CONQUEST OF DEATH 1
(SEPSIS DUE TO RAT SHIT)

In search of talent in the realm of music in the state of Maharashtra, India a contest was announced.
'Is any of your kin contesting?'
Asked my wife to a lady sitting beside her. Dark in complexion, she appeared to be an uneducated peasant. She wore a clean but worn sari. A necklace of black glass-beads and glass-bangles were the only humble ornaments that behooved her. (suited her) Obviously, poverty was master here!!
'My son!' She replied. 'Fair complexioned, talking a polished tongue, obviously you are a cultured middle class or higher middle class lady! People of your class look askance at our class. Instead you are enquiring about me so compassionately, may I know your name?'
'Mrs. Vinze.'
'Vinze?'
My wife nodded.
'I know Dr. Vinze.---- He used to come to Thane.---- He was attached to Dr.Karve Hospital.----'
My wife went on nodding to her every sentence.
'Are you any of his kin?'
'His wife!'
'W-i-f-e??  I bow down to your feet'
With these words the lady touched my wife's feet.
'No—No---No---' my wife raised her.

'I dwell in Wada, a remote village in the Thane district. She started narrating the anecdote. At every point my wife was nodding since she was already aware of the incidence.

'We are uneducated rather illiterate peasants. There are many possessions we do not, rather will never ever have! But we certainly possess all that really matters!! In our village it is a customary to smear the umbilicus with cow-dung after severing the umbilical cord of the newborn immediately after birth. After two daughters I delivered a precious baby, a son! The cow dung was neither handy nor was easily available, but rat shit was!! The accoucheur (midwife) who delivered the bairn smeared the umbilicus with rat shit and covered it with a gossamer cloth. That was ominous! A few hours later my babe stopped crying. It would not suck milk. His tummy was bloated. Immediately we took him to Dr. Karve. He started saline and some medicines and said,
'We shall take Dr. Vinze's opinion'

'Dr. Vinze came the same evening. He examined the babe and explained the case to Dr. Karve. I did not understand but realized the gravity of the situation. He then explained me his line of action and the plan of treatment.
'He removed the rat shit, dressed the cord twice a day, started  the injections of a strong medicine. It was a costly medicine but the cost was petty vis-à-vis my babe's life! He inserted a tube in his stomach and drained the dirty fluid from the stomach. Continued the saline.

'Two days later my son started smiling, the bloated tummy became flat, he started rubbing his tongue on his lips in demand of feeds, but the doctors did not allow. The dirty liquid draining from the stomach markedly reduced in quantity. Four days later, he passed dirty stools. The doctors removed the stomach tube and allowed breast milk.

'Two days later, the saline was stopped. Still two days later the injections of that costly medicine were also stopped. By around ten days all treatment was stopped and we were discharged from the hospital.

'The doctor's bill was far too less than we expected. We would have paid any amount the doctors would have demanded! My son's life was priceless! The doctors---- Dr. Vinze  brought my son back to life from the crooked clasp of 'Death'

Her eyes were brimming with the tears of gratitude.

My wife's face was shimmering with pride and proud! Her eyes were brimming
with the tears of ecstasy. She closed her eyes for a while. The tears of ecstasy over flew on her cheeks.

Before my wife could open her eyes, the lady touched my wife's feet and saying,
'To me Dr.Vinze is a God and you a Goddess!',
the lady mingled with the crowd and disappeared, probably never ever to meet me!! ( never to meet me again!!)


A TRUE STORY IN REAL LIFE

A DRAMA IN MY REAL LIFE!!

DR. HEMANT VINZE