No system is truly a cure-all

June 25, 2005

Dear Jagannath,

I like your plea for saner attitudes towards treatment of disease.

My father was a Homeopath, and my kids are raised with homeopathy, it is not

unknown to me, but

i would like you to understand a few realities.

# 1) No system is truly a cure-all. Even Ayurveda has called many diseases as

asaadhya---incurable.

# 2) The father of surgery is Sushruta and not modern science. And the plastic

surgery society of New York is called Sushruta Society, very appropriately.

Surgical repair is not

"un-Ayurvedic". Only , there was not much "Ayurvedic surgery " done in the last

250 years and all these procedures were developed by "modern science", but can

be practiced by anyone, including "Ayurvedic surgeons". That does not make

surgical repair as "Allopathic".

# 3) All "modern societies" were agrarian societies about 150 years ago, and the

first "western" medicines and Antibiotics were all from plants and moulds.

# 4) There are congenital heart or other diseases, that are life or limb

threatening and are curable only by surgery. See # 2 above.

# 5) The modern life has led to inadequate exercise and inappropriate diet and

any of the disease states that have become manifested, are considered "curable"

immediately, like repair of hernia, or hydrocele, etc.... or breast biopsy or

mastectomy,,,,, or prostate problems, etc.. and people are not willing to give a

lot of time to questionable therapies, whether of "modern medicine" or

"ayurveda". They want instant results.

# 6) Perhaps we need to do more advertizing and more research for the average

citizen to accept the "alternative " treatment, which is even called

"alternative and not mainstream".

# 7) There are several Ayurvedic practitioners in India, who give antibiotics,

and other modern medicines and are not treating according to Dosha.

# 8) There are incurable diseases like degenerative arthritis, with no cure in "

modern medicine" and the patient was referred to an ayurvedic specialist, who

referred the patient to a nationally known ayurvedist, and after 2 years, there

was only aggravation of symptoms. We can say all we want that we can " treat",

but that does not guarantee "results/ cure".

# 9) When it comes to Labor analgesia, we do not have any "solutions" in

ayurveda homeopathy or acupuncture , other than saying "bite the bullet and bear

the pain". Only a woman in pain can decide if she wants that definite relief.

Not even her husband can decide that.

# 10) Allopaths do not stop you from taking mega doses of Vit C or any other

Vitamin. In fact they prescribe routinely selenium, magnesium or any of the

rarer "earth metals" too. Please do not spread the wrong information that

"allopaths" will block use of Food. That is a humbug that only naive people will

believe.

Integrated Medicine is the correct choice right now, until we prove alternative

success stories by both double blind and anecdotal studies. And until our

"traditional science " meets the modern need of "instant result", society will

resort to what is expedient. Only societal attitudes will change that

expectation, or delivery of care, by whatever name you may call it.

Durgesh Mankikar,MD

June 26, 2005

Dear Dr Durgesh,

Namaskar. As expected you have given a truly balanced reply. Yes, so

long as people are willing to accept only instant results, things

are difficult for the "alternate" physicians. In fact this is the

major point why allopathy could surge forth ahead as it promised

immediate relief.

I look at allopathy from the viewpoint of a patient

who has been an unwilling subject of the "science" just because my

parents had infallible faith in it. While the doctors prescribed

their medicines and injections, the compounders/para medical staff

would often advise me to get away "while the time was still ripe".

They found it difficult to see a child being marauded by the system.

I was too young to take my own decisions and being of a very docile

nature I "bit the bullet and bore the pain". How I wish my father

was a homeopath. I know I would not have had to live through such a

traumatic experience had I been under the protective care of an

alternate physician. Can you imagine that all my problems stemmed

just from a tendency to catch a cold?

I know allopathy will be around no matter how much its distractors

rave and rant. It is a goliath that has gripped society by the

jugular and will not let go till it has sucked the last drop of

blood.

But must we turn the other way and keep quiet just because it is

the "in" thing at the moment? I am not a fanatic. I am a

very rational person. Even today I am on very good terms with the

allopathic doctors who treated me. I am mature enough to know that

it is the system which is to blame and not the physicians.

Regarding the allopathic system banning food, the fear is not

unwarranted. Today we are seeing the resurgence of genetically

modified food. Despite all evidences to the contrary the lobbyists

claim that GM food is best for us. God forbid, but it may so happen

that natural food products will one day be show cased in museums.

This problem (of Codex) is not something that is affecting "far away

West". Our own Government is ready to set up a drug regulating

authority called NDA in line with FDA of the USA. What is the

guarentee that this NDA too will not behave in the same fashion as

the FDA? Is the alternate medicine forum strong enough in India to

lobby against mainstream medicine?

I am not fighting against anyone on this

list. I respect each one as a student should respect his

teachers. I know that my knowledge is limited and maybe time too.

But I find it very difficult to remain silent. Please do not be

annoyed with me. I would rather you bless me that I may do my own

little bit, like the squirell in the Ramayana, in spreading the word

about the benefits of alternate systems of healing.

Love & Regards,

Jagannath.

June 26, 2005

Keep on pushing Jagannath! It is important taking a stand and announcing in such

an important issue. In the following article it is stated that: “300 of the 420

basic vitamin and mineral products commonly used by European consumers will be

banned from manufacture and trade inside the European Community.”

It is close to unbelievable, but in Denmark the following and many more products

are recently made illegal: ginger tea, ginseng, fish oil capsules, garlic

tablets, green tea, Magnesium, and selenium.

Codex is being ratified in Europe and the public health is at risk

Read this, only the first few sentences are in Norwegian and the rest is in

English.

http://www.fritthelsevalg.org/htmlsite/aktuelt.asp?parent=1&flag=1&ban=1&id=211

One can never be sure, but I believe that this is a lost fight for the EU and

the UN, because people will soon find alternative nutrition, vitamins and

minerals in food, herbs and else where. The Internet is of great help to

navigate for the information needed. Manufacturers are the ones that really lose

the most with this directive.

jagchat01 <jagchat01 wrote

Regarding the health system banning food, the fear is not