Next Chapter:…23.7.2006……
I continue with a new subject matter just for a change…
OUR HEALTH, THE DOCTORS WHOM WE REMEMBER AS GOD…Narayaneeyam composed by Meppathur NARAYANA Bhattathiri in praise of Lord Vishnu/Guruvayurappan for relief from all sickness…
We remember the deities in various temples like Guruvayurappan in Guruvayur temple,Bagavathy in Chottanikkara,Siva in Vadakkunathan temple, Kochu Guruvayurappan in Thiruvambadi temple…,Balaji in Tirupathi,Murugan in Palani,Thiruchendur,Marudhamalai ,Thirupparankundram ,etc,Uchipillayar in Tiruchirapalli, Marudheeswarar and Kapaleeswarar in Chennai,Siva in Thiruvanaikkaval, Akhilandeswari in Thiruvanaikkaval, and many others..Also remember some of our teachers …gurus….who taught us , reprimanded us, punished us, encouraged us, praised us,etc….etc….and our parents, children sisters, brothers, and all other kith and kin and all those whom we meet in this world.....including the life partner ..the spouse... Wife or husband....
Similarly the Doctors and the nurses whom we have approached us and have cared and cured our illness also remain green in our memory…and we attribute to them the status of God…..,...........
It is humanly difficult to describe various feelings/pain/sufferings /symptoms of sickness as each one feels it differently. However there are similar common forms such as headache, heaviness of head,giddiness,,perspiration,high temperature felt through out body and on the forehead,etc dehydaration,constipation,indigestion,hypertension,hypotension,nausea,vomiting sensation, ear pain, irritation of eyes, general weakness of body, loss of strength, ,psychological diordrers,,depression,etc…..And with the modern advancement of medicine most of us take medicines ourselves like Acetoaminophene(Teylenol),Paracetemol,Aspirin,Diclofenac,Salubutomol,Deriphylline,Betamethasone,Beta blockers ,Antidotes, Pain killers,...
Antibiotic, ampicillin, sedatives, alprazoms, diazepams like Valium, purgatives…..and a host of other medicines… ,etc for illness and medicines under various brand names readily available in medical shop…But these are not real remedies….and on many occasions the sickness persists. With persistent fever,…headache…etc and we are finally compelled to go to Doctor or a quack…for diagnosing the illness and cured by medication….injections…intravenous,intramuscular, by diagnosing after subjecting us to various tests…by the Doctors.
Also in case of any injury,accident,,,etc may be the person becoming unconscious …we rush the patient to a hospitals or a surgeon…So ultimately the Doctor..Whether, a Physician, Surgeon, Dentist,,ENT Specialist,Cardiologist.,Urologist,Psychiatrist,etc..each specialized in various fields is contacted by us for medical diagnosis, determination of sickness and prescribing required medicines.Ordinarily our physician having a stethoscope/thermometer feel the pulse,temperature,BPlevel,,blood sugar level etc and sometimes subject us to pathological tests,,xray,scanning,biopsy,ECG…Electrocardiogram,CT Scan,MRI scan,etc…etc….it is but natural /common for the patient to feel frightened about sickness and a feeling of sadness about the sickness, and the likely time it will take for curing it etc…Once cured of any sickness we feel grateful to the Doctor who treated us and convey our thanks…and feel in our heart of hearts the Doctor as a human form of God almighty who saved me/us…We pay him/her the fees and pray God to give long. good health to the Doctor…We don’t know whom the said Doctors approach when they fall sick……I have heard another professional etiquette.. Any Doctor should not treat any of his blood relations...May be true...
Having lived for 59 long years, present or current illness for me is hypertension mild..…and continue with medicines such as Atenol,….Ramipril,Restyl…..being taken daily….Before reaching this stage of sickness, I give in brief the various Doctors whom I have approached/the Hospitals I have visited etc…..
Of course many of the Doctors whom I
Introduce are known to most of the piyer offspring….
It was Dr.Venkatachalm in Trichur who was called so by us. He was the family Doctor in Trichur .He used to travel in hand pulled rickshaw in the evenings visiting his patients on call…we used to send message for any sickness to anyone in the family and Dr Venkatachalam used to come in the rickshaw in the evening. He used to have his stethoscope,, thermometer, syringe, some penicillin ampules,distilled water ,etc..Ofcourse in his clinic or compounders room he had some dressing materials like surgical cotton, lint, Dettol,,,tincture iodine,,etc…He ws actually a compounder but we had recognized him as a Doctor a Deemed Doctor……His house cum clinic ws near Petrol bunk in Naickanal…Trichur,.had a Rice mill of his family and his brother being an gymnasium teacher and Drill Teacher in our school…Vivekodayam Boys High school. He has come to our house and treated us for sickness like influenza,fever,typhoid,asthma and for some minor dressing for minor accidents.
