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Thousands swallow sardines with herbal paste to cure asthma

HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Tens of thousands of asthma-sufferers swallowed live sardines or murrel fish smeared with a yellow herbal paste in a ritual performed Wednesday that they believe will cure their breathing problems.

The Goud family that administers the traditional treatment in the southern city of Hyderabad says its ancestors received the secret formula from a Hindu saint about 170 years ago. They refuse to reveal the mixture’s ingredients, and doctors say it is unproven.

Those treated are often poor, but many say it has benefited them, and the government helps make arrangements for the large crowds who come to Hyderabad, the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states.

http://wbay.com/ap/thousands-swallow-sardines-with-herbal-paste-to-cure-asthma/