Comments

It is often whimpered that Pakistan lags behind other nations, as far as scientific and medical research is concerned. The assertion might be true to some extent, but the actuality of research propensity in Pakistan cannot be contravened.

Dr.A.Rashid Seyal’s attendant work corroborates this point. Dr. Seyal’s research is about the relationship between synthetic garments and various psychosomatic ailments, especially of the cardiovascular system. He has written many articles on distinct attitude of this puzzle; some of them have been published exclusively. Now he has accomplished a book on the subject.

The course of science and technology has simulated mankind both positively and negatively, serviceable as well as repugnant. With growing industrial progress, scientists have already taken up serious research on environmental hazards such as air pollution, radioactive radiation, and so forth. Dr. Seyal has drawn our attention to a new environmental menace (a long-acting one), that of synthetic garments, that has come to produce ill effects during the last four decades. The glistening silken fabrics that had been taboo for children and young unmarried girls in our society are still discharged as pure superstition. But Dr. Seyal’s research shows their ill effects (in the shape of synthetic garments) to be real. The present book contains articles covering different aspects of the problem.

The fundamental fact of his whole contention can be conferred in simple, non-technical language as below. Synthetic fibers are not permeable, and so bassinet appropriates ventilation. They do not assimilate perspiration, which accumulates on the skin and serves as a hiding place for microbes. Due to defective ventilation and the accumulation of sweat, thermal, electrolytic, and electrical changes set up small voltages under the skin. This sequentially helps emancipate certain chemical substances and hormones that tend to intrude on the natural equilibrium between the sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous systems. As a result, behavioral indemnification take place, at first as deviated gesticulations and decadence activities, then as clinical symptoms and mood changes, and finally as real pathophysiological and psychosomatic derangements.

Almost all body systems are simulated. Symptoms are quite variegated, with the more important being; allergic skin reactions, itching, discomfort, crawling sensation under the skin, heat flashes, crushing sensations, headache, joint pains, petulance, grouchiness, fear-fight-flight syndrome, disturbed sleep, weariness from exertion, enervation, sensual disturbances, and above all, peptic ulcer, asthma, palpitation and cardiac irregularity, raised blood pressure, and many other stress related symptoms.

Dr. Seyal says that manmade fibers act as stressors on the human body. The stress contrived is at first endured by the body auspiciously, but later an exhaustion stage is reached, and long-duration persistent stress breaks up body resistance and leads to all the manifestations noted above. Dr. Seyal has also suggested the mode of action of the synthetic garments in producing diseases. His conclusions are also confirmed clinically. There are certain repetitions while describing the mode of action, but it seems quite appropriate while describing the specific organ-system disturbances.

Dr. Seyal’s work has unclosed new labyrinth for medical, cardiovascular and psychiatric research. It is hoped that the research will be followed up by Dr. Seyal himself and others in the field.

 
Professor Dr. M. Hayat Zafar