The Nature of Diseases

The welfare of the patient should be the main aim of the medical profession, regardless of the philosophical or logical ramifications of a particular system of medicine.

Doctors may find it difficult to work with such a principle, because it is unreasonable to expect them to be experts in all the medical systems.

In reality, it is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, what is not possible in a doctor’s chambers may be possible in a hospital.

In the hospitals of some countries the welfare of the patient is given top priority and the patient is treated accordingly.

Immediately after being admitted, he or she is thoroughly examined by an appropriate board of doctors who determine the most suitable system of medical treatment.

In other words:

• if the patient’s disease can be easily cured by allopathy, he will be treated by an allopath
• if the patient’s disease can be easily cured by homoeopathy, he will be treated by a homoeopath
• if the patient’s disease can be easily cured by naturopathy, he will be treated by a naturopath
• and so on.

If various types of treatment are available, changing from one type to another will not be difficult if the patient does not respond to one type of treatment.

The healing power of nature cures disease; medicine only helps nature.

The patient’s mind helps to activate the healing power of nature.

If a doctor in whom the patient has complete faith prescribes water instead of medicine the patient will be quickly cured.

But if the patient regards the doctor as a quack the disease will not be cured, even if the purest medicines known to medical science are prescribed and properly administered.

So the disease is actually cured by the power of the mind, the medicine being secondary.

Some orthodox psychologists believe that all diseases can be cured by psychological treatment.

I do not support this because psychological treatment does not work in all cases.

Idealists believe that only the mind exists and not the five fundamental factors.

• They argue that the mind is responsible for all diseases.

The mind alone does not determine human existence.

• The mind depends on the physical body.

The following are proofs of the mind’s dependence on the body and its nerves:

• The mind gets agitated when the physical body is pinched.
• Taking hashish, marijuana, opium or wine causes a peculiar change in the mind.

A disease can be mental or can be physical.

Similarly, medicine may be mental or may be physical.

Hence it is most desirable and productive if both kinds of medicine are administered simultaneously in all diseases, whether they are physical or mental.

Those who only believe in psychological treatment for mental disease know from experience that such treatment will not permanently cure the disease and the patient will soon relapse.

Only where, along with psychological treatment, guidance concerning diet, bathing and behaviour is given, and to normalize the diseased glands of the body medicines prepared from the five fundamental factors are prescribed, can the disease be permanently cured.

In the same way, if patients suffering from a physical disease are given proper medicine, food, light and air but at the same time are subjected to constant criticism and humiliation, it will be difficult for them to fully recover.

Even though some people have everything they physically need, they become mentally debilitated, like a worm-eaten, withered flower.

Patients suffering from a physical disease need proper psychological treatment and a congenial environment in order to maintain their mental health.

The conduct of doctors and nurses

The patients’ faith is more important than medicine in curing a disease, but where does their faith come from?

From the conduct of the doctors and nurses, who have to win their confidence and inspire them with faith.

Labourers perform manual work in order to earn their livelihood.

They therefore dig the ground without regard for the earth. The relationship between doctors and patients should not be like this.

Doctors must use all the qualities of their minds to win over their patients.

It will certainly not add to the glory of any country or government if doctors and nurses complain, “Because of the tremendous pressure of our work, we have lost all our sympathy, tenderness and sweetness.”

The following are not the same thing:

• becoming mechanical due to the pressure of work
• the lack of humanity in selling hospital medicines on the black market or eating the food for patients.

Can doctors and nurses involved in such activities defend themselves against the accusations of the public?

Exasperated by such dishonest, exploitative bloodsuckers, the public often severely criticizes the government.

However, in my opinion the government is in most cases not to blame.

Of course it is quite a different matter if the government sanctions insufficient money to properly maintain hospitals, but in most cases this is not the problem.

In medical institutions where the public is made to suffer, you can be sure that improper dealings exist from top to bottom (that is, from the chief medical officer down to the orderlies and sweepers).

There is an immoral association among these thieves, regardless of their rank.

They are all experts in the art of exploitation – they all share the spoils.

In such places neither the doctors nor the hospital can ever inspire faith or confidence in the minds of the patients.

This is the reason that today, even after the lapse of half the twentieth century, I notice that in many countries people are still as afraid of hospitals as they are of prisons.