He was thus our First Family Doctor with Divine status conferred by us. Now his son is a qualified Doctor………MD….and other details not known as we have left Trichur some 46 years back…..
Thre were other Doctors also in Trichur like Dr.Krishna Iyer near our house. He used to come on emergency call for our Eachara periappa who had some cardiac problem and was staying with us in the Paruvakkat house..Trichur.Dr Krishna Iyer had a roaring business and his house quite bungalow type….and a large clinic…His children Parvathi, Ranjini,etc classmates of some piyer members and son Sai ..We have seen Dr Krishna Iyer as a rich Doctor with his own car, house,etc …
I remember once when Sundaram had an accident by fall of an almirah on his head he ws taken to Dr Krishna Iyer"s clinic..by our Manni..who knew their family and related to them.
Then it was during an accident I had in June,1960 ,,,…when I fell down from a mango tree… I was taken to Trichur District Hospital where one Mr.Vijayakumar bone specialist or Ortho ..who had taken care of me. Other Doctors or the District Medical Officer had visited me…their names I don’t know….I was told my Appa,amma,brother Konthai, all others, etc who had come after hearing death of another elder brother a fortnight back were in the hospital... Praying God to save me...who had lowering pulse..blood oozing out ..bandaged....Doctors had advised to wait for 24 hours.My Appa used to say the District Medical Officer came next morning to check serious cases told appa..''.Sami you are Devaswom God's person pray Guruvayurappa'' ..checked my pulse and told ...kuttiya kitti. .means pulse has recovered the child is alive recovering...Here Guruvayurappan came in the firm of DMO and saved me.I have 2 inch cut mark on left side near eye and forehead The fractured bone got healed. My Appa took me to Guruvayur temple later although he was grieved on account of untimely death of his favourite son Balasubramanian at Bombay a few days back
Of course it is worth mentioning the medical shops like Kamala Medicals, Pallan medicals from where we used to buy medicines
Of course there were no gynecologist etc those days for procedure connected with childbirth/delivery. and we were told one Narayanikuuti nurse who was the one took care of deliveries of many of us.Incidentally we have heard my grandmother through father used to help deliveries of pregnant women as there were no Doctors or Midwife thosed days...all normal deliveries...She was like a Doctor these days or Gynaecologist
Our father and mother having teeth trouble have approached some Dentists in Trichur who by removing their natural teeth had replaced with gold plated set…we saw the gold in their teeth some years but later disappeared as it might have been consumed by them while taking food.Ofcourse we were told that the Dentist had extracted much money for making golden teeth along with extracting the natural teeth.
We have seen herbs/roots …being purchased from Naatuumarundhu kadai and oil prepared for mother and father…but don’t know the vaidhyar who would have prescribed the naatumarundhu,the process of making herbal oil,etc…Now only the Urulis used for preparing oils are remaining with us somewhere,,,
During our next phase of life we were treated by Doctors …stationed at Ban galore…..
It was Dr.V.E.Jayaraman who used to be approached by us for family members…who although a retired Radiologist was doing practice as a physician. by traditional ways…..he had weighing machine,stethescope,some pipettes, syringes, common balance etc in his clinic at the back of his house in Sivajinagar…a few minutes walk from back of Sivajinagar Bus stop…Dr Jayaraman was a very old systematic physician….our Anna konthai /manni were his first patients who introduced us to him or vice versa…He used to make medicinal preparations with some powder,liquid,mixture etc and supply us and not to prescribe a list of medicines .
In addition in our neighborhood at Gutthhalli we had a qualified Doctor Dr Rukmangadahan ..who was a seasoned/experienced physician who was a well to do person having good bungalow in Kumara Park those days. It was Rukmangadhan Dr who used to give us Medical certificates in need for availing sick leave. Joining duty etc.
Just opposite to his clinic in Guttahalli we had Dr Kurien..He was not a qualified Doctor or so but had huge crowds in his clinic especially people who couldn’t afford huge sums for medical consultations used to approach…he used to prescribe some medicines like Elkosin..Aspirin…and diet bread…orange twice daily before taking medicine and after taking medicine etc…..but a practitioner liked most by large sections of the ailing population in Guttahalli.
