Multiple confusion
In July this year, a physician called Gary Pearce of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society of New South Wales, wrote to Vaidya Baiendu Prakash asking him to immediately stop his metal therapy as it contained proven toxic substances like arsenic and mercury. He said it was folly to confuse the placebo effect with remedial treatment.
Pearce's letter was occasioned by the investigation of a patient who went into renal failure, presumably because of arsenic poisoning. The examination over, the authorities promptly iold people on the national television network to .'stop taking the medication", if they are on it.
An article published in a newsletter called Public Health Debate, and headlined Little Black Pills, reported that at least 30 MS patients in Australia were taking these medicines, out of which two were found with unacceptable levels of arsenic and mercury in their urine. The article said the pills and powders are not only dangerous but also expensive. it talked about little black pills called Chuifong Toukuwan, which contained a variety of prescription drugs as well as heavy metals like cadmium and lead. These pills have proved lethal in several cases.
Following the controversy, several patients stopped Prakash's treatment. But what has disappointed him however is that nobody, either from this country or abroad, volunteered to investigate the 70 odd cases in which his med- icines seem to have worked. To underscore his point, he showed Down To Earth, a number of letters from his patients ratifying his treatment.
What they say... Mark J Horton from Melbourne writes: "I am 29 years of age and for the past 3 years, I have been suffering from MS. My career was beginning to took like folding and pressures were enormous. When leaving Australia for India, I could not walk any further than 50 metres...., my right eye had dwindled down to only 60 per cent capacity and both my bowel and bladder were completely out of control.
"After 4 weeks of treatment in Dehra Dun where under the supervision of Vaidya Balendu Prakash, I returned to Melbourne a renewed person.... Time will tell as to whether the Vaidya's treatment is a total cure. All I can say is that for 3 years my MS had been on a continual decline. No Western medicine had done me any good whatsoever .... My impression of this man is that he is not a fake, nor is he out to make large amounts of money."
Adrian Streicher from Adelaide writes: "I improved so much that towards the end of my stay I was climbing up and down 6 flights of stairs carrying a full backpack, upto 5 times a day. This was the start of a new life for me.... I wholeheartedly recommend this treatment to all those suf- fering from MS."
Patricia Guthrie from New South Wales asks: "if my symptoms do return in the future will it be possible to receive more treatment... I would not hesitate to take it again."
But not everyone of Prakash's patient is a satisfied patron of metal therapy. Endorses Amit Chatteriee from Jamshedpur: "I had taken your medicines and followed your diet for six weeks after returning from Dehra Dun. There was no remarkable positive effect though there might have been some improvement."