People try to keep out of the hands of doctors just as earnestly as they try to avoid the claws of a tiger.

Doctors who operate “chamber practices” out of their homes we may be able to tolerate, but those who themselves dispense patent medicines never let a patient leave without selling him or her 10 rupees worth of medicine, whether he or she needs it or not.

A dishonest doctor or nurse is more harmful to society than an ordinary criminal, because he adds to social problems by not performing social service according to their capacity.

I once knew an extremely honest and capable doctor who suffered greatly due to lack of money during the last years of his life. While active he was a dedicated, exemplary social worker, but when he became physically incapacitated society failed to help him.

I have encountered some doctors such as this who did not exploit their patients. Not only did they not take fees from poor patients, sometimes they provided medicine free of charge as well.

But some patients think, “If a doctor distributes free medicine, he or she must have an ulterior motive,” so they would rather not visit such doctors.

Some of these doctors are forced to maintain their families by private tuition.

Perhaps that is why we hear many people say, “The medical profession is a business like any other. Can such a business prosper without doing anything wrong? It is impossible to run a business if one is totally honest.”

In 1940, I went to a homoeopathic pharmacy, with a 12-year-old boy to get medicine for him. .

The doctor took pains to examine the boy properly, then prescribed some medicine.

He said, “Please return with his medical report on Saturday afternoon.”

I replied, “Will Saturday morning not do? On Saturday afternoon I will be going out of town; I will be going home.”

Further discussion revealed that we came from the same district and our homes came under the jurisdiction of adjacent police stations on opposite sides of a river.

The doctor then asked me to return the medicine and said, “I am giving you another medicine.”

When I asked why he said, “Both medicines are good, but I give the first medicine to people I do not know because it takes a little longer to cure the patient, hence I sell more medicine.

Sometimes I am requested to make house calls too. What can I do, sir? Character is the first casualty of want.”

This incident is neither to the doctor’s credit nor to that of society. The doctor is losing his character due to poverty, caused in turn by a defective social system – isn’t this true?

Sociologists will agree that it is not desirable for those who are involved in saving lives to face financial difficulties.

If in any country the people believe that they have more doctors than necessary, the study of medicine should be strictly supervised so that only competent and talented students have the opportunity to become doctors.

That way, by reducing the number of unwanted doctors, those who enter the medical profession will be able to earn sufficient money with the cooperation of society and the state. In the absence of want, there is no risk of their losing their character.

But what is the situation in the world today? How many countries can claim to have more doctors than they need? In most countries there is a shortage of capable doctors.

And in those countries where there is little or no shortage of doctors, ordinary people are often unable to get medical help because of financial difficulties. As a result capable doctors also experience financial difficulties which compel them to become involved in antisocial activities.

To eliminate the financial difficulties faced by doctors, temporary arrangements can be made. For example, young doctors who have financial difficulties can be sent from countries with surplus doctors to countries with insufficient doctors so that they can get the opportunity to earn a living and serve society. Education will be necessary to overcome attachment to a particular country.

Criminals are of many types and so are criminally-inclined doctors. As with criminals due to poverty, there is also no dearth of criminals due to instinct in the medical profession. These monsters in the form of doctors (colloquially speaking, cámár d́áktár [vile, low-class doctors]) are the scourge of society.

Sometimes they behave so atrociously with helpless people – manipulating dying patients for the sake of money – that I really do not like to consider them as human beings. Such hellish creatures can be found in nearly every large or small city. Very strong measures should be taken against them with the active cooperation of society, the state and socially-concerned doctors.

Once I heard about a doctor, standing by the bed of a poor, distressed patient, who said in an authoritarian way, “You must pay my fees at once. I won’t listen to any excuses.”

A poor relative of the patient left the house in despair, borrowed money by giving an IOU, and paid the doctor’s bill. I doubt whether a country can be considered civilized if the strictest reform measures are not taken against such human demons.

I once saw with my own eyes a well-educated doctor snatch a bottle of medicine from the hand of a female patient who had offered twelve instead of fourteen annas for the medicine, saying, “Must I wait till you bring me the two annas from your house? When I was studying in medical college, would the college authorities have allowed me to continue studying had I paid my monthly fees in arrears?” As she was an uneducated rural woman, she could not fully understand what he was saying.

