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Local Practices Have Some Logical Basis
As with almost all folk remedies, there is some logic behind what
may seem to be strange Khmer practices, say Western experts.
Newcomers can be quite startled to see Cambodians bearing lurid
lines of bruises, but these are simply signs of the local tradition
of “coining.”
Coining, sometimes done by professionals, sometimes by friends or
family, involves hard scraping of the skin by the serrated edge of a
coin. This has the twin effect of taking the patient’s mind off
whatever else ailed him or her, and possibly releasing endorphins,
the body’s natural painkillers.
The same logic probably applies to the practice of “cupping,” in
which heated glass cups are applied to the skin and as they cool,
draw the skin. Another local tradition is the intravenous drip. Many
Cambodians do not feel as though they have been thoroughly treated
unless they get a drip bag of “serum.” The solution is dextrose
saline or simple saline and it is often colored with vitamins.
One Western doctor observes that nobody ever needs a drip unless
they have lost a lot of fluids through disease or trauma. Further,
the risk of infection through the use of inadequately sterilized
needles can be a real problem. Hepatitis B and C can be spread that
way, as can HIV. Also, a patient can die if an air bubble enters the
bloodstream through an IV needle.
Nonetheless, a patient who has an IV bag has a certain cachet—his
or her illness has been taken seriously and so the IV is a badge of
pride. Maybe that is why so many people report feeling much better
when they receive a drip. It comes under the heading of “Whatever
works for you.”
—Elizabeth Wright
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