Just opposite to our rented house in H 28 Anneyappa Block Seshadripuram, Bangalore, we had Dr Mallesu…who was a Retired Military Doctor…whom we used to approach for emergency when no other Doctor was available. I remember knocking at his door when I had breathing trouble asthma…which didn’t stop after taking d sedanol,tedral etc…he went inside the house searched for a piece of pencil in some corner of the house and prescribed a tablet in a chit of paper…the medicine being cortasmil…a form of steroid….of course the medicine used to give relieChitra also remember our having approached him for getting a certificate for our fathers death at Bang lore in July, 1983…since it was required for obtaining death certificate from Ban galore Corporation.
Dr Mallesu's daughter also studied medicine..MD I think she specialized in Cardiology…
Next to our house after 1978 we had Dr Nichani. He ws consulted by many of us…when our father used to come to Bang lore and complain of self imagined sickness we used to go to his clinic in the night after 9 PM call him and he used to come ….solace father saying he was ok.
In 1979 I had returned from Majhgaon..Bihar on vacation and after returning from Ernakulam,Palghat etc to Ban galore in August, I had severe cough headache one day eveinig.OurLakshmi who was going to Guttahalli Ganesa temple in the evening came enquired about my illness and gave me a crocine but the headache didn’t stop. Whole night I had terrific experience continuous cough and severe headache…while coughing I remember streaks of light appearing in front of my eyes. Despite taking cough mixtures etc it didn’t stop. In the morning perhaps I was unconscious was taken to Dr Nachani who after checking referred me to Dr Devaraj of Arpita Clinic In Sesahdripuram…near our Sesahdripuram High School…I was taken in an auto rickshaw by my brother Sundaram to Arpita clinic…there at about 11 AM Dr Renuka Arya their chief arrived who diagnosed the sickness as Pnemococi pyogenic meningitis and advised his doctors…Surgeons…. at Arpita clinic Dr Kurse ,Dr Dr Devaraj… to proceed with lumber puncture…a process of removing the infection from spinal chord by piercing and removing…I may be wrong about the procedure..etc however after the puncture and removal of liquid…I was subjected continuous rain of Penicillin injections…and saved….I remember our Manni,Anna,Appa being informed of the critical nature of illness came from Madras and manni staying in the Arpita clinic one night…Of course Raamu Athimber , Parvathi etc used to visit the clinic and bring me food coffee,chappadu etc for a week thereafter I ws discharged,, Thereafter for a month I had injections medicines etc given by Dr Nichani..
More often than not children desire to fall sick or pretend to be sick…for giving an excuse when they are asked to study, prepare for exam or in the class room/college when unable to answer some questions in any subject….the answer I am not well/or feeling well yesterday etc.
Similarly I remember occasions when we were tempted to get indisposed or fall sick for the reason it ws during your illness your parents and others take more about to you.. But here is a case e where we wanted to get sick as we remember it ws during sickness/convalescence we were provided with bread, orange fruit,etc…It is thus no exaggeration to say our seeing bread, orange fruits,,chathukudi,etc being provided to sick persons in our heart of hearts we were feeling jealous and desired we should also get sick to enjoy the parental care and privileged food made available during sickness and a few days thereafter.
We have annual festivals like Onam,Avani avittam, Deepavali,vishu,,,,etc celebrated s per tradition making it compulsory for all members to participate in it. Similarly we had an annual ritual like compulsory duty…that is taking purgative and cleaning the stomach. It used to be fixed on a day after schooldays, early morning coffee or tea not allowed instead 3 doses of avanakkennai given as purgative….for smooth cleaning of stomach…in the after noon we are provided d with thayir Chatham and in the night full meals…Of course the relief we get cannot be imagined or explained however the pungent smell of the purgative and difficulty we face in gulping it early morning was hard…So vayarelakkal was a regular event in the family and all the members participating in it on different days….
Now back to the original subject of Doctors I had occasion to call on a number of Doctors as a Sales representative detailing them products such as Formula 44,Clerasyl,etc…but those Doctors did not give any treatment.. Then before joining the Company Richardson Hindustan Ltd Bombay in 1967 I had Medical Checkup by Doctor Shangvi at Dadar. And in 1968 while joining Bank of India I had Medical check up at a clinic near Gandhinagar Bangalore by some Doctor.Agarwal,etc…
Now coming to our children Rajesh was born at a Christian Hospital in Theni..and the Doctors name not known The Hospital collected Rs 25/ as donation and no professional charges etc. But for Chithra she had delivery at the clinic of Dr Vaidehi in 1983..her clinic was just opposite to Ganapathiyan koil,Besantnagar, and her house the one where Hari stays now.
