Medical Maladies:Stories of Disease and Cure From Indian Languages | Book Review

Review of the anthology Medical Maladies: Stories of Disease and Cure From Indian Languages by Haris Qadeer

• Title - Medical Maladies:Stories of Disease and Cure From Indian Languages
• Author - Haris Qadeer
• Publisher - Niyogi Books Pvt Ltd
• Year published - 13 Oct, 2022
• Pages - 290
• Genre - Anthology/ Medical
• Format - Paperback / eBook
• Buy the book on Amazon 

This pioneering anthology brings together 19 fascinating short stories, translated into English from Indian languages—Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Kashmiri, Marathi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Odia, and Urdu— demonstrating a spectrum of medical cultures in India. The thought-provoking and compelling stories address a wide array of themes and topics, including the individual and social crises during epidemics, medical pluralism, patient care, medical paternalism, disease-mongering, medicalization, and medical ethics, amongst others. Delineating a range of diseases, healing, and allied concerns in India, the stories depict modern medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, surgeons, as well as traditional practitioners such as vaids, hakims, kavirajs, quacks, and folk healers. A few of the stories also engage with aspects of women’s mental and physical health, including pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, and depression. Ranging from the early 20th century stories to contemporary ones, the compendium includes pieces by canonical authors such as Tagore, Premchand, and Manto, medical practitioners such as Rashid Jahan and Shirin Shrikant Valavade, and contemporary writer such as Annie Zaidi and Jeelani Bano. The anthology garners refreshing insights and offers a new understanding of the interrelationship of literature and medicine.

This captivating anthology immerses readers in a diverse collection of stories spanning from the 20th century to the present day, encompassing a wide range of experiences and locales throughout the country, providing a rich tapestry of narratives that explore the intersection of literature and medicine in India.

The introduction provides a comprehensive exploration of historical medical practices and the evolution of techniques and methodologies, with a wealth of reference materials, particularly on epidemics, enriching the readers' understanding of the intersections between literature and medicine in India.

The short stories within delve into the realms of diseases, health, and remedies, fostering fresh perspectives and insights into the intricate relationship between these domains, while featuring a wide spectrum of characters including allopathic doctors, homeopaths, local healers, Unani practitioners, quacks, Ayurvedic practitioners, and more.

Each narrative adeptly illuminates the social, cultural, economic, and financial challenges faced by patients, and serves as a poignant reminder that illness knows no distinction of status. The stories showcase the vulnerability of those afflicted and delve into the struggles of doctors and caregivers, effectively capturing the multifaceted human experience.

Although all the stories revolve around real-life situations, the standout tale "Heartless" ventures into an entirely distinct realm, while unforgettable stories like "The Plague" transport readers to the haunting quarantine period during the plague in India, evoking a flood of memories reminiscent of past lockdowns, and the chilling "Plague Witch" unravels a tale of superstition and misconception, where a quarantined woman's fate takes a sinister turn, giving rise to suspicions of witchcraft, and stories like "Manzoor" and "Narova Kunjarova" tug at the heartstrings, the former showcasing profound emotional resonance and the latter delving into medico-legal complexities and the moral dilemmas faced by doctors.

These stories and all the others in this anthology collectively capture the readers' attention and shed light on various aspects of medicine and medical treatment, ultimately leaving an indelible mark and providing a unique perspective on the rich tapestry of medicine and Indian healthcare practices throughout history.

The stories are complemented by a captivating cover that aptly reflects the book's contents, fostering a relatable connection.

While a few translations may exhibit slight disjunction, such minor concerns can easily be overshadowed by the sheer brilliance of the stories and the meticulously crafted compilation.

This book warrants a 5-star rating for these enlightening and thought-provoking stories.

Haris Qadeer teaches at the Department of English, University of Delhi, India. He was a UGC-DAAD visiting fellow at the Department of English, Potsdam University, Germany in 2019. He has also received the Charles Wallace Visiting fellowship to the King’s College, London, UK (2022). He has translated writings of Rokeya Hosain Sakhwat, Krishan Chander, Joginder Paul, Anis Rafi, Saadat Hasan Manto, Balraj Menra, Zafar Ali Khan, and Tarannum Riyaz. He has co-edited the special issue of Thesis Eleven on Postcolonial World Literature and Sultana’s Sisters: Genre, Genre, and Genealogy in South Asian Muslim Women’s Fiction (2021). His forthcoming projects include Speaking Silence: Short Fiction by Indian Muslim Women (2022) and an English translation of a Hindi play.

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