The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Fig (Dumur) is a common fruit grows wild in lands, nooks and corner of the houses, by the side of the ponds, ditches and jungles of rural Bangla. It is considered to be a native of Asia Minor and is grown in nearly all tropical and sub-tropical countries. It is cultivated chiefly in the Mediterranean region from Turkey in the east to Spain and Portugal in the west. It is also grown commercially in parts of USA and Chile and to a small ex1'ent m Arabia, Persia, India, China and Japan.

The fig tree does not require very rich soil. Alluvial or loamy soil of yellow or reddish brown colour with a rocky bed 3 or 4 feet below the surface is best suited to its growth Fig trees also thrive in clayey soil but the land must not be water logged. A climate is necessary at the time of fruit development and maturation. The plant is less exacting as to soil and can tolerate more moisture when the crop is raised for use as fresh fruit: but when the crop is raised for drying, a warm moderately dry, farley sandy soil with a considerable amount of lime is required.

Four distinct classes of figs are found. These are: 1. Common fig 2. Capri fig 3. Smyrna fig and San pedro fig. Of these four types, Smyrna fig is commercially important and is extensively grown in Europe and America. It has superior nutty fiavour due to the presence of fertile seeds and considerable attention is paid to "Caprification" on which its quanty depends, the fig tree begins to bear a fair crop from the second or third year after planting. Though rooted cuttings and layered plants are known to bear fruits even m the first year of planting. Under suitable, the trees continue to bear for 12 to 15 years, after which they show a marked decline in yield. Normally the trees bear two crops in a year, but in some types even a third crop is obtained.

Figs are consumed fresh, dried, preserved, candled or canned. Fresh figs are delicious and may be used dessert or for jam. The great bulk of the crop is consumed as dried fruit. Better of dried fig are used for making fancy packs, while other grades are used in Mediterranean countries for the production of alcohol and wine. A preparation known as Fig coffee is manufactured in Europe and used in coffee substitute. Figs are roasted like coffee beans, cooled and packed in containers. Other fig products are: Spiced or Pickled Figs, Fig Bread, Fig Meat and Fig Brownies. Ripened fruits are picked either from the tree or gathered after they drop on the ground. In the major fig growing countries, special devices are necessary for collecting fruits from the tree and pickers are protected against the acrid juice. Fresh figs do not keep well even under cold storage (32-35 F), for more than a month. Fresh fig is a delicious fruit with highly nutritive value. The average composition of the edible part of the fresh Indian fig as follows: moisture, 80.8; protein, 1.3; ether extract, 0.2 mineral matter, 0.6; carbohydrates, 17.1; calcium, 0.06; and Phosphorus 0.03 0'0. Iron 1.2 mg: carotene, 270 international vitamin A units, nicotinic acid, 0.6 mg, riboflavin 50 and ascorbic acid 2 mg /100 g. (Wealth of India, Raw Materials).

Figs owe their food value chiefly to their mineral and sugar contents. The total mineral content is 2 to 4 times that of more other fresh foods and only cheese and a few of the nuts have a higher calcium content.

They are richer in iron and copper than nearly all fruits and vegetables and most other dried fruits. Traces of zinc are also reported to be present. Both fresh and dried figs contain appreciable quantities of vitamins A and C (c 30% of the vitamin A activity is lost in drying) and small amounts of vitamins of the B group and D.

Fig leaves are used as fodder for which purpose they are gathered after the fruits have ripened. The leaves contain: moisture, 67.6 ; crude protein, 4.3 ; crude fat, 1.7 ; crude fibre, 4.7 ; ash, 5.3 ; N-free extract, 16.4 ; and pentosans, 3.6 %. The leaves also contain 0.002 % carotene (dry wt. basis). The fig also yields a latex containing resin, albumin, cerin, sugar and malic acid.

Medicinal Properties: All parts of the tree are bitter, cooling, acrid ; astringent to the bowels, antidysenteric; useful in "Kapha", biliousness, psoriasis, anaemia, piles, jaundice, haemorrhage of the nose and mouth , disease of the blood.

The fruit is sweetish, cooling ; aphrodisiac, tonic, lactagogue, emetic; causes "vata" and constipation (Ayurveda). The acrid milk is used medicinally in Kongra. In Bombay and the Konkan, the powdered fruit heated with water to form a poultice is apllied to buboes. It is also given to milch cattle to dry up their milk. The fruit, seeds and bark are possessed of valuable emetic properties. ( Indian Medicinal Plants, K. R. Kirtikar & B.D. Basu , Vol. III , 2330).

