Fish Cure for Asthma

During June each year, more than half a million Asthma sufferers converge at Hyderabad to receive a rather unconventional, but free, medicine.

The cure is a five-centimetre live fish, known locally as 'Murrel', stuffed with a secret herbal remedy mixed by the Bathini Goud family. The most unconventional part of the medication is that the 'medicine', slipped into the patient's mouth by one of the Goud family members, is supposed to be swallowed live! The treatment also includes an additional prescription of herbal medicine, to be taken three times, once every fifteen days (one tablet in the morning and one in the evening on the fifteenth day): to be more specific, on Arudra (which falls on June 22 this year (2000)), Punarvasu (July 5) and Pushyami Karthe (July 20).

It is said that the family received the secret formula some 155 years ago from a saint from Himalayas in return for the hospitality shown to him. The 'wriggling' medicine, the saint warned, would lose its potency if it were commercialised. The Bathini Goud family has even considered patenting their 'medicine' but soon stopped following up on the process as patenting would involve revelation of a closely guarded secret while the costs involved were prohibitive (Rs. 70,000) for a medication that was distributed free of charge. The Goud family refuses to disclose the formula even for research purposes.

The medicine is distributed from 5:30 am onwards on Mrigasira Karthika day.

No payment is expected or accepted by the family who pool their own resources to raise approximately Rs 50,000/- (just above $1,000/-) towards the herbs and fish. Most of the logistical support is provided by government agencies. Volunteers who man the booths and the crowds also do a yeoman service to the tradition.

The state government allows the Exhibition grounds to be used by the Goud family to set up about three dozen counters to dispense their 'medicine'. Fisheries Department too has its own contribution in the event: it sets up about two dozen counters for the sale of murrel' fish fingerlings at Rs. 5 per live fish.

The state and central governments gear up each year to organise transport to bring patients to Hyderabad. The Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department has at last shown maturity by deciding to arrange entertaining programs like folk songs and dances, qawwali and ghazals to keep the crowds entertained. Voluntary organisations get involved in making arrangements for voluntary supply of drinking water and food.

The noticeably effective medication is supposed to be taken three years in a row and people from all over the country make all out efforts to reach here even under most adverse and unfavourable conditions. People are known to sell or pawn their precious belongings to get a 'guaranteed' cure for their asthma. Most patients reach Hyderabad a couple of days in advance. A few arrive and stay overnight at the campgrounds and make sure they are the first ones in line to take the medicine.

VIP counters are also set up to facilitate political and corporate bigwigs. This year, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Home Minister T Devender Goud, Fisheries Minister, M. Narasimha Rao, and Social Welfare Minister, Mrs. K. Pushpaleela were among those who took the medicine at the sprawling Exhibition grounds, where the medication began at 5.30 am. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu loves this near-festive occasion as this is another way his beloved Hyderabad is brought into international focus.

The sight at the campgrounds is akin to an International festival with people from other countries in Europe, Africa, Australia and Americas too.

How does the Department of Indian Medicines and Homeopathy handle the unregistered, unlicensed dispensation of an unconventional 'medicine'? They simply cannot stop the Goud family from dispensing the 'medicine' since it is very popular and not a single patient has lodged a complaint with the department in the last 155 years!

"Our medicine is popular because it works," says Harinath Goud.