Fish cure for asthma in India
Every June, hundreds of thousands of asthma sufferers gather in Hyderabad to swallow live sardines smeared with secret herbs, convinced the ritual will cure them. The two day free treatment by the Goud family, which claims to have received the formula from a Hindu saint 162 years ago
Section:Picture story
Rukmini Bai, 57, from India’s Maharashtra state uses an inhaler as she waits to receive the” fish medicine” in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
Asthma sufferers gather at a temporary shelter as they prepare to receive the special “fish medicine” which they hope will cure them, in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
Harinath Goud, left, offers prayers before preparing his “Fish Medicine” for asthma patients who are gathering to wait for him to start dispensing his Asthma cure, in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
Since Wednesday night, about 20,000 people gathered here at the sprawling Exhibition Grounds have taken the 'prasadam' being distributed by the Baithini Goud family in the heart of the city. Hundreds more were standing in queues Thursday morning.
Associated Press
Asthma patient Vishwanath from Mumbai, India, looks on as asthma patients wait at a temporary shelter to receive special “fish medicine” which they hope will cure them, in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
Despite the controversies which hit the popularity of the 'miracle drug' in recent years, people continue to throng the venue in the hope of finding some relief to their nagging respiratory problems.
Associated Press
A man, center, reacts as police use batons to control crowd as asthma patients rush to receive the special ‘fish medicine’ which they hope will cure them, in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
The fisheries department has supplied 40,000 murrel fingerlings for the annual event held every year on the first day of 'Mrigasira Karti', which heralds the onset of monsoon.
Associated Press
A volunteer of the Goud family shows a fish that will be administered to asthma patients in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
The free distribution of 'prasadam' began at 10.30 p.m. Wednesday at 32 counters after the Goud family performed 'puja' at their ancestral house in Doodhbowli in the old city. Family head Bathini Harinath Goud said the counters would remain open till 10 p.m. Thursday or till the last patient gets 'prasadam'. Men, women and children lined up for taking the medicine several hours before the counters opened.
Associated Press
Asthma patients break barricades as they rush to receive a special ‘fish medicine’ which they hope will cure them, in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 photo, an Indian man holds up a packet containing a live sardine which will be smeared with secret herbs and then swallowed, believed to be a cure for asthma, in Hyderabad, India.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 photo, a boy sticks out his tongue to swallow live sardines smeared with secret herbs, believed to be a cure for asthma, in Hyderabad, India.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
They gulped down a live 'murrel' fish with a yellow herbal paste in its mouth, which is believed to provide the much-needed relief, if taken for three consecutive years. For vegetarians, the family gives the medicine with jaggery.
Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 photo, a member of the Goud family inserts herbal medicine into a fish before administering it into a patient, believed to be a cure for asthma, in Hyderabad, India.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
A member of the Goud family administers live sardines smeared with secret herbs, believed to be a cure for asthma, to a child in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, June 9, 2011.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
On the directions of the Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Commission, the Hyderabad district administration was ensuring that no child is forcibly given the fish medicine. The rights panel had issued the order early this week on the petition by an organization for children's rights, Balala Hakkula Sangham. The NGO argued that forcibly giving fish medicine was a violation of children's rights. It also alleged that distribution of the medicine under unhygienic conditions may cause more harm than good.
Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 photo, a member of the Goud family Harinath Goud administers live sardines smeared with secret herbs, believed to be a cure for asthma, to a patient in Hyderabad, India.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 photo, a child sticks out her tongue to swallow live sardines smeared with secret herbs, believed to be a cure for asthma, in Hyderabad, India.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
The fish medicine lost its popularity in recent years after some groups, working to inculcate scientific temper among people, termed it as a fraud. They also approached a lower court, claiming that since the herbal paste contains heavy metals it can cause serious health problems. But the Goud family claims that the tests in laboratories conducted as per court orders revealed that the herbal paste is safe.
Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 photo, a member of the Goud family Uma Maheshwar Goud administers live sardines smeared with secret herbs, believed to be a cure for asthma, to a patient in Hyderabad, India.
Mahesh Kumar A. Associated Press
The Goud family has been distributing the 'fish prasadam' free of cost for the last 165 years. It claims that the secret formula for the herbal medicine was given to their ancestors in 1845 by a saint after taking an oath from him that it would be administered free of cost.
Associated Press
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