The fruit, fresh or dried is valued for its laxative property. It is diuretic, demulcent, emollient and nutritive. It is used in the form of confection and syrups.

The preparations sold under the name of 'Syrup of figs' contain senna as one of the constituents. Figs are considered useful in the nutritional anaemias. The ash of figs is highly alkaline (Wealth Of India, Raw Materials).

Medicine: Fig latex is used as an anthelmintic. It is toxic when administered parenterally to animals but has no toxic effect when administered orally. The anthelmintic action has been traced to ficin, an enzyme which has the remarkable role of digesting living helminthes. Ficin is effective against both trichurus and ascaris. The dried fruit is demulcent, emollient; nutritive and laxative. It is however only rarely employed medicinally.

Persons suffering from habitual constipation find it useful as an article of diet. The fruit is also used in the form of a poultice to effect suppuration. The pulp of the fig mixed with vinegar and sugar is very effective in bronchitic affections (Dr. Emerson).

Fluckiger and Hanbury say the dry fig contains about 60 to 70 percent of grape sugar and the unripe fruit starch. Ainslie remarks that the vytians prescribe figs in consumption cases. The Arabians place them among their Mobehyat or aphrodisiacs and Muzijat or suppurantia. Smyrna figs are deemed the best.

Special Opinions: "The juice of the leaves is of use when applied locally in the early stages of leucoderma" (Narain Misser, Kathe Bazar Dispensary, Hoshangabad, Central Provinces). (Dictionary of the Economic Products of India).

What is Pimple?

Pimples has been a major problem of youngsters for ages. It appears as multiple reddish spots on the face and can hamper ones beauty significantly. In medical terms it is called Acne Vulgaris.

What causes pimples?

There are multiple oil producing glands in the deep layer of the skin. they are called the sebaceous glands, they produce oily secretions which is transnitted to the surface of the skin via small ducts.

Inspissated (dried) sebum along with dead cells and dust, can block the small ducts. Duct blockage causes the oily material to collect inside the glands inducing inflammation and infection. Under these circumstances p.acne bacteria starts multiplying, giving rise to infection and pus fonnation. So, in acne, multiple red spots appear on the face of the patient. Some of these red spots ultimately turn into pus points. They are quite painful. Although face is most commonly involved, back and upper arms can also be affected.

Is there any effective treatment for Pimples?

Traditionally acne has been treated by long term oral antibiotics such as tetracycline, minocyline, doxycycline, erythromycin, etc. They were prescribed for long courses extending for up to many months. This was usually supplemented by local application of antibiotic ointments or lotions. Strict avoidance of oily food and constipation was also advised. The use of long continued antibiotics does provide remission of the disease.

But it soon comes back after the given course of medicine is finished. With the appearance of new pimples patients get distressed. Doctors, therefore felt inclined to restart the long course of antibiotics.

Nowadays, the management of pimples has changed. Patients no longer have to take strong antibiotics for months at a stretch. Rather, safer antibiotics like azithromycin are given in short courses of 3 to 5 days with variable intervals in between. Research has shown that diet and bowel habits have no real bearing on the management of acne. The advent of Phototherapy (PT) and specific lasers can practically stop recurrent attacks of acne.

Isotretinoin, which is a derivatives of vitamin-A is also very effective in the treatment of resistant acne. But the main draw back of this drug is its teratogenic potential (chances of babies being born with birth defects). Therefore, it can not be prescribed pregnant ladies or in nursing Blathers.

What is Phototherapy?

This is a recent advancement in the treatment of pimples. Here, a combination of red and blue light is used to treat the affected area.

It is delivered by special device containing small lamps oriented at varying angles (to conform to the curvatures of face) Each session of phototherapy lasts for 20 minutes. And the patient requires 8 such sessions at intervals of 3 days. This means that a full course of phototherapy will take 4 weeks' time. The treatment is entirely painless and the patient lies down comfortably with his||her eyes protected by special eye-ware. The patients never get bored because they can listen to music during the 20 minute session. What happens with phototherapy is that the bacteria (p.acne) at the depth of the oil glands are effectively killed by this procedure. It has been claimed that phototherapy can permanently stop acne in 70% to 90% of the patients.

What are the complications of Acne?

1.Pastule formation.

2.Cyst.

3.Pits And Scars. 4.Hyperpigmented spots.

1.Pastule formation?Sometimes acne spots can progress to small abcesses. They should be treated by incision and drainage under local anaesthesia.

