My dad, a medical practitioner with degrees of MBBS, GCIM, DMS started his career in late 1950s. Apart from this he was also into business and own acres of farmlands. Most of the hours in a day he will be on wheels. He own a hospital and used to practice throughout day and in breaks pays visits to the farmland, rice mills and a vehicle service station. Adjacent to the house is the ten bedded hospital of my dad's and whenever on request even at midnight or early morning, anytime he attends to the patients on call.
Once after the dusk when Sun got imbibed into the horizon, he was ready to wind up his medical practice for the day and prepared to leave. A man in his late 40s approached him and called 'ayya'. This is how the humble people of Tamilnadu used to call the doctors. 'Ayya, I have been looking for you after most treatments for me were failed. Am coming from a far village after hearing about the incredible recoveries by you from my neighbourhood. Then my dad patiently asked him about his problem what makes him worry. He showed him a wound on his thigh. He said for past three weeks its condition is the same and have been seeing some doctor every alternate days and was under medication even then there was no improvement and been troubling. My dad started to examine the wound. He immediately asked him about his occupation.. He said that he is a Wood heaver. My father asked him whether he uses axe to cut the wood or Hammer and a Chisel. That poor woodcutter was wondering why the hell a doctor wants to know these things and then with tediousness hesitantly he acknowledged the use of Hammer and Chisel. My dad said now he knew what got inside the skin that caused the wound. He then asked him to lie down on the operating table and was gathering his tools. All of a sudden the power went off unfortunately those days they don't have backup powering system. The patient started to murmur thinking about his misfortune. My father was so cool and asked his helper to lighten up the lantern and to place it near the patient.
With a scalpel and forceps he moved towards him and carefully made some incisions and started to search for the foreign body. Perplexed when something was found, he slowly made incision little more deeper and stunned to see the thing that shined, pulled it out with the forceps. It was a one rupee coin sized iron foil. Later he cleaned up the wound, stitched it and bandaged. My dad vindicated the wood heaver that his wound will be healed within four days. And was about to prescribe some medicines. The tube lights blinked twice and commenced to bright up. He took the iron foil and showed it to him and informed that this was the cause for his extremely severed wound. Alas! He cried out of joy and fell at his feet inspite of his painful wound. He became very furious about the other doctor who made him walk to and fro for three weeks and was telling my dad how he was going to trouble him for such an execrable treatment provided. My dad laughed and asked him to forget that. He then paid the bill and was about to leave suddenly halted and turned towards my father. He asked him "Doctor u just asked my occupation and about the tools I use and you were sure about what got inside. How was tat possible?" My dad amazed him by saying when he cut wood using the chisel, due to the force when he hit harder the chisel with the heavy hammer repeatedly sharp blades of iron foils will scud away in no time. The presence of mind of him saved the poor wood heaver. After a week he came back to thank him whole heartedly as he was recovered completely.
