Doctors in eastern China’s Hangzhou have noticed an unusual case of traditional medicine. The pensioner (82), known only by the surname Čangová, was brought to the hospital after she swallowed eight live frogs in an attempt to ease her back pain.
According to reports, Chang believed in a popular rumor that this procedure could help with pain. She asked her family to catch the frogs for her, all smaller than the palm of her hand, without telling them what she needed them for. The first day she swallowed three frogs and the next day five. However, she soon began to experience severe abdominal pain and was forced to confess to the hospital staff what she had done. Doctors discovered that the patient had developed a parasitic infection.
“The frogs damaged the patient’s digestive system and this led to the appearance of parasites in her body, including tapeworm larvae,” said one of the doctors at a hospital in Hangzhou. The case has sparked a debate about folk practices and the health risks they can have. According to doctors, such practices are dangerous, especially for the elderly, and can lead to serious infections and organ damage.
