Social:Puppy pregnancy syndrome
Puppy pregnancy syndrome is a psychosomatic illness in humans brought on by mass hysteria. The syndrome is thought to be localized to villages in several states of India , including West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh, and has been reported by tens of thousands of individuals.[1] It is far more prevalent in areas with little access to education.[1]
People suffering from this condition believe that shortly after being bitten by a dog, puppies are conceived within their abdomen.[1] This is said to be especially likely if the dog is sexually excited at the time of the attack.[2] Victims are said to bark like dogs, and have reported being able to see the puppies inside them when looking at water, or hear them growling in their abdomen.[1][2][3] It is believed that the victims will eventually die – especially men, who will give birth to their puppies through the penis.[2][3]
Witch doctors offer oral cures, which they claim will dissolve the puppies, allowing them to pass through the digestive system and be excreted "without the knowledge of the patient".[1][2]
Doctors in India have tried to educate the public about the dangers of believing in this condition.[3] Most sufferers are referred to psychiatric services, but in rare instances patients fail to take anti-rabies medication in time, thinking that they are pregnant with a puppy and thus the witch doctor's medicine will cure them. Since rabies is so deadly, this is a very dangerous idea.[1][2] This is further compounded by witch doctors stating that their medicine will fail if sufferers seek conventional treatment.[1]
Some psychiatrists believe that the syndrome meets the criteria for a culture-bound disorder.[2]
See also
- Clinical lycanthropy
- Superstition in India
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Rahman, Shaikh Azizur (December 31, 2012). "Medicine challenges Indian superstition". Deutsche Welle World. http://www.dw.de/medicine-challenges-indian-superstition/a-16489334. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Bering, Jesse (November 15, 2011). "Puppy Pregnancy Syndrome: Men Who Think They Are Pregnant with Dogs". Scientific American. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/bering-in-mind/2011/11/15/puppy-pregnancy-syndrome-men-who-are-pregnant-with-dogs/. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Achin, Kurt (March 26, 2012). "Bizarre Medical Myth Persists In Rural India". Voice of America. http://www.voanews.com/content/bizarre-medical-myth-persists-in-rural-india-143818636/179310.html. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
Further reading
- Chowdhury, A.N..; Mukherjee, Himadri; Ghosh, Kumar Kanti; Chowdhury, Shyamali (March 2003). "Puppy pregnancy in humans: a culture-bound disorder in rural West Bengal, India". The International Journal of Social Psychiatry 49 (1): 35–42. doi:10.1177/0020764003049001536. PMID 12793514.
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