Ancient Ayurvedic Drug Removes Tooth With

No Blood or Pain

A photograph of Rattan Singh's father and his assistant,

who were traditional dentists and Ayurvedic practitioners,

on the streets of the Gumat bazaar in Jammu city.

A family in the northern Indian city of Jammu has the recipe for

a rare drug that can painlessly remove a tooth without

anesthesia or surgery. As part of an ancient medical heritage,

the family has been using this drug for centuries, passing down

the recipe for generations. Rattan Singh, who works in a small

clinic on a side street of the Gumat Bazaar in Jammu city, is one

of the recipe holders.

On a cold January day, Vijay Kumar, age 67, came into Singhs

clinic with an aching tooth. Singh applied his concoction soaked

in cotton to the area around the tooth, and within a minute,

had it removed.

There was no bleeding and no pain. I didnt even know what

happened, Kumar said.

The drug is transparent like water but smells very strong.

According to Singh it can catch fire like gasoline. He hasnt

made the drug himself; what he has was made by his

grandfather, and he still has about a quart of it left.

Singhs father and grandfather left him and his four brothers,

who also have clinics on the same street, with four remedies

older than 100 years, which they are still using. While Singh is

still a traditional dentist, his brothers have become dental

mechanics, certified by the government.

Others do possess this drug, but they keep it a secret, Singh

said. He only uses it when a customer requests it, saying he

believes it affected his now-deceased fathers eyesight.

History

Singh and his brothers are part of a community of Bhat Sikhs or

Bhatras, a community whose ancestors were scholars and

priests who lived on the now dry Saraswati River between India

and Pakistan.

Brahmin in origin, they became followers of Guru Nanak, who is

the grandfather of the Sikh religion. One of Guru Nanaks

followers, ruler Raj Shivnabh, had a grandson who became a

poet and scholar. He was called Bhat Rai, or the Raj of poets

for his literary skill, and the name Bhatras evolved from Bhat

Rai. Bhat means bard in Sanskrit, and the Bhat Sikhs are Sikh

bards or scholars.

Today the Bhatras can still be seen in the narrow lanes of the

Gumat Bazaar, sitting at small tables with acrylic teeth and old

dentures on display to attract clients.

Singh said his father, who came to the region when it was still

ruled by a king, also used to practice this way.

He would sit in the public junction and offer his services to

people. Slowly people came to know about him, and we are

carrying forward that legacy, he said, showing an old leaflet

that his father used to publicize his services.

Affordable Dental Care

While they mostly work in the open street, dont wear

protective gloves, and some of their tools look like they belong

in a carpenters shop, many people still come to them because

they are affordable and effective.

I had a client in Delhi. He told another high-ranking officer

from Maharashtra [a coastal state about 700 miles southwest

of Delhi], and he came all the way looking for me in this lane in

Jammu, Singh said.

To remove an aching tooth, Singh charged a woman only 120

rupees ($2).

Another woman approached Singh to wire her daughters

teeth. I went to a private [modern dentist] clinic, she said.

They asked me for 21,000 rupees ($350). Singh charged 800

rupees ($13) for the same job.

Unfortunately for Singh, this means he cant make a living from

his practice.

My father told me not to cheat anyone, so I cant charge them

exorbitant amounts of money, he said. Since I cannot charge

extra, I cannot survive practicing this only.

He has started a small electronics business and survives by

renting property in the main market nearby.

And it looks as though the practice of traditional dentistry will

not be carried on in his family much longer.

Singhs brothers have already given up the practice and his

children arent interested in practicing traditional dentistry

either. His apathy toward his medicinal heritage is also

apparent, he says he doesnt want to practice anymore and

wants to find a new career in another industry.

But until then, he is a living testament of the power of

traditional healing.

A Bhatra practices on the road side in Gumat

bazaar area of the northern city of Jammu, India.

Rattan Singh sits with his client, Vijay Kumar, after removing

Kumar's tooth

at his clinic near the Gumat bazaar in the north Indian city of

Jammu.

The table of a Bhatra dentist on a roadside in the Gumat

bazaar area of the northern city of Jammu in India.

Rattan Singh, a traditional dentist in the northern city of

Jammu, holds a

bottle with a rare drug prepared almost a century ago by his

grandfather.

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