We have also taken Chthra to a Doctor Surgeon Srinivasan in Trust Cross Road for removing a a small growth at her back by a surgical procedure which ws referred by our familyDoctor Sivaraman in Mandevalli. Dr Sivaraman was very calm and cordial with all of us…except chithra s mother others used to meet him for sickness, medical certificate ,etc. When Chithra went to him once after her joining MBBS he asked her _Enna enakkau pottiya varaporiya
Chitra had a fall from a bus in Madras near Mandevalli and had fractured her hand and ws taken to BSS Hospital Mandevalli by her classmates...her left hand was bandaged for2 months. The Bone specialist who treated her ws Dr Arthanareeswaran
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Some Doctors whom I met in Bihar.
Dr Mukherjee and Mrs Mukherjee in Jamshedpur when Rajesh's mother. Brindha was in a family way in 1977.I used to take her to one Mrs Mukherjee who confirmed her first pregnancy and had check up for 6 months till she left for Theni for delivery.She used to be very good and helpful to my wife in advising all medicines,care,etc during pregnancy deluvery.
There was one Paagal Banerjee in Bistupur in Jamshedpur who also used to be contaced by us…he ws not good in practice.but in Main Road,Bustupur.
My wife did not like to go to any Doctor for any minor sickness.
Then In Majhgaon ... Bihar.... at the time of my having asthma during winter I used to consult one Homeopath doc who in addition to giving so many sugar coated pills used to prescribe Betnasol 3 or 4 per day which I used to take, and perhaps excessive intake of Betnsol triggered off BP and have become one attacked with BP..
Of course while I was staying alone in Borivli Bombay..... 1999... I used to go to one Doctor udeshi who prescribed CIPLAR 10 for BP and was working well for over 6 years.
In Madras once when Rajesh came from USA I took him to Dr Shetty near All inOne ,Besantnagar shop who prescribed him some medicines…etc and we bought some medicines like Crocin.Dependal,Benadryl,Glycodine,Dispirin etc at Tamilnadu Medical store Besanatnagar Madras,We have also seen Ayurveda specialist Dr Girija at Besantnagar who was a Veens disciple of Manni.Radhai used to consult her for arthritis.... Radhai is my sister in law in Bangalore.
While I was in Chaibasa 1981 about to return to South on re transfer the branch staff arranged a tour to Gaya,Rajgir,etc..Rajesh was 3 years cold... Who had some sickness while in Theni 1978...so I was careful in taking all medicines during trip ...with sweaters,etc as it used to be a very cold place.My assistant Ms Shipra had brought her sister a Homeo Doctor for trip and had told she would take care.So that was a care taken by parents and colleague..
Similarly while I was ill had headache etc. In 2002 or so ., my assistant and colleague in Bank Mrs Geetha Bhuvaneswari took care of me in taking me to Doctors at R. S .Puram,Coimbatore and got me treatment at a Physician known to her.He diagnosed and found nothing wrong .She used to take me in her scooter to the Doctor.Also when I used to feel any Uneasiness .. .no feeling in head.. , Very rarely......must be a feeling...nothing serious . etc. while riding scooter from Vadakovai to Kurichi Ind Estate where I was working,, I used to stop vehicle and telephone to her..She used to ask me to stop vehicle and wait.. and drive slowly.Later, .she would come and help me. Ofcourse it was perhaps not anything serious but a phobia or fear I used to have. Ofcourse the presence and hospitality of any persons close to you in your vicinity reduces any of your mental or physical discomforts .I am grateful to Ms.Geetha Bhuvaneswari. While in Bharathiyar Univetsity Branch as the Manager,I felt her presence in the branch a source of personal stregth to me.She came for marriage of my son Rajesh at Chennai in 2007 .from Coimbatore and blessed the couple.I remember her...
Let me close the subject of Doctors and come to a panacea for all illness.
NARAYANEEYAM is composed by Melpathur Narayana Bhattthiri in100chapters.Many persons were cured of illness after having paarayanam of it It deals with praise of Lord Krishana...Narayana.. Krishna in protecting the needy in difficulty. The main persons who are related in this Narayaneeyam Paryaneeyam are Bhattathiri, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bagavathar, Anantharama Diikshidhar..
It is required we also keep Narayaneeyam Book in our houses and read atleast one chapter per day…Naryaneeyam paarayanm by a group can also be done in one day or more days for the pros[perity of Universe....and bringing good health to ALL...
Let us meet next week with a new chapter….
Raghavan
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