who suffered and got relief. They must have done their own research before deciding to go through this arduous step. Some patients even suggest that there are people interested in piracy of the formula for patenting in collusion with multinational medical firms.

History of this Asthma Medicine

In ancient India, like in China, ayurvedic medicine has been widely used and practiced. Even today a significant number of people have faith in ayurvedic. It is often the sages that knew about plants and their medicinal values.

According the family, this medicine in existence over 150 years, was handed over to Mr.Veeranna Goud, one of the members of the Bathini Goud family by a holy man This family lives in the old city of Hyderabad near the world famous Charminar and are quite famous in the area to meet. The main persons involved were Viswanth Goud, Hannath Goud and Umamaheswar Goud. Now the sons are continuing the tradition as a social gesture to the public. The family, as per the instruction of the saint does not take any fees or even the cost of medicine.

Reaching Hyderabad

For those interested, reaching Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh India is not difficult. Hyderabad is one of India’s metro cities with all modern facilities and infrastructure. Hyderabad is very well connected by Air and train and bus to many cities in India. Direct flights are there to Hyderabad from Singapore, Kaula Lumpur and Frankfurt and Chicago. Alternatively Hyderabad being south central can be reached by direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi or Chennai and Kolkatta. Hotel accommodation is available in various price ranges but reservations would be needed. May, June, being summer time in India, are very hot months and the temperature in May can reach up to 42-44 Celsius, followed by monsoon showers in late June.

It is stated clearly that the hub writer does not claim any interest in this medicine. The hub is written purely to inform the patients that may be unaware and could be interested in this type of treatment. I shall update this hub later as soon as the date for this year is known along with any other information.

References For Further Study

Ashtama types- medicine net

http://www.medicinenet.com/asthma/article.htm

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sreekanth goud 2 years ago

an excellent and timely hub. Very informative.This should have been featured. Many colleagues think that the hub/hubber scores don't really help in choosing. I have come across many patients who felt better after taking the fish medicine. but to accept this is a threat to allopathic medicine.