Talk:Quacks in Medical Field

Introduction

There is fraud in any profession done in any part of the world and even at any part of the time including from ancient to present era. But the profession having the most dangerous effects among all of them is the fraud in the medical profession. The medical profession is entrusted with the responsibility for life or death. The society in the times of Caraka had many fraudulent medical practitioners. Caraka describes them while referring to their pretentious manners, speech, and equipment. Setting out the difference between the good and learned physician and the ignorant fraud, Caraka declares that the experienced physician cures the diseases while an inexperienced medical person can even lead to the loss of life.

At the time of Caraka, the conditions of society seem to have been very favorable for the existence and proliferation of fraudulent practitioners. Caraka refers to these fraudulent practitioners in varied circumstances, and the following extracts indicate the vehemence with which Caraka thought it necessary to condemn the fraud and warn the society against his attentions and mischief. A person who is not thorough with the medical knowledge should not experiment on the patient as it might cost the life of a patient. There are the chances of the patient's survival by a wrong experiment on him by a fraud due to the patient's destiny, but that cannot be the case with everybody who is being treated in the same manner.

Medical Practitioners

Regarding the three kinds of physicians, three kinds of medical practitioners are found in the world:

1. An impostor Physician - Those who by parading their medical paraphernalia, books, models, smattering of medical texts and knowing looks acquire the title of physician, are of this kind, viz, the ignoramuses and impostors.
2. The vain-glorious pretenders - Those who by laying claim to association with persons of established wealth, fame knowledge, and success, while they have none of these things, arrogate to themselves the designation of physicians are the vain-glorious pretenders.
3. Those endowed with the true virtue of the healer - They are thorough with their knowledge.

Behavior of Fraudulent Practitioners

Those without a thorough knowledge of both theoretical and practical aspects of time and measure are to be shunned because they are the messengers of death on earth. Having warned against inviting their services, Caraka describes the ignorance of these pretenders and how they avoid the presence and contact of the learned physician when their ignorance is known.

The fraudulent of medicine as those of all other professions, possess only the externals of the profession and try to impress the ignorant by a smattering of the professional clap-trap of maxims and platitudes. They never have access to the sources of the science, nor practice in the application of remedies. They learn to mouth a few seemingly wise slogans catch phrases and make a show of skill that they do not possess. They make up for their lack of wisdom by blustering.

The discriminating patient should avoid these unlettered laureates, who put on the airs of physicians for the sake of a living. The men of little learning would get agitated by the name of the medical scriptures. An ignoramus person given to blatant displays, establishes himself as an exponent amidst others who are equally ignorant. However when they meet the ignorant people they are exposed.

The physician should not engage in the dispute with godly men, though they are of little learning, to discomfit them; but one should not scruple to demolish by the means of the questionnaire by eight members, the others, who are the experts in the field. A knowledgeable person does not talk much compared to a person who does not have a comprehensive knowledge of the same.

Synonyms for Fraudulent Practitioners

It is interesting to note that the term applied to such a charlatan and ignorant cheat in Sanskrit is a "Kuvaidya" or "Kuhaka"; the latter meaning a cunning or sinful man. The English term of "fraudulent practitioner" having the same or similar connotation suggests its evolution from the original "Kuhaka." The English synonyms like "pretender," "charlatan," etc., are reflected in this definition of the fraudulent practitioner.

Burgeon for Fraudulent Practitioners

It is easy to infer the circumstances that gave rise to the abundance of fraudulent practitioners. The medical profession was among the professions held in great esteem in society. The physician held a high place in society and was regarded as the guide and friend of the people. His emoluments in the profession were evidently considerable and aroused the envy of ambitious individuals who aspired for such a status but had not the equipment for it. Such individuals naturally turned into fraudulent practitioners by acquiring the external accomplishments of manner, speech, and professional catchphrases, imposed on the ignorant and gullible, and made their fortunes. Such indeed are the fraudulent practitioners in every age, and the attention devoted by Caraka to them and their methods, and the passion with which he condemns their deceit, are evidence of the prevalence of undesirable numbers of these individuals.

Manoeuvre of Fraudulent Practitioners

The fraudulent practitioners used very cunning tactics to create confidence in the patients, but then they would disappear when the patient was critical. Tricking themselves out in the height of medical fashion, they walk the streets to pick up practice. Immediately on hearing that somebody is ill, they swoop down on him from all the quarters and in his hearing speak loudly of their medical attainments. If a doctor is already attending to him, they make repeated mention of his failings. They try to ingratiate themselves with the friends of the patient by suave manners, knowing whispers, and officiousness. They make it known that they accept little the way of remuneration. On being entrusted with a case they look out on all the sides repeatedly, trying to cloak their ignorance.

Finding themselves unable to check the course of the disease, they give it out that the patient himself is wanting in the necessary appurtenances, attendants, and self-control. When they realize that the patient is dying, they make themselves scarce and seek another neighborhood. In the presence of uncultured people, they brag about their adroitness most clumsily, and like the ignoramuses that they are, they run down the learning of the savants. But if they see a company of the learned, they slink away from a distance. If by any chance they happen to have conned a stray maxim, they constantly quote it in season and out of season. They can brook neither being questioned nor questioning others. They dread questions as if they were the devil. Such people do not change for either teacher, disciple, co-student, or disputant.

Conclusion

We may conclude this study of the fraudulent practitioner in the medical profession with the popular saying that obtained currency in much later times than Caraka wherein the fraudulent practitioner is dubbed the elder brother of Yama, the god of death. In the West, fraudulent practitioners are facetiously known as "The Arms of the Honorable Company of Undertakers," which is akin in spirit to the Indian saying referred to above which runs thus:

Salutations to you, O, elder brother of Yama! Yama takes away, only our lives; but you take away our lives as well as our wealth.

The institution of fraudulent practice flourishes wherever there is a rigorous standard demanded of the genuine person in the profession, which is not within the easy acquisition of every individual. After strenuous years of study and practice, and then approval by the state, a person becomes a medical physician. Naturally, a host of impostors arises who secretly carry on their trade among the naive and oblivious. Caraka says that such fraudulent practitioners flourish and go about at large only with the connivance of the king. Thus, a great responsibility rests on any civilized state—to ensure that such ignorant and pretentious cheats are not allowed to harm the common people. The ancient state of India, judged by the secret methods of the fraudulent practitioner as portrayed in Caraka, seems to have fulfilled its responsibility in this respect in a commendable manner.

References

1. Agniveśa, Caraka, Dṛḍhabala, and Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society. The Caraka-Saṃhitā. ed., Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society, 1949. 6 vols.