2. Cyst?Pent up secretions in the glands can lead to cyst formation. Cystic acne does not respond to antibiotics or even phototherapy. They require surgical treatment.

3. Pits And Scars?pits and scars can occur in a patient with long standing or recurrent acne. Scarring of the skin ultimately produces pits and depressions on the face which is difficult to treat. Microdermabrasion (MD) and lasers can help to minimise the scarring produced by acne. But multiple sessions are required and the improvement is gradual. Sometimes Filler Injections (containing hyaluronic acid in gel form) is used to correct big craters. Dermabrasion can also be used in selective cases. In dermabrasion a rotatory device is used to abrade the outer layers of skin. It is done under local anaesthesia. A new layer of skin regenerates within the next few days-giving the final appearance much smoother than before. Laser treatment can also help smoothen the surface irregularities. It works by gradual collagen (protein fibres) remodelling at the deeper layers of the skin. But multiple sessions are required to achieve any significant change.

4. Hyperpigmented spots-This can usually be prevented by avoiding direct sun ray on the acne spots. With the UV radiation of the sun ray the acne areas produce increased amounts of pigments called Melanin. This pigmentation causes darkening of the areas. Regarding treatment, microdermabrasion is a useful procedure. In microdermabrasion the outer most layer of the skin is abraded by a forceful jet of crystals (aluminium oxide). This procedure is entirely painless and threrefore local anaesthesia is not required. Pigment lightening gel or bleaching agent like hydroquinone and kojic acid containing gel is also helpful.

Are these modern treatments of acne available in Bangladesh?

Yes, all the above mentioned modalities of treatment including Laser, Dermabrasion, Microdermabrasion (MD), Phototherapy (PT), Filler Injections are now available in Bangladesh.

Treatment of acne is therefore no longer as frustrating as it was before?thanks to the recent developments in medical science.

Prof Dr. Sayeed Ahmed

Siddiky

A H M Abdul Hai

Many of the civilians still question the HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and awareness activities, terming it 'an excess hue and cry' of the government and non-government organizations across the country. A higher official of a ministry opined, through talking much about HIV/AIDS, NGOs are tickling the public interest towards risky practices including sex and drug. "Why are there innumerable NGOs working on HIV/AIDS issues?", he asked.

Talking to Sakib (Not real name), a smart young man of a rich family in Dhaka, it is observed, he does not bother about any risk of HIV/AIDS, though he has been habituated to having sex with at least five married female partners for last six years. He claims that he and all of his sex partners do never care about AIDS preventive measures. They did never use condoms and even do not think it necessary. But it is easily possible that the young man and his sex partners might be infected with HIV/AIDS in a cyclic order. Any or some of the house lords of the partners might have had HIV by visiting brothel or any type of sex-workers. They are coming back home and using their wives. Thus our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters-all are vulnerable for HIV/AIDS infection, because no body is revealing his or her sex partners and sex-history to others. Extra-marital sex cases are disclosed only in some lower class families. What about the sex-cases of the middle and upper-class people? Nothing of the risky sex practices and injecting drug using of the elite and middle class people is disclosed in Bangladesh. Members of these families are having sex with house-based and hotel-based sex workers or might be termed as sex partners. These sex workers and sex partners are also serving in the beds of our foreign guests and tourists, many of whom are carrying the virus from their own country.

A higher official of NGO Affairs Bureau said, recently a large number of NGOs have applied for registration, while most of them wrote about their work on HIV/AIDS field. "Why is it happening?", he asked, "Is HIV/AIDS so alarming in Bangladesh and how is it?" He also asked, if it is very alarming, why we do not find any news story of death caused by AIDS in the newspapers. Such a high profile official of the government has all the scope to know about AIDS policy and program of the government and NGOs, but they do not concentrate to the issue ignoring it as the issue of NGOs for financial benefit. He or they, the upper class people, do not know that HIV/AIDS is not only a health issue, it is rather a social issue, an economic issue and a human rights issue as well. They do not care and know that HIV can embrace all type of people irrespective of age, class, caste, color, gender and religion. HIV can grace the rich and the poor similarly.

A mother of a upper-class family tore the advertisement page of Sananda off as there was an advertisement of condom, so that her young son, student of a university, might not get the page. This is the real situation in our country. The terms HIV, AIDS, STI, STD, sex, condom are still 'taboo' to most of the people here. They know little of these serious issues but can not utter these words in front of their son, daughter, brother, sister, parents or guardians.

It was known from a reliable source, a college student of Mohammadpur area in Dhaka had at least six male sex partners and even she practiced having sex with more than one male partners together without any condom. This girl is going to get married with some other young man. In this way, some or most of them are going to be infected by HIV/AIDS in a cyclic order. But no incident of such an unsafe sex practice will be disclosed as it is a Muslim country and we believe that we have some basic moral values to be maintained. Many of us remain aloof from this issue just believing that all people are here Muslim, so they are chaste, pious and honest and they can not be of promiscuous character.

Another case study, more usual in Dhaka, less usual outside, shows that in the patriarchal society, Azizul (not real name), a husband aged 41 years living in Rangpur area, has been maintaining extra-marital sex with at least three girl friends for last eight years. It is an open secret to his wife. But she has nothing to say, because she can not do anything and go any where without his monetary support. That is why, with much agony and grief his wife has also chosen a young man aged 38 years as her sex partner secretly. In this family picture, Azizul is receiving STIs and HIV from his girl-friends, he is giving it to his wife and thus it spreads to her extra-marital sex partners. The same situation is prevailing in the families where husbands are working abroad and they are not meeting their wives for six months to three years.

Here is the situation more fatal as expatriate husbands are maintaining extra-marital sex-practice in those countries and their wives have the same sex-practice here. That is why we see time and again some Bangladeshis are identified as HIV positive in the foreign land and they are forcibly returned home. They are coming back and having sex with their wives and spread it at large. The vulnerable situation of such an extra-marital sex practice does not come to light as these characters always pretend to be honest, pious and chaste.

Though pre-marital and extra-marital sex-practices are in such a risky level in Bangladesh, no bride or bridegroom dare demand HIV test prior to the marriage. So the question easily comes ahead "Who is and how much aware of HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh?" It clarifies that the NGOs and Government programs could reach only limited community members such as brothel-based and hotel-based sex workers, Injecting Drug Users of drug-dens and a few of internal migrants. But a large portion of common people are left unaware and untouched. The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004 shows, in last two decades several crores of Taka had been spent on "Awareness Raising and AIDS Prevention". However, only 22/% of the population is aware of HIV/AIDS. In the same survey, it was found, only 60% of women and 42% of men have heard of AIDS. One third of men could not name a single method of avoiding HIV. Only one in ten men knew that limiting to one partner could reduce the risk of HIV transmission. In addition, a large majority of respondents have not heard of STIs at all, which accounted for more than 70% in all categories interviewed. There are known to be significant barriers to condom use in the whole country. These include the perception of men that it reduces sexual pleasures, is barrier to closeness and associated with promiscuity and illicit sex. There is also the embarrassment associated with the purchase of condoms. A survey also found that 18% of sexually active male adolescents had sexual intercourse with sex workers. Among the married male, 36% is reported having pre-marital sex.

While commenting on the 7th National Surveillance Report, former Programme Manager of National AIDS/STD Program (NASP) Dr Abdus Salim says, "HIV prevalence rate in Bangladesh is below 1 percent but risk practices and environment for infection are rampant here." He says that Bangladesh is geographically also at risk of AIDS. Long border area, sex trade, labor migration as links between most at risk population and general people together with gender discrimination, poverty, low level of education, high level of drug addiction among youth, inadequate health service and lack of awareness about HIV/AIDS, which promote infection of this virus, are still prevailing in the country. UNAIDS and World Health Organization, in 2004, expressed their concern that Bangladesh has about 14 - 15 thousand HIV positive people, but NASP estimates the number of HIV positive people in Bangladesh is 7,500. Government did not accept the UNAIDS statistics without any proven ground.

It is very noteworthy in the present national perspective that, while preparing voter ID and national ID card for the people, the Government can easily accomplish all five tests including HIV/AIDS status and mention blood group in the ID cards at the same time. Because, till now Government can not strongly claim any accuracy of their own data of 874 AIDS cases when crores of people are beyond the access of having HIV test. Moreover, it will be a great achievement if Government introduces HIV test in every seaport, airport and land ports just now to combat HIV/AIDS infection through external migrants.

Being afraid of the article to be over-loaded by only a lump of data and figures, it has been limited to the boundary of analyzing root-level and hidden but real situation of sexual vulnerability keeping other vulnerable behaviors left aside. It is with the view to storming the brain and thought of the countrymen and policy makers to address the newly-discovered areas and fill in the loop-holes concerning HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and awareness issues. Otherwise, it will be late when the AIDS bomb is blasted and positive people will be explored in a geometric rate of multiplication.

[Writer is a freelance journalist)