But with that humiliating rejection, she had to return home weeping without the bottle of medicine. Although this incident took place a long time ago, it remains indelibly etched on my mind.

Good and bad exist everywhere.

But regrettably, among the multitudes of the “bad,” the “good” are in danger of being lost. The harshness of reality becomes glaringly apparent if we consider the medical profession as a reflection of society. On the one hand there are good doctors sincerely serving poor patients on their own initiative, and on the other hand we may observe immature young doctors proudly boasting to each other about their career prospects.

Regrettable though these things may be, I do not feel that there is any reason to lose hope.

Countless complaints can be made against doctors and the medical profession.

Patients have to settle for adulterated medicines unless they bribe the pharmacist; sweepers, orderlies and nurses do not take proper care of a patient’s needs unless they are tipped;

A patient writhing in pain may be rebuked instead of being given medicine; if one does not call the doctor at least once for a personal consultation so that that doctor can earn some extra money, one may be unable to secure a bed on one’s next visit to the hospital;

A medicine that is supposedly out of stock in the hospital can be illegally purchased in a nearby shop at an exorbitant price

Without bribing the doctor a sick patient will not be admitted to the hospital;

during the compulsory medical examination for a new job, all the medical staff put out their hand for a bribe; the doctor in collusion with the optician fails many people in their eye tests so that they will have to buy glasses;

hospital patients are served food which is cheaper and of poorer quality than what they are entitled to;

milk and fruits reserved for patients are consumed by the hospital staff;

spurious drugs and injections are administered to patients. Such grievances are endless. Some are extremely serious, involving accusations of such irresponsibility that it is difficult to believe that people actually have these experiences.

Usually the public blames the government for such lapses, but in my opinion, if anyone is to blame, it is the public itself. The government is not an individual who accepts bribes or encourages immorality. The government does not support the distribution of spurious drugs.

If the distribution of spurious drugs ever does get sanctioned by the government, it is due to the mistakes of immoral officials. They surrender their humanity to the rich out of greed for money.

Dishonest businesspeople are aware of their own guilt and are constantly troubled by it, but they receive encouragement from greedy and mentally-weak police and anti-corruption officials.

Why not earn a hundred thousand rupees by paying a bribe of a thousand rupees! Most business people wait for the right opportunity with this type of outlook. For these reasons I do not blame the government for such immorality. Now, let us return to our topic.

The key to solving the medical problem is in the hands of the public. This is the actual truth of the matter. One may ask, “Why does the public not do something to rectify the situation?” Some maintain that these problems only occur in underdeveloped countries and that the people there tolerate evil because they are unaware of their rights.

But is this correct? In underdeveloped countries there are educated people who staunchly support the different political parties and who can provide the people with leadership. Although they cannot inspire the whole society, they are certainly able to solve some of the problems. So why do they not do so? The reason is perfectly simple. A large section of the upper stratum of society is involved in corrupt practices.

That is why uneducated people do not have the courage to raise their voices in protest, prevent immorality and take corrective measures against the corrupt elements active in every sphere of society.

A large number of clerks, teachers, engineers, government officials and business people who comprise the so-called educated section of society indulge in immorality and corruption in their respective professions. Their weak minds indirectly criticize injustice but cannot directly confront it.

Thieves can criticize other thieves in a society of thieves, but they cannot offer suggestions in a society of honest people because their lips will quiver and their hearts will palpitate; the condition of corrupt educated people in the upper stratum of society in underdeveloped countries is similar. The Second World War has further complicated the situation.

The characters of such people have to be transformed and they will have to become honest, otherwise none of the evils in society will be eliminated, none of the problems will be solved.

The government alone cannot eliminate the problems in the medical profession.

To turn people into real human beings is the burning issue today, the greatest challenge. There are very few people who can take the lead in this undertaking, this sacred endeavour. Today tormented souls look to the purodhás [spiritual vanguard] of society with great expectations.

Politicians cannot provide what is needed.

During the last 6,000 years of human history, they have failed at every step.

Hence, it would be wise for them to resist the temptation to try and take the lead in any sphere of society.