Medicine abounds in stories…However, the essence of all that is believed to be antithetical to modern scientific medicine is captured in the phrase, ‘anecdotal medicine’. The limitation of medical scientists has been to associate the individual storyteller with irreducible subjectivity and, consequently, with knowledge that cannot be shared. (Eric Cassell)
The nuanced relationship between the doctor and the patient, the multicultural understanding of medical treatment and the humanity of medical workers form the kernel of Medical Maladies: Stories of Disease and Cure from Indian Languages. This anthology, comprising nineteen stories, is an honest attempt to catapult medical stories from the heartlands of India and introduce readers to a world of medicine, orchestrated by culture, cohabited by Unani, homoeopathy, kabiraj giri, quacks, local healers and Ayurveda alike.