OLD IS STILL GOLD

                        OLD   IS  STILL   GOLD

              It   was  past   one  clock and   the  train  was   tearing   into  the  Night   and it  is  quite  common  that  drivers  tend  to  make  up  their   timings  of   running  short  of  the  stipulated  hours  during  the  night hours .   So  I  surmised .

                Our  family  and  my  brother's  family  were together    traveling to  Coimbatore  and adjacent   to our coupe'   a family of six members had booked  their tickets and in the early hours of the evening there was  pleasant commotion going on - talking ,joking ,hilariously sharing ,and  munching of snacks which gave  a wholesome  picture of amity   and  jollity among them.  Amidst all this  ,sounds  gurgling of a little child was heard  so we knew that a baby was also the centre  and source of their joy .

                       It was past ten o'clock and all retired to siesta .About two o'clock when everyone were in deep sleep we were  awakened rudely by sounds of tensed voices  then the tempo of voices  increased sounding  confused and words like'' hold the child up ''! ''shake her up  will you? '''' little one open your eyes'' '' oh something's happened to the baby '' ! was heard and we all  rushed to see the baby in a  sorry state  .

                      The sight really perplexed everyone for the child some nine months old which was held by the father seemed lifeless both its hand remained frigid out stretched ,legs hung limply and eyes stuck up closed .

                        Everyone for their part were  doing something but to no avail. while the mother began crying and the grandparents started wailing and the whole scene was charged with pathos ,no one knew what to do .

                       Someone in the crowd said ''pull the chain ''ask the T.T.E if a doctor is on board the train ''etc .but in the mean while the child continued to remain so for the past half an hour  .

                             .It seemed almost futile but then my husband asked ''Won't someone one  take the child and breathe in to her mouth  ?'' to which all forbore wondering whether it would work at all. The child's  mother was dazed while the father was not sure what to do .

                                     Among the crowd people feared for if something eventually happens the blame might come  upon them which made everyone to back out I think I too was  scared knowing it's to do with a baby'  s life .

                  

                      Suddenly God sent ,a woman  of 55 years of age  I think , came up boldly pushed her way in saying ''Now all of you will you be quiet for sometime '' 'She grabbed   the child and placed her mouth on the child's  and breathed into her three to four times and   on the fifth time with  a  powerful shudder the baby's  breath was restored                        

                      The little hand fell to the side and legs moved and eyes opened  looking at the crowds  and noise it began to cry ,the more it cried the  more the people smiled in  sighing relief .

                             Luckily there was young doctor on board the train she  administered her services and then turned and said  whoever did it as first aid needs to be commended . My husband quietly looked on  but the people pointed to him he immediately said' oh the idea  was mine but it's this lady who's done it and deserves to be praised ''.The doctor gave a  gentle   pat on her shoulder saying ''well done ''and moved off

                       Back in my berth I lay reminiscing that  old beliefs in methods of medicine and treatment  does  pay off   .Of course I don't ignore the fact that some would frown at this idea as being  un hygienic to do this artificial form of respiration but considering the life  of the child being  more important and at stake  somebody 's got to do it .                                 

                    I recalled    for scorpion stings and snake bites  a piece of cloth is tied   near the area .So that the  poison doesn't mingle in  the  blood  stream and in snake bite some have the tactics of sucking the poison in to their mouths and spitting it out thus saving  life  .

                                       Ancient   medicinal herbs   actually  serves  as basis  for  modern medicine is a known fact  age  old    methods  still  hold  good  in cases of emergency and urgency before we actually  get to the hospital is all but a truth..

                        I can see  many heads  nod in  consent that   hand  treatment  and  home  made  medicines   implemented by our   grand-ma's is like gold  precious  and needs to be  appreciated even today !