Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow :
1 Occasional self-medication has always been part of normal behaviour in India. Only during the last hundred years or so has the development of scientific techniques made diagnosis possible. The doctor is now able to follow up the correct diagnosis of many illnesses — with specific treatment of their causes. In many other illnesses of which the cause remains unknown, he is still limited to the treatment of symptoms. The doctor is trained to decide when to treat symptoms only and when to attack the cause. This is the essential difference between medical prescribing and self-medication.
2 The advance of technology has brought about much progress in some fields of medicine, including the development of scientific drug therapy. In many countries public health organisation is improving and people’s nutritional standards have risen. Parallel with such beneficial trends are two trends which have an adverse effect: one is the use of high-pressure advertising by the pharmaceutical industry which has tended to influence both patients and doctors and has led to the overuse of drugs generally. The other is the emergence of the sedentary society with its faulty ways of life: lack of exercise, overeating, unsuitable eating, insufficient sleep, smoking and drinking. People with disorders arising from faulty habits such as these, as well as from unhappy human relationships, often resort to self-medication and so add the taking of medicines to the list. Advertisers go to great lengths to catch the market.
3 Clever advertising, aimed at chronic sufferers who will try anything because doctors have not been able to cure them, can induce such
faith in a preparation, particularly if steeply priced, that it will produce — by suggestion though — a very real effect in some people.
Advertisements are also aimed at people suffering from mild complaints such as simple cold and cough which clear up by themselves within a short time.
4 These are the main reasons why laxatives, indigestion-remedies, painkillers, cough mixtures, tonics, vitamins and iron tablets, etc. are found in many households. It is doubtful if taking these things ever improves a person’s health, it may even make it worse. Worse, because the preparation may contain unsuitable ingredients; worse because the taker may become dependent on them; worse because they might be taken in excess; worse because they may cause food poisoning and worst of all because symptoms of some serious underlying cause may be masked and therefore medical help may not be sought. Self-diagnosis is a greater danger than self-medication.
2.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and subheadings. Use recognisable abbreviations (wherever necessary – minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.
2.2 Write a summary of the above passage in about 100 words.
2.1 Medicinal Technology – a gift or a curse?
1. Doctors and Self-Medicatn
a. Occasional self-medicatn – normal in India
b. Medical diagnosis only during last 100 years
c. Doctors able to follow up correct diagnosis and treatment now
d. Even if not an unknown illness, can treat symp
e. Trained to decide when to act on symp and when on cause
f. Difference between medical prescriptions and self-medication
2. Role of Tech
a. Has brought about much progress
b. Scientific drug therapy has seen progress
c. Public health organizatn has seen improvement
d. Nutritional standards risen
e. Also has adverse effects -
i. Too much advertising leading to overuse of drugs
ii. Emergence of the sedentary society with faulty ways of life
f. People of sedentary lifestyle into unhappy relationships
g. Forced to take medicines – exploited by advertisement industry
3. Bane of advertisements
a. Clever advertisements aim for chronic sufferers
b. Try inducing faith in products through steep pricing
c. Produces real effects in some people because of a false belief
d. Also aim for people with small illnesses as self-medicatn
4. Dangers of Self-Medication
a. Medicines such as laxatives, indigestion remedies, painkillers, cough mixtures, tonics, vitamins and iron tablets common in households
b. Their benefits doubtful
c. May make one’s condition worse
d. Preparation may contain unsuitable ingredients
e. Patient could become dependent on them
f. Could be taken in excess
g. May cause food poisoning
h. Symp of serious issue could be masked and medical help not sought
i. Self-diagnosis a greater danger than self-medicatn

2.2
Technology has come a long way, influencing the medicinal world to become more scientific in terms of identification of illnesses and their treatment. The doctor is trained to treat either symptoms or illnesses, whichever necessary. Yet, the advertisement industry manages to coerce people into self-medication by feeding on their fears. Although a common practice in most Indian households, self-diagnosis and self-medication can sometimes lead to covering up of other major illnesses and absence of the required medical attention. Besides, the adverse effects associated with it, say food poisoning or excessive intake, only speaks of the consequences of this wrong practice.
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