Every year, on a day which marks the start of the Monsoon, thousands of people flock to Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad, a city in India. The reason – a miracle fish medicine which is supposed to cure asthma and respiratory illnesses is administered free of cost. Who is behind this medicine  you may ask..Bathni brothers belonging to Bathni Goud family are the force behind this miracle medicine. The Bathni Goud family has been giving this medicine for the past 163 years!

The history of this medicine is fascinating. The Bathni brothers claim that the ingredients of this medicine were revealed by a holy man to the great grand father of the current patriarch, Bathini Harinath Goud. The holy man, who revealed this cure, put forth two conditions –the medicine should be distributed free of cost and the formula behind the medicine should never be revealed. And no one knows the secret formula of the medicine.

The history of fish medicine may seem as a product of clever imagination, but the sight of thousands of people gathering at the Exhibition grounds in Hyderabad to get the medicine makes us wonder if it is true. In fact, every year many people claim to have been cured of asthma on account of this medicine.

How is Fish Medicine Administered?
The fish medicine is given on the day of Mrigasira Karti, which marks the onset of the Monson according to the Hindu calendar. On this day, the Bathni Brothers insert the yellow herbal medicine into the mouth of a live Sardine fish which is about 2 to 3 inches long. This live fish is slipped into the throat of the patient and is swallowed as a whole.

This medicine is adminstered thrice, in a period of 45 days and the patients are supposed to follow a strict diet prescribed by the Bathni brothers.

When is Fish Medicine Given?
Every year, one can observe thousands of people forming serpentine queues to get the popular ‘Bathni Fish Treatment’.  This year, the Bathni brothers will be giving the fish medicine on June 8, 2009 from 11 AM onwards. The venue for giving the fish medicine is Nampally Exhibition Grounds, in the City of Hyderabad, India.

The fish medicine has faced severe criticism from scientists, doctors and organizations  claiming that this medicine has no scientific evidence nor medicinal value. However, the many opine that if the medicine really benefits the asthmatics and is given as a gift by Bathni brothers, why should there be a problem? Whether it is psychological or medicinal, this fish medicine is looked upon as a miracle cure by thousands of people in India and there are chances that it really is!