Sunday Journal for "Lusters"

Lusters: who are always looking for lust usually sexual.
It is unsusual for the TV evangelists to say something beneficial for the audience. Most of the 'sermons' are without substance (My own judgement and you are free to challeng it) that I happened to see on opening up the channel on sunday.
This one was full of all kinds of gimmicks (as usual) and mannerisms and show-savy stage-work, but the message was sound and clear:
Do not go after your lusts and remember God, definitely asking the audience to control the desire. A valuable and sorely needed exhortation indeed.
This, as it happens sometimes, was just a day after I saw the 'history' of a town in California, (January 1966) when a large number of 'youngsters and not-so-young-ones all got together with freely available LSD, experimenting a 'hippy' style of life, something new, something exciting and "psychedelic" experience. "Human" males and females together, with little regard to hesitation or abashment or shame under the effect of LSD "enjoying" in free sex openly in front of all (of course effectively 'censored' for showing on TV)
I was watching with horror and amazement that history of "human beings". I recalled my own experience of how I had to learn new terminology related to this part of the "hippy" movement. New fashions introduced like, being 'scruffy' ('unkempt' in my language), psychedelic colors invading all walks of life (Wimbledon matches started showing green balls instead of traditional white) clothes uniforms or whatever you can imagine changed colors (Not necessarily all disagreeable or detestable, mind you) Beatles and Rolling Stones had already changed lot of traditional dressing anyway and the hairstyles--- yes I recall jokes of the renowned Pakistani commedy maestro "Moeen Akhter" highlighting the embarrassment of telling a man from a woman. You may remember many of his jokes.
So this is how LSD, an hallucinogenic drug newly arrived in the medical research fields back then, highjacked by these' hippies', effectively metamorphosed all the fads and styles.
So when I heard some speaker (well-known psychiatrist) was in town, to talk on this subject we hurried to his lecture. The topic, "On going to Pots". Naturally we, as young physicians, were expecting, here is a chance to learn something about these drugs'( such as LSD, Marijuana etc.) pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, effects and side-effects etc.
This is how he opened his lecture (and I'll never forget it):
"Ladies and genetlemen, when I was young I knew where God was-- at the head of the dinner table every evening" (emphasizing the role of proper parenting, the lack of which apparently turnes the youngsters to 'pots') It was a 'sermon' more than a medical lecture.
Yes. The preachers should teach the morals from the podium without regard to the likes and dislikes of the contents of the sermon.

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"

iDoc-Overheard

Persons working in 'pits' (Coal mines) are more commonly seen with lung problems like 'pneumoconioses' or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) etc. 

  When I was working in Durham (UK) One day Ward sister told me, she overheard a patient telling his next bed patient. "You know the Medicine has advanced so much these days, they give medication from below and it affects upper part of the body" I had prescribed Aminophylline suppository for easing his breath. Nowadays suppositories are well known to lay people (I guess some English people ae very simple) 

 "Common-sense nerve fibers are seldom medullated before forty--They are never seen with a microscope before twenty" "William Osler MD"

Sunday Journal, "A view with walls down"

I was visiting Philadelphia this Sunday, where the first president of USA (George Washington) lived. Recent diggings have shown his residence complex showing the slave quarters (for 9 of them) who had a 'herculian' job of maintining his house and guests (Hercules was the name of the slave who was an extraordinary culinary expert we are told) entertained properly, the SLAVES WITH THEIR OWN (HIDDEN) PASSAGE for access to the president's living area, SO THAT THEY ARE NOT SEEN by visitors etc.
A lot of comments what to do about that digging now, showing two parts of the house, "the Powerful" and "the powerless" as somebody remarked. The stark difference exposed of a view with walls down, making many passing by 'blacks' see it as well as many whites passing by seeing it and wondering and pondering.
'Ibrat' (Arabic 'Ibrah'), for everybody--- closest English equivalent is 'admonition' or a lesson for the person watching. Reminded me of "Pompei Ruins" I had visited several years ago where I noted two things, preserved in my memory:
1. The petrified body of a man (recognised as slave) preserved, showing the horror of the disaster on his face. (my eyes popped open)
2. A small resevoir of water in the market area street with the remarks,
"For animals and slaves". (my eyes popped open)
Over the years does history of mankind really change?