Editorial: Self-medication

Abstract

The subject of this editorial is self-medication. Sometimes in the mid 1960’s when I was an
undergraduate in an overseas University, I was invited for dinner by a family. The after dinner chat
revolved around self-medication. A few years earlier, Dr. D.C. Jarvis, a medical practitioner in the
state of Vermont had published a book, Folk Medicine. This book reached the top of the bestseller list
for non- fictions, published weekly by Time magazine and stayed there for a year. In this book the
author had documented how animals treat themselves when they are sick. Apparently, the subject had
not been documented before. The author’s intention was to jolt human conscience. If the animals are
capable of taking care of minor ailments, human beings should be able to do better.