Dr. Nandlal Tiwari of jaipur is another ayureda doctor who has made a reputation for himself as a cancer specialist. He claims to have perfected a herbal preparation, Which he calls Carctol^® , and which he markets from his clinic. A single capsule is priced at Rs. 4, a month’s supply costs approximately Rs. 300. He is apparently deluged with requests for treatment from those who have tired the allopathic options without success and have nowhere else to turn. Yet Dr. Tiwari’s instructions are firm and explicit : “Do not contact me before two months of taking my medicine. If there has been no perceptible improvement at the end of this period, give it up with out even consulting me.”

The dietary restrictions Dr. Tiwari imposes, besides prohibiting the consumption of onion, garlic, tea and coffee, also extend out sour (for example, mango) or is likely to become sour in the course of time (yogurt). This is a downside of many of these treatments, for not only are the dietary guidelines severely restrictive, but they also seem to deprive people of the kind of food that they can easily digest. The patients are also expected to swallow medicinal substances that are usually bitter and difficult to keep down.

Trilochan Singh Batra is a retired government official who was diagnosed with prostate cancer towards the end of his service. Though he was operated upon, There was no visible improvement as the cancer had already spread to the bones and he spent his days in pain with fever, sweats and noappetite. In desperation, he turned to Dr. Tiwari. He began to feel better within a fornight, and now, five years later, he is free of the disease and is leading an active life.

Says an appreciative Batra: “Allopathic doctors did not suggest any further treatment and had turned me away. I am indebted to Dr. Tiwari for giving me a new life.”

Unfortunately, the treatment did not promise a cancer-free existence for Seema, a 36-year-old housewife who wad diagnosed with carcinoma of the left breast in July 1993. She was advised surgery, but when she consulted Dr. Tiwari at Jaipur, he suggested that she take Carctol^® instead. Seema took the medicine for two-and-a-half years and observed all the dietary precautions, but to no avail. After a year, the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under the arm and she had to go in for surgery and chemotherapy.

bserves her husband: “Carctol^® is no doubt a good medicine to help build internal resistance. While on it, my wife’s health remained excellent, but it can’t remove cancer. But I am sure it can help prolong the lives of patients who are in the last stage of the disease.”