OBSESSION WITH SUFFERING, ILLNESS AND
DISEASE
I begin my lectures on Medical
Anthropology, discussing how the common metaphors in the society had changed
from Religious to Medical. Benjamin Franklin suffered from Gout, because of a
Sinful Life, now it would be referred as an Unhealthy Life Style. Metaphors
about Cancer abound, and in combinations with military metaphors, dominate the
daily headlines.
I have noticed that people take a certain
delight to inform you (Is it because I am a Physician?) of the latest
catastrophes to fall upon the individuals in their social circles.
Is it a superstition to avoid the same fate
falling upon them?
Within a matter of days, I was told of
someone suffering from stage 4 Colon Cancer, another with Prostate Cancer, a
middle aged man suffering seizures and slipping into a coma, a death from
breast cancer, someone’s toe being cut off because of gas gangrene.
I am very optimistic by nature and would
like to hold the world not as a dangerous place but a pleasant place to live in.
There are certain risks to be taken in achieving this pleasantry and that, one
does in ones own stride.
I would like people to be healthy, would
advise how to maintain health.
I wanted to know the origins of this
obsession with disease rather than Health and was reminded of the little
anthropological study I did with myself as the patient.
I approached various specialists in
different countries and presented myself with a desire to know more about
prevention of disease. But the doctors kept on asking me; do you suffer from
any symptoms? No, I said with glee. All of them, American or European or Asian
were baffled. They can give me advice only when there is disease but not how to
prevent that very same disease.
When the metaphor is about Disease rather
than Health, the discourse also turns to Disease rather than Health.
The scare mongering media with its outlook
of sensationalism adds fuel to this fear of ill health and harm.
Mary Douglas, a British Anthropologist,
devoted her professional life to studying Risk and Danger.
Working with American Indians one good
lesson to learn is that Life is chaotic and an order cannot be bought or
readily accessible and that one has to accept it. Uncertainty is part of life
and one has to adjust to that. That lesson has been very helpful to this
wandering Jew!
So I was very happy to hear from my good
friend, the humble man of Bogor, who is very interested in Prevention of
Diseases among all his employees!
This morning, he had arrived at the
lakeside near his house where a few faithful had gathered and they spent the
next one-hour jogging and walking and talking. A bicycle ride completed the
morning exercises followed by coffee and breakfast in the office for all those
present.
I had left a BP/Pulse recording machine
with him and occasionally he would send a reading on himself or someone he is
concerned about.
My friend the humble man of Bogor who is
now 53 years old had the following BP Pulse reading this morning:
BP
105/65 mm Hg
Pulse 52 beats per minute.
He is on no medications.
Thank you, dear friend, for positive news
in this world full of so much negative news! Positive in that, emphasizes what
is normal, negative emphasizes what is abnormal
