Nurungukal  contd.....

                                My sister arrived from Culkatta to give birth to her eldest son. It was on one of my birth days in 1950s.The entire family was so excited of the reunion, although the gap was very short.As she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy mother was very particular that no physical contact was made by us  as it might be harmful. We found that  our sister was entirely a new personality, more sobre and matured. She was no more  our playmate whom we bade fare well a few moths ago. The very next day mother summoned the midwife to examine sister. This lady was an expert in our locality to attend to deliveries. She was in those days more than a gynaecologist. People held her in great esteem and they were confident in her . No mishaps were reported when she was in charge. She was popularly known as MIDWIFE. Her children were the class mates of my elder brothers. There were only very few  Christian families in Ponani in those days. Thresia teacher was another. She was a close follower of Kelappaji the Kerala Ghandi. Kochappu from Kunnamkulam was  merchant. All of them were much known in our social circle.

                                Dr, Achutha Menon was the only physician practising general medicine. He was a dignitary to all of us. His prescriptions scribbled on a piece of yellow paper can be deciphered only by the pharmacist in A.M Medical store . It used to be always a brown or maroon coloured admixture of medicines which tasted very bitter. We used to hold our nose to gulp it and to counter the bitterness a scoop of sugar was needed. It will be supplied in a  green bottle with cut edges. Such bottles are not seen now a days. We would paste a paper strip cut into equal divisions on the bottle and that used to be the measure for each dose. More than his medicines the way he tendered his care was a touch of heal. He used to make a round of visits to a few rich families every morning in his Austine car.  and if the house was not connected with a motor able road a rikshaw would take him.This routine he never broke. To others he was accessible either in his house or dispensary.   contd....