Altruism and Yaqub

Some persons by nature are disposed to dramatization. So was Yaqub. He was a well to do person and had abdominal pain as his problem. All investigations in the hospital turned out negative. Everybody else called me "Doc. Sab" ( normal and usual way) but he always addressed me as , 'Doctor' ('afsanawi' color).

His next door patient was his name-sake but had more serious illness and was very poor. One day he breathed his last. The nurse called me to check and as I went over to examine, I found him standing over the dying Yaqub; on seeing me he declared, "Doctor, tum buhut der say aaye". This dialogue was delivered by him in a perfect dramatic fashion as if the director just said, "Take". (Despite the gravity of situation I was amused inside, but)

I told him rather sharply to go to his bed.

He personally paid all the expenses of transporting his body to the family and burial etc. just like during his life all his expenses were borne by this Yaqub. (only reason was the name and he happened to be his next door patient in the hospital)

Sympathy with another person can be aroused with seemingly insignificant things, typical of humans. Although not altogether absent in subhuman animals but seen from evolutionary point of view the experiments on the various types of monkeys (including Orangutans) indicate there is no "missing link" type of animal for this behavior. (Of course there are many other aspects of the theory of evolution such as 'speech' which remain unexplained. For a Muslim it would remind us of S. Rahman, "He has created Man. He has taught him speech" ). I am sure you have so many experiences like that in your life.

But I had to tell you about my unforgettable 'dramatizing' friend.



"Common-sense nerve fibers are seldom medullated before forty--They arenever seen with a microscope before twenty" "William